Blogging Tip: Comment Selectively
The blogosphere is a community… and comments are an integral part of that community. But with so many good blogs to read, you have to limit which ones you subscribe to. And it can be challenging to make time to comment as well.
We all know blog authors appreciate comments, but how do you decide which blogs to comment on, and how often?
You can: 1) Read only a few blogs and comment faithfully, 2) Read your choice of blogs and rarely/never comment, or 3) Choose the blogs you follow, and then choose the blogs you will comment on regularly.
I’m attempting to do #3, so I thought I would share how I’m going about it.
I read blogs in spare moments during the day, and when I’m feeding Christian. I use Google Reader, and only recently I decided to divide my subscriptions into folders in order of commenting priority:
1. Blog Friends
My “blog friends” include those I’ve gotten to know… we read each other’s blogs. I like to comment on what they write, so I try to wait to read them until I know I’ll have a chance to comment as well.
2. Family and Friends
I also like to comment on my family and friends’ blogs. Most of them aren’t updated frequently so that’s easy to keep up with.
3. Personal
Personal blogs belong to people who have small-ish blogs and don’t necessarily read my blog, so we’re not “friends” but I love what they write. Sometimes I comment, sometimes I don’t.
4. Popular
Popular blogs are, of course, the biggies where my voice feels a little lost in the crowd. I know their authors still value my comments, but I usually only do if I feel particularly strongly about something they write.
5. Rarely Updated
And the rarely updated blogs aren’t really an issue because… well… they’re rarely updated. But I keep them because I like to catch what they write, even if it’s once every six months.
***
This method has helped me because I’m contributing to the blogs I read, but without pressure to comment on every one.
Based on your season of life, you may have time to follow 75 blogs and comment regularly on 25, or follow 10 blogs and comment on 2, etc. This is just a way to organize your reading and commenting to make the most of the time you have.
(I also enjoy commenting on random blogs here and there, and I like to visit your blogs when you leave a comment on mine.)
A heartfelt thank you to all of my commenters – you encourage me to keep going! And thank you to those who read and never comment… you will always make up the majority of my audience (that’s just the way it goes), and you’re very welcome too.
Your turn: What’s your method for reading and commenting on blogs?
I do the same thing! I have different folders for different catagories of blogs I follow. I have a “Followers” folder, because anyone who takes the time to follow me, i feel they deserve a comment periodically. I have a Blog Friends” folder for the girls that I know pretty well, I have an “Acquaintances” folder for blogs I enjoy, but I don’t know the writer that well, and I have “General Reading” for the bigger blogs, and “New Blogs” for the ones that I may or may not follow publicly (they may or may not get graduated to a different blog catagory). My system is actually getting a little messy as of late, though, so I need to clean it up a bit. I hate “unfollowing” a blog, but I never read some of them, and I seriously doubt they read mine, so it’s a little useless to have them show up in my reader.
“New blogs” is a smart folder to have. I’m really ruthless with my reader. My test is whether I’m tempted to skim every new post of a particular blog. If I do, I nix it. I want to look forward to reading whatever new material a blog has. I wish I could follow everyone, but unfortunately it’s just not possible!
For the most part I just comment on people’s blogs that leave me a comment, but I also comment on other blogs that I really just find encouraging.
I follow hundreds of blogs via Google Reader.
My only rule of thumb (for me) about commenting is to only comment if I feel like I have something of value to say. I don’t like filling “air” just for the sake of commenting on a blog I like and follow.
The only exception to this rule of mine is taking the time to enter (comment) on giveaways that I would love to win. Now, those are “meaningless” comments; but, they have purpose. LOL. 
Wow, hundreds?! I’m a fast reader but I could never follow hundreds! You made me want to count, though… I follow 60 blogs, 10 of which are rarely updated.
I agree that comments should have substance and add to the conversation… but for me, that still applies to supportive comments to the blogs in the first category.
