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Kait Rose
What makes you want to comment?
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I’d love to be able to comment more. The problem is just that sometimes I don’t know what to say other than “Great review” and I don’t only want to say that.
I need to find something in the review that I can relate to and respond to. Like if I read the book too and really agree with something the person wrote then I can bring that up in my comment. But I can’t always find that thing that connects me. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy reading the review..it just means I can’t think of a way to respond to it.
I’d also love to be able to comment more but I’m right there with you. It’s hard to leave a comment if you haven’t read the book or have no interest in it. It’s good to know that others have the same problem.
Thanks for the comment!
I comment on reviews of books I’m really looking forward to, or really liked. But mostly my comments right now are return ones to bloggers who have commented on my posts. I really appreciate that tiny amount of bloggers on my posts 😛
But yeah I totally agree, captcha really puts me off.
I will definitely try your idea, it sounds really good! I always feel sad when I write what I feel is one of my best reviews and it gets no comments. So yeah, great post Katie! 😀
I comment on the same types of posts as you do. If I have no interest in the book, I can’t leave a comment.
If you do start commenting on more blogs, let me know if your comments change on the blog. I’d really like to know if that’s why I’ve been getting more comments lately. =)
For me, I comment on reviews or posts if I feel like there is enough substance for me to comment on or if I’m interested in the book. Exceptions would be books in a series that I haven’t read yet since I don’t want to be spoiled.
If I can’t figure what to say, I won’t comment because I really want my comment to mean something and to show my appreciation to the blogger. If I just said something generic, it wouldn’t mean as much. Great post 🙂 Really good food for thought haha
I know a ton of people who are the same as you are with series. I think some people don’t even mean to but accidentally spoil books.
Thanks for the comment.
Honestly, I comment when I have time. Sometimes I just browse really quick.
I also don’t really care if there is captcha or not, sometimes a blogger doesn’t know they have it on and I’ll even leave a note that sometimes that can deter others from commenting. I’ve gotten quite a few thank you’s from bloggers who had no idea – or had no idea and asked me how to turn it off. A nice comment can go a long way.
I feel like I comment more when I have advice to give or what I feel is valid and helpful to others. Like what Charlotte said – I don’t like being generic. I want my comment to mean something.
Also I despise follow me comments! Or comments that are super generic (like on my food blog) – “That looks good – I hope you stop by and check out XYZ post from me!!” Did you really think my food looks good or were you just trying to get some face time?
I only really comment if I feel I’ve got something to add. Especially if the person already has lots of comments, I just feel like I’m repeating other people’s remarks.
Time is a big issue. If you say each comment takes 4-5 minutes to write, versus 30 seconds of scrolling in reader, then that equates in a lot less posts being read.
I’m guilty of not commenting on a review if I’ve already read/seen a lot of reviews for that book. I tend to just scroll to the rating so I know how it judges in the reader-sphere overall. And if its one I dont recognise, I’ll check it with goodreads.
But if I feel like it will be a ‘good review, thanks for writing’, I tend to just mark as read and move on!
I know that content I’m interested in makes me want to comment. A book I want to discuss with someone else, an interesting opinion – those grab my attention.
Ease of commenting is a huge one. In that sense, I find WordPress blogs (self-hosted, not WordPress.com) are more likely to get a comment than Blogger blogs.
Comments should be responsive where the blogger does take the time and interact with those commenting on their posts. If I see post after post with tons of comments and no responses, that would make me reticent to comment. It should be a dialogue and that is a lot less fun if it is one-sided.
I am in complete agreement about the new follower blah blah blah. Very annoying!
I normally only comment if I feel I have something to contribute to a conversation. I comment on almost every discussion post I read, and probably about half of the reviews. I really want to comment more on reviews. . . but sometimes I just feel I don’t have anything to say. I don’t mind when someone comments something like “great review!” on my blog, but I just can’t bring myself to do the same on other’s, probably because I tend to be a long-winded-when-writing-person and always feel this PRESSURE to add something substantial.
Also: blogger captchas are the most annoying thing! I don’t generally mind CAPTCHA on other sites because they’re fairly simple, but the blogger ones are impossible.
I’ve discovered the same thing about commenting on lots of blogs leading to getting new followers-it feels like positive reinforcement that I’m doing something right. I’m most likely to comment on a review of a book I’ve read since I know I have an opinion. I try not to read too many reviews of books I want to read as I’ve had my expectations overhyped sometimes.
