Written on April 10th, 2009 at 11:04 pm by Darren Rowse

Email a Blog Reader [Day 5 - 31DBBB]

Today’s task in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge is all about building community on your blog and making an impression upon readers by giving them some personal attention.

The task is simply to email a new reader (or more than one).

While the tip sounds simple – too simple – it is actually a technique that I used in the early days of this blog (ProBlogger) and it really helped build up reader engagement.

What I found is that when you pay personal attention to a reader it significantly increases the chances of them not only returning to your blog but also spreading the news of your blog through their network.

So look over the most recent comments left on your blog and identify a reader that you don’t recognise the details of. Shoot them a quick email thanking them for their comment.

Make sure you include a link back to your blog so they know who you are and make the email relevant to their comment (ie answer a question they asked or add to their comment in some way). You might also like to point them in the email to your RSS feed (converting them to a loyal reader). While there are some tools out there that email new comment leavers automatically for you – the more personal you can make it the better.

Two Ways to Take this Further and Make a Bigger Impression

The above technique can really be worth investing time each day into – but here are two ways that you can extend this:

1. To make an even greater impression if the person has left a link to their own blog in their comment click that link and leave a comment on their blog. Again – this is another technique that I used in their early days of my blogging and it was certainly a factor in getting the ball rolling for me in terms of building readership.

2. Another quick thing to do is to respond to the comment ON your blog. Sending the email is great on making an impression on the person themselves but leaving a comment in your own comment section shows other readers that you’re interested in engaging in conversation. It also helps build comment numbers which can build social proof and show your blog is active.

Rinse and Repeat

If you’ve got a few extra minutes today – do this with a handful of new readers – the more the better. I’d also highly recommend adding this task to your daily routine – 10-15 minutes a day on this task could make an impression on thousands of people a year.

This simple tip takes just a moment to do but can create a loyal long time reader. Do it at least once a day (or set yourself a higher target) and you’ll build your blog consistently over time.

Is this Tip Not SPECTACULAR Enough For You?

Last time I shared this tip with a fellow blogger they rolled their eyes at me and told me that they didn’t want to find just one more reader for their blog – they wanted hundreds or thousands.

This blogger failed to realize two things:

Loyal Readers Spread the Word - I’ve found that in many cases a single reader quickly becomes numerous loyal readers because when you make an impression on people it’s likely that they’ll spread the word about you. They do this through their own blogs, word of mouth, Twitter and other social networking sites.
Loyal Readers Build Page Views - One loyal reader can potentially view your blog hundreds (if not thousands) of times. A daily visit from that reader for a year brings an extra 365 page views to your blog. Gain an extra loyal reader every day for a full year and the numbers start to add up.

While there’s nothing wrong with attracting thousands of new readers to your blog quickly – the majority of times they’ll come and go very quickly.

Build loyal readers one by one on a daily basis and can be a lot more fruitful in the long run.

Don’t have any comments on your blog yet?

I know there are a number of very new bloggers doing this challenge that might not yet have people leaving comments on their blogs to email. If this is you – don’t worry, I have another mini task for you to do today.

Spend 10 minutes visiting other blogs on your topic and leaving relevant, helpful and genuine comments on their blogs. The more helpful your comments the better – make an impression with quality comments raises your profile and can potentially drive traffic to a blog.

Want More?

This task is a sample of one of the tasks in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Workbook – a downloadable resource designed to reinvigorate and revitalize blogs.

Join over 14,000 other bloggers and Get your Copy Today.

What next?

292 Responses to “Email a Blog Reader [Day 5 - 31DBBB]” - Add Yours

Internet Business With Purpose

April 10th, 2009 11:31 pm

I think that is a great tip and I’m going to call today reader appreciation day on my blog at http://www.reallifepurpose.com

I also appreciate you and your great advice
Greg
thom singer

April 10th, 2009 11:31 pm

Darren-

Nobody should roll their eyes at this advice. With blogging, or anything in life, it is the small things…DONE CONSISTENTLY that produce results.

I have new readers who have come to my blog (and left comments) from this 31-days project already… thus I will reach out to some of them today!

thanks

http://www.thomsinger.blogspot.com

thom
Michael Godawski

April 10th, 2009 11:34 pm

Great Darren, you are really reading my mind :)

That was just the thing I wanted to do, but I felt like perhaps I am a little to direct. But now you have encouraged me to actually actively spent some time on other blogs, to create a relationship with other fellow writers.

Thank you again and keep up the great challenge.
Barry Wright, III

April 10th, 2009 11:34 pm

This tip is at the heart of marketing. You can’t have a crowd of followers until you have one follower. Seth Godin had a great post about this concept today:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/04/opening-acts-and-rock-stars.html

You have to build your audience brick by brick, and connecting, starting, and maintaining a conversation with people is a great way. That’s real networking, finding people who you can exchange value with for mutual benefit.
simon @ shrewdcookie.com

April 10th, 2009 11:36 pm

Great idea – always try to use the person’s first name in any communication as well – people like to hear their own name.

It’s a psychology thing!
Ten

April 10th, 2009 11:37 pm

I like this one. I write all my readers on my blog and, if they have blogs, I visit it to write too.

I think we can create a post about our readers too, to appreciate their comments and visits.

Thanks Darren!!!
Barry Wright, III

April 10th, 2009 11:39 pm

Really simple thing I realized while reading:

I always have been torn about emailing the commenter or simply commenting on the blog (if you email, nobody else sees, and if you comment, the original commenter might not ever come back to see it).

The obvious answer is to do both.

-Barry
Sparky

April 10th, 2009 11:40 pm

I’ve gotten the eye-roll from people when they suddenly realize that it takes work to become an “overnight” success.

You are absolutely right when you say that consistently and actively building loyal readers over time is what results in success down the line.

Thanks for another great reminder.
Sam

April 10th, 2009 11:44 pm

I’ll have to go to the mini task today :(. I have vistors to my blog, but none comment. I’ve seen that getting comments can be really tough. There are large blog out there that only get a handful of comments (max) for their posts. If anyone here wants to come by my blog and leave a comment I’ll make sure to send you an email (so I can do the original task!).

Sam
http://trendycellular.com
HazardousPaste

April 10th, 2009 11:45 pm

If I am having an extended conversation about a post I ALWAYS a) thank them for commenting and b) try to let them know about future articles they might be interested in via email. I’ve gotten many loyal readers that way and who knows how many page views.

Sage advice!
Mannie

April 10th, 2009 11:46 pm

Oh Darren, I like this task (: I’m VERY much a people person, and I love helping visitors on my blog get involved & engaged in the conversation!

♥Mannie
http://MannieMandible.webs.com
Julie

April 10th, 2009 11:46 pm

I started doing this just recently and one result was an invitation to be a guest blogger.

Thanks, Darren, for all your great advice!
Guillermo

April 10th, 2009 11:51 pm

Hi Darren,

Thank God this is something I have as part of my every day blogging activities. Every time I receive a comment from a new reader the protocol is:

- Reply to his comment in my blog
- Send him an email thanking him for his comment

About the latter, I already have a template or canned response in Gmail that I customize for every one. I will share it, may be someone finds it usefull (take into account that I’m translating from Spanish)…

Hi [NAME OF THE COMMENTER],

Thanks for your comment in our blog!

[SOME PARTICULAR OPINION FROM ME ABOUT HIS/HER COMMENT].

Have a great day and we hope to find new comments from yo soon,

Guillermo
Blog: http://loszieglerencanada.com
RSS: http://loszieglerencanada.com/feed/

Now, my pending task here is to leave a comment in his/her blog if any… I have to admit I’m too lazy for that sometimes!

Thanks for your hard work!
Brendon

April 10th, 2009 11:54 pm

Emailing readers is a great way to get them coming back and interacting with your blog.

For bloggers (like me) who can’t be bothered to send out lots of personal emails, I think automated systems are great. Unfortunately, plugins which I tried had two problems:

a) They wouldn’t seem personal enough — ie, they would be quickly dismissed by the reader.

b) The emails were sent instantly, so users don’t think “oh, maybe I should check to see whether anything new has been posted / any new comments”.

I created and released my own plugin which overcomes these problems — it addresses readers by name, or referencing their coments, etc, and sends the message after a few days to make it seem more “real”. You can download it from here: http://making-the-web.com/2008/08/27/plugin-thank-me-later/.

-Brendon.
Lisis | Quest for Balance

April 10th, 2009 11:56 pm

Any time I get a new commenter on my blog, I respond to them in my comment section. Then I try to click over to their blog and find a post I can comment on. I figure, they would appreciate a comment on their blog more than a behind-the-scenes email (or one on MY blog).
Roy Schwartz

April 10th, 2009 11:57 pm

Maybe because my blog is new, but I can’t help not replying to each comment, with no relation to the marketing side of it. Guess I’m just so damn grateful at this stage :)
Pamela Villars

April 11th, 2009 12:00 am

I was lucky enough to get this advice (all three pieces) from Nettie Hartsock. I’ve been doing it since I started, and is how I’ve built my (small) community.

The hardest part is when I can’t find anything interesting to say on their blog, so that will be the piece I commit to working from now on. I won’t give up until I find something.
Jesse Muhammad

April 11th, 2009 12:01 am

This tip works like a charm….and I haven’t experience the eye-rolling but I did get invited to be a guest blogger for several people as a resulted of doing this. thanks darren
Laura Roberts

April 11th, 2009 12:05 am

That’s pretty funny: I just spent the morning commenting on other people’s blogs, even before you told us to do this!

I’d also add that when you write a blog that ends with a question, people are more apt to comment. It can be a really simple question, like “What do you think?”, but it prompts a response.

So, for my last buttontapper post, I asked a more rhetorical question about music and the homogenization of media, but received a “response” via someone adding me on Twitter whose blog features a new musical release per day. I added a link to his blog as an update to mine, but of course, any other responses are always welcome!

http://buttontapper.com/2009/04/musical-selection-or-lack-thereof/
Rehuel

April 11th, 2009 12:06 am

I have always replied to the comments on my posts. At the moment I’m engaged in 5 meaningful mail exchanges with participants of 31DBBB, because of one sign of appreciation for participating in your blog.

I think this is how friendships and partnerships start: Genuine appreciation for each other.

I created a Facebook 31DBBB group, because I wanted a way to cultivate these relationships. Hopefully more will join the bunch of friends that’s there now to create a wide network of writes and publishers with one thing in common: 31DBBB
Sharon Hurley Hall

April 11th, 2009 12:10 am

I already respond to all comments on my blog, though not always as quickly as I would like. I think the tip about connecting with readers is a good one. When I have received emails from people it has always made me more interested in visiting their blog.
Baker @ Man Vs. Debt

April 11th, 2009 12:10 am

I’d be perfectly happy with one additional raging fan!

I always try to e-mail back readers and commenters, espcially in the crucial early stages of my blog. I’ve experienced such great feedback in response this way.

Give me 10 raging fans over 1000 random readers anyday!
Glen

April 11th, 2009 12:12 am

Great tip. Considering that my blog is new it will be easier for me to contact the readers that I do have and build relationships with them.
Hning

April 11th, 2009 12:18 am

I’ll make a try with this simple tips! Do straight forwards to engage readers.

Honestly, i never thought about this before though i already installed Email This Commentators Plugins.

Thanks for your ide bro..
Tom Ross

April 11th, 2009 12:18 am

I love the idea of building 365 annual visits each day. This post really shows how the little details and efforts can make a big difference. Thanks for sharing Darren!
Max Trescott

April 11th, 2009 12:19 am

Ian, I agree that the dialog via email and through blog comments is important. My post today, which will go up within a hour or so, actually combines several of your techniques. Part V on General Aviation heroes is:
o The last in a series of articles (I read an older post of yours about doing a series)
o Is a list of 16 Items
o And is 100% based on suggestions that readers submitted to me during the series via email, Facebook, Twitter or as a blog comment.
Feedback has been great and readers are more engaged in the series that just about any prior post. Thanks for the suggestions. Here’s a link to Part IV, and from there you’ll be able to easy reach Part V when it’s posted:
http://www.maxtrescott.com/max_trescott_on_general_a/2009/04/general-aviation-heroes-part-iv-dale-and-alan-klapmeier-of-cirrus-design.html
Sandra

April 11th, 2009 12:23 am

My blog is very new and doesn’t have many comments. I have been responding to them, though, when I get them. Your related 10 Techniques post, is very helpful and I will start implementing those techniques right away. Thanks!
jan

April 11th, 2009 12:23 am

One of my favorite bloggers emails me his reaction on the comments I leave on his blog. Of course, I feel flattered and important he takes the time to personally write me. What’s good about this technique is that I feel compelled to make a return visit to his blog to keep the conversation going. It’s the polite thing to do. Secondly, I learn a lot from this exchange of ideas.

