When I first began blogging, I thought that my readership wouldn’t extend past anybody I didn’t personally know. I mean, I did start by blogging solely about vegetables and I’m also not the kind of person who is a follower when it comes to pretty much anything. Why would anyone follow me?
So while I would receive an occasional comment, I often didn’t respond on the blog, but rather in person or via e-mail.
Then, all of a sudden I started getting comments from STRANGERS! I was then confronted with a dilemma: to get wordy with it or play mute?
While Kat wrote a really thought-provoking post about how to write comments on others’ blogs, we Hollaback Health ladies realized a post is needed on how to respond to readers’ remarks.
Before I give my tips on how to handle comments from readers, I should add the caveat that if I got something like 500 a day, these pointers would not only be hard to follow but would result in me going sleepless for days because I am big on responding promptly to all communications…and trust me, I am not the nicest when I haven’t gotten enough sleep.
Some things to consider…
[Disclaimer, I watched “Save The Last Dance” over the weekend and this song has been in my head ever since.]
Is this the kind of thing you’d reply to in real life with more than just, “Thanks!”? Then you should reply with a comment.
If a compliment is made on a specific point in the post, I recommend responding. It is important to give personal attention to comments that convey a personal anecdote that is relevant, tips related to the topic of your post (e.g. “Try spelt flour instead of coconut flour in your pancakes!”), and/or related links on the topic. Think of your blog post as giving a speech; if someone came up to you after the speech and said the same thing she wrote in her comment, would you have a real conversation about it? If you would, then have that conversation in your comments.
If there isn’t much to say back, you don’t need to respond. Responding to every comment can come off a little fake. We know you’re overachievers, but most people don’t expect a response to every comment they write.
What is the intent of the commenter? The rationale behind the comment is almost as important as the actual comment itself.
Sometimes we get comments from people who need more help, possibly in private. If the reader divulged some very personal information, you might want to consider responding via e-mail as opposed to the comment thread. It’s good to comment, “I’m going to e-mail you about this because I have a lot to say on the matter!” This lets other readers know that you care enough to respond, but sometimes it’s better done in private.
Rachel so brilliantly called out Sweet N Low comments — those fake-sweet comments that bloggers post on other blogs just for networking. Those often don’t warrant a response, especially if it’s just a general gush fest. (Plus, when I read those comments, it makes me worry that said blogger has told their friends to pad their posts with compliments to make them look popular. I’ll take quality over quantity any day. I mean, that philosophy works well when applied to chocolate, pizza, and, of course, hooking up. And blogging.)
Specifically: was the comment made to drive traffic to another page and/or plug someone’s endeavors in an obnoxious way? You can generally tell if this is the case, because the post will often include an actual link to their blog and/or a link to a professional website plugging a product or service embedded into the text of the comment. If that’s the case, ix-nay on the esponse-ray.
Did the comment merely offer criticism with no helpful feedback? If so, you may have a hater on your hands; the likelihood of this exponentially increases if the commenter refers to themselves as “anon.” In those situations, it’s best to not waste your time and energy on responding.
Jill Scott puts it perfectly when she says “hate on me haters.” By ignoring them and not giving the reaction they want, they will hopefully disappear from the comments (and just lurk onto your blog). If you’re still not sure what to do about responding to negative comments, you can check out this post for more tips.
If shit continues to hit the fan, then consider blocking their IP address or marking all of their comments as spam.
What is your policy on responding to comments?
Have you had to modify your stance once your readership increased exponentially?
Do you look at bloggers in a different light when you notice they aren’t the best about responding to comments?
Have you ever had an overly hostile reader who kept commenting? How did you handle it?
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh I have been waiting for this post!! I’m at such a loss with what to do in regards to responding to comments. Back when I had only a few commenters I responded to every single one and had lengthy productive conversations and it was awesome. Now that I have more readers I just can’t do that anymore. Not that I have a ton – I’m not Pioneer Woman scale for sure – but there seems to be a critical mass of 20+ comments where I just lose the ability to respond to all of them. And part of me feels like if I can’t respond to all of them, then I shouldn’t respond to any of them because I don’t want anyone to feel bad. So thank you for permission to respond selectively! My other issue is that blogger (I know, I know) has a terrible commenting system. I’ve tried a couple of plug-ins to help me manage my comments better but none of them have worked as well as I’d like. Right now I’m using Intense Debate but would love suggestions on how other bloggers deal with this. Thanks for the great post – will be checking back all day to see what others say!
charlotte´s last post ..Your Health Food is Trying to Kill You- Part 2 Attack of the Pine Nuts
I try to respond to thought provoking comments or questions. I also try to respond to new reader’s comments. When I first started reading blogs, I felt like the “bigger” blogs were kind of snooty…I never got a response when I asked a question and I don’t want my readers to feel that way too.
Lisa´s last post ..It’s Time for Cycling Season!
I try to respond to most comments. I love the conversational feel. I recently installed a plug-in that sends an email to the commenter with my reply so they don’t even need to check back! As my readership has increased, I have had to tell myself that I don’t need to reply to every comment every day. And sometimes they just don’t call for it. I don’t care if the bloggers I follow reply to comments or not, but I appreciate when they do. What I do care about is if they never visit my blog and leave a comment if I have taken the time to do so for them more than once or twice.
Great tips! I don’t get a gazillion comments and yet I still don’t know exactly how to handle each one. If I get props from someone, I like to thank them, and if it’s a first-time commenter I like to email them a reply because I appreciate them coming by and saying hello… But I sometimes wonder if that’s over the top. I don’t want to come off too strong, but I still feel it’s important to connect with readers and let them know I appreciate them taking the time to comment.
Laura Georgina´s last post ..Half-Marathoning It- Two Weeks In- Ten Lessons Down
All good points.
Charlotte, I don’t use blogger but I know from commenting on others’ sites, that the comment system is quite archaic. And yes, some comments don’t require a response. I sometimes write comments that don’t require a response and nor do I expect one.
Lisa, I agree that it is aggravating when you ask a bigger blogger a question and they do not respond or give you a generic answer.
Laura, I love your approach to email a first time reader a reply.
Karen, that plug-in sounds awesome! What is it called?
Bess´s last post ..Hollywood Sign Hike
I reply to comments that ask questions or that elicit some sort of reaction from me. My readers are pretty funny people so it’s usually something that makes me laugh. At this point I don’t have many comments so it’s easy to manage. Even then sometimes I forget! I want to know which plug-in Karen is using too! For when I finally self host my blog.
Eunice´s last post ..2010 Fantasy Football Draft