Also CAPTCHA is the worst!
Great post! I love comments too. It makes me feel like that person cared enough! I will have to try searching for more blogs and commenting as well. I have tried to comment more this year because I know bloggers like it, and if I expect comments, then I should comment right? Anyhoo, I’ve been following your blog for a while, but I don’t comment to often. I’ll try to do better!
Ahhh CAPTCHA is so annoying. It really makes me not want to comment if it was less than a paragraph!
I love commenting when I can tell a blogger really took their time and put their heart & soul into it! I truly think comments are earned a lot of the time, and isn’t that part of the reason why we blog? I know I do it to SHARE with people so it’s always nice to know people appreciate it 🙂
Great post to get us talking! 🙂
I’ve been following your blog for a month or so now, but I don’t think I’ve ever left a comment here. I usually don’t comment on book blogs unless the post asks a specific question to readers. I also don’t have a book blog of my own yet, so I’m not trying to get traffic.
I’m like you – I like to leave comments because I know how much I enjoy when people take the time to leave a comment for me. Commenting can be a challenge at times, though. Some bloggers are uptight about the “quality” of the comment, but I agree with you that something short and sweet is just fine!
I think a lot of time it’s a time thing … not having all the time in the world to make meaningful comments on ALL blogs, so maybe it’s easier for people to just write something vague? I’ve noticed that I get a lot of likes on my posts lately … still comments, but TONS of likes. It’s weird.
Though, I think reviews can be tricky for people to comment on — especially if the review is of a book that people may not be interested in, or if they ARE interested in it and just haven’t read it yet. I know I hate to read reviews of books that are high on my to-read list. At least — I’ll read the reviews and comment AFTER I’ve finished, so I can write something decent.
I do like it when a post asks a question at the end, like a prompt for me to comment.
Great topic!
I follow all your posts with google reader and I love all the reviews you post! you are probably responsible for about 2/3 of my to-read list on goodreads and my library card seeing as much action as it does. I also love the news for nerds, big help finding new books, shows, and movies!
I don’t ever comment because I use my phone most of the time and it takes a lot longer to type, but I’ll try to start commenting more so I can show how much I appreciate all the hard work you put into your blog 🙂
I know just what you mean about smiling everytime you get a new comment on your blog. I do the same thing.
Let’s see – I leave comments most when someone is talking about a book I either really loved, or really hated. If there is a review of a book I don’t really have any interest in, I usually don’t leave a comment – only because I don’t read the post.
This is a great topic for discussion Katie! I’ve only been book blogging for about a month and I’m still learning the in’s and out’s and what makes people “tick” here in the book blogging community. I have really enjoyed reading the many responses to this post so far. They have been very insightful for a newer blogger like myself.
I’m guilty of not commenting on reviews. Especially if it’s a book I’m not at all familiar with. It does seem that meme’s/giveaways/discussions seem to get more love than the reviews though from what I’ve seen so far.
My least favorite comment that I’ve gotten so far is a glowing spammy review of Prophecy in the comment sections on my review of Prophecy.
I too dislike CAPTCHA. What I dislike more are bloggers who have CAPTCHA AND Comment Moderation enabled. That’s overkill for me.
Have a great day Katie!
CAPTCHA is so annoying! I like to look for a review of a book I’ve read or want to read to leave a comment! Because then I have something to say. I’ve really been trying to read other reviews for other things and try to leave some comments for those too! I do agree that leaving comments gets you all kinds of traffic! It also really feels good when someone comments or follows back. It shows they actually care and aren’t just following for a giveaway :). Wonderful post Katie!
Jasmine
I know exactly how you feel. I don’t get a lot of comments but when I do it feels so great. I can look at the statics but they don’t feel real, comments do!
I know sometimes I read a lot of posts but either forget to comment or just cannot think of something good to say. I personally hate to leave meaningless comments; comments that are not related to the topic in the post, it just makes me feel really bad. I’m also scared of commenting on long text because I’m afraid I’ve might have missed or misread something. And sometimes I just can’t make myself read an entire review. Most of the time I end up only reading the start and the conclusion and then it feels wrong for me to comment.
But I’ll take your advice to heart and comment on some more blogs 😀
I really love your blog btw, I’ve been following you for a long time but I rarely comment. So sorry about that, haha :-))
What makes me comment? – I usually go through the blog list on my dash and check what new posts are up and comment at random. Also, if I see a pic of a cover (on book blogs) that I like, I tend to comment. I’m a very visual person so images of something interesting does make me comment a lot.