You’re spot on how one satisfied reader can spread the good word about you. Be it in his blog, on private talks with other blog authors and colleagues, and even in comments left on other blogs.

I’m that one little person who keeps the good word about this blogger. I have blogged about him, linked to his useful posts, left good comments about him on other blogs, and recommended people to check his posts to help resolve some problems or questions they have.

I know I’m just one little voice and perhaps do not carry much influence. But if we think of all the people he has charmed with this technique that will add up to a lot of good will that can only bring benefit on his blog.

In my blog, I respond to comments quickly. Although I admit it’s tough to personally email new blog commenters. Ten to twenty minutes in a day is not such a big sacrifice though. I will take to doing this with renewed enthusiasm.

Thanks, Darren.
Mrs Green

April 11th, 2009 12:25 am

This is a crucial tip and one that people should not be rolling eyes over!

I made it almost my USP on my other site http://myzerowaste.com that every few days I spend an hour acknowledging ALL the comments I get.

Personally, unless you are inundated I think it is rude not to answer back – it’s like ignoring someone when they talk to you.

great post, Darren; I’m going to check I haven’t left anyone hanging on my sites today :)
Tamikka

April 11th, 2009 12:28 am

Yay! I love interacting with my readers. The more tasks that I do, the more intuitive these tasks feel.

Yesterday, I received a comment from a 31DBBB participant who commented on my blog. I emailed back sharing that I’d visited her site and thought her layout was fantastic. Check it out here.:

http://www.summertomato.com

I am producing better material, getting more traffic, receiving more comments, and finding new opportunities with this challenge already. Love it!
SpikeTheLobster

April 11th, 2009 12:29 am

This was one of the first bits of advice I had when I started my first blog – always, ALWAYS respond to comments. Obviously when you have 400 or so (like Problogger), that’s not possible on an individual level, but it’s vital to say something. Otherwise visitors feel like they’re talking to thin air.

Since I’m in a different time zone to most of my few visitors, it’s easy to post one reply to everyone or a multi-part comment with individual responses. First thing on my list every morning!

For example, the plagiarism post I’ve been using over the past few tasks: http://www.wordophilia.com/writing-and-plagiarism/
kjscrafts

April 11th, 2009 12:30 am

I will be doing the alternate task. I do not have many comments on blog and the ones I do I cannot figure out how to e-mail with the blog platform I am using for the blog I am focusing on.
HazardousPaste

April 11th, 2009 12:31 am

Oops, I forgot to post my URL :-P

http://www.hazardouspaste.com

I just started a big project too; Music 365
http://www.hazardouspaste.com/Music-365/
Alison

April 11th, 2009 12:33 am

Great points Darren! I noticed since being involved in this challenge a few fellow bloggers have reached out and did comment on my blog sourcing 31DBBB as their way to finding me.

I did thank them in my comments as well as reciprocate on their blog as well.

I only wish everyone who’s blogs I have commented on would show me the same love, but we can’t always expect it :)

Thanks again Darren, and thanks fellow 31DBBB folks for taking the time to get to know me and my blog.

What was once a place for me to just ramble in has very quickly become a blog I take great pride it. It is no more my less loved child.

Alison
newlifeasnewwife.blogspot.com
ahotpinkpetticoat.blogspot.com
Sara Smile

April 11th, 2009 12:35 am

Normally I didn’t reply to comments but I have come to the realization that readers like it when you do reply to what they have to say. AND they send their friends to your site and they become your readers.

This is a practice I started back in November of last year and stopped in February this year, just because I ran out of time, and my readership also stopped responding to any of my posts.

I thought it was weird but this is the reason my readership went down. That and adding RSS feed content to my blog, something I will NEVER do again. Perhaps I did it wrong but it cut my readership in half.

So what you recommend Darren makes a lot of sense as well as keeping your readers happy. They really want to know that their comments are read and their opinion matters. Otherwise, they’re talking to a brick wall. It’s a good habit to get into. Good lesson today, one I wish I had back in February.

Sara
Maddie Grant

April 11th, 2009 12:36 am

My blog “community” is pretty small and friendly too so I’m pretty good with this task. However, by coincidence I posted something specifically asking for my readers’ help, so prompted by this task I added my own answer to the dilemma posed and thanked people for commenting.

http://www.diaryofareluctantblogger.com/2009/04/reader-help-requested-association-blog.html
Hning

April 11th, 2009 12:36 am

Related the Blogwalking suggestion. Is it ok (will give us a credit) if we leave a comment in other blog which already a huge comments? I mean more than 20 comment.

I forgot where i ever read about how to comment which gives a value to our blog, stated that more than 20, reader will skip the comments and strike trough the Comment Form. Means, they prefer not to read more than 20 first comment. So, it wont give a credit which flow other readers to our blog.

In this case, if this research is perfectly correct, we should have an option where we should leave our comment that can have a rank less than 20.
Tobias

April 11th, 2009 12:37 am

Lol. Did this naturally when comments came from the first tasks (on my brand-new blog). It’s not hard to connect to people this way – if they took the effort to leave something, there’s natural curiousity to check them out as well… and hey – they climb too! Or their brand new son’s name is a lot like my (brand new) son’s! :)
Vicki@collegeparentcentral

April 11th, 2009 12:41 am

I’ll have to focus on your mini-task today, Darren, since my blog is so new. I’ll try to reach out to some other bloggers.

However, since my only commenter on my blog so far is my husband, he’ll be glad to hear that my assignment for the day is to “pay personal attention to a reader”!

Enjoying the focus that this challenge is giving me. Thanks!
Terry Heath

April 11th, 2009 12:43 am

The WordPress plugin that automatically sends an email to every new commentator is too obvious, and as you say, too impersonal.

However, I do use the Contact Commenters plugin by Ajith Prasad Edassery. I can decide who to email, based on when or how much a reader comments, but not automatically. It’s great for general announcements or just thanking those who support you. I make it somewhat personal, but am going to start mailing individuals by hand as well.
Robert Owen

April 11th, 2009 12:43 am

Thanks for the tip Darren!!
I just converted my site over to wordpress from another platform and lost all my comments in the porting. Still not sure what happened there… Anyway, for the most part, I am starting over.
So, I will spend some time today visiting some blogs and leaving comments.
If anyone wants a good laugh for this Friday check this out and leave me a comment, if you like! http://www.owenwebs.com/index.php/2009/04/10/friday-funny-hillbilly-vasectomy/
Roach King

April 11th, 2009 12:53 am

I took the liberty of visiting and commenting on some of the newer blogs. This way, we can gain some momentum!
Tangerine Dreams

April 11th, 2009 12:53 am

I do like to respond to reader’s comments with a comment time to time – if I have the time, but should I also answer the question in my comment section or one or the other?
Joel

April 11th, 2009 12:54 am

Thanks, Darren. Great advice.

I’ve just joined the community at http://www.dad-blogs.com/

and have been following the links for “Fatherhood Friday” and commenting. Not only could this bring me new readers for my own stuff (mostly fatherhood related) but I’ve found several great new blogs to add to my RSS subscriptions.

I’m loving this series so far.
Karen Chaffee

April 11th, 2009 12:55 am

Barry is right, as are you, Darren. (I also read Seth Godin’s post.) Each and every blog follower cherishes the idea that they matter and are not just a number somewhere in the Google stats. The personal touch is important.
Karen

April 11th, 2009 12:55 am

Darren,

Yea!! I’ve actually done this. I worried it might be a bit pushy so I’ve only done it twice.

Guess I’ll do it a bit more often.

thanks!
Mark Lewis

April 11th, 2009 12:56 am

I found this approach not only to be helpful for my blog but I’ve also made some great connections with people. It has also helped inspire ideas for posts.
Terry Freedman

April 11th, 2009 12:57 am

Thanks for this great series, Darren. I always respond to the comments people leave for me, but I have not emailed them about that unless, because I didn’t realised they’d commented, I’ve responded to it several weeks later. But I will definitely try that today!

One technique I’ve had success with is this: occasionally people email me a comment. Unless it is obviously confidential I will always email them and ask if they would mind posting their comment in the comments section of my article, or give me permission to do so on their behalf. This almost always results in a positive response.
Andrea Swiedler

April 11th, 2009 12:57 am

Hi Darren, every morning I check my blogs for comments, always respond to the comments with comments, check out the other peoples blogs and leave comments, and have emailed a few of them with thank you’s etc. Very good advice. It is rather a “do unto others”. Thanks!
Budgets are Sexy

April 11th, 2009 1:03 am

yeah, this really does go FAR for sure….i’m pretty hardcore in that i like to respond to 99% of my comments on my posts. not only does it help them stick around, but they are getting HELPED! which is awesome if your blog revolves around hooking people up with knowledge.

i’d go as far as to say this is the #1 tip all bloggers should do.
Nathalie Hamidi

April 11th, 2009 1:04 am

I haven’t got a lot of readers, but they are the best. I generally try to concentrate in interacting with them and at least answering new comments.

I don’t have a lot of time , so I spend it on writing more interesting content on my blog – I think this too will bring readers along.

Here are my thoughts about today’s post, although in french:
http://nathaliehamidi.com/2009/04/10/31dbbb-email-a-blog-reader/

I will try to interact more with other blogs in the future, thanks for the advice Darren!
Ben

April 11th, 2009 1:05 am

Excellent post.

You know, I only just recently started getting a comment here or there, and this kind of thing never really occurred to me. Sure, responding in comments, but actually taking the time to email a reader sounds like a fantastic way to get more loyal readership. In the end I want to be personable and involved with my readers, and this is certainly a best first step toward that.
sian

April 11th, 2009 1:07 am

new to blogging – how do you know all this – I am learning so much from you – thanks again and I am following the 30 day challenge !
Ryan Bickett

April 11th, 2009 1:11 am

I was discouraged at first reading this post since I am one of the newbies without many comments on my blog (to be honest, I only have one so far!) :-)

That being said, I was happy when I got to the end of the post and you had covered the fact that many of us are new and don’t have any real readership yet.

You make a great point in this post. Personal touch goes a long way. This post reminded me of a recent post I read by Seth Godin about the impact that just 10 people can have.

If interested, check out Seth’s post here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/04/first-ten-.html
Bradford Shimp

April 11th, 2009 1:12 am

Great advice. I always try to leave a comment back, but I hadn’t thought of emailing anyone. This is a great method because it personalizes the process and gets those people who aren’t subscribing to the comments.

Upselling to the RSS feed at this point is a stroke of genius. Thank you for that.
Teacher Joe

April 11th, 2009 1:12 am

Well, this lesson confirms in my mind what I have been thinking for a while – blogging is not a very good approach for the ESL world. There are just too many different languages that my students use as their primary language of communication. Still, this lesson was tremendously useful for my website, as I do get occasional recommendations of static web pages. Just now, I’ve emailed two people who have recently recommended my pages to their friends and I plan to make it a daily ritual. I don’t expect any responses but I may just build up a more loyal, if silent, group of visitors to my site.
trish

April 11th, 2009 1:13 am

Sweet! This is something I do already. I know people recommend it, but I started doing it for the pure reason that that’s what I want people to do for me: let me know that I’m not commenting into a void. The more readers a blog gets, the less in touch with those readers the blogger seems to be.

When I was with wordpress.com (now I’m self-hosting and using wordpress.org), I was one of the beta testers for a feature that I hope gets implemented in the near future. Wordpress has recently rolled out threaded comments, but they also want to make it so you can respond to a comment from your email, and the comment gets put in just the right spot for the thread. What I liked is I could email my response and cc the commenter, so it was wham bam thank you ma’am and I was DONE!
Evelyn

April 11th, 2009 1:21 am

Darren, this is a great help. I try to respond to people in the comment section, but never thought about personally emailing them. Word of mouth does travel fast. I will be working on this today. Have a great weekend!

Evelyn @ http://eves-journey.blospot.com
Chad Prigmore

April 11th, 2009 1:23 am

This is a great tip Darren.

I really like how you focus on building quality readers over time. It seems like there is so much advice out there on how to have thousand of readers by tomorrow – but will they stay?

