You Comment I Reply - Join the Movement
Bloggers love comments. Comments are the lifeblood of blog conversations as we add to the threads of the blog tapestry. However, conversations and the art of commenting is a two way process.
You Comment I Reply
First we had the Do Follow movement. Now we have the I Reply movement. Thanks to Jeanne at Writer’s Notes for the tip off. You can display the I Reply button to let your readers know that if they take the time to comment, you will reply.
While it seems like common courtesy to reply and interact with your readers as much as possible, we’ve all visited blogs where comments languish in comment wilderness. It sends the message that these bloggers are too busy or too important to reply. Especially if you’ve had to tackle the comment obstacle course first, the natural reaction is to move on to blogs where there is more a sense of community and connection.
Managing Comments on Your Blog
If you are using your blog as a business tool, ignoring people who comment is not a good idea. If you email them privately, it’s still a good idea to note in the comment that you’ll email them, rather than leave it appear unanswered.
There are also a number of excellent Wordpress comment plugins to help keep track of and manage comments. Do you have any recommendations?
I like the simplicity of the I Reply movement as it is about community and people. It’s back to basics blogging. Be aware that bloggers may not be able to reply to your comments instantly, due to other commitments or time zones. I have my I Reply button displayed.
What are Your Thoughts?
What are your thoughts about replying to comments? What is your reaction when you take the time to comment and there is no reply? How do you manage comments when your blog grows? Is it feasible to answer every comment? I’d be interested in your thoughts, experiences and tips.
Yvonne,
Thanks for linking to my blog post about iReply! Orble makes it easy for its bloggers to reply to comments by giving them the option of being notified via e-mail whenever any of their posts receive comments. This is very convenient, since it can be difficult–if not impossible–to check all posts (particularly older ones that are no longer displayed anywhere on a blog other than in its archives). People do occasionally comment on older posts, if it’s the first time they’ve seen them. In fact, I’ve done it myself. Personally, I’ve always felt a little put out when a comment of mine has been ignored–though I certainly don’t dwell on it!
Thanks again for the link!
Jeanne
Jeanne - The email notification is good. Wordpress gives that option, and I’m pretty sure Blogger does too. It’s a little
harder to keep track of conversations on other blogs where you commented, although the Notify Me of Comments feature is useful. Thanks for drawing my attention to iReply. I think it’s a great idea… and so simple.
Wow! More yakking online! This is good stuff!
Calvin - LOL. You can never have enough yakking…
Hi Yvonne,
This is a great idea, although it would definitely mean we had to follow through. I usually do comment back, but sometimes it takes awhile, especially when it is about aggressive dogs, since it takes me quite a lot of time to make a useful and informative response.
Hi Katelyn - Great to see you here. I agree if you display the I Reply button and don’t follow through, it would be worse than if you didn’t display it at all. But I think most people who display it probably see it as a way to highlight that they do this already.
Other commitments and different time zones could mean comments aren’t answered immediately. You also raise an interesting point about some answers needing to be reearched which could also cause a delay in replying. This again highlights the value of the Notify of Comments plugin, so commenters can follow the thread of conversation including a reply to their comment.
Yvonne,
I’m going to add the I reply icon … as soon as I get my blog back. My upgrade went badly, and I’m having trouble restoring the backup. Hopefully, tech support will get me back online tomorrow.
Lillie - I noticed your blog wasn’t onlne. Here’s to a happy tomorrow with everything fully restored!
Well, this movement make more sense than I follow. This is what keeps the conversation alive.
Btw, I sent you an email from my private address because I had some problems with my PC this weekend.
Hi Mig - As someone put it - this movment is about people more than SEO.
Great idea, Yvonne. As you commented on my Home Biz Notes, more mental telepathy between us. I hadn’t heard of the I Reply movement yet when I wrote about the practicality of replying to comments, and trying to follow through with a private e-mail whenever applicable or possible. This is common courtesy on any blog, but is very important in business.
Hi Mary Emma - There seems to be a lot of synchronicity between our blogs as a lot of the info is readily transferable between your Home Biz and my Writing Biz topic. In this case, replying to comments, interacting and communicating with readers is universal. It’s interesting that your experience has been that readers have appreciated the email, as I wondered what the general feeling would be. I think I would prefer the personalized email to the ones which are cmputer generated after your first comment at a blog.
I love the concept and count me in i will be making a post on my new blog and link back.
Hi Victor - It’s a great concept, but I can’t take the credit. It originated at this site which I linked to in my post - http://blogaboutyourblog.com/2007/06/30/join-the-ireply-revolution/. I’m pleased you discovered it though. Welcome aboard.
Welcome to the community
Thanks for kicking off this great concept.
I enjoy responding to comments! I don’t do it on my blog though, I do it through email via the email notifications I get. The thing is, my email address gets classified as spam sometimes. Hence others think I ignore their comments. Darn!
Hi Toni - This is interesting. Is there a reason you prefer to contact only by email rather than in the comments? I can see email would be more personal and could spark conversations and relationships.
I have advertised this on my blog - hopefully this will make blogging interaction better
Thanks for the great idea!
Hi Aggie - The more the merrier. I can’t claim credit for starting the iReply movement. I’m just spreading the word, as you are. Welcome aboard.
Hi Yvonne. How are you? Sorry haven’t been here for quite a while. Hope you are doing great.
I read about this wonderful movement from Toni’s blog (Wifely Steps). It’s nice to know that she read it from yours. I have always appreciated people who reply to comments via their own chosen medium. I reply to comments through my comment box and I try to return their visits as much as possible. Like you, I enjoy the exchange of ideas and the communication.
I shall add the logo to my sidebar soon.
Have a great weekend!
Hi Rach
Great to see you here. I know you always reply to your many comments. It’s partly that sense of community that keeps people coming back to your wonderful blog. Pleased to hear you’re going to join our merry band of iReply fans.
Hi Yvonne,
I’m one of the original three bloggers who came up with the iReply concept. I found your site just now by doing a search on it, and what caused me to do that was that I just posted a follow-up article on my blog about how people continue to give their support to it.
Thank you so much for promoting this idea. You clearly are doing what it’s all about.
Have a great weekend!
Hi Mark
Great to hear it’s still going strong. No one wants to talk to someone who doesn’t answer.
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