For some blogs, it can take months before someone comments. For others, a matter of days.

It’s when we feel what we’re sharing isn’t being read, we think of giving up.

After all, blogging is supposed to be interactive.

Today’s Lesson

I feel fortunate that I receive the amount of comments I do. Comments inspire me to continue on. Comments inspire new posts. And via comments I get to meet other bloggers.

But it wasn’t always that way. My audience (or lack thereof) remained silent for quite some time.

I’d publish posts, but no one seemed to care.

But I didn’t give up.

What worked for me were five things.

1. I visited other blogs and left comments.

Not every blogger reciprocated with comments on my blog, but some did, as did some of their readers. HINT: Comment on new or smaller blogs. Generally, A-list bloggers do not reciprocate comments.

2. I linked to other blogs, but I did it a little different.

I set up a series which I named, “New Blog Of The Week” (NBOTW) and hunted for new bloggers (usually under four months old). I used Tuesday as my NBOTW day and would write a post showcasing their blog, including excerpts from three of their posts/pages and included links to them.

This was a slow process, but over time, I began to build my readership, as well as my blog community.

I’ve discontinued this series, however, the list of 90 blogs remains here.

3. Another important aspect to receiving comments, ASK questions.

Even if you feel your post is complete, it doesn’t hurt to ask your readers, “Did I forget anything?’, “What are your thoughts on this topic?”, or ____fill in the blank___.

Give readers a reason to comment.

4. I answered the comments I received.

Although I occasionally miss comments which show up on older posts, my goal is answer all comments I receive on this blog.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of spam I receive, I closed the comments on posts older than 90 days.

5. I asked a comment expert for additional advice.

Liz Strauss, of Successful and Outstanding Bloggers is known for the huge amount of comments she has received over the years so naturally she was the one I approached for advice.

In a two part interview, I asked Liz, How to Maximize Blog Comments and How To Get Readers To Join Your Community.

The information Liz shared is priceless.

For some bloggers, comments aren’t important, but for others, they become the real reason to continue on.

Today’s Assignment

What technique(s) do/did you use to entice your readers to comment?

Care to share?

Although most bloggers are concerned how they are perceived online and will ask fellow bloggers what they think of, or how they can improve their blogs, some bloggers REALLY don’t want to know.

They like their blog just as it is.

And that’s okay.

Today’s Lesson

I’ll admit, I don’t like receiving nor giving criticism. If not done correctly, it can project a negative vibe.

In fact, if you asked me what I think of your blog, I’d find something I like about it and pay you a compliment.

And, I’m not saying that just to please you.

Just like I wouldn’t come into your home and say “You need to move that picture.”, I don’t feel it’s my place to tell you how to design your own online space.

After all, your blog a reflection of YOU.

That said, I will share what I like to see on blogs.

1. What is the blog about?

Oftentimes the name of a blog does not reveal what a blog is about. That’s where the tagline comes in. A simple sentence will let readers know what our blog is about and what they can expect from us in the future.

2. Recent/favorite and/or random posts

When I land on a blog I’m not familiar with, I may want to read something other than the current article. If I can’t find older posts, I leave. I don’t have time to dig for them, nor do I want to keep hitting “previous” or “next”.

3. Where’s the “about me” page?

An “about” page doesn’t have to be long, but I like knowing a little about the blog author(s). Need help writing one? See this post on how to write an “about” page.

So there you have it, three things I look for when I land on a blog.

What about you?

Today’s Assignment

What do you look for when you land on a blog?

Would you want others to tell you how to improve your blog?

Care to share?

P.S. The same may not apply to business blogs which should look as professional as possible.

P.S.S. I’m not saying my blogs are perfect, rather they’re a work in progress – always evolving.

But most of us have seen other blogs and said to ourselves, “I want that.”, “And that.”.

“That” is usually more readers. More subscribers. More comments.

Take your pick.

Today’s Lesson

In the comments of the post titled, Become a Blogging Phenomenon in Hours, Maddie of The Kids Ate My Homework shared (in part):

While I’m working on the fundamentals, I’m not aggressively trying to drive traffic to my site. I’m practicing and learning. In the beginning, I wanted to have lots of people find me. I’ve since learned that I wasn’t ready

I agree with Maddie. In the beginning, most new bloggers aren’t ready.

And here’s why.

Let’s say you’re new to blogging. Still learning the ropes. Spending time tweaking your theme, learning behind the scenes stuff and maxing out your daily blogging time allotment.

Let’s say one of your blog posts goes viral and you become an overnight sensation.

The readers pour in. As do the comments.

Now what?

After you’ve done your happy dance and called all of your friends, you’ll be asking yourself, “How can I quickly add enough quality content to keep these new readers?” as well as, “How will I find the time to answer all of these comments?”.

Before that happens, here’s a few things I’d suggest:

1. Become comfortable with blogging – the process of using your preferred blogging platform (WordPress, Blogger, TypePad…)
2. Try and figure out who will be reading your blog – your target audience.
3. Concentrate on writing quality posts – build a portfolio of articles your visitors will enjoy.
4. Learn what happens behind the scenes of a blog – either ask for help, hire a professional or search online.
5. Introduce yourself to other bloggers – via comments and/or social networking sites
6. If it’s in your plan, build a blogging community.
7. From there, work on the growth of your blog and/or your community – at a pace you’re comfortable with.
8. Most importantly, enjoy the journey – blogging is not a race.

What about you?

Today’s Assignment

Would you be ready if one of your posts went viral?

Care to share?

Photo Credit: Tiny Froglet

Some bloggers are organized, use a blogging calendar and know exactly what will be published when.

I admire their organizational skills.

Today’s Lesson

I don’t plan my posts.

In fact, until just a few hours ago, I didn’t know what today’s lesson would be, so you might say my lack of planning was the motivation for this post.

I like to write when the mood strikes and when a topic moves me. Unfortunately the two aren’t always in sync.

If I see a story on the news, it may be the basis of a post.

What you shared in your comment may be my topic of the day.

Or maybe I see a photo or a post by a fellow blogger.

Surfing online gives me ideas, as does reading.

Unfortunately I never know where my next idea will come from and although it might be easier if I was organized and knew in advance, I’ve come to enjoy this spontaneity.

What about you?

Today’s Assignment

Do you plan each of your posts? Have a blogging calendar?

Or are you like me and fly by the seat of your pants?

Care to share?

Photo credit: Double Happiness

It’s maddening.

After all, we meticulously craft our posts, carefully choose each word, spend time adding SEO (search engine optimization), tags and the perfect picture(s), ensure we’re providing value, double check to see if the words are spelled correctly and are grammatically correct, only to find out our visitors are skimming.

Some visitors will even rat themselves out by leaving a comment which doesn’t make sense.

We know they didn’t read our words, but yet we enjoy those comments.

What’s a blogger to do?

Today’s Lesson

With many bloggers blogging part-time, writing posts for their blogs AND making time to visit other blogs can be challenging.

Time must be cut somewhere, so it’s often done while they’re reading/skimming the blog posts of others.

So, what can we do?

Accept it.

If we know our posts are being skimmed, why not make it easier for a visitor to do so?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Write shorter posts
2. Use bullet points
3. Use photos or white space to break up the verbiage
4. Ask questions at the end which don’t “test” to see if the visitor read our post, but instead are relevant to the content.

Take your reader’s time constraints into consideration and they may reward you with a comment.

Today’s Assignment

If you had a choice to have a visitor read your post or leave a comment, which would you choose?

Do you have any other tips on how a blogger can improve their chances of having their posts read in their entirety?

Care to share?