This is Day 4 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, a group project 60+ of us bloggers are doing together in an effort to help each other become better bloggers. You can read an overview here.
Today’s assignment is to look over the comments on your blog, find a commenter you don’t recognize, and send them an email. Taylor the email to their comment and include a link to your blog.
It’s an easy assignment. In fact, it’s so easy, that some of you may be tempted to blow it off and not do it. But this assignment points to a larger principle concerning blogs, one I think it’s important to address…
Blog Growth is Slow and Steady
Many of us bloggers have this dream… that we’ll start a blog and our posts will be so amazing that even though we start with a handful of readers, those readers will tell all their friends, who will all love our blog become regular readers and tell all their friends, who will all love our blog become regular readers and tell their friends, and so on, and within weeks we’ll have hundreds or even thousands of regular readers.
But the reality is growth for most blogs comes slow and steady. It comes one reader at a time.
On Day 3 we talked about promoting a blog post and how it’s important to reach out to people who have never heard of us or our blog and invite them to read a post. But it’s even more important to try to convert a one-time visitor into a regular reader. That conversion often comes by building relationships, and as we all know relationships can be hard work.
7 Little Things You Can Do to Build Relationships with Your Readers
Good relationships don’t happen overnight or with one big “event.” Relationships are developed over time with small things that demonstrate genuine interest. Here are 7 little things you can do. Some are taken from today’s lesson, others are things I do for my readers.
- Email a someone who has commented on your blog (today’s assignment)
- When someone comments on your blog, post a comment in reply.
- Go to commenter’s blogs and comment on their posts.
- Allow people who comment on your blog to include a link in their comments to their own blog. If your commenters find they are getting visitors from your blog, it’s one more incentive to become a regular reader and commenter.
- Remove the “nofollow” attribute from comment links. By default many blogging platforms add the “nofollow” attribute to links in comments. This attribute tells search engines not to “count” the link. Including the nofollow tag eliminates the incentive for spammers to post spammy comments to your blog, but it also takes away the search engine value of the links your legitimate commenters post. I think it’s worth it to remove the nofollow tag if your blogging platform allows you to do so.
- Periodically do things to thank your readers. Be creative. Give away a book or a CD. Do something for them.
- Thank people who retweet your posts on Twitter.
Discussion
- What other little things can bloggers do to build relationships with their readers?
- What little things did you ACTUALLY do today?
- Did you see any immediate results? (You may not. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t)
The Extra Mile
A few other things you can do to take your blog, other bloggers, and this project even further today…
- Reply & give other bloggers feedback on the little things they do.
- When other bloggers include a link to a new article they’ve posted today, click, read, and comment on it.
- Check previous posts in the series for new comments.
- Tweet, share, & bookmark this post. (You could win a $25 gift card!)
98 Comments
Since I have never had major amounts of comments on my blog, I have mostly been able to post a reply to the comment.
I have however not tried the email option before, but I am busy going through my comments to mail some of my new followers. Thank you all who have read my blog in the last week.
Just a post on revelations I had in the last day. http://www.unsafechallenge.com/2010/05/07/12-hour…
We have a unique situation. We were once an in-print publication and now we have transitioned to a blog format. So as we build from scratch in this new arena all these tips are very helpful.
Today I took the assignment serious. I sent a personal email to 5 of our commenters just to thank them for their contribution to the site.
I am eager to start reaping the benifits of this interaction.
Take a look at our blog if you get a chance at
http://www.saysomagazine.com
Hi Everyone,
This lesson has been an exhilarating adventure for me because I get to thank those who have left comments on my posts. While I do this anyway, it is more exciting today because of all the new followers who have found my home. It may take me a while to get to all of you, but I will be sending them out throughout the day.
Hi Everyone,
Today's assignment was somewhat redundant for me as well as I respond to every comment I receive (not to hard to do when you don't have a lot). However, I don't usually email my "thank yous". I usually just respond in a comment on their blogs.
The idea of supplying a link back to my blog is a good one I will use, even if it is cheezy. Something new I learned today, is just to post the response as a comment in my own blog because it shows your readers you are willing to carry on a conversation with them. Will be adding this.