It seems that if we focus on quality first, quantity will be had over time.

Thanks for all the help!
Aidil TipsGoda

April 11th, 2009 1:28 am

i found out that this is so true. I remember back when i have no one comment on my blog so i start to leave comments on other blogs and they’ll come and comment back.

after that,the more i get engage with comments on my own blog,the more people started to leave their comments. great!

i do have a question to Darren. If i reply to a reader’s comment on my blog,they’ll be notified through their email (via intense debate commenting system). Do you think i still need to send another personal email regarding to the reader’s comment?
Nathan

April 11th, 2009 1:29 am

I’m really enjoying this series. I started my little blog about a month or two ago and really haven’t done much with it until now.

Thanks for adding the mini-task for us newbies. I was worried when I read the first part of the post.
Sheila Atwood

April 11th, 2009 1:38 am

This is a good tip. It is all about your readers. These tips show that you are interested in them.

Sheila
maya | springtree road

April 11th, 2009 1:42 am

i reply to almost everyone who comments on my blog, everyday. the only time i don’t is if it’s something that really just doesn’t need a reply – or if i’ve already emailed them recently. a lot of these people email back and we have ongoing conversations. it’s lovely. i only get about 10-20 comments per post, but it’s something i enjoy doing and, for me, it’s helped me build up a small and very happy network of blogging friends. and i always, always reply to a new commenter.

if i ever get to to the point where i have something like 50 comments per post, i probably won’t have time to do this to the extent that i do now. but it’ll be a good problem to have.

great tip. :)
Lynn

April 11th, 2009 1:43 am

I’m good about commenting on other people’s blogs and responding to comments on my blog, but I haven’t ever emailed in response to a comment, so I’ll try that. For those with new blogs with no comments, stop by my blog and I’ll try to return the favor!
Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile
Http://infantbibliophile.blogspot.com
Kayla

April 11th, 2009 1:46 am

I just commented on other blogs because I don’t have a good list of new commenters as of now. Great marketing idea though, and I plan to use it in the future.
jams

April 11th, 2009 1:48 am

Well it was slightly hard to find their emails since Blogger does not necessarily want those, but I managed to do few mailings and actually enjoyed it.
Jon Buscall

April 11th, 2009 1:49 am

This is a great idea, Darren. By DT-ing people on Twitter and emailing people who comment on my blogs I’ve formed better online relationships with people writing and working in my key niches. It’s even led to an upcoming interview!

I think the thing to take away from this exercise is that it’s vital to make personal connections with your audience. It’s a bit like sending a handwritten postcard or thank you card to a valued customer. They often appreciate the gesture.
Robin of My Two Blessings

April 11th, 2009 1:51 am

I recently showed appreciation to my readers in a different way. I had my 2 year blogoversary last month. I made up a blog award and gave it to all my readers.

See Here

I get many lurkers, but few comment. This brought a few more out of hiding to say something. I didn’t do it as a ploy, I genuinely appreciate the fact people are actually reading my blog.

Great idea about emailing them. I generally answer comments on each post, then head over to their blogs and find something to comment about. The book blogging community is very proactive in handing out different awards for various reasons.

http://www.mytwoblessings.com

Robin
James Roughton

April 11th, 2009 1:54 am

This is great stuff. There is a lot to comprehend. I have been in the process for 1 year and just realizing how much I did not know. Thanks to Problogger
Melanie Abbott

April 11th, 2009 1:55 am

I’m behind on the blog challenge (need to finish those taxes!) BUT just want to say thank you Darren for the inspiration and thoughtful comments. Being new to the blogosphere, I am grateful to have found your site early in the game. I am learning much. Now to apply!
ChristiaanH

April 11th, 2009 1:57 am

This last challenge is actually already apart of my daily routine. Looking at the comments I get and give them a reply if I can.

As far as I can tell it has helped me get more and more regular readers. Another brilliant tip indeed.

These things all seem so logical, but it’s the basics that get things going. One step at a time and keep the top of the mountain in mind. (Don’t trip because you forget to look where you plant your feet though.)
Mike CJ

April 11th, 2009 2:03 am

I’m sure my comments are too far down these posts to be read, but I’m saving commenting until each task is finished, so I may well be talking to myself here!

Anyway. This is something that would never have dawned on me, so thanks so much. I’ve already emailed the last few commenters, and will try to do 3 or 4 a day.

Filed this one under “Bloody good ideas”.
The Producer

April 11th, 2009 2:04 am

Great advice! I will be doing this today for sure!
Dominique

April 11th, 2009 2:04 am

I am already doing that e-mailing back my readers when they leave a comment on my blog. There is some WP plugin which enables you to do this easily.
Angela Mills

April 11th, 2009 2:06 am

My mom comments regularly on my blog, but hardly anyone else does! Some people email me directly instead, and I always answer them. I’ve been linked to by quite a few people, but for some reason, no comments. I would really be interested in building this part of my blog.
Bruce > The Hockey Writers

April 11th, 2009 2:11 am

It’s off to comment land …

If you’ve read The Tipping Point by Gladwell you’d know how much leverage can be had by hitting on the right reader.
Today’s task is much more powerful than it seems.

On our blog I happened upon one single guy that became an early contributor. Little did I know that in the early days of our site (a whole 2 months ago) visitors coming from his blog would account for 50% of our traffic!
Mandi

April 11th, 2009 2:12 am

I try to respond by email to every comment left on my blog. Some weeks I fail, and I realize it’s not going to be scalable as my blog hopefully grows, but at 3-6 comments per post, I think it is a really good way to build relationships with my readers.

The truth is I don’t have as much time as I’d like to read and comment on other blogs (although I’m trying), but that’s a fast way that I can still let people know that I appreciate them.
Laura

April 11th, 2009 2:12 am

I do both of those (leave blog comments and reply to those who comment) fairly often. I don’t use SEO tactics but I do think that personal interaction goes a long way. I don’t have a lot of readers but I do get regular readers from those who visit. That matters a lot more to me than one time traffic.
Laura

April 11th, 2009 2:14 am

PS- I wish everyone in the challenge leaving comments here would add a short blurb about their blog each time. I’ve got time this long weekend to follow up but have no idea who to start with.

Having typed that… my WordGrrls is about web writing, geared to personal sites as much as those making it into a career.
Amy

April 11th, 2009 2:14 am

Great Idea! I actually did this in coordination with my task about the List Post Promotion. I asked for comments to my list post and have been responding to their comments on my blog. One thing I haven’t done is go to their blogs and left comments. I need to do that.
Susan

April 11th, 2009 2:23 am

Hey MikeCJ – I am reading all the comments as they provide bits of ideas in themselves.
Anyway Darren kind of got ahead of you on this and waiting to see what results are.
Shane - Inspiring your Success

April 11th, 2009 2:24 am

The majority of my readers talk to me often on MSN, so no need to email. I emailed a couple of commenters today, hopefully I will get more readers soon as I love community!
darya

April 11th, 2009 2:26 am

I respond to all my readers and the response has been fantastic. I even installed a plugin so that if I respond to someone’s comment on my blog it shoots them an email to let them know I answered it. This is a great way to bring them back to your blog and start a conversation.

I have a large number of comments (and ad clicks) for the amount of traffic I get, and I credit my high reader engagement.

Thanks to all of you who have visited summertomato.com so far :)
kirwin

April 11th, 2009 2:29 am

This is a great tip! For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been getting up extra early just to read and comment on other blogs. I only leave genuine, interesting comments not generic ones. I detest “generic” comments from people who are fishing for new readers.

Also, I try to respond to every comment left on my blog. Right now, since I’m new, that’s manageable. When I gain more popularity, I’m not sure how I’ll handle that.

{phew} I’m so glad this is a task I’m already doing…I’ve been feeling “behind” on the daily tasks.

For anyone who wants to know what my blog is about, here’s my work-in-progress elevator pitch: Graceful Creative serves two purposes. First, it is a journal of my personal journey to redefine myself. Secondly, it serves as an inspiration for other women to reclaim their inner beauty, and become more than watered-down versions of themselves.
David Hutchison

April 11th, 2009 2:30 am

OK – five sent out. Probably a god plan as I have had a pile of traffic lately for one specific article that probably comes from folks not too likely to return – but those who leave comments must be the most interested, right?

David Hutchison
inGoalMag.com
Heathen Mom

April 11th, 2009 2:40 am

I recently started commenting on the comments left on my blog. I have noticed an increase in comments being left now. I think it showed that I am open to conversations with my readers. I will try a direct email for a few today.
Blogger Review

April 11th, 2009 2:45 am

Your post spilled out quite knowledgeable info which would even help my blog to progress.

After it, I think I have become a permanent reader of your blog posts too..!! :)

Keep up the good work and keep updating nice info..
Mike

April 11th, 2009 2:51 am

I actually already do this every single time someone emails or comments – I don’t get so many that it isn’t reasonable to contact them or attempt to engage them personally.

It cannot be overstated though how personal blogging has become. Whether you’re very prosperous like Darren or just starting out, there’s a human connection to blogging that isn’t found in other forms of written media. For that reason, nurturing that connection when the opportunity presents itself is a great way to gain loyal readership.

Think quality over quantity.
Lorraine Ball

April 11th, 2009 2:56 am

I don’t get a lot of comments, so it has always been easy to respond, and follow links back. I never thought about sending a personal email will do that today, if anyone visits my blog:

http://www.roundpeg.biz/?page=80 And in the meantime, I am off to post comments on blogs from other students in this program.

Really enjoying the process, and having nice response and results from some of the activities.
mike A

April 11th, 2009 2:57 am

I don’t get a lot of comments to my blog but do get frequent comments and shout-outs through blog catalog
Roseli A. Bakar

April 11th, 2009 2:59 am

I have never done this before though I have receive emails from bloggers whom I had left a comment at their blog.

Anyway, I think this is a great idea to engage with your blog readers.
Rebeca

April 11th, 2009 3:00 am

I just completed an email to a member of my community and realized something in the process. This person comments from time to time but I wasn’t following along with her blog. Shame on me – especially when I am trying to build my own community.

Thanks for the wake-up call – these tips have been a tremendous help…

@rebecatrautner
http://www.karmacooler.com
Alex | Blogussion.com

April 11th, 2009 3:01 am

I reply to every comment I get on my blog, and every once in a while I will go to the person’s blog and comment there too. Never have I sent an email though, until now.

I may send multiple emails, but right now I’ve sent one so far.
mike A

April 11th, 2009 3:03 am

I would like to have that interactivity on my blog but haven’t figured out how to move it there one thing I like about blog catalog it shows me the last time followers have visited my blog. So I can track if a message to someone or the group is effective in driving traffic
Nicole/Madlab Post

April 11th, 2009 3:07 am

I did your suggestion on responding to comments yesterday actually, but it seems that the commenter left a link to something that appears to be just a website or interactive gaming site.

Since I use Blogger, the comment box does not collect emails and does not provide them to me. I am considering the option of implementing a program called Intense Debate on my blog, which may allow me to email comment authors without needing a Wordpress hosted blog.

Still, I am going to add an extra version to your assignment and just email some of my email subscribers through Feedburner with the following purposes:

-thank them for subscribing

-invite them to comment on some of my recent posts

-ask them what they would like to see more of on my blog

or maybe email a few questions for them to answer that are relevant to a recent post.

Since the email is already being sent, I could also ask them questions about an upcoming post and then highlight their response in that post or in a separate post.
Richard

April 11th, 2009 3:11 am

Darren,
Yesterday you suggested analyzing blogs in our niche which I tried to do. I guess I got side-tracked into reading about their ideas. As a result, I ended up commenting on them any way. But, my comments in one case at least, were not very supportive.

So here’s the question, as a blogger myself, is it OK to disagree with something on another blog on their blog comments section?
karan

April 11th, 2009 3:13 am

for some reason this post did not landed in my mail box…weird… am i off the group???
raiderhost

April 11th, 2009 3:18 am

its good tips to get commnet for another blog with blog walking.

make thankz for info.
JD

April 11th, 2009 3:31 am

Thanks for the extra suggestion for us new bloggers. Getting the ball rolling can be difficult at times, plus there is so much to do at at the beginning of this process.
Lisa

April 11th, 2009 3:32 am

Great tip! It’s very important to always connect with your readers and show your appreciation. To encourage interaction and commenting, I like to ask a question of my readers. Whenever I do that, I find that I get some comments. I always respond to everyone that leaves me comments. If it’s another blogger I go check out their blog and leave a comment for them. For me, it’s about building relationships.

