comments

2145680_sI won’t lie. I’m a huge fan of reader interaction. But just because I personally love that interaction doesn’t mean I would recommend it everyone. For the record, I read blogs that allow comments and those that don’t.

We all know that blogging is good for business. But are comments? That is a more tricky question and the answer is yes. And no. Then how do you know if allowing comments is right for you? I don’t believe there is one correct answer, but here are a few random thoughts on subject that might help you make a decision about the great comment debate:

Reasons why you should allow comments on your blog

  • Because it’s a blog and without comments it would just be published content. Blogging is about interaction and communication between readers and authors. Both author and reader benefit from what each other has to say.
  • People want to know you care. When the author publicly responds to comments the blog becomes personable. Even the tiniest response to a comment can go a long way in creating a loyal network of followers.
  • The more thoughtful and purposeful responses to your writing are good for the ego. It’s even better when you know your comment cheered some up or helped a reader solve a problem.
  • Readers will often leave comments that challenge the author’s opinion. A respectful exchange of banter is healthy and will help refine your thought process and writing skills. Debating different perspectives will also establish authority within your blog.
  • Comments are a great resource for new blogs and a convenient way to survey your audience. Responses to your posts will give you a sense of the virtual community you are creating and give you ideas on how to write directly to them in future posts.
  • It’s a fast and easy way to correct misinformation. Not everyone has the same point of view, but sometimes someone makes a statement that is blatantly wrong. A small response can set the record straight and provide factual information.
  • Great friendships can happen. The people who read your blog posts value your opinions, share your passions and are interested in what you have to say. The exchange between you and these readers can build life-long friendships. Through my personal blog I have become friends with some of the most wonderful and loving people from all around the world. We’ve run marathons together, drank wine together, vacationed together and been confidants to each other.

Reasons why you should NOT allow comments on your blog

  • It takes time to curate a response to each comment. So if you don’t have the time then you shouldn’t allow comments.
  • Trolls. There are a small percentage of unhappy and mean commenters who get off on being rude. It is easy enough to moderate those comments, but the potential for negativity is a big reason many bloggers close comments.
  • Every blog has a mission – a purpose for its existence. If that purpose is not enhanced by communication, then comments could be a distraction or dilute your message.
  • Because you only respond to some comments and ignore others. There are numerous reasons for this, but often the author doesn’t feel a response will add additional value to an already great comment. This is understandable, but the inconsistency will leave readers wondering why they didn’t deserve a response. Or worse, it will leave readers wondering if the author is just a disrespectful snob.
  • Enabling comments means spam. Spam, spam, spam. Spam. Spam. Spam. There are plugins available to reduce spam, but the spammers don’t give up and they continually come up with clever ways to deluge us with the abuse. Spam, spam, spam. Spam. Spam. Spam. Moderating spam is annoying and unproductive. Spam, spam, spam. Spam. Spam. Spam. With a little extra spam on the side.
  • Your blog is so popular and has so much traffic that allowing comments will use up all your bandwidth, crash your server and cause a numerous amount of apocalyptic events. If you are reading this blog post, then you are probably not the author of one of those blogs. If you are, please leave me a comment and count the ways you love me.

Things to consider about comments

  • The number of comments to your blog posts is not accurate indication of a successful or popular post.
  • Only a very small percentage of readers will take the time to leave a comment. And the percentage is divided up into those who are thoughtful and those who are jerks.
  • Just as it takes time to gain readers, it takes an even longer time for those readers to comment. It may take a while, but eventually, if you blog they will comment.
  • Turning on and off comments is as easy as flipping a switch. You may begin your blog with comments but then decide it is too daunting to maintain. Or, you may think some posts may lend themselves to comments while others may not.

So what have we learned? It is all about personal preference. No blog or comment will ever please 100% of its audience, but if you write things that are important for other people, then your blog will be successful, with or without comments.

 

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Susan Sullivan

Susan lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area with her husband and children. She is an avid distance runner, environmentalist, part-time beekeeper, chicken farmer and amateur photographer.

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