Also, if I read a review I like of a book that I’ve had on my to-read list. I will make a comment. And I don’t like to just say ‘great review’ – I like to be vocal about what I liked from a review.
You are right. When you comment on other blogs, it increases the comments on your own blog. Something I want to do more of because I like learning about new book blogs and bloggers.
Interesting post. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Jennifer @ Dream Reads
Since it takes time, I comment on things that really move me emotionally and visually. There are some things I would like to comment on, like those times you post ideas on reading and gender and all that. But I don’t. DO read them and think about them. I should share more on twitter. Great post.
This might sound really bad, but I generally only consistently comment on blogs if I get some form of response. I like reading posts and I would never stop doing that, but it can become frustrating to leave meaningful comment after meaningful comment and get no response or indication that my comment was read. Why bother?
So if the post’s author replies to my comment or whatever, that feels good. Faceless, non-interactive bloggers are no fun. Obviously, this isn’t a hard and fast thing for me. Blogger doesn’t make it easy to get email notifications for comments, so many non-WordPress bloggers don’t respond, and that’s totally fine. But if I interact with that person on Twitter or Goodreads and am mostly sure that they aren’t just eating my comments and congratulating themselves on getting a ton of site hits, I’ll come back to that blog.
When I come to a new blog and comment, though, I do usually check back to see if the admin responded, just to get a feel for who that blogger is and how they run their blog.
This post is so damn true. Commenting on reviews is hard because, a lot of times, I don’t read them super-closely unless I’ve already read the book. Bloggers anymore are so afraid of plagiarism that it’s hard to read a ton of reviews without worrying that you’ll rehash something already said.
That being said, I try and comment more because it’s polite, and because I want bloggers to realize that I love their content and want it to continue. A comment means that you enjoy the content, and I know how I feel when I get them (mainly, on top of the world and super-excited) and would like to return the favor.
Resolution for this year: blog more and comment more, and this post says exactly why that’s worth it. 🙂
I comment when I feel a connection. This could be about a book I’m interested in, a book I’ve read, a book I hadn’t heard of yet, but looks awesome… and so on. I think it’s the personal connection that ultimately makes us comment on each others’ blogs. (Also, I personally don’t mind Blogger, but I know many do. Since that’s what I use, I find it easier than WordPress, where I have to fill out all my info every time just to comment.)
Oh and thank you for sharing the book love, too… (I’m saying this from a writer’s point of view). And LOOK AT ALL YOUR COMMENTS, now! Wheeeeee!
Jessica
I comment on blogs where the bloggers take the time to respond to comments. I especially like discussion posts because I love hearing about other people’s reading habits and sharing mine as well. I also tend to comment more on reviews of books that I’ve already read (or own) than reviews of books that won’t come out for another month or more because there’s not much I can say in the latter case except, “I can’t wait to read it!”
When I comment, I try to make sure to take to leave something thoughtful (never just a quick, “Nice review!”), and I do go back and check to see if the blogger has replied to my comment because I love interacting with other readers. I comment almost exclusively on blogs where the bloggers reply because it’s just much more fun that way!
I always respond to comments on my blog (unless it’s a meme because then I usually go to the other person’s blog), but sometimes I struggle with what to write on other people’s blogs.
I agree about CAPTCHA. If I make a comment and then CAPTCHA comes up I’ll most likely close the window without continuing unless it’s a meme.
Great post though! Very thought igniting.
I tend to only comment when I actually have something of substance to say. If it’s a book I’m looking forward to or have read, I’m especially motivated to comment because it’s something I’m interested in discussing. I also comment more on the blogs where bloggers reply to comments. I don’t expect every comment I make to be replied to, but it’s nice to know that what I say is appreciated and acknowledged from time to time.