Today I will visit other bloggers that have left me comments and comment on their blogs.

A few weeks ago I created a video post to thank my readers and show my gratitude to them. http://lotusessence.com/2009/03/22/sharing-my-gratitude/
steadymom.com

April 11th, 2009 3:33 am

This is a good reminder. I’ve tried to do this with new readers for my blog (which is about professional motherhood), but you made a couple of new suggestions that I can start to implement – thanks!

Jamie
Jacob Duchaine

April 11th, 2009 3:35 am

I’m afraid I fall into the category of blogs without comments, so I guess I’m off blog reading.

Thanks a lot for the tips, they’re really helping me get a handle on the meaning and direction of my blog.
Bridget Casas

April 11th, 2009 3:36 am

Whenever I get a comment, I never know whether to respond back to the comment or email. I feel that if I comment back, it gives me a false and inflated count on my comment number. I feel like I am cheating. I do respond to them all. I have been doing this since Sept. and I do not get many comments. I ask for comments, suggestions and opinions at times, but nothing ever comes of it. Maybe I just need to realize that people do not care to see my photographs!

I have some thinking to do.

Thank you again.
Bonnie Landau

April 11th, 2009 3:44 am

Thank you for the tips on how to get comments! I’m one of the new bloggers here and have almost no comments on my blog, so I was reading your tip and wondering how I was going to accomplish it. But then of course you gave me a direction. I will do what I can to increase my comments, and visit other blogs to leave comments. I read about 35 blogs in my reader, so it shouldn’t be hard to find some that are interesting.

If anybody here has a blog on parenting special needs kids, I’d love to add those to my reader. That’s not what my blog’s about, but an area in my life I’m looking for support and information.
Shantanu

April 11th, 2009 3:47 am

Hi Darren,

Well, I realized the benefit of responding to comments because when you talk to your visitors they turn into subscribers.

But I was skeptical about mailing them because I am not sure whether readers prefer so direct a contact immediately. But seeing it from your perspective, I am beginning to feel a personal email can be a good thing.

Will definitely try this today.

Thanks for the tip.

Shantanu
http://www.threetipsaday.com
@threetips(twitter)
Chris

April 11th, 2009 3:56 am

I’ve just done this, so we’ll see what the result is.

I also RECEIVED an e-mail today from someone else doing 31DBBB whose blog I commented on, and I have to say it certainly left an impression on me. If my feelings are replicated in the people I’ve e-mailed I’m sure there will be a positive result… I’ll be trying this a little more often from now on.
Matt Cheuvront

April 11th, 2009 3:57 am

Awesome advice. I make a habit to do this regularly – especially with newcomers. Or if someone leaves a comment that really stands out – recognition is always a good way to encourage more involvement in the future – and it’s a great way to build relationships and friendships.

@mattChevy
http://www.lifewithoutpants.com
tcalo

April 11th, 2009 4:16 am

Hi, this is one of the thing I usually do, sometimes works, sometimes it doesn’t but I like the interaction with people who take the time to read my blog, so it’s worth it just for that.
I don’t like the email option, probably because I don’t like to received email from unknow people. But I answer directly on my blog or best visit their blog an leave a relevant comment.
salut,
t.
Larrie Campbell

April 11th, 2009 4:19 am

I have to admit that when I first read about this task, I thought I’d skip out on participating on this one. Then I read through the article and noticed that you also mentioned replying to comments, which I love to do. Sometimes, I get a conversation going in my blog’s comments.

I still am going to send an email to at least ONE commenter and turned it into a CONTEST! Ooo, how exciting. I mean, who WOULDN’T want to win some personal attention from me?!
http://larriecampbell.wordpress.com/
Coop

April 11th, 2009 4:28 am

I neglected this when I first started up and it KILLED me. I always thought it was the least important thing, so I usually made it the last thing on my ‘to do’ list… which meant it hardly ever got done.

Very bad strategy for a movie review blog.

http://www.smalltowncritic.com/

I’m going to try to make it the first thing I do every day to see how it changes the dynamic of my traffic and conversations.
Palma | Buddha Trance

April 11th, 2009 4:29 am

Hi Darren,

I do respond to comments left on my blog, and I go and visit their blogs and leave a comment. With some I have become friends and we visit each other regularly. I do not send emails out unless there is already a friendship going, somehow I don’t like doing that. They left their email address to be able to comment, not to receive unsolicited emails. Maybe I will look into the plugin with a thank you note for leaving their first comment, it feels softer.

My community is at the beginning stages of growth, and for now I need to attract new readers leaving comments. The ones I have, are regular readers already, and very appreciated by me.

One note: I understand that you have way too many comments on your blog, but… where is your interaction with us? :-)

Here is an example of my interaction with my readers, on whose blogs I also leave comments.
http://www.buddhatrance.com/the-spiritual-side-of-eating

Thank you for another great tutorial that helps us focus on building stronger blogs!
Dan Alderson

April 11th, 2009 4:34 am

Currently I try and reply to each comment I receive (apart for the many spam comments I receive… *sigh*) as right now I am very grateful people take there time to read my blog.
meg

April 11th, 2009 4:47 am

I think I already do this for the most.

But I did receive a new comment today from someone I don’t know so I’m going to shoot them a reply back.
Erin

April 11th, 2009 4:57 am

I try to do this as often as possible–but I don’t always have time to do it every day. I have found, however, that not only does the personal e-mail keep the person reading your site, it is a great way to turn a reader into a friend as well :) Some of my favorite “blog friends” started out as commenters on my blog (and vice versa)!
Maria Mastrolonardo

April 11th, 2009 4:59 am

Darren,

Great idea! Since it’s a mini-task I’ll do both. I believe that’s it’s important to build relationships and by showing my support for other bloggers will be a great start.
delicate flower

April 11th, 2009 5:08 am

Great idea Darren. I started doing that early one and made one mistake ( that i”m aware of). My blog is anonymous and I emailed an unknown commentor w/ an address that revealed where I live. I’ve since created delicate54flower@yahoo.com so I can comfortably email. I”ve also visited blogs, commented and added a few of them to my blog roll. so far, as best I can tell 2 have returned the compliment by putting me on their blog roll. One of them also let me know about problogger.com and this course ( thank you life lessons 4u!!)
Thank you. My commenter list is low at the moment so this is easy to do.. I hope to grow, grow, grow.
df
Ben Licher

April 11th, 2009 5:09 am

1. I always comment back on comments, check their blogs/sites and thank the commenter or comment back on their blog
2. I mail people who have downloaded something 4 weeks after they did and ask them if they liked it and have some feedback for me so I can write more to their liking. I prepare the mail and time stamp it (in Outlook).

I decided now to mail people who didn’t subscribe to the replies.
Thanks Darren.
Sheryl Loch

April 11th, 2009 5:12 am

I do not think I have ever written an email to one of my commenter’s.

I do however try to go to their blog and look around, leave a comment if possible. I always try to answer everyone one that leaves me a comment.

I have part of the lesson done already as habit. WoooHooo!

Maybe I can find a blogger that has commented here and doesn’t have many comments on their blog and give them some. ;)
PunditMom

April 11th, 2009 5:14 am

I try my hardest to do all these things, but depending on how much my “real” life takes over, some days I do better than others! One upside to this is I often get additional ideas for posts from this outreach!
Stephanie

April 11th, 2009 5:15 am

Darren,
I don’t usually email people that leave comments though i do try and visit their blogs and leave a comment for them. I had set up auto responder but I’m not sure how effective they are since people know its an auto responder. I will email a couple of my new readers today.

Thanks,
Erica

April 11th, 2009 5:27 am

I have actually done this. There are some bloggers who I really admire, and I often will mention them on my blog or just shoot them an email with a link to items pertaining to their genre. I also take time to look at who follows me on twitter, and respond to posts. These little things get people looking at your blog and create more hits, as well as build your blogroll and help you to network with other writers.
Mario

April 11th, 2009 5:29 am

I try to comment back, but try also not to overuse it. Of course, the interaction is one reason why I started a blog.
When a comment is longer than ‘great post…’ and it adds something to the topic and/or the conversation I find that I have to react on comments via the reply function. Otherwise the conversation runs totally out of balance. It would be like walking into a bar, saying something to a couple of people just to start a discussion and then leaving them behind.

Today I’ve sent an e-mail to a regular visitor who wasn’t around for two weeks, to ask if he’s OK and if he’s annoyed by the Aweber lightbox that appears (once per visitor) after 20 seconds.

However, interaction is important.
BenSpark

April 11th, 2009 5:37 am

Ever since I started my blog I have responded to every single comment. That is my way of staying connected to my readers. This is one of the best ways I’ve seen to build community.
Tommy

April 11th, 2009 5:45 am

Well, my readers don’t normally leave many comments and when they do they leave links to their sites, not emails. So I tracked a reader down on twitter and thanked him. You can read more about my thoughts on this idea at 31DBBB Day 5: Email a Blog Reader
Greg Friese

April 11th, 2009 5:47 am

Thanks for this tip. I just emailed a commenter. My bigger problem is I rarely get any comments. In fact, just the 1 person I just emailed.

I would welcome some tips on increasing comments.

Thanks.
Luca

April 11th, 2009 5:55 am

this is a technique I’ve been using since when I started my blog. At the beginning it sounded strange to answer to readers comments on my blog, but then I found that this helps building stronger relationship.
Ciao,
Luca
Brian Meagher

April 11th, 2009 5:56 am

Day 5 is one of the obvious things we should do, but as the comments show, we get lazy or put things off.

Thanks Darren for helping us all to get back to basics with regards to staying with and nurturing connections with our readers.
Phillip Gibb

April 11th, 2009 5:59 am

I love this idea because it is engaging. It creates a conversation. Pretty cool.
Donna Hull

April 11th, 2009 6:04 am

I always, always do this with anyone who comments on my blog. I send a thank you email including a nudge to subscribe with a link to both my blog and my feed.

Great reminder to follow up by adding comments in your own blog. I let this one slip by too often.
Donna Hull

April 11th, 2009 6:06 am

Adding,
I also do the same with followers on twitter. I respond with a thanks, a comment about their blog or what they do plus a link to my blog. It has really increased twitter references to my blog as well as increased followers on twitter.
Lori Leavitt Evans

April 11th, 2009 6:09 am

Again, Twitter is helping me with this. Also LinkedIn. At times that means there’s a DM (direct message), which results in an email, but connecting through these social portals seems more effective for me than via email. Love the connections and appreciate even just a few targeted readers that are getting value from what they read. -Lori
Kelly

April 11th, 2009 6:24 am

I usually respond to the comments, but I never thought of emailing people! (of course I have received those emails, but didn’t think about doing the same!)

Great idea!

Just remember not to make a canned response-I always delete those and grumble. :)

http://www.thecentsiblelife.com
Nadia Payan

April 11th, 2009 6:35 am

As usual, not only is this post insightful, but so are the comments! I cannot reiterate enough how happy I am with being able to interact with you all.

My question lies in time. I never thought of emailing commenters directly, although I usually reply to comments when they happen. Now I don’t get comments regularly… Would you suggest digging deep into the past and emailing commenters?

@nadiapayan
http://littlemebigyou.com/
Clara Mathews

April 11th, 2009 6:36 am

I try to reply to each comment I receive. I have been doing this on my blog, but I will start replying directly to the more frequent commenters.

I will also leave a comment on their blog. In some cases, I have added their sites to my blog roll.
Make Money Online

April 11th, 2009 6:55 am

This should be done daily. You need to set aside atleast 30 mins if not more in leaving comments on other people blog every day.
Scott-TheBrewClub

April 11th, 2009 6:59 am

I actually do this, although maybe not as much as I should.

When I email a commenter a little ‘thank you’, they are usually quite shocked. Apparently, this practice is not common at all!
Glen

April 11th, 2009 7:03 am

As a result of this series one of the participants contacted me and said that she would be bookmarking my blog for future reference. I think this series is going to be great for my new blog on distance education!
Jared Covington

April 11th, 2009 7:08 am

As I do not have many comments yet, I put a slightly different spin on this challenge, writing a blog post featuring one of my readers who had recently complimented me on my blog (through Twitter).

Of course, none of us have the time to do this with everyone one of our readers, but as this particular musician’s website was so relevant to my readers (as my blog offers advice for independent musicians), I feel that this was an excellent way to not only engage a reader, but also to help my other readers in the process.

