Are blog comment pressures stopping you from visiting blogs?
Hello! and how is your summer going?
I’m having a great summer, but I have to admit my blogging schedule has gone off the rails, and the main reason is Instagram. Plain and simple: I post a photo on Instagram and the interaction is almost overwhelming (I love it), but on my blog, not so much …
…. and the reason for that? I am not interacting on other blogs as much as I used to …
This is not a complaint, its a fact. If you want interaction … you have to interact, which is what I do on Instagram because it’s so easy to follow a beautiful account, admire the photo, and then a quick double-tap, and maybe even a two-word comment and you’re done. That’s it, that’s all. Fun and easy!
So when the sweet Linda Hoye mentioned me on her blog and I received a few extra comments from other bloggers, I was thrilled! I answered each comment here on my blog, then I visited their blogs and left a comment, as well as a “thank you for visiting me” and I truly enjoyed the interaction.
But … it got me to thinking … what if people are reading my blog, but don’t have the time or energy to write a detailed comment (which I totally get btw). What if some days you feel like writing a comment, and other days you just want to press a button (or not ;)
I won’t know you’ve been here and it can get discouraging.
So I’m trying something new … a LIKE button! The one I’m using is LikeBtn a WordPress Plugin.
It’s an experiment … I’m not looking for thousands of “likes” and I’m not asking you to share, I simply want to know if you’ve been here! A little encouragement goes a long way and who knows where it will take me? I’m going to be reviving my Blogging Bits and Bytes series in September and this will be one of the first things I want to talk about.
Click the “Like” Button ↓ if you like ;)
Commenting is a challenge for me too sometimes, Barb. For a time my excuse was that my dinosaur iPad made it nearly impossible on some blogs to comment (truth) but I can’t claim that anymore since we got new ones. I like the “like” button idea and have had one on my blog for a while. For better or worse, we live in a world that seems to run faster than we can keep up sometimes and having the ability to show appreciation this way is helpful. Still, I am trying to comment more and I’m loving the interaction that’s happening over on my blog this month.
Have a wonderful Friday!
It is hard to make all the necessary comments, Linda! Yes, we are inundated with so much media … and writing a comment on everything can be hard and oh, so time consuming. Thank you for mentioning my name on your blog – it’s so very appreciated! xo
I always enjoy visiting here and look forward to your updates though seldom leave a comment. Thanks for the new “like” button.
Oh my gosh! so lovely to hear that Susan! I’m quite thrilled already :)
This is a great experiment. I am just as guilty as most. I read and sometimes think I should leave a comment, but I don’t. Like you, I engage on Instagram because it is so easy, but rarely on individual blogs. Perhaps the easy of apps like Instagram are making us lazy.
I am going forward with the intention that if I want interaction, I must first interact.
Thank you for the wake up call!
Thank you Cheryl! It’s really good to hear what people are thinking and I appreciate your comment so much!!
I enjoy your blog very much but I very rarely leave a comment on any blogs. I don’t have a blog. I do comment on Instagram as it is so easy. :)
Thank you so much for your comment and for letting me know you were here! Also for the “like” ;)
Love your blog and check it out at least once a week. Photo tips and recipes are my fav’s. I am guilty of not leaving comments also. The like button is great. Enjoy your summer and keep on blogging.
Thank you SO much Maureen … you can’t know how encouraging your words are!
I do read blogs, mostly from my phone during snippets of the day. So commenting via a phone can be a pain typing. And I more than likely don’t comment on blogs that make you put one of those indecipherable password things in.
Thank you Carol! I’m so pleased you stopped by and I’m with you about passwords, etc… one hoop and I’m outta there!
Zagreb with everything said here today.
Should be ‘agree’!
!
So funny, Dotti! Zagreb … gotta love that auto-correct! I’m pleased to see you here … I know you blog as well and will totally understand …
Oh I totally know what you mean…
I love to visit your blog, and sometimes it’s just to see what you’re up to, and get a smile. :)
I’m the same with Instagram, and love it there..but I really want to up my blog game, yet I swear, since google reader went away, I hardly know when my favorites blog, unless I see a link on FB or twitter. I’ve started a new shop and blog, but I wonder if anyone EVER sees it. :/
I wish I could get a “Like” button! man, that would be so awesome!
OR.. we could invent a Blog/Instagrammy app! yeah! That would make things SOOOO easy, right?!?! :D
Have a great weekend!
Kelly
Thanks so much for stopping by Kelly! I really do believe that to have people discover your blog, etc. you have to interact … on blogs, and as much social media as you can manage – hard.work. PS … have you tried following blogs on Bloglovin’ or Feedly?
What a great idea to have your like button! Very innovative Barb
Thank you Jeanne! :)
I have your blog in my Feedly, so I read whatever you post. I always admire your beautiful photographs and enjoy your writing – I’m sorry I don’t always take the time to comment!
Thank you Mary I so appreciate you! and please don’t apologize for not commenting! I totally get it, which is why I’m experimenting with this new “Like” button (I think I LIKE it ;)
Barb,
I love reading your blog.., and the like is a great idea. You have amazing ideas.
I go back to them and hear them mentioned all the time.
Like didn’t Barb talk about to save your peonies. … I also learned more about wildflower bouquets.
Thank you,
Ann
Thank you so much my friend!
Barb I have only recently found your blog but now I visit once a week to see what you have been up to. I haven’t commented before though ☺️ I also follow you on Instagram. Love your photos and your thoughts on life.