Thanks for the thoughtful post! As only a reader (I don’t have a blog) sometimes commenting is a bit intimidating. Some blogs dictate what they what you to say and some do “shaming” posts when they don’t feel like they get enough. Others have only contests and memes and then order you to leave a “meaningful” comment on somewhat meaningless posts. So… it’s hard to find a balance. I admit, I’m kind of a contest whore so I do enter a lot and do my best to read the posts and leave comments specific to the post/author/giveaway. But then again, the posts sometimes don’t have that much substance or are all excerpts and I find myself basically doing a “form letter” type comment. But I do hate to leave “meaningless” comments or just repeat what someone else has already said. So I find myself commenting on posts only if they’ve really touched me or to gush about a book I really loved and no one else has really said the same. Or if there is a thoughtful discussion that I feel like I can add something to. I’m a lurker and I read a lot of blogs in my email and on the blogs but I only really comment on about 10% of them. And since I read a lot of blogs, the memes and promotions get tiresome. Most of them are the exact same on like 10 blogs in a row and I don’t have the time or patience to comment on basically the same post over and over. And don’t get me started on Captcha. I have abandoned comments when I can’t get the stupid thing to work.
I am the worst at commenting. I’m naturally pretty shy, and that bleeds into my internet interactions, too.
I try not to comment unless I have something meaningful to say. I comment on reviews of books I really liked, or books I’m particularly interested in. I try to always weigh in when I see a discussion post because I know how tricky those are to write. But if I don’t feel like I have anything meaningful to add, I just stay quiet.
I mostly comment on things like discussion posts or something I have a strong opinion about. Honestly my biggest problem is time. It’s a bad habit of mine to check my email real fast in the morning before school and before I got to sleep so I don’t have time to comment. The problem isn’t just with blog posts though it’s also with reviewing fanfics or youtube videos. I’m trying to break the habbit and comment more because I do enjoy the interaction.
I’m really bad at commenting in general, but lately I’ve been trying to do it more, even if I just want to compliment someone on writing a nice review. But more often than not I’ll comment if they have written something I strongly agree or disagree on, or if I just have something to say. It really depends.
I’ve been taking the time to comment a lot more on blogs now and it’s definitely paid off. I think us bloggers do need to spend more time showing our appreciation because I know how I feel when people take the time to write a decent comment on my blog. I’m lucky to have regular commenters but I know some people who hardly ever get comments so I make sure I always comment there. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
This is so true! Comments are some of the best blogging rewards and I grin like an idiot whenever I get one. CAPCHA is such a deterrent, though, and did you know that blogger now automatically adds it to new blogs? I was a victim of this for the first two months of blogging before I realized and fixed it.
I comment on reviews of books that I have read and discussion posts. I also like the strange posts, about favorite books/things/movies etc.
Well, i comment if i have something to say. Simple, really, haha. I dont prefer to comment on one type of post over another, i just like to comment if i feel like i have something to say. Actually i think i comment more on reviews – if i have read the book that has been reviewed so i have something to add that is.
When it comes to my own blog, i like getting comments, but im not a total sadface when i don’t get any. I guess i blog alot for myself, and i would still be blogging even if nobody read it.
I comment on reviews if it’s a book I have read and I have something to contribute or a book I want to read. It’s hard to comment on reviews of books I’m not interested in though. I also tend to comment more often if the post is funny, snarky or if the author asks a question at the end of it – so I know what they’re curious to hear about.
I really like posts that aren’t just reviews though, I love the pieces that make book blogging more than just review blogging and more of a community. Whether that be interviews, or features or link ups, I often gravitate towards those posts first!
I tend to comment on reviews the most. I usually go through my google reader every day during school and take away meme posts and other stuff and have only review posts. When I get home, I make a point to read at least 10 review posts from different blogs every day. Discussion posts are also pretty great!
Over the past couple of weeks I have been making an effort of going to new blogs that I haven’t visited before and commenting as like you said it is nice when the comments come through and it shows that people really do take the time to read your blog. It can get a little wearing when you do post and get no comments but see other bloggers who just seem to advertise getting more comments but I write my blog for enjoyment so hey ho!!!
Great blog by the way – your blog is new to my list 😀
Your smile must be off the charts on this one…I think everyone loves getting comments – it makes you feel like you’re not writing in a black hole!
I think your suggestions are really good, too, on how to comment to get more people to look at your blog. It certainly works for me!
My BIGGEST peeve is the Blogger/Blogspot comment areas. If your blog is on WordPress (as mine is), I can’t leave a comment that’s linked to my blog unless you have the extended version that allows me to add my URL. Not everyone does this, so I have to attach it to me PERSONAL G+ and add my name/blog link at the bottom. Some people get around this by adding a plugin for comments, like Discus. Whew. That made me feel better. (Does this happen to you on WordPress blogs as well?)