My hope is that this will not only generate good will, but act as an example to my readers that my blog truly is a conversation, thus encouraging more interaction in the future.

http://www.musicismydayjob.com/case-study-modersextrash/

(that’s the name of the band, by the way, not some sinister link or spam :) )
Janet_Gourmet Traveller

April 11th, 2009 7:14 am

this is very useful indeed. I have been trying my best to keep this as a routine/ daily habit.
Chameleon

April 11th, 2009 7:14 am

I’m always a little leery about emailing someone who has left a single comment – but I routinely follow links back to their blogs and make a point of leaving a comment with a thank you for visiting. I’ve built most of my “usual readers” that way. I also try to respond to at least 90% of the comments on my blogs. Since I’ve got my own little blog challenge and contest going, and am providing a place for our group of bloggers to link their “homework” posts, I’ve made a point of visiting every single person who’s commented the last three days. Thanks for your insight and guidance!
Vera Marie Badertscher

April 11th, 2009 7:17 am

In hopes that someone reads your comments from the bottom up…I’ll leave one.
I always try to e-mail back to new readers who leave comments, because I’m fairly new and don’t have dozens of comments a day. However, using one of your tips on getting more comments, I did a post asking readers of my blog on travel and books to leave book suggestions for one of 10 specific destinations. I have gotten a lot more comments that usual on this blog. (I’ve also been updating which destinations still need recommendations on Twitter to help keep the post alive.
Many times, I have gotten into a nice back and forth conversation by e-mail with the commenter. It is a great tool.
Mark Sierra

April 11th, 2009 7:18 am

Nothing says “stay away” louder than an unanswered comment on a blog. That has always bugged me, and with so many blogs to choose from, it’s VERY easy to move on to another one who will respond in some fashion.

Being online, we often forget our “offline manners” which should be with us no matter what. So I always make it a point to at least welcome the commenter on my blog even if I have nothing else to add. Sometimes, that’s all that’s needed.
Dawn @ My Home Sweet Home

April 11th, 2009 7:19 am

I’m excited to see that two of our recent assignments – responding to a commenter and promoting a post – I’d already done that day before I read the assignment.

Thanks for the great posts!
cb

April 11th, 2009 7:25 am

I have generally always replied to the comments on my blog. I am sure the way I initially built readers was by commenting on lots of other blogs. Emailing directly though, I haven’t tried. I’ve responded to any emails I’d had but have never initiated any conversation. I will actually give it a go as there are a few potential people that have commented that I think I could expand on in terms of discussion.
Christy

April 11th, 2009 7:28 am

I did this yesterday – who knew it would be the assignment today. It got me a little traffic. My blog is new and so I have had just a couple comments so this was a great way to garner some more.
Thanks for the tool!
Alison -- surefoodsliving.com

April 11th, 2009 7:31 am

I think this is a great reminder. Whenever I email a reader, they are so surprised that they are getting something personal from the wizard behind the curtain (when it’s really just little ol’ me). I do think it makes them become loyal. Thanks for another great tip!
lizriz

April 11th, 2009 7:42 am

You know, I think that this one is something that personal bloggers really excel at. I’m embarrassed when I think about all the comments I *didn’t* answer back in the day when I started blogging – but now I try to answer every one. (This ties into studying what successful bloggers do, too.) AND I just got the upgraded comments from Typepad so I can reply to the comment email I get from them and the commenter gets my response via email AND the response hits the blog. So that rocks, although it doesn’t work from my web mail, so I have to be at home to do it.

It’s kinda shocking to me that anyone would roll their eyes at this stuff, but I guess it speaks to the different ways people come at it.

The thing I am personally working on now is clicking through to commenter’s blogs and commenting back. If I like the blog and/or the person comments a lot I add them to my reader, too.
Markus

April 11th, 2009 7:49 am

Just a shout out, are there any Finnish bloggers doing this challenge besides me? If yes, I would love to hear from you at markus.ossi@gmail

Same on Finnish: Onko ketään suomalaisia bloggaajia lisäkseni, jotka tekevät tätä haastetta? Jos kyllä, olisi upeaa kuulla teistä osoitteessa markus.ossi@gmail

On-topic, I just e-mailed one reader earlier today and will do just one more before I hit the sack. I have tried this earlier, but I have a lot of trouble setting the tone of the message right. I sometimes feel like I am invading these people’s e-mail and privacy by e-mailing them.
Mario Mendoza

April 11th, 2009 8:01 am

It’s refreshing to read this. I’ve been seeing the benefits of contacting bloggers in similar fields. Building loyal readers is always a focus of mine

One thing that works for me is leaving comments and then Tweeting certain articles I enjoy. Blog authors are thankful you are promoting their work. You open up the door to talking with “happy” authors, networking and getting some extra traffic for yourself.
CGabriel

April 11th, 2009 8:06 am

Hi Darren,

Another excellent suggestion and one I’m thrilled to discover I’ve been doing for quite some time. BUT….I had no idea the value it created in the way of loyal readers, and those readers being parlayed into even more readers!

Early on, I definitely was one who didn’t understand the importance of going to other blogs. And not only with the idea of having them return the favor, but of developing some wonderful new friendships and associations with truly fascinating people.

Yes, there’s the occasional dud…and I’m sure some have visited me and thought “ok, you’re a dud.” But overall, it’s an online version of what we try to do in our own neighborhoods: Build Community.

All the best,
Christopher
johnG

April 11th, 2009 8:20 am

PROBLOGGER is the best blog I have read that actually helps build a blog.
Jeannie

April 11th, 2009 8:21 am

Hi. Been trying to keep up with the assignments…in my fashion…I’ll go back and add to the appropriate day my comments on that assignment. But, starting last, today’s lesson. I think this is great advice, and I’ve started doing it today. I know when I’ve left comments and not gotten some return communication it lessens my connection with the person. I guess it’s like any other communication…someone says something to you, you let them know you’re glad they did and perhaps encourage more. When that doesn’t happen, you’re less inclined to continue the “relationship”
Gareth Gwynne

April 11th, 2009 8:46 am

Great idea, Darren. I must have got a psychic vibe from you, because I did this yesterday. Emailed two people who left comments, and was very happy to do so. Now to go comment on other blogs…
Elora Ramirez

April 11th, 2009 8:51 am

This works. On the list post, I invested some time promoting it through twitter (@eloranicole) & one of my friends read the post, retweeted me, ping-backed on his blog, & responded to mine with one of his own list posts. It’s been great for my numbers, because up until now they have been pretty dismal & I am noticing a substantial difference in traffic.
It also helps in building of online relationships – this friend of mine has been a huge part of encouragement – pushing me to keep writing and such. Check out my list post – it challenges readers to come up with their own: http://eloranicole.wordpress.com
SimplyFrugal

April 11th, 2009 8:52 am

Thanks for this post! I’ve never even thought of writing an email! I usually leave a comment on their blog or if they don’t have one, in my own comment section. Email is a great idea!
Suzanna B. Stinnett

April 11th, 2009 8:54 am

I get warm replies from people when I email them after they comment on my blog. It really does make people feel special. And for the newer bloggers, another great reason for placing well-thought-out comments on other blogs is that it shows up in your search engine results. I didn’t realize this until some time after placing a few comments here on Darren’s blog, and I Googled myself and found those comments showing up in the search. Very cool little bit of automatic reciprocity.

I’m really enjoying the activities, Darren!
Suzanna Stinnett
http://www.GreatAdaptations.org
Michael

April 11th, 2009 8:57 am

This is a great tip that I know for sure works. I have used it on my own blog for a long time now. I respond to comments, but I also email people who leave comments. It is alot of fun and I’ve gotten some loyal readers out of it.
jen at semantically driven

April 11th, 2009 9:12 am

Darren, I’ve noticed that my traffic has increased as a direct result of the 31DBBB. I’ve got a bit of catching up to do with the last couple of days tasks, but as for today’s – it’s a good point to make.

I use a wordpress plugin called ‘Comment email responder’. It allows me to respond to a comment from my blog and it leaves my reply in my comments section and also emails the person who left the comment. I found I was trying to do both unsuccessfully before I found this plugin. More info about it here http://semanticallydriven.com/2008/04/comment_email_responder.html.
Tony

April 11th, 2009 9:13 am

Darren,

Just wanted to Thank You for answering me on not getting comments. Since you put a link about 10 techinques on getting comments on your blog here today. Also I have been reading the 31 day challange and so far the are great as usual. I am starting a new blog on godaddy, had no idea it was free with my current website lol. Again Thank You.

Tony

P.S. sorry I have no link yet, since I’m only working on it as of yesterday.
Matt

April 11th, 2009 9:23 am

At first I thought this was lame, but then after I thought about it I totally came up with a great reason to email a commenter that wouldn’t be interpreted as annoying.

At first this suggestion feels totally cheesy, but if you do it right, it’s really a good thing.
Natasa

April 11th, 2009 9:25 am

I always respond to comments and if the person has a blog I go and visit it and try to leave a comment there. I was told to do so when I started blogging and it seems a logical thing to do. When someone speaks to you, you respond, don’t you? And then you think of something to say and they respond. The networking power of blogging is often neglected. I have met some great people through blogging.
I am a little shy about sending emails. I don’t know why.
Mario

April 11th, 2009 9:52 am

For those of you who are struggling a little with setting the tone of the message:

Mean it and not just pretend to be interested in them. Have genuine interest in your readers and the words will follow.

Mean it -> Feel it -> Write it.

It’s magic ;-)
FullMovies09

April 11th, 2009 9:59 am

I think your right darren, I have a movie site, and I cant just limit my content to one gender, I try an put something for everyone, and pay close attention to my antalityics to see what people are looking for then provide more of that, great post.
Ani Long

April 11th, 2009 10:04 am

Email your new viewers? I should do that. I have replied to several new visitors on the blog, but they usually don’t reply back. Of course, I don’t get a lot of viewers. I have been posting on other blogs relating to my niche. So for now, since I haven’t had a lot of new visitors, I should do the mini-challenge.
Laura Simmons

April 11th, 2009 10:08 am

There is a good reason to be personal, no one takes the time to do it and that will make your blog stand out. Most people don’t want to be just a number. The web is supposed to be interactive.

for me, I don’t have any comments yet. I haven’t looked at my stats in the past 2 weeks, so I will need to do that.

But I will leave some good comments on other people’s blogs. I got lucky and my boyfriend pointed me to a highly successful blog and I did learn alot.

Thanks Darren.
gazzali

April 11th, 2009 10:15 am

Once again darren has made a complicated thing very simple…
Todd

April 11th, 2009 10:20 am

Glad you have the extra mini challenge, the blog that I am working on for the 31 days is pretty new. Although I do have some great content started.
Andrea Smith

April 11th, 2009 10:57 am

Thank you so much. I’ve only received two comments since starting my blog, but my readership has increased several hundred percent. I’ve really been learning some interesting things about posting and use keywords in titles.

I’m new, with much to learn. I’m thankful to God for this challenge. It sure is challenging:)

Andrea

http://www.talenttraders.com
Pro-vamsi

April 11th, 2009 10:57 am

Oh thanks darren for the fantastic fifth post!!
Yes you are right if People can encourage their readers they can definitely spread your blog over and over!!
Cammy@TippyToeDiet

April 11th, 2009 10:59 am

This is a particularly timely suggestion for me, so I thank you very much! Now I’m off to do some emailing! It’s overdue!
Sharon

April 11th, 2009 11:12 am

Great tips today. However, I’m always concerned that if I respond to their comment back on my blog, then they probably won’t see it since I don’t expect people to come back to the comments section once they’ve already left their comment. So what do you do – leave one on your own blog and send them an email?
ham1299

April 11th, 2009 11:20 am

This is excellent advice. I’ve found simply visiting the blogs of those who comment for me and making sure to leave my own comments not only keeps them coming back, but it also brings new readers beyond them! :-)
Dominique

April 11th, 2009 11:43 am

I answer comments on my blog every day or two. Some of the best experiences and opportunities I’ve had since starting my blog have come from starting conversations in the comment sections of my blog, or other blogs, that often go to email or Twitter.
BuzzNova

April 11th, 2009 11:59 am

I don’t have any comments or RSS subscribers yet so I did the mini task. I noticed on my wordpress admin dashboard that there is a widget for incoming links so I can see the comments I left are pointing back to me. Neet!
Belkis

April 11th, 2009 12:05 pm

I constantly use this technique all the time. The best is having the conversation on your comment section. It engages the original poster as well as other readers. I also do go to my reader’s blog and comment as well.