And I’m with you on giveaways. To me, entering is tedious and I usually feel too lazy to do it, but if it’s something I like and would actually use, I almost always make myself enter.
Well, let’s see. According to the count in Google Reader, I have 301 blogs/threads that I follow.
A few are comics that I like to read daily. There are others that don’t post daily; but, maybe every other day or even weekly.
There are several that are so infrequent that I’m always shocked/surprised to see a new post appear from them. LOL.
I am sure there are a few “dead” blogs too — the authors have all but disappeared.
Some are just blogs by professional photographers that post their pictures and not much else. They, too, tend to be infrequent.
There are some that post short multiple posts daily. I tend to skim those because most of those are frugal notices such as coupons and codes, and whatnot. I only stop and read those I am interested in. It’s the same with the political blogs.
I love your blogging tips! I follow pretty much the same rule of thumb as you. I think I’m going to re-organize my blogline reader. I have mine listed under “Friends and Family” and then just “other.” But it could use some help and I’ve thought so for awhile, but you encouraged me to do it!
I try to limit blogs on my “Bloglines” reader to blogs I really care about reading. If I just tend to skim the blog like you said, I won’t add it to my reader.
Again, thanks for the tips! They’re helpful!
I faithfully comment on the same blogs always…but never on the ones that have a million comments…however, maybe I should start doing so. I’m sure it does still mean a lot to the blogger themselves.
Well…I must say that I have never really come up with a blogging comments method per say but all I know is that in 6 years of blogging, once I found your blog, it has continued to be a favorite of mine and one I read regularly!:)
Basically, I’m like Grace…I read/comment on the same blogs faithfully and like a lot of your commenters, comment on big blogs sparingly.
Thank you, Susanna! The same goes for me with your blog… whether it’s Letter Rip, Mommy, Inc., or Rick & Susanna!
I just switched to Google reader from Bloglines and really like it.
I don’t have a method, but I will say I try to read/comment on my friends’ blogs first and foremost, because I know my comments will be more encouraging to them than the “big” blogs. I see it as an extension of my friendship. Some blogs I rarely comment on, like design/photo blogs. Otherwise, I really only comment when I have something to say, not just to comment. Good post!
Great ideas Anna!
This is a fun one to comment on! 
There was a time I felt I HAD to comment a lot. As my priorities shift, I still maintain my blog almost daily, but visit blogs only two or three times a week rather than daily.
Now, I rarely have time to comment. I don’t have a method for responding when I do…just get the sense I want to chime in. I almost ALWAYS make comments on blog link ups I participate.
What’s neat is discovering who just leaves a comment because they were compelled, not just because I left one on theres. I don’t get (or expect) a lot of comments, so the one or two I get is icing on the cake!
Oh and yes, I have categories too, similar to yours in Google reader. Helps keep things in order!
I like your point that it’s better to get meaningful comments than obligatory comments. But I also agree with Crystal’s point below about real-life friends: “I like to comment to let them know I was there…kind of as a way to support what’s going on in their lives and say I care (even if they’re just sharing something new they made for dinner.)” For me, the same applies to blog friends!
Oh, I do the same thing! I follow quite a few blogs…and just comment on the ones that matter most to me –which is just a few.
I’ve used Google Reader for some time now, but didn’t realize I could make folders and categories! Great idea. Mostly, I comment on posts where I feel my two cents might encourage, or if it’s a friend, I like to comment to let them know I was there…kind of as a way to support what’s going on in their lives and say I care (even if they’re just sharing something new they made for dinner.)
Off to make folders now!
I just wanted to let you know I cleaned up my blog reader!! Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier that I have you in my blog reader.
I even deleted some blogs I don’t really read. Thanks so much!
I’m honored, Melinda. But if I’m ever cluttering up your feed reader, please delete me.