Audrey @ Ink and Page
http://inkandpage.me
I usually comment when I have something to say or something that’s related. Otherwise I usually just take a glance, especially if the book is adult.
I usually try to comment though. But I’d rather comment on something that I can relate to instead of just commenting and say something just to comment.
~Sophia @ Bookwyrming Thoughts
Yeah I tend to be a little picky with the posts that I comment on. If it’s a review of an adult book, I tend to just skip over it.
Also, I don’t want to leave comments that don’t mean anything either. It’s totally understandable.
Thanks for the comment.
I hope I’m not the only one out there who starts writing a comment, and upon discovering I have nothing really significant to say I’ll cross out of the tab and move on to the next blog post. I know in my own blog that some people have had issues with my commenting system. I use IntenseDebate… that’s not going to change until I eventually move to WordPress. (But I’m too lazy to actually do anything about it anyway.) When I do comment I want to write a lot. At least a paragraph. I like to think of how the blogger will react to that comment. I know I smile whenever I read a long comment on my blog.
You are not the only one who does that. I’m not willing to leave a comment that means nothing. I always want to have something to say that hasn’t already been said in the comments.
Also, I used IntenseDebate for a while but I got too many complaints so I switched back. I personally don’t mind it but I know quite a few people who do.
Thanks for the comment.
I comment a LOT. I usually comment on 20+ blogs a day and it’s crazy time consuming. But it’s what keeps my own interaction on my blog going as well. And I love ‘seeing’ the same people each day. It’s routine, I guess. But it’s usually the same blogs. I start doing it on new blogs (or new to me blogs) when they start commenting on mine just cause I return comments, but once it becomes a habit I automatically visit their blog each day. If there’s a blog I comment on somewhat regularly and they don’t comment back I usually stop commenting. That sounds bad, but there are so many that comment on my blog that I always want to visit back, I figure I’ll save that extra time of commenting for those people.
Once in awhile I just don’t have anything to say, if I’m searching for SOMETHING to say then I usually just skip saying anything. Sometimes I’ll say that I’m glad they liked it or something, but not always just cause it’s not a very thoughtful comment.
I’m with you on Capcha. If it doesn’t take the first time then I usually click away. I have zero patience with it.
I need to comment a lot more. It’s awesome that you comment on so many blogs. I’m trying to start a similar routine but it’s so hard finding time to comment every day. I’m going to have to start doing what you do and return comments from people who comment on my blog.
Also, glad someone feels the same way about CAPTCHA.
Thanks for the comment!
I do find it easier to comment on reviews of books I’ve actually read, or for some other reason have something compelling to say about it. For books I haven’t, I don’t really want to post something like, “Sounds awesome.” Discussion posts like this, of course, are much easier to comment on.
If I’m checking out a new blog I don’t actually follow, I’ll try to go out of my way to find even a single post to comment on, just so they can get the warm fuzzy feeling that somebody visited.
I find it easier to comment on reviews of books I’ve read too. I like leaving comments that mean something so I end up leaving a lot fewer comments than I really should. And like you said, discussions are so much easier to comment on.
I do the same thing with new blogs too. I try to comment on one or two posts even if I don’t end up following the blog.
Thanks for the comment!
I tend to only comment on discussion posts or if it’s a review for a book I’m on the fence about reading/buying. I don’t often read reviews for books I’m planning on reading until I’ve read them so I can’t really increase my comments on review posts.
When trying to leave comments on Blogger Blogs on my phone if I ever want to backspace all of a sudden it freezes up and I can’t add anything new, so I end up not commenting. They really need to fix that.
Also, if everyone is posting the same review or same book for a meme post, it’s tough to comment because I feel like they’re all deja vu comments as I’d say the same thing on every blog, which is something I don’t like doing. So I end up not commenting much of the time.
I do see that more and more blogs are starting discussion posts, which is good and bad. There are more opportunities to comment, but if it’s the same discussion then eventually it will be tough to comment on those too!
I’m curious if reviewing older books would get more comments as people won’t be afraid to check out the reviews since they already reviewed. With plagiarism scares and all, reviewers tend not to want to read reviews unless they’ve read.
Sorry for the long ramble-y comment.
I’m the same way. I comment on more discussions than anything because I feel like I have something to say. I also try to avoid reviews if I haven’t read the book because I don’t want to be spoiled.