-Belkis
harris

April 11th, 2009 12:15 pm

This is indeed a simple tip but very powerful, i guess. i have just started nearly a month ago. and this what i am going to do next.
Eveline

April 11th, 2009 12:27 pm

Unless I already have a relationship (and that can be as much as knowing them from a forum or NIng site etc.) with this particular reader, I would never send an email. I don’t like spam, and I’m sure other people don’t like spam.

I do however reply when people post comments to my blog posts, especially when they are asking a question. It’s only polite to answer when people talk to you.
Jason Sandeman

April 11th, 2009 12:27 pm

Thank you for this inspiring post Darren. I always try and answer the comments within my posts, but I have not thought about answering by email. Logically, it just makes sense, and is so noted.
La Mccoy

April 11th, 2009 12:34 pm

Darren,
Thanks for todays lesson.
This is good buiness in any situation to say thank you to those that use your product. It works. I am glad for your encouragement.
http://germanedel.blogspot.com/
Andi

April 11th, 2009 12:42 pm

I visit all my of readers blogs and follow the principles you suggested, so today I visited some of the people who left comments that they had new blogs and had some great email exchanges with them. I am meeting great people and being exposed to great blogs. http://budurl.com/lp52
Helen

April 11th, 2009 12:58 pm

Thank you very much for your wonderful tips and tricks. I’ve only just started to write my blog (a few days ago, and its a work in progress) and am constantly adding your valuable knowledge onto my website, as well as getting all of my thoughts on the computer.

http://touched-by-spirits.blogspot.com/
lindy

April 11th, 2009 1:00 pm

Darren,

I checked out my blog stats today and I was so shocked.

Last week I had 67 hits/visits

This week I have 469! And I am not even sure that the week is over in totaling the amount.

I have had the best week in my blog’s history. I can’t wait to keep doing each daily task.

While I am working on two blogs with this challenge, I am focusing more energy on http://lindylou-blogspot.com

This weekend I am going to buy my own website domains and work toward moving my blog’s to their own website. YEAH!
Callisto

April 11th, 2009 1:29 pm

I’m not sure I like the idea of sending an unsolicited email to a reader. In my little culture-circle online here, it’s considered pretty rude (I personally wouldn’t mind it so much, but I’ve gotten emails from people at church and the like and thought, “Uhmm how did they get my email address?”) However, I do always reply to my comments, and I always check out their blogs.

Having said that, I’ve only ever gotten a couple of comments from people I didn’t already know and they were people from 31DBBB… so they would know what I’m up to if I emailed them hahahaha.
Amanda

April 11th, 2009 1:29 pm

I once read a blogger suggest commenting to visitor’s comments to assure them you are reading what they have to say. But I think emailing them personally is a nice touch. I have a blogger do that they other day and I thought it was nice. Great ideas.
Michelle

April 11th, 2009 1:40 pm

I have been forgetting to look at the stats for my blog for awhile – and consequently feel like NObody is reading it! This is mainly because I get so few comments…but with the ratios you explained in another one of your posts, one needs LOTS of visitors to get even a few comments. So – it is definitely time to network with people who write about similar topics. We all can benefit from mutual commenting, particularly when we have something relevant to say. Already, even after only a few days of this challenge, my stats are on the rise and I am getting more comments. You are reminding me to stay focused on my niche and to spend my (limited) time on other related blogs (not the pie-in-the-sky ones).
Thanks!

Michelle
Cooking with Kids for a better body, planet and community
http://whatscookingblog.com
elizof

April 11th, 2009 2:06 pm

Thank you Darren for this task!
I chuckled when I read your comment about the blogger who rolled their eyes when you suggested this seemingly simple task of reaching out to readers!
Why? Because I sometimes get the same reaction when I suggest that people send hand written “Thank you” notes after an interview or impt exchange…. The power of a simple gesture is not to be treated lightly as it can build into something more; open doors that lead to something truly meaningful.
I responded to the reader who commented on my blog yesterday, connected with him on twitter, and just sent an email now to connect again.
I have invited him back, asked for a link to his blog if he has one, and encouraged him to join the 31 Day challenge.
I love these tasks as they are giving me fodder for my blogs too … This is Brilliant!
Kurt Avish

April 11th, 2009 2:43 pm

Perfectly agree with you Darren. Thats what I am doing since the past month. There is a plugin thread comment which also email the commentator back whenever you reply his comment. It really work and make the person know that his comment was not wasted.
Gamespump

April 11th, 2009 3:21 pm

Hi all the posts in the 5 days have been great. But i have a small doubt, whether toolbar can be used to promote my blog.
Amy @ parkcitygirl

April 11th, 2009 3:53 pm

This is something that I’ve done from day 1 – building community is far greater than running a numbers game! Thanks for the sound advice/teaching :)
Jon Reid

April 11th, 2009 4:14 pm

I have been responding to comments with my own comments, but also pasting my replies into emails so they don’t miss it. But after today’s tip, I started adding to the emails:

In addition to the copied comment, I am adding my elevator pitch (when appropriate) and finding a personalized way to invite them to consider subscribing (when appropriate), including the link to my Subscribe page.
Ali

April 11th, 2009 4:27 pm

This is a great tip. I try to respond to most comments on my blog in the comments section, but it never occurred to me to email the commenter. Now that you mention it, I recall one or two bloggers emailing me directly in response to a comment I’d left and it definitely makes an impression!

Ali (Worducopia)
fazreen

April 11th, 2009 4:45 pm

Since I challenge myself with 31DBBB I got many comments and emails form my readers..

I also put a signature in my email when I send to them so they can get back to me..

Great exercise!
Jarlin

April 11th, 2009 5:02 pm

Yes, it is working. I too have experienced this during my start-up days of my blog.

http://www.jarlinpaul.com/

Enjoying your articles in this 31 days challenge.
Socioteque

April 11th, 2009 5:25 pm

Before I started tracking them I often forgot where I had left comments. I like the idea of getting a little nudge to check back again and see where the conversation is going, or to remember the blog even exists!

Not too many comments on my blog yet so will invest some more time commenting elsewhere. Consider this on my tallyboard!
Rita

April 11th, 2009 5:36 pm

Hi Darren,

Thanks for the reminder about answering all comments and sending e-mails. I was doing well with this but got behind during the holidays.

I’m caught up again.

Does it also work to have an e-mail conversation with those who comment about what kind blogs they’d like to see written?

I wrote a 12-part series on my Boomer Consumer blog on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Web site. The focus was on consumer groups that lobby at the state legislature. The last post was a listing of all the groups with links to their action agendas and status updates. The purpose was to help readers keep track of what’s happening at the Washington State Legislature.

I thought it was great, but I didn’t get any comments on the series and my comments in general dropped off.

Thanks for the assignment to write list blogs. Two list articles I wrote for my main blog, The Survive and Thrive Boomer, are receiving comments.

I’m also working on figuring out how to do trackbacks on Typepad.

I welcome conversation with other boomer writers at http://boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com.

Rita
Riayn

April 11th, 2009 5:43 pm

I must admit I was a little bit sceptical of this task because I was really worried people might think of me as a creepy stalker person for emailing them after they commented on my blog.
Also, I really didn’t want the email to sound insincere and turn people off reading my blog.

However, after thinking about it for a while and then just jumping in and doing it, I really enjoyed it.

Since I write a weight loss/fitness blog, there was quite a few things I could email my readers about and I really enjoyed doing it. I am also hoping that the readers I emailed write back as I genuinely want to know how they are doing.

Thanks for making me do this task Darren.
Janet_Gourmet Traveller

April 11th, 2009 6:09 pm

Thanks for mentioning the email to commentator plugin, just installed, it’s now more convenient to write email back, thanks for sharing, no more cut and paste needed.
Annaleen

April 11th, 2009 6:50 pm

As for me I still trying to figure out how to get people to leave comments on my blog, I would so enjoy replying if only I get the opportunity, so the trick for me me is “How not to sound desperate?”
fun-da-mental

April 11th, 2009 7:11 pm

I guess it all comes down to, as strange it might sound, LOVE your readers!
They will feel this – and come back again and again!
cheers
Rachel

April 11th, 2009 7:21 pm

I don’t get a lot of comments over at Beyond Beeton http://beyondbeeton.com but I always try to respond when I do.

In the very early days of my blog, I noticed a commenter who had an unusual name and was from my city. I had recalled a friend mentioning a friend of hers by that name on a few occasions.

I mentioned that to the commenter and it turns out that we did indeed have a friend in common. We started tweeting and then emailing and we’ve now caught up a number of times in person. I’ve made a good friendship as a result!

I’ve also been fortunate enough to recently ‘meet’ some new people as a result of 31DBBB and commenting on their blogs.
Mario

April 11th, 2009 9:43 pm

As a result of this day’s challenge I had some very nice and interesting conversations as a reward.

This is great. Can’t wait on the next thing.
Home Jobs

April 11th, 2009 10:15 pm

Commenting on others blog are the best way to get comments on your blog. But you comment, you should make sure that you comment on the topic discussed. If your comment is a disagreement to the post, make sure that you give sufficient information to prove your disagreement.
William Lang

April 11th, 2009 10:32 pm

This can make a real difference. If you’re looking to monetize your blog as soon as possible, you’ll probably be frustrated with this suggestion. But, if you’re interested in making real connections with readers – I believe this is one of the best ways to do it. Thanks for the tip, Darren.
Christine

April 11th, 2009 10:57 pm

I always try to respond to my comments–because I have so few. Lately I’ve been leaving comments in my favortie blogs–I figured since I was lurking then maybe others are lurking on mine. I have gotten more hits since then.
alone

April 11th, 2009 11:01 pm

now i realize the important of loyal readers. thanks a lot! =)
Kristen

April 11th, 2009 11:10 pm

I do this on a regular basis! I have been blogging for about one year, but don’t have a huge amount of comments. I do get some new readers now and then, though. I make a point to respond to every.single.comment. Yes, it takes time, and yes, sometimes I’m a day or two late in responding, but I always do it. And I always visit a new commenter’s blog to pay it forward, so to speak.

I also try to find new blogs to read, and leave comments with them. I’m not looking to monetize, but I would like a larger readership.
Dominique Falla

April 11th, 2009 11:45 pm

Hi Darren

Thanks for some great advice. I co-indecently started my first Wordpress blog 5 days ago and have been following your posts with excitement, but wrestling with php code at the same time. *finished at last*

I now feel that the site finally looks and functions as I intended, so now I’m free to focus on implementing your snippets of fantastic advice to build and promote the blog.

I’ve written a grand total of three posts. Woohoo, but at the bottom of each, I’ve pasted “I’d love to hear what you think of this article, please make a comment below.” So let’s see what effect that has.

Looking forward to your daily emails. Thanks so much *coach*
Musings of a Housewife

April 12th, 2009 12:27 am

This is so absolutely true. I have a personal blog, so this is something I do ALL the time. I have a plugin so I can reply in the comment section and it also emails the person I’m responding too. If I notice someone new commenting regularly, I try to get over to their blog and leave a comment or two as well. I’ve been a bit lax this week with my commenting, so I’m going to spend a couple hours this morning visiting the blogs of my readers and leaving comments. Thanks for the reminder!
Jeff

April 12th, 2009 12:31 am

Done.. Email the reader that commented on the list post that I promoted.
Wendy

April 12th, 2009 12:34 am

Hi Darren

I’m getting a much higher hit rate but very few comments – I reply to each one. So I trying out your tip and commenting on other blogs in my field – fingers crossed!

Thanks for all this
Lewis B

April 12th, 2009 1:02 am

I’m running a little behind, but I tried it out yesterday… great way to build those relationships with fellow bloggers!

A little bit can go a long way.
Ben Lind

April 12th, 2009 1:32 am

Yet another great post!

I find that usually getting one loyal reader a day is a lot better than getting a thousand half-hearted ones. Most of the time, the thousand will fade away, while the one will continue.
downloadablw

April 12th, 2009 1:40 am

Hi Darren,
just found this 31 days project and still catching up.for the previous 4 days.
I am new to blogging and have very few comments on my blog but I am start leaving comments on people’s blog.
gabybali

April 12th, 2009 2:33 am

I’ve done this task on Day 4 as I received a comment on my blog from one of fellow 31 DBBB too (thanks so much,Darren!), and have visited her blog back and left comment as well.But I haven’t sent email to those who left some recent comments yet, I will,tomorrow! From now on I will also make sure I will response all comments on the same post they left it.

