Tuesday, March 15, 2011

8 Reasons To Comment on My Blog (Guest Post)

Welcome to Session #2 in my series on Blog Commenting! Did you miss Session #1? You'll find it right here.

Today's special guest is Heather Mann, who blogs daily at Dollar Store Crafts and is one of the expert craft bloggers in residence at Crafterminds.com, where I find all sorts of helpful advice on blogging and crafting!

Please help me welcome Heather!
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I'm not fishing for comments, I promise. But there are some great reasons why you should comment on my (or other bloggers') blogs. It doesn't just make ME feel good, it allows me to help you out. How?


1. If you comment on my blog, I am likely to remember your name after two or three comments.
If you care about other bloggers knowing who you are, then commenting on their blogs more than once will start to get their attention.

One comment is a one-hit wonder. I won't remember Siouxsie Craftr's name if she says "Cool!" on one of my blog posts once and never peeps again. If Siouxsie gives me a sentence or two (and best practice is to tell me something only she can tell me, with a personal detail if possible), I'm more likely to take notice. If she comments with a meaningful comment a time or three, I will probably click through to her blog or twitter account and check it out.

2. If you comment on my blog to tell me you made one of my projects, I will click over and look at your site.
While I'm at your site, I will take note of the following things: can you take a decent picture? Do you have several tutorials? If the answer to both of these things is yes, and one of your tutorials fits my niche (dollar store crafts), I am fairly likely to link to you. And that link to you means good traffic to your site. Which means:

3. If you comment on my blog, you might get featured on my blog.
If I see something I like on your site, I will link to it. If you didn't comment, I am less likely to find your project. If I link to you, you might reap a windfall of traffic:

4. If you comment on my blog, you might reap a windfall of traffic.
You comment on my blog. I click on your name and check out your site. I see something I love. I share it on my site. You get traffic from my site, and then:

5. If you comment on my blog and I link to you, others might link to you too.
You got the initial bump in traffic from my site, but the new people who visited you might also link to your project (especially if it's a really good one). Also, I like to share links with my friends (many of whom also have highly-trafficked blogs). So,

6. If you comment on my blog, I visit you, I like your tutorials but they don't work for my site, I will likely pass a link along to my friends who might feature you.
The number one thing that thrills me most about craft blogging is the sheer act of creativity. If you did a good project that deserves recognition, I will try to get it for you. I am 40% more likely to try to get recognition for you if you are nice to me (commenting is a visible way of being nice!) Why? Because you'll be one of "my people" and I like to do things for my people.

I know people with even bigger blogs than mine, and I have, on MANY occasions, passed along good links to them. Those links have then been featured. Sometimes those links lead to linkage on even bigger sites. Multiple sites.

7. If you like a project of mine more than others, and you take time to comment, I will know I'm on the right track. I will give you more posts like the one you enjoyed.
If I don't hear anything, then I know that a craft wasn't the right fit for my site, and I won't pursue that line of crafting.

8. If you comment on my blog, I might give you a job.
Yes. It happens. You write a good comment, I check out your site and find out you are a freelance writer, or you have some skill with crafting, photography, and writing tutorials. Because you commented, you're now on my radar. I might ask you to guest post, freelance for me, or maybe even more than that. Once you start writing for me, you have opportunities to write for others (plus, you're adding to your portfolio!)

Now that you've taken a peek behind the curtain and seen the kind of glamorous life your comments could live, you should be inspired to take thirty seconds to write a good sentence or two next time you see a great project.

So, can I get a comment?
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Thank you, Heather, for allowing me to share your words with my readers!

We all have different reasons why we comment on other blogs, and if your desire is to grow your blog--I can't reiterate Heather's words enough. I have personally experienced many of her points in my time blogging! Taking the time to sincerely let a blogger know what you think about a post can bring benefits for you both.

We'll be covering How to Leave a Good Comment next time.

{What do you think? Any questions?}

30 comments:

  1. Wow! This is a great post--Heather makes so many good points! I'm a pretty active commenter, but Heather makes some points that I'd never thought about before. And now, of course, I want to go check out her blog! :)

    Thank you for this series, Amanda!

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  2. Fantastic article! I just love when people take time to comment on my blog. Especially like she said, when they leave a personal detail, like about how they can relate to that post or something.

    My most recent post is a savings jar I made for saving moolah for a new sewing machine. I have loved reading the comments. Everyone from advice on what machine to get, to commiserating about the high price of some!

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  3. Another great post! This series is a super reminder of how the blog world runs on mutual love! Thanks for sharing all these thoughts with us.

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  4. Thanks for doing this series! Alot of my friends and I complain about the amount of traffic we get compared with minimal comments. This is really helpful and you can bet your bootstraps, I will be linking to this! You rock!

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  5. absolutely! what a great post. I have made such wonderful bloggy friends from comments I/they have posted, it's so worth taking the time, you never know what a friend you'll find!

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  6. I think this is great advice for anyone trying to build up their blog. I totally agree that bloggers look out for their friends when it comes to links and sending traffic.

