I don’t know of a blogger who doesn’t love getting comments.
Comments can give us validation, be the start of a cyber friendship, make us laugh, make us cry, build up our ego and/or give us warm fuzzies.
One comment can be the reason a blogger keeps going when they thought all was for naught,
It’s through comments we build community on our blog and by meeting others, help them to build community on their blog, as well.
When Chase March of Silent Cacophony commented on the I Don’t Get It post, his words echo those of many. In part, he said:
…They might not even realize that comments are something that bloggers actually live for.
So that’s my biggest challenge – getting comments.
Today’s Lesson
Unfortunately, there can also be a downside to comments.
In a reply to the Blog Yourself To A Smaller World post, Kathy of Junk Drawer wrote (in part):
…now I have over 40 comments. Do I reply to them all? It’ll take me an hour! I wish I knew how other people got away with not replying to any of their commenters. It seems rude to me not to….
Many of you may be saying, “I wish I had her problem.”
But with receiving comments comes responsibility, and as Kathy implied, questions.
- Do we answer each comment individually?
- Or would a reply to the group be sufficient?
- Do we only answer a comment if they’ve asked a question?
- And if we do that, will some of those who commented feel slighted if their specific comment isn’t addressed?
- Would it be best not to answer any and not show favoritism?
- At what point do we stop answering all comments? 50? 100? 200?
- And lastly, might it be best to close comments?
The question of how to deal with dozens of comments is a concern for some, but a dream for others.
On that note, let’s play a game of “What If”.
Today’s Assignment
What if you began receiving 50 or more well thought out comments on each post you wrote?
What would you do?
Or, if 50+ comments is commonplace on your blog, how to you handle them?
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One thing I notice about people, whether in the real world or online, is each one of us has our own unique talents.
Hi. I'm Barbara Swafford and I'd like to welcome you to Blogging Without A Blog. Grab a seat, share your thoughts and join in the conversation. 
However, once the celebration is over, how to deal with dozens of comments raises an important issue.
That’s the issue of TIME.
Today’s Lesson
For some this lesson may seem premature, but I see it happening.
If all of you continue on your blogging journey, you will experience fifty or more comments on a regular basis.
However, as your comments increase, the time required to deal with them will increase, too.
Lance, of Jungle of Life, experiences this each time he publishes. What he said, in part, is,
Vered, who is a veteran blogger, knows all about receiving dozens of comments, as well. What she did was look at the priorities in her life and now does what works for her. In her comment she stated,
Knowing it’s possible to receive dozens of comments, being prepared is half the battle.
To prepare, we need to ask ourselves one important question.
“When we begin to receive 30, 40, or 50+ comments, where do we find the time to deal with them?”
With only 24 hours in each day, priorities will come into play.
What would yours be?
Today’s Assignment
Knowing the day will come when you will get dozens of comments each time you publish, where would you steal the time from to deal with this added responsibility?
If you’re currently dealing with this issue, what part of blogging or real life suffers?
Or, will you just cross that bridge when you get to it?