I also love to shout back to people who sent a shout mix on my blog. And you are absolutely right,loyal readers are those who we communicate with and response back when they gave time to leave a comment on our blog. One of my loyal reader is from USA and he’s the one actually who told me about this 31 DBBB! Isn’t it great!

On my previous post thanking Indonesia http://www.beeamazing.com/thank-you-indonesia/ as my biggest readers,I addressed my feeling about how come my own friends never bother to leave a comment on my blog, but with your Tips I’m sure I will see my blog improves day by day.
How To Blog

April 12th, 2009 3:07 am

I usually reply to serious comments on my blog by simply replying to the comment. And I usually look at the commenter’s blog and comment on that too.

It’s surprising how many visitors I get from blogs that I’ve commented on – I’m still getting visitors from a blog I commented on once about a year ago!

I’m not so sure about emails. If I get a technical enquiry I might reply via email but if I sent an email reply to a trivial comment then I might encourage a trivial correspondence which I haven’t got the time for :-(

Sarah
Mandy

April 12th, 2009 3:24 am

When I have commented on other blogs and the blogger has responded via email to me, it has really made me feel a personal connection and I’m a lot more likely to keep visiting that blog. So I agree with your recommendations wholeheartedly and agree that it’s important to build this into the daily discipline of blogging.

One point I’d like to make, since I am commenting on other blogs hoping to drive traffic to my site, it frustrates me when I can’t leave my URL as part of my sign in and I have to enter it in the comment text itself. I’ve noticed this mostly on blogger sites and I’m guessing there’s a setting that the blogger can use to change this.
Dee Wilcox

April 12th, 2009 3:51 am

This task was intimidating, and I just completed it today. It was nice to see so many positive responses about emailing directly and encouraging to receive permission, but I felt I needed to put some things in place first. For example, I needed a form for readers to subscribe to the monthly newsletter, and I needed to create a go-to subscription page for the RSS feeds, email subscriptions, and newsletter subscriptions. I completed that today and sent my first email. Wish me luck!

I do respond regularly to reader comments and comment on others’ blogs, as well. I have found this to be a great tool for creating community and conversation. Thanks to everyone for all of the great feedback in the comments section. It really helped me out in crafting my email and gave me the guts to hit “Send.” I’m going to try out Brendan’s “Thank Me Later” plugin, too. You guys are fantastic, and I am really enjoying participating in this challenge.
Mister Teacher

April 12th, 2009 3:55 am

What a great idea, Darren! Simple and no-brainer, yet overlooked by so many (including me).

I have taken the time today to visit the blogs of a couple of people who have recently become “FoLMeGs” (Friends of Learn Me Good) to thank them for their reading.

Thanks for the idea!
Nikhil

April 12th, 2009 4:08 am

I like the post.
One more thing to get the comments and loyal readership is to give away free stuff.
Like saying that free e-book for the comments or subscription to the rss feed.
I am currently taking this campaign on my blog for free e-book
So if you want to grab it then comment or subscribe at http://nikhilmisal.wordpress.com
Wayne Parker

April 12th, 2009 4:36 am

Thank you for the great teaching aids, I am finding them very helpful!

My blog is only 3 mos old – blogging daily – and so far only a few comments from friends. I reply to each of the comments with comments in the blog as well as an personal email.

I also am DM each of the new followers I get on Twitter and Facebook with a message and an invite to check out my travel blog. So far not much activity.

Will keep at it each day and try all of your suggestions. Thank you.
infmom

April 12th, 2009 4:56 am

It’s good to know I’ve been doing at least one thing right, since I regularly exchange emails with commenters on my blog.
Patricia C

April 12th, 2009 6:38 am

No one reads my blog.

I’ll go leave comments elsewhere.
Patricia C

April 12th, 2009 6:57 am

In slightly more than 10 minutes I read and posted to 3 beadweavers’ blogs. We don’t seem to blog much as a group. I know there are “painting a day” blogs out there. Maybe I need to start “pair of earrings a day” blog posts.

:)
Jaye L

April 12th, 2009 7:06 am

My blog is http://artquiltmaker.com/blog and it is about creativity, design and quiltmaking.

I always try to reply to my commenters in email and on my blog in the comments section. I figure that they took the time to read and comment, the least I can do is let them know I care. I think of my blog as putting stuff out there to create a conversation.

Confidential to Patricia C: I liked your post about what color is your Wed. You might want to check the settings of the comment function as I had a hard time commenting. I will try again.
Laura

April 12th, 2009 9:18 am

most often I reply to comments with another comment, but it defeats the purpose if the comment-er hasn’t subscribed to further comments. probably best i follow it up with an email, too.
i also used the word ‘comment’ far too many times in this comment.
Natalie

April 12th, 2009 9:36 am

This is so simple, but it works! Recently I started commenting on other blogs more frequently, and found that other bloggers had followed me back to my site! Yay!
Ami

April 12th, 2009 10:24 am

I’m still working on researching similar blogs and updating my blog based on what I’m learning, but I wanted to say that I think this is a great tip. Too often we take for granted the cumulative effect that small actions can have. Simply letting readers know you’re listening and engaging with them will draw them back and keep them commenting and asking questions. I know that as a blog reader, I’m more likely to keep coming back to (and spreading the word about) blogs where I feel like my comments are read and I’m part of a conversation rather than just a passive reader. In fact, one of the main reasons I started blogging was because I wanted to “meet” new people and hear what they had to say, too.
Naomi

April 12th, 2009 10:37 am

I haven’t been rolling my eyes at anything! I love all of these great ideas…I’m so excited to be a part of this awesome challenge. Thanks again Darren!
أطياف مصر

April 12th, 2009 10:37 am

I think that’s the most important tip we talke about >> more important and more effective …
Chris Somers

April 12th, 2009 11:22 am

This was a great excersise and a reminder on how important it is to connect with your readers. I wrote the following blog post about my experience with the task:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1030079/Are-You-Connecting-with-Your-Readers
Ed Coffin

April 12th, 2009 11:37 am

What comment tool do you recommend using to get the email addresses of commenters? I tried JS-Kit because that seems like the one that a lot of people use, but that doesn’t seem to help me either. Any suggestions? In the meantime I’m going to reply to the comments on my blog in the actual comments part.
Lee Ka Hoong

April 12th, 2009 12:18 pm

Great tutorial for today Darren! But I think there is a wordpress plugin which when you reply your commenter, the plugin will shoot the commeter an email telling them they have a new comment replied in abc… But I’m curious why the plugin doesn’t work in my current new themes..
So, with this plugin, we don’t have to send them email manually to remind them their comment in abc, right? :)

Regards,
Lee
Frank

April 12th, 2009 12:25 pm

I really can’t begin to say how helpful and encouraging these blog posts are for any new blogger. My blog is only some months old and your tips keep giving me new insight that I would have never have known otherwise.
Eric Stoffle

April 12th, 2009 1:28 pm

Darren,

Your suggestion is right on and an excellent way to keep connected to the community we serve. This medium is about building connections and loyalty. Much appreciated.
Maria keckler

April 12th, 2009 3:58 pm

Darren,

Again, I thank you for the insights you are bringing to us. I appreciate this task because it forces me to remember that the reason I want more readers is because what I offer has value.

I have returned to Pro-blogger time and time again because you offer a great “product” but also because you come across as a “real person,” behind the content, who wants to connect with his readers.

I have began to apply some of these suggestions more regularly, but I really like the suggestion to highlight a good comment on a subsequent post.

Off to rinse and repeat.
Elena

April 12th, 2009 4:56 pm

I have recently started answering every comment on my blog and find that it has the secondary effect of getting myself more engaged with the readers as well. I just added a “most recent comments” section to my sidebar and it’s great to see new comments everyday.

I can see how the community build quickly by simply engaging.

Can’t wait for the next tip!

~Cheers
Nik

April 12th, 2009 8:23 pm

Thanks for the assignment, Darren!

The wonderful opportunity to share love & appreciation with people around the world is the main reason I’m into online publishing.
Darran

April 12th, 2009 10:10 pm

This was a fantastic reminder on why I wasn’t getting my blog readers to come back.

I have written a blog post on it.
http://limetouch.com/archives/email-a-blog-reader/
johnluffa

April 13th, 2009 7:11 am

These are great tips Darren, thanks for this.
I am newbie to the world of blogging and community building – I am sure this approach would be great to start with.

http://www.johnluffa.com/

Regards
Liz

April 13th, 2009 8:32 am

This will be an easy lesson for me because I always try to interact with my readers that leave comments. I was just sending personal emails but have recently been answering questions or comments with my comment. I can see the good in both so I will continue with both ways.
Amy-GirlinParadise

April 13th, 2009 10:03 am

This is something that I do on a regular basis! For the readers that I have engaged with, this has kept them coming back.
Soulpowr

April 13th, 2009 11:03 am

Funny, the last comment that I had was from a post I’d written in March on this blog. I commented back to that commenter and left a comment on their blog.
MC

April 13th, 2009 11:43 am

I had my first comments the other day so this is perfect timing.
Amelia Burton - Health & Fitness

April 13th, 2009 12:41 pm

But Is it really necessary to email someone if you have already replied to their comment on your site? I suppose it’s showing even more personal attention.

I have a few loyal readers that I fuss over, but I always thought so long as I commented on their comments it’s ok.

Connecting with other bloggers does take up so much time, Sometimes I question whether that time is better spent researching good content…?
Amelia

Amelia
Jennifer Fink

April 13th, 2009 12:46 pm

Such an appropriate assignment today. I’d just checked my blog and found a comment from a new visitor. Checked his blog. But did NOT leave a comment on either til I read my lesson and got a kick in the pants!

Thanks for the encouragement and motivation!

Jenny
http://www.bloggingboutboys.blogspot.com
Robyn

April 13th, 2009 3:39 pm

I really loved this task
I had no comments on my blog, so I went looking for someones to comment on and I came acoss anew blogger, it was great to see such writing skills.

thanks Darren!!!
Tia Singh aka @TiaSparkles

April 13th, 2009 5:50 pm

I’ve been answering comments on my blog to keep the discussion going and also visit other blogs to comment on them.

I think it’s a great idea to focus on commenting on other blogs for 10 min a day! I’ve been sporadic about that so far but I know how important it is as part of my social media marketing plan and just plain engaging with people.

Drop by at http://coachtia.com and comment and I’ll be happy to follow back. Cheers!
ExcitedByLife

April 13th, 2009 7:00 pm

I decided to read each of the comments to this thread in reverse and look at each persons blog. For those blogs I felt I could comment on and add value to, I commented. I found some amazing blogs from non-famous bloggers who had zero comments to wonderful articles, after adding comments I have subscribed to their twitter and RSS feeds.

Don’t worry if you are late to the party. Everyone in this challenge is motivated to comment on peoples blogs who comment on their blogs and more importantly “to add value” not SPAM. This is an amazing opportunity for even late starters to network and build a community.

“If you help a lot of people get what they want you can get whatever you want”, Zig Ziglar
Peter Giblett

April 14th, 2009 1:37 am

Darren,

I have been grappling with the problem of having lots of readers, but don’t have any comments on my blog yet. I have been using a number of means to drive traffic into my site. Obviously Twitter is responsible for the majority of the uplift in daily readership, but I have also carried out a number of measures like mail campaigns – I do like your thought about making it personal and specific, that I will adopt because past campaigns have been mass mailings.

I will try the commenting on other people’s blogs to see if the reciprocate.

Site: http://cio-perspectives.com/
alwaysLovely

April 14th, 2009 2:52 am

Darren: the post on related reading : Should comments be replied in comments section or via email is exactly what is going through my mind when I was doing this task.

Just to share, I did both. I usually just replied over in the comments section but I realize some readers might not subscribe to updates of comments (including myself) I do not subscribe to follow up comments at all. So just now, I email the commentors as well. Which I think add in a pitch of personal touch. It leaves great impressions.

I know you are someone who walks the talk as you personally replied to my email too! I was shocked and touched that such a celebrity like you bothers to answer my trivial question.

“Action speaks volume”
Patricia C

April 14th, 2009 4:17 am

Well, so far I haven’t been able to do this because I haven’t got any comments on my blog. Heidi tried but enountered a problem. So we exchanged email (which means she has fulfilled this assignment – go Heidi!) but I have not. I fixed the problem but still don’t have any comments to which I can either respond or to whose writer I can send email.

