Don't Email Me About Your Blog
Earlier this year, I participated in a group blog hop. I thought it might help, but mostly it was a waste of time. These things usually are...for one big reason:
Okay, maybe most of the people reading this blog do. Because my readers are smart. But raise your hand if you've participated in a blog hop.
Now raise your hand if you read any of the other blogs participating in that blog hop.
Which brings me back to the story about the blog hop. The host seemed extremely concerned that we all not be no-reply bloggers. I have no idea what that meant, but I was told soon into it that I was one. So I fixed it...and guess what happened?
I still don't know the specifics of "no-reply blogging," but it seemed to somehow mean that if you are one, people can't email to respond to the comments you have left on their blogs. Email. Let me repeat my above graphic...
When I participate in a blog hop (including IWSG), I make a point of reading as many blogs as I can that day. I just go through the list and read and comment. If you want to have me as a new reader, you need to click on the link and comment my blog. That's how you get added to my regular blog-reading rotation. If you email me to say, "Thank you for commenting my blog," guess what? This is me:
Am I supposed to email back? Become email pen pals? Because...excuse me...but I thought we were reading each other's blogs here. I just am so confused. So about 30 minutes into the blog hop, the answer to this question...
...was once again "YES!" I immediately stopped getting annoying spam mails. The result was I participated in a blog hop full of people who wanted pen pals, I guess, because I don't think I met a single person whose blog I still read today.
I think you guys know this...so ignore it. Maybe someone will stumble on it while Googling, "Why are so many people no-reply bloggers?!" But here's the thing. The next time you participate (or even SEE) a blog hop, go through and leave comments on all the interesting blogs you see there. If anyone new comments your blog, read their blog and comment back. It's how you build a readership. It's worked for me since 2006 when I was blogging on MySpace. Emailing thank-you notes to people who comment your blog...well, I'm not sure what that accomplishes...except maybe being seen as polite?
How do you build your own blog readership?
Okay, maybe most of the people reading this blog do. Because my readers are smart. But raise your hand if you've participated in a blog hop.
Now raise your hand if you read any of the other blogs participating in that blog hop.
Which brings me back to the story about the blog hop. The host seemed extremely concerned that we all not be no-reply bloggers. I have no idea what that meant, but I was told soon into it that I was one. So I fixed it...and guess what happened?
I still don't know the specifics of "no-reply blogging," but it seemed to somehow mean that if you are one, people can't email to respond to the comments you have left on their blogs. Email. Let me repeat my above graphic...
When I participate in a blog hop (including IWSG), I make a point of reading as many blogs as I can that day. I just go through the list and read and comment. If you want to have me as a new reader, you need to click on the link and comment my blog. That's how you get added to my regular blog-reading rotation. If you email me to say, "Thank you for commenting my blog," guess what? This is me:
Am I supposed to email back? Become email pen pals? Because...excuse me...but I thought we were reading each other's blogs here. I just am so confused. So about 30 minutes into the blog hop, the answer to this question...
...was once again "YES!" I immediately stopped getting annoying spam mails. The result was I participated in a blog hop full of people who wanted pen pals, I guess, because I don't think I met a single person whose blog I still read today.
I think you guys know this...so ignore it. Maybe someone will stumble on it while Googling, "Why are so many people no-reply bloggers?!" But here's the thing. The next time you participate (or even SEE) a blog hop, go through and leave comments on all the interesting blogs you see there. If anyone new comments your blog, read their blog and comment back. It's how you build a readership. It's worked for me since 2006 when I was blogging on MySpace. Emailing thank-you notes to people who comment your blog...well, I'm not sure what that accomplishes...except maybe being seen as polite?
How do you build your own blog readership?
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