I never have any luck commenting when I’m on my phone and that’s usually when I read blog posts so I totally get what you mean.
And I’ve been trying to switch up reviews on the blog for the exact reason you mentioned. I get tired of seeing the same memes and reviews over and over and I feel like it’s not worth commenting to repeat something that’s been said ten times.
Thanks for the comment. You bring up a lot of great points that I’m definitely going to take into account for the future.
I comment on discussion posts when I feel I have something to add to the discussion. I comment on books I want to read or I have read. When it’s a book I’m not interested in, I try to look for something else. I’m not going to leave a fake comment or only something like ‘great review’
I always try to visit at least 2 blogs every day. I know it’s a lot of ‘work’ but I actually enjoy it! It gives me a great feeling to show my appreciation to someone else and it gives me great new books to add to my list 🙂
Mel@thedailyprophecy.
I comment on discussion posts more than anything since I feel like I actually have things to add. I’m the same as you though. I won’t comment on something that I don’t truly have an interest in.
And I love leaving comments for people too. It makes me happy knowing that I’m probably going to make some other blogger happy.
Thanks for the comment!
As my blog grows, it’s getting harder and harder for me to have the time to respond to all my blog comments and visit/comment back. I do the best I can but I always feel behind.
Things that encourage me to comment: that the blogger responds, because that means I know they’ve read the comment. Also a review that has opinions of some sort that I can respond to. Things that discourage me: forms to fill out, captcha…
Thanks for stopping by today 🙂
I totally get what you mean about having the time to reply and comment back. As you can see, I’m just now finding the time to reply here and it’s been over a week.
Thanks for the comment and I’ll definitely take into account what you have to say about what makes you want to comment!
Unless you are a very good friend I’ve stopped commenting on blogs with captcha. I went to one yesterday that made me solve a math problem!!
I don’t have this problem but I’ve heard a lot of people say they don’t leave a comment if they can’t think of a “meaningful” one. It doesn’t bother me at all if someone leaves a quick comment. i realize how busy everyone is and I’m grateful they took the time to stop by.
Holy crap! I could not do a CAPTCHA math problem. No blog is worth that.
I try to leave meaningful comments most of the time. I don’t like leaving super short comments that make it seem like I didn’t even read the post. I just want to leave something that will let the blogger know that I truly cared about what they had to say.
Thanks for the comment!
I think I comment when I have something productive and worthwhile to add that hasn’t been commented on previously. I also believe that if the post was obviously worked on and a lot of effort was put into it than it deserves a comment or even an extended response.
It seems as though a lot of bloggers who do discussion posts hasn’t addressed commenting like you have just done, and hence probably why this post has so many comments. There’s a point I suppose.
I try not to leave comments that don’t mean something either. I always want to leave a comment that will make the blogger smile and not just something like ‘great review.’
Thanks for the comment!
I HATE CAPTCHA too!! I almost want to tell people, “hey take that off” but I don’t want to be rude. When I first started blogging I didn’t even know it was on my blog and wish someone would’ve told me sooner 🙂
Anyway I’m a commenter. If I read your post at least 75% of the time I comment. I just like people to know I visited. I mostly like commenting on books I already read or books I already know I want to read. I don’t comment on discussions THAT much, but sometimes I do 🙂 This was a good (and very popular) idea for a discussion, good for you!!
Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Book Blog
Yeah I know some people who don’t even realize they have CAPTCHA on. I try and politely let people know if they are a newer blogger. After that it’s up to them whether or not they want to keep it on.
Also, I’m such a bad commenter. I tend to read posts on my phone and forget to go back to them later and comment. I’m trying to get better about not doing that but I’m still working on it.
Thanks for the comment!
I agree on what you say, CAPTCHA is unbelievably annoying but I try to not make it discourage me from commenting on a blog.. however when I insert the word/number 4 times and every time I get an error.. I tend to give up.
I have also started to expand in terms of the blogs I go and comment to. I am always on the lookout for new blogs, especially if they have similar taste than me. As for comments, I try to never leave a “great review” alone without actually showing the blogger that I have read their review/post.
– Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf
I’m with you. If there’s CAPTCHA, I’ll still try to comment but if I can’t get it right after more than one try, I’m done.
I’m also on the lookout for new blogs, like you. I’ve started picking random commenters on blogs that I follow and going to their blog. I’ve found some really great blogs that way.
Thanks for the comment!
