You agonize about the topic, timing, audience, reaction, and traffic that your new blog post may bring. You quietly pray for a comment or two. Then nothing. It’s a sickening feeling —like throwing a party and no one shows. Well, relax. It’s not quite that bad.
It’s human nature to want to be accepted, validated, and recognized. In social media that means a comment on a post or retweet. Social media is engaging in a two-way conversation. So if no one acknowledges our work and engages with us, does that mean it stinks? If a tree falls in the forest…
Here are five things to consider if you’re frustrated by a lack of comments on your blog:
1. Avoid using the wrong metrics. Just because no one commented doesn’t mean your post wasn’t read. It’s like a radio station that’s giving away concert tickets. If only five people called in to win, it doesn’t mean only five people were listening. It takes a lot to motivate people to do something. Don’t jump to hasty conclusions.
2. Get over yourself. Did you write your post with the intention of getting approval or validation from others? I imagine most people write to share good content and help others. Eleven-year-old’s hope for validation on their new clothes or gadgets. ”Did Emma really like my new jeans from Aeropostale?!” If you are ok with what you have done —blog post or jeans —then all is well. We’re adults. Leave the shrieking and whining to the kids.
3. Keep in mind that some people are shy. I coach some of them. Many are working hard to become more extroverted, both online and in person. They shy away from offering comments and participating in chats. It doesn’t mean they’re uninterested or didn’t read your material. They prefer to hover.
4. Take the time to practice. Writing is a creative art that many people struggle with. It takes time, practice, and yes mistakes to improve. Keep working at it without worrying that you only have a small following (and no comments). Consider this a benefit that you are not stumbling in front of a huge crowd. Once you start to perfect the craft, you’ll see that people will be there to read, and comment.
5. Think about others. Writing comments takes time and thought. Some people just can’t spare one or both. A reader may be inspired or touched by what you’ve written, but they may not have the time needed to send you something thoughtful. So they don’t. Blogging and commenting (the good comments) require critical thinking skills.
If you want more perspectives on blogging — from Seth Godin and Tom Peters — read this.
Awesome post! Thanks so much!
Hey Susan,
Thank you very much for this blog post. I have not started using analytics to determine how long people spend on each of my blog posts so I often wonder how many people are actually reading it. I heard from @BobbyLehew 3 wonderful comments to prepare yourself for blogging.
1. “If your friends and family don’t like what your writing about, screw it write for strangers.”
2. “Do it poorly until you do it well”
3. “Seek shelter in the niches”
Thanks again for the great post!
Love those three tips! Priceless. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Susan
Sometimes just finding the button to click so one can enter a comment is a challenge. Also, there is a trend in blogging to disable comments. People who do this believe that they are directing the conversation and it shouldn’t be a two-way street. This hearkens back to the days of newspaper editorial. If one wants to respond, one needs to take the time to craft a letter. I find that the majority of comments are just surface fluff, so I understand why they do this.
Great points, especially on that one-way communication with the letter to the editor and newspapers. Was it really that long ago??!! How DID we manage?
Thank you for your insights.
Regards,
Susan