Thank you Julie! So appreciated! :)
Oh, Barb, you have hit the nail on the head here! Sometimes we bloggers get discouraged if there aren’t a lot of comments on our posts and little do we know how many people actually read them. The “like” button is perfect! I have no idea how to add this to our FOL blog and would love to do a “like” button there. How did you find out how to set this up?
So glad I’ve inspired you Terri! My “like” button is a WordPress Plugin and I haven’t got it all figured out yet. But I’m pleased to hear that you found one that works for you! Thank you for stopping by!
I just Googled “adding a Like button” so I’m set! Thanks so much for posting about this.
You’ve addressed a deep issue here, and one that resonates with me. I don’t do much on Instagram because for me there just isn’t the connection I experience with blogging, whether in expressing myself through my own blog, or through getting and leaving blog comments. But I have to confess there are blogs I follow that I usually don’t comment on, either because the author doesn’t know me or they already have a large number of followers who comment, and I feel reticent about joining in. Your post here makes me realize how unfair that is to those blog writers. I don’t remember how I found your blog (probably through Kim Klassen) but it wasn’t until recently that I was able to get the RSS feed to work so I could follow you regularly. I always enjoy your posts and I appreciated so much that you returned the visit to my blog. I promise I will comment here in future! <3
Hi León! thank you for joining in with this conversation! I am coming to the realization that commenting is getting harder and harder for people, quite possibly due to the Instagram and FB culture. Also, I think some bloggers (including myself) may have become burned out after spending hours and hours writing thoughtful comments (for years!) … I personally have thousands of comments saved on my blog, which means I made thousands of comments! I am truly becoming comfortable with a simple “Like” to say “I was here” … so please don’t feel pressure to comment! Things change …
I found you through Linda’s mention of you, and I only found her because another blogger mentioned her.
I am probably out of step with most others, but that is because I’m not an Instagrammer. And I don’t really care for Facebook either. I have found that “like it” button communication isn’t all that satisfying. I want to interact with people, so I tend to leave long comments. Oftentimes, they will respond to my comment through an email, then I will email back.
I started blogging back in 2006, before all these other social media outlets were around. The only way to communicate with a blogger was through the comment section. By visiting one another’s blogs and leaving encouraging, supportive, or understanding comments, relationships were built.
Anyhow, I know I’m out of step with your other readers. I guess I’m just an oddity.
Blessings,
Patti @ Embracing Home
Hi Patti! Thank you so much for stopping by and adding to the conversation! I totally get what you’re saying … I started blogging in 2010 and it was a fascinating and stimulating way to share my creative pursuits! I have thousands of comments saved … literally thousands … but that also means I left thousands!! Leaving comments took hours and hours of my time and I became burned out. Now I guess I’m trying to keep my blog afloat in this culture of people tapping on phones, and scrolling quickly through feeds. It’s not ideal, but it may keep my blog alive a bit longer…
Dear Barb,
just a quick word to let you know that we love your blog. As a matter of fact, one of your post inspired us.
BiTi and EmCi from Pret-a-Vivre.com
Thank you! you are so sweet! xo
Oh WOW…this is exactly where I am with MY blogging/instragram too. Totally ‘liking’ the LIKE button. How/where do you get it?
Hi Kathy,
It’s a WordPress plugin but it probably works with other platforms as well
https://likebtn.com/en/
Hope it works for you!
I’m also struggling to make time to comment on other blogs. :-/ WIth August Break (which is how I found your blog), I’m trying to make a point of clicking through and visiting some new people. Hope the like button is everything you ever wanted and more! :) Looks like this post has already gotten lots of likes and comments! :)
Thank you Mandy! Yes, it’s hard with today’s culture of scrolling and clicking …
Like Patti, I am not a facebook or instagram person – perhaps because I want more than just a picture. The words that go with the photos are what’s important to me as a blogger. I found that once I thought of my own blog as my diary to remember when things happened (y’know, being of a certain age now I don’t have instant recall) I don’t mind so much that readers don’t leave comments. Your blog has such lovely photos Barb and I really enjoy looking at them. When I’m feeling a little blue looking at your blog perks me right up. So thank you! I will try to at least use the “like” button in future.
Hi Dorrie! I’m not a facebook person either … I dabble but never really interact. But I do love Instagram – in the past year it’s been the driving force behind me getting my camera out and shooting (that can’t be a bad thing!) But you’re right about a blog being a journal – and I forget that sometimes … I just need to write for myself and hopefully entertain someone or brighten their day. I can’t thank you enough for you kind comment and wake-up call!
Great idea…I like it too.
So here’s the thing. I love your blog and would comment often because I love it, but I miss the posts somehow, either I don’t see it announced on Instagram or something. When you write your newsletter and I look at all the posts that’s awesome but it’s a lot all at once and then I don’t have time to comment on them all. Still would love to subscribe to your posts. I am missing a way to do that?
Don’t think we aren’t interested because yeah, we are!!!!
Hi Karen! Thank you for stopping by and adding to the discussion. You’ve given me a couple things to think about … first up, I removed my RSS feed option from my blog a long time ago and switched to the newsletter only. At that time, I thought I should send out fewer newsletters with lots of info, but now you have me thinking I should send them out more often, with less info. I always assume people are using readers such as Feedly or Bloglovin but that is probably not the case. Thanks for your helpful insights – they are so appreciated!