On that note, here's the link to today's post:
http://openmyearslord.blogspot.com/2010/05/day-5-…
Thank you, all, for stopping by for a visit here where I try to reveal my heart, present what the Lord has been showing me, and encourage all who stop by for inspiration. Your comments encourage me.
From My Heart to Yours,
Janis
I think responding to posts via email is almost like sending those cheesey letters at Christmas to people updating you about your boring life and how your dogs are doing..
I mean people might read it, but it's instantly deleted I think. Replying to your comments is crucial and is the same thing if not more important than an email.
That being said I sent a few today anyway.. And it felt odd. Here are my additional thoughts on the lesson.
http://guardraildamageahead.com/day-5-of-31dbbb-w…
Remember to love on your Mom's this Sunday. My mom died last May 15th.. Will be a tough Mother's Day.. and it's my birthday.. BRING ON THE TEARS!!! and perhaps a beer!
I think responding to posts via email is almost like sending those cheesey letters at Christmas to people updating you about your boring life and how your dogs are doing..
I mean people might read it, but it's instantly deleted I think. Replying to your comments is crucial and is the same thing if not more important than an email.
That being said I sent a few today anyway.. And it felt odd. Here are my additional thoughts on the lesson.
http://guardraildamageahead.com/day-5-of-31dbbb-w…
Remember to love on your Mom's this Sunday. My mom died last May 15th.. Will be a tough Mother's Day.. and it's my birthday.. BRING ON THE TEARS!!! and perhaps a beer!
Unfortunately no comments on my posts for the last two years. Need to promote it better. In the past I did follow up with those who left comments. I love the dialogue and pray God will use it to impact the lives of others.
I would love comments to my recent posts (please bear in mind the last two were specific to my congregation, though they certainly have a broader application). Thanks!
http://divingdeepintograce.blogspot.com/
Pingback: Emailing Blog Readers | Scott Ayres
This has been a great week. I've learned a lot from the exercises and the interaction with all of you.
Yesterday I took the time to comment on someone's blog post. He took the step to check out my profile, my blog and then email me. Though he lives half the country away, he found out his parents live just an hour from me and he comes through town to visit them. He offered to get coffee together next time he is here.
I thought this was a great example of how a personal email can cover topics and build relationships that wouldn't necessarily be appropriate with a comment or a tweet. Though this whole assignment was done to me rather than by me, I learned a good lesson. I will definitely be more open to emailing commenters in the future. I've done so a couple of times today.
I had two blog posts today: http://captainestes.blogspot.com/2010/05/national…
and http://captainestes.blogspot.com/2010/05/bonnie-o…
That's cool, Chad! I'm glad you decided to jump in.
Jon, I appreciate you inviting me!
Chad, that's a great story. Thanks for sharing it.
I usually reply to every comment left on my blog unless they look spammish. Does I don't bother. The couple generic words.
I have done today's homework, even though I don't have much comments at this time, or actually, not much recent comments I haven't already replied to on my blog.
I think that so far this project is making stronger as a blogger, but not sure yet if my content is better. But this week I've reached one new ready which seems to love my blog and has already sent me 2 comments ! So that's definitely a plus !
I like the idea of rewarding my readers. I need to think about ideas that would fit with my niche and my budget. 😉
Today, I write about Woman entrepreuneur and an article I've found in the Costco Contact magazine that inspired me. 50% of Canadian business are owned by woman.
Here is today's post :http://lemondedenathalie.ca/2010/05/07/femmes-ent…
I loved the e-mail idea. I've corresponded with commenters before, but only if there was a specific reason (other than just to say, "Thanks"). I went through my recent comments and wrote to pretty much everyone, even/especially the frequent visitors.
One of them "caught" me, though, when I reposted this to my facebook page. Then I was afraid she might think I had impure motives–like just to promote myself. :blush: But I don't think she did think that, really. Anyhow, I do like the idea. It gives me another avenue to get to know the people who've been reading my blog, and that's one of the primary purposes for me–to develop relationships.
I was already doing the other stuff. Today's lesson didn't disappoint me, btw. I understand what some of the others are saying, but I like it that we get small assignments. Otherwise I may not have time to do them.
Blessings, Cindy