I love your posts and yet I can’t remember ever commenting. I guess that makes me a bad follower (oops). I don’t know why I have never commented, though I always have something to say. I’ll keep this post in mind each time you update 🙂
Haha. That does not make you a bad follower. I’m pretty sure I’ve done the same thing with some blogs. It really just has to do with the stuff bloggers post. If I ever post something you really want to comment on, feel free. Otherwise, don’t ever feel like you have to comment.
I used to comment a lot more, I really did! Now, I only comment if the post really speaks to me in some way or there’s something I just have to say. Often it has to to with captcha. I don’t want to have to deal with it ….
I used to comment a lot more too. However, lately I’ve barely had time to blog, much less comment. I totally get what you mean. =)
I agree on the CAPTCHA, I usually give it two tries but then I’m done, I’m not going to spend 5 minutes proving I’m not a robot. YUCK. I don’t know about blogspot/blogger but I have a self-hosted wordpress blog, and I have several plugins mainly to reduce spam. It’s been about a year and a half since I started my blog and I mean okay, I don’t have a huge following but I do have some readers, but not one single spam message. So yeah, there definitely are other ways!
One other thing that might prevent people from commenting on a blog (that definitely held me off for the longest time) is if the blog doesn’t accept comments with only Name/URL. Not everyone has a google/lj/wordpress account and not everyone wants to get one. I actually made one a few weeks back because I got horribly annoyed with the fact that so many blogs don’t accept comments that aren’t from accounts, but not everyone wants to do that. So that’s a tip.
And yeah, commenting on other blogs definitely increases your traffic, I spend about as much time, if not more, commenting on other people’s blogs as I spend on writing for my own. It takes time but people aren’t going to find you by themselves 🙂
I don’t have CAPTCHA either but I have managed to keep most spam comments off the blog too. There are ways to do it other than CAPTCHA, like you said.
Your second point is great too. I’m going to have to check and make sure I allow only Name/URL comments because I really do want to make it as easy as possible for people to comment.
Thanks for the comment!
I really agree with Ashley. I need to have something to add or to tell before I will comment. I think adding a question to articles is a great way of getting more comments, but maybe that’s hard with reviews. The simply ‘what did you think of this book?’ or ‘are you going to read this book?’ won’t really work I guess.
I totally get what you mean about asking questions at the end of a post. I try to do that with most posts but like you said, it’s kind of hard to do with reviews.
Thanks for the comment.
I love bloglovin for this, just because it allows me to keep track of new updates and filter posts I know I’ll be interested in. Not having to keep track of that myself gives me plenty more time to leave a proper comment on posts I really enjoy.
That said, if I have nothing to say, I won’t leave a comment. I only really comment if I’m really grateful for some information that’s imparted (to the legion of bloggers that post tutorials, this means you!) or if the post is particularly fascinating. In regards to book reviews, I’ll also comment on reviews only if I either want to read the book or have read it. It helps if the review is personal and honest and doesn’t sound like it was written by a PA specialist. Sometimes that’s a fine line with book bloggers, but when you find a book blog with a voice of it’s own, it’s a glorious moment.
Fully agree with you about CAPTCHA, by the way. I hate that extra step and won’t bother leaving a comment if I see that pop up. I’d love to know of a way to filter spam without it though. I get tons of spam because my blog has CAPTCHA turned off.
Thanks for the regular updates and the reviews, Katie! Your blog is always fun to read!
For me, most of my spam comments are on older posts. I set comment moderation on posts older than 3 days so that I get notified before anything actually gets posted. It’s helped cut down on the spam comments.
Thanks for the comment!
For the longest time I didn’t post comments on blogs. But, like you said it’s about sharing the love and that’s why I try to take the time to leave comments!
A great reason TO comment is to connect with like minded people.. and to get a conversation going!
Hi Katie 🙂
So – I found your blog through Google – mad props for being on page 1 of the search results! Of course I had to pop in and see why! 😀
I think I will take off the CAPTCHA and be diligent about deleting robot comments ^-^.
Thank you for the pointers miss! 🙂
Best to you and happy blogging! 🙂
♥ Dawn
I like commenting when I’ve got something to say, or when the blogger specifically asks for them like you did for the April contest because that means you read them! And the fact that you respond to comments makes me want to comment more, because I know that the blogger does take time to read what commenters say.
It would also be great if more blogs had a notification feature so that when a comment gets a response, you know and can comment and reply back.