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  7. Great article! Good stuff to know! I always love it when people comment on my stuff, so I try to comment on blogs I follow too :)

    Thanks for the info

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  8. These are all good points. I've recently been reminded of the goodness of the blogging community, and Heather's thoughts fit in with that, too.

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  9. Great points! As a pretty new blogger, I have realized that commenting is vital if I want to have more people reading it than just my Grandma :) (whom I love, of course, but you know what I mean...).

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  10. That's a great post, and I'll remember to leave more comments with her ideas in mind. Thanks! I am also looking forward to the crafty cutter linky next week...I do love my silhouette!

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  11. Thanks for having me, Amanda! I am excited to see what other great points will be made in this series.

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  12. GREAT post!!! Well said Miss Heather!! :) Thanks for sharing these tips ladies!!!

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  13. Amanda, what a fun idea for a post/series! And Heather, you know I am a fan--always love hearing what you have to share. In fact, I think that my leaving a comment on one of your blogs led to you finding my blog and then featuring my craft! Woo-hoo! :) Made my day!

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  14. This is really helpful for a new blogger (like myself). Thanks for offering this series, Amanda, and thanks to Heather for the great tips!

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  15. Great post!
    I've never thought to go back to a blogger and let them know that I did one of their tutorials. I of course give them credit if I blog about it..but it totally makes sense that they would want to know & see.
    None of us like to feel like we're talking to ourselves..

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  16. Wonderful guest post. Though my blog has nothing to do with crafting, or else I would have absolutely nothing worthwhile to say, I think the ideas presented about commenting hold true for any blog type.

    I think this is a great, informative series and I really appreciate you putting it together. Very helpful!

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  17. I read this when you linked to it a couple weeks ago. She makes some very interesting points that I hadn't thought of before!

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  18. I truly believe you have to comment to get comments. I visit anyone who leaves any comment on my blog.

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  19. So true! Commenting really is the number one way to build connections with others in the blogworld. :) Whether you just want to grow your readership or not, it will give you benefits constantly!
    Thanks so much for these posts Amanda! I'm really loving them!

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  20. I can't help laughing that I feel self-conscious commenting on a post about commenting! Anyways this a great series about blog commenting. Thank you for reinforcing good blogging practices. These seem so simple and yet I feel they are so often skipped over!

    Thank you,
    Kaitlin - The Goodey Knot

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  21. This is a great post and I completely agree with Heather. I love to comment! I'm sure you know that by now. hahaha

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  22. I love this list! Everything is so true.

    My computer time is usually limited to night time, due to all the kids and their needs during the day. So I don't ever have as much time on the computer as I'd like! But I do my best to use a part of that time to read blogs and leave comments. I love blog hops and blog parties, because I love meeting new bloggers. Everyone has something to share, and I learn from so many. I do find that the blogs I am consistent in leaving a comment on are the bloggers who follow me, too, and leave comments....so #1 on this list really rings true for me.

    Great list, great tips:)

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  23. I have created friendships through blogging that were built on leaving comments on their blog. I have always been crafty and my close friends I see regularly are not so crafty and I find a whole lot of inspiration through other bloggers. Blogging has made such a positive impact on life but maybe not so much on my pocket book. lol I have a list of crafty items to buy thanks to you all! It's all good.

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  24. This is SUCH a great post that really lays it all out there. Bookmarking it and passing it along via facebook. Thanks, Heather and Amanda!

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  25. Awesome! I am loving this series, Amanda...
    Heather, you pointed out aspects of making these connections that I hadn't considered - more good reasons why commenting is such an important part of blogging! Thx! ~ osc

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  26. Thanks for the great tips! And guess what...now I'm going to include Dollar Store Crafts on a post I'm writing about getting featured on high-profile blogs! (I'll send the link to Heather as soon as it's posted.)

    How Sweeter It Is

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  27. What a great series this is Amanda. I know when someone posts something nice on my blog it really makes my day and gives me a big smile. You gave me a big smile today with your comment on my blog. Thanks Amanda. :)

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  28. Good advice for this new blogger! Thanks Amanda, I'll be putting it to use!!

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  29. Thank you for all the wonderful pointers. I am currently working on taking my blog to the next level and this will really help me out on how to comment on other peoples blogs! I have already taken notes to keep in my blog binder!!

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  30. Amanda Thank You! I so appreciate your encouragement to leave comments. I have thought "Big Bloggers" will not want to hear from me but I was wrong. You have heart...I love it. I am sure I can apply this to my little kindergarten blog. I have been teaching for 20+ years and still love what I do. I am excited to share through my blog. I look forward to learning from you as I continue to read Commenting 101. Oh much to my surprise...commenting is fun! Thanks again for your encouragement!

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I love to hear your feedback! Please feel free to leave comments...just don't send me spam asking me to buy stuff off your website! I've got three kids and no money to purchase your magic weight-loss pill or bust enhancement, or whatever else you might be selling. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you! :)

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