I guess I will have to skip this assignment for now.
Condo Blues

April 14th, 2009 4:58 am

I try to respond to my comments either on my blog or via email. Although it’s pretty easy for me because most of my readers are lurkers. Not many of them comment.

I wonder how all of you feel about automated email messages that are generated when you comment on someone else’s blog? I understand that the blogger’s trying to be personal and automate tasks when and were they can but it feels like spam to me. Honestly, it’s stopped me from commenting on blogs where I know that I’ll get an impersonal “thank you for commenting, sign up for my RSS feed advertisement.”
VlogHog

April 14th, 2009 9:04 am

E-mail a visitor? I’ve never thought of that.
The Word Seeker

April 14th, 2009 10:47 am

My blog is new, so I do not have any readers, yet. I went on and completed the task for new bloggers, it was simple. So far, because of your challenge. I am able to take notes on what to do. Thank you.
Edwin (Wollongong Fitness)

April 14th, 2009 2:03 pm

I have a similar problem with The Word Seeker as my blog doesn’t have that many readers/commenters. But for those that did comment on my blog, I normally reply to their comments and if they have a blog, will also post a comment in their blogs.

http://wollongongfitness.com
“The Journey towards a better you”
iCan't Internet

April 14th, 2009 9:06 pm

I think this is a very good tip! It shows your involvement in your own blog, and shows that you are blogging for your readers, not just for the stats or the money.
I also make it a task to personally thank everyone who comments on my blog. And, as many ask for some extra or personalised information, I take the time to investigate, and reply to their questions.
madafan

April 14th, 2009 10:37 pm

this one is a bit tough as my feedburner e-mail readers and my commenters list is almost starting from scratch since this is a brand new blog.
I am more on leveraging on readers of another blog I am running to get in touch with. Will continously work on it… will surely have more to say at the end of this challenge.
Patti

April 14th, 2009 11:09 pm

I only started this blog for this challenge and don’t have many readers, old or new. And most readers – I’ve found – don’t leave comments. So it is difficult at best to work with this day’s subject.

If I had a huge following already, I probably wouldn’t have taken up the challenge. If I was already successful in driving readers to my blog, I wouldn’t need to take up this challenge. I’m left here feeling like if I don’t twitter or facebook or myspace or get into some inane networking thing that will actually take me away from writing and being productive, I don’t have much of a chance to succeed at a blog.

So, in order to succeed at blogging, I have to spend all my spare time driving people to read what would now not be worth reading because I spent all my time marketing and no time writing. This is sad.
Kristin

April 15th, 2009 12:14 am

I don’t often receive comments, however I did receive a great one from a fellow 31 DBBB participant, and it was great to shoot her a personal email, and check out her blog. I think this advice is fantastic, and I aim to do this as often as possible when comments are left.

http://mymeanbean.com/Blog
A Unique Means To Hold Your Beans
HostChart.net

April 15th, 2009 1:02 am

This is a great idea to communicate between writer and readers. My Host Chart site doesn’t really have “readers” per say, but it has viewers… I will have to try to incorporate this.
Kris

April 15th, 2009 8:35 am

I think I prefer to leave comments on my readers sites, or email them even if it’s not related to the blog. I try to respond to any comments I receive.
Yohay

April 15th, 2009 8:42 am

So simple, yet so powerful.
I’m sure this will get me some loyal readers, and if they’re already subscribers, this short email gives them a good feeling.
Allen Dresser

April 15th, 2009 12:11 pm

Darren
One of my favorite bible verses supports exactly what you are saying ” Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty” Proverbs 21:5
This applies to anything that can be built up over time. There are no short cuts. Quality relationships with folks one at a time will build numbers – but numbers that are earned. Thanks for this tip.
By the way, I had already done this through Twitter with one of my bluegrass picking friends after she referrenced my blog.
Gina

April 15th, 2009 4:20 pm

I agree – loyalty is HUGE! Readers who enjoy my blog and want to share it are the most valuable readers. Most of my followers are family and friends who are generous with input and feedback which helps me improve each day.

http://www.changebecomeschange.typepad.com
maggie madison

April 16th, 2009 10:25 am

Great tips. I don’t get many comments on my blog, but I do have two “followers”. (thanks Sheila and Maggie May!). I’d love to get some comments from any of you!

http://www.yournontoxiclife.com
skykid

April 16th, 2009 9:15 pm

I am a bit behind schedule on that one – but finally got to it. Untill now I have rarely sent a personal e-mail to the readers of theSkyKid.com – but at the same time I always try to address the comments they leave on the blog.
I am a US Blogger

April 16th, 2009 9:25 pm

I found on a successful blog that the blogger was very active in replying the comments, it generated hundreds of comments on his simple posts. So I also do so, I do reply to comments but have not tried to email the readers, I think this will be a fun!
Secondly, a blogger left a comment on my blog with a link, I deleted that comment and tweeted him that you are spamming on my blog, so he has never returned to my blog. Now I think that I should have not done so! :(
çiçekçi

April 16th, 2009 9:27 pm

I like this one. I write all my readers on my blog and, if they have blogs, I visit it to write too
Laura Brandau

April 18th, 2009 5:53 am

I have to say I love this idea. I’ve been replying to most comments on my blog, especially if there is something meaningful to respond to, but I like the idea of a personal touch. This is one of those ideas where you say, why didn’t I think of that?

Laura
Ark Lady

April 18th, 2009 1:07 pm

I have focused on my subscribers by taking their notes to me and actually answering them on the blog. This creates excitement because they are in print.

When they email me I also tend to answer them directly. Those who comment usually get my comments back at their blogs and I enjoy the exchange.

Enjoy the twist and in-depth process of this assignment even though I am a few days behind.
Michael @ theFatLossAuthority

April 19th, 2009 9:45 am

Hi Darren,
I’ve read in multiple places that suggest removing the ability for readers to leave comments if your not receiving any comments?

The premise behind this idea is the perception by visitors of the popularity (or unpopularity) of your blog? Do agree with this idea? Thanks in advance…
Patricia C Vener

April 19th, 2009 12:45 pm

This evening another artist commented on my blog. So I emailed her and went to her blog and commented. Wow. I’m doing the exercises now!

LOL

:)
kathi

April 20th, 2009 3:28 pm

I haven’t had a new commenter in a few days, but I’ll definitely jump on the next opportunity to initiate email contact. I reply on the blog itself to almost every comment received, and I’ll continue doing that. I need to be more active in seeking out related blogs to read and comment at. I admit I have fallen behind lately in commenting in general, even on blogs that I read daily.
johnluffa

April 21st, 2009 3:19 am

Since my last contribution to this very blog, I have had 2 comments on mine.

Thanks Guys

http://www.johnluffa.com
RunningWolf

April 21st, 2009 4:03 pm

I did e-mail a few comment leavers directly to thank them for reading. I tend to respond to comments and this generates traffic.

I have at times disagreed with some commenters, since their views seem to be different from mine on Obama (hehe).
Genesis

April 21st, 2009 11:17 pm

Another thing I`ve seen which is neat for making readers feel special is the Say It Forward program at 5 Minutes for Mom. Basically, you highlight a reader . . . put their photo and a little about them with a link to their site on your blog. It`s a really neat way to thank those who take the time to comment and could be used in addition to these tips you`ve given.
Suzanne

April 23rd, 2009 12:12 pm

I’ve been doing this a lot. I always respond to my “followers” and people who leave “comments’. What’s odd is the ones who “follow” but don’t have a profile or blog I can see, so I don’t know how to thank them, or see what their up to.
KDL

April 23rd, 2009 4:43 pm

Great idea. I had a new reader comment on my list post from Day 3. I think she found me from Facebook so I’ll contact her that way. I’m so new at all of this social networking that any contact to encourage readership seems important.
Unionhawk

April 24th, 2009 12:07 pm

Oh, my God, thank you so much! I sent one reader one e-mail, and he’s back commenting.
Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates

April 24th, 2009 5:37 pm

I am running behind on the days, but keep working on them in order as I have time!

E-mailing readers is a wonderful thing. I have done it many times and it really does build relationships between blogger and readers. I have made new friends because of it! Great advice!
Jamila Tazewell eleveneleven.net

April 28th, 2009 2:38 pm

This is such a great idea. I never really thought to email people who comment, but it makes sense. I just combined this with a promotion I am doing with my regular (site) list– giving my loyal readers a discount on my products (which I promote with the blog!) Thanks again Darren.
Prince Sioni

May 5th, 2009 12:08 am

This is a great idea Darren. I have tried it several times and it worked and still works.

http://princesioni.com/make-money-selling-a-product/
Ronnica

May 7th, 2009 5:52 am

This is good (and it works) though it’s definitely something I’m already doing. It just takes a few minutes a day, but makes a big difference!
Jeannette

May 8th, 2009 7:48 pm

To me today’s exercise highlights the communal aspect of the blogosphere… Not something I’ve been exploring enough, but am going to work on. I commented on a followers’s blog today… the first time I’d done that. It seems so obvious now! Thanks again Darren.
Rachel Lewis

May 9th, 2009 11:17 pm

I don’t often get new comments so when I did, I made sure I checked out her blog and commented back on hers. I replied to the statement she made and really like what I saw on her blog, so made sure I told her so. I subscribed to it as well as I found it really interesting.

I’ll definitely do this to every comment I get, it’s a really great way of starting rapport and conversation :)

http://rachellewisillustration.blogspot.com
Chloe Alice Wilson

May 19th, 2009 10:17 pm

My blog is really new and I wasn’t getting any comments so I set up a giveaway of a Ben 10 toy. It ran for 2 weeks and only got 2 comments so I’m thinking if I can’t get people to comment whilst offering them a prize what hope have I got expecting them to comment just for the sake of it – aagh!!! Anyway I did e-mail one of my 2 commenters today as he had won the prize. Hopefully that e-mail will be well received and I will certainly e-mail future commenters! Since starting this course I’ve been commenting on other blogs too.
Tyler

June 4th, 2009 9:42 am

I had the opportunity to guest post on a blog much bigger than mine last week, and was flooded with comments (60, compared to my usual 10).

I took about 2 hours and emailed the people who left comments, to say thanks and to encourage them to come back.

It has paid off so well. Half of the comments I get now on my blog are from new people.
Janet_Gourmet Traveller 88

June 4th, 2009 10:49 pm

Wow, that’s awesome!!!! Tyler!
Baba

June 5th, 2009 6:13 am

I have been doing this for a couple months now and my readers and followers have both increased as a result of this personal touch.
MattyBee

June 5th, 2009 4:44 pm

So simple in it’s concept!

My blog is only new so I haven’t had the opportunity to build up comments yet (Although I will be waiting with baited breath for the first one to filter through ;p )

Thanks again for offering this resource!

Cheers
http://mattybee.freehostia.com/blog
owen

June 16th, 2009 11:11 pm

I always respond to comments on my blog by making a further comment. Once in a while I would email someone who made a few pertinent comments and then no more comments to tell them there were more replies if they were interested, and of course to thank them for their input.

I just received a personal email from a reader wishing me happy birthday. I don’t even remember how they knew and how they got my email address. I asked him and he said that once I had emailed him and he added me to his contacts and was impressed by my personal attention.

I did this all before taking this challenge but it puts it into perspective. We got an interesting discussion going here and for this task I emailed everyone back to thank them for their input. We’ll see what happens.
http://francetales.com/2008/11/23/i-received-my-new-carte-de-sejour/

I prefer to reply to every comment on the blog and if a post generates significant discussion then email early commentors to thank them and also let them know there are more comments.

I don’t focus much on my RSS feeds, but that is because of my habits. When I read RSS feeds I almost never comment. It is too burdonsome to comment. I read sites like Lifehacker and Web Worker Daily in RSS feeds just for the info. Any site I think I might comment on I go to the site.

Is there an RSS reader that allows you to comment in its own interface?
ed hardy

July 4th, 2009 5:00 pm

I found this approach not only to be helpful for my blog but I’ve also made some great connections with people. It has also helped inspire ideas for posts.

Comments will be closed off on this post 90 days after it is published. Apologies to those this impacts but it's a regrettable and temporary measure to combat a growing comment spam problem. See our most recent posts where you can comment here.

Written on April 10th, 2009 at 11:04 pm by Darren Rowse

Email a Blog Reader [Day 5 - 31DBBB]