Wow, after reading the comments on this post, I think I’m just wading in the shallow end of the blogging “pool”…I only consistently read/comment on about two. I have about 15 that I check occasionally, but some are only updated rarely; of those, I only comment on friends’ blogs, because the others are “popular” ones (according to your breakdown) and I’d rather be a spectator in those circumstances, frankly. I always try to imagine my comments as being part of a live conversation, and I ask myself whether I would speak up and say something if we were all gathered together in someone’s living room discussing this topic (or any other)…I don’t want to forget there are real people behind the comments, because in the online world it’s easy for me to do.
I do tend to read frequently and comment rarely. Oops. I get FeedBlitz updates and can sometimes read my favorite blogs without even visiting their sites. I know, most bloggers would rather I actually visited — I am the same way — but I don’t always have much time. There are a few choice blogs that I comment on just about everything they write, but they tend to be small blogs with infrequent updates. I know how sad it can be to post something after a long blogging hiatus and no one comments on it. I am definitely more faithful to comment when they have invested time to comment on my posts as well. The blogging community I was most involved in has dried up now, so, basically, I am pretty haphazard about it depending on how much time I have.
I don’t often visit the sites themselves, either… not unless they only have partial feeds or I want to comment.
Anna, I got the book today! Thank you, again. And I am happily off of work today, so I think I will sit down to read.
Woohoo! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
This is interesting to me. I consider the blogs I read friendships… A lot of blogs I read ARE real life friends, and some are just moms whose viewpoint I appreciate, or who cause me to think about something more deeply than I usually would, and some I just feel a connection with or enjoy their writing/living style. I usually comment because it’s nice to let someone know when they throw something down I’m picking it up-that makes it a conversation. I know I appreciate comments SO very much, just people letting me know they stopped by my blog and appreciated/had an opinion about something I wrote. I get between 300-500 hits on each blog post I do, and between 8-18 comments usually. The people and the blogs I read that I DO comment on are always the one’s who comment on mine. The thing that bothers me is that SO many people in my church (it’s quite extended-all over the country, mostly my readers are throughout the Pacific NW though) read my blog, and then appear to be ashamed to admit it or something (perhaps a lifelong reflex of denying that they gossip?! I’m not sure… that’s what it feels like sometimes.) I love it when I see someone I haven’t seen for a while and they mention that they love my blog or whatever… that makes me just as happy as a comment. Just my thoughts on comments.
I agree that there is something unspoken and weird about people who know you in real life and read your blog! I know I feel that way with some of my friends’ blogs! But you’re right, I enjoy having people I know read mine… in fact, now that I have a Facebook page for my blog, I’ve been able to see that a lot of my real-life friends read it, and I love that!
Ha ha Anna! I keep everyone guessing…what will the name of her blog be next?!;)
Now, I have found that a lot of my friends will never comment on my blog even though they read it. Most of my friends do not blog themselves and honestly, I have sort of concluded over the years that it is really hard to want to go out of your way to show love to someone when you know it would mean a lot to them. A refusal to give what you know is a major love language. For non-bloggers, I think they just refuse to go the extra mile because they do not “get” how much it means. For fellow bloggers, I sometimes think they get jealous or competitive or something and thus do not comment.
I could be totally off base but I these are some conclusions I have come to.
I like your google reader idea…I really have to have a better system down so that I am regularly supporting the blogs I love, adding new blogs, etc!
I actually read a great post about that yesterday: http://www.reallifeblog.net/popular-crowd-anti-elitist/
after reading this post, I feel honored that you take the time to comment on my blog thanks for reading and for checking in with encouragement!
I feel honored that you would comment on mine too!
Thank you so much for such helpful information. It will be nice for me to sit down and go through the MANY blogs I follow. I’m one of the bad ones lately where I haven’t blogged in awhile…Life is crazy these days….but you have inspired me!!! And I am Thankful for that.
I don’t comment very often and at no particular rate or frequency. I use Google Reader, too. If I want to comment, I open up the post{s} and when I’m done reading through Google Reader, I submit my comments and I’m done. I rarely comment on big blogs, either. And I love your idea of dividing blogs into categories on Google Reader. I’ll have to try that!