Fashion and Style Police won’t be where it is today without my readers. I have a couple of loyal readers that read and comment on almost every post I publish, and that makes the endless writing of blog posts worth it. I would still be a dedicated blogger if I had no blog readers, but having people look forward to reading my new posts, makes me feel very good, and I am sure I am not the only blogger feeling this way. That is why it surprises me when I see bloggers completely disregarding their blog readers especially the commenters.
I see many established and not so established bloggers, blogging away, completely ignoring the people who take out time to read and comment on their blog posts. I understand many bloggers may be torn between the two – being real and acting established, if you know what I mean. I was undecided on how to treat my blog readers in the early days. Then, I saw bigger bloggers never replying to comments, and thought that was the way forward so I didn’t reply to comments, I saw bloggers posting whenever they felt like, and I thought that was ok as well, but the longer I blogged, the more I began to understand the blogging business, and how important our blog readers are to us. I also decided I wanted to make my blog, my job, so I decided to set up my own rules on how to run Fashion and Style Police, ignore what every other blogger is doing and continually thank my blog readers.
Here are the ways I thank my blog readers:
Reply Comments
I reply every thoughtful comment left on my blog posts because I think it is only polite to do so. I like when other bloggers reply my comments on their blogs, so I treat others the way I want to be treated. Some bloggers think it may appear ‘scamish’ to Google, to keep replying thank you to each individual comment, so I try to say more than that, depending on the comment. I also understand that some blogs get hundreds of comments on a blog post, well if you do get that many comments, you may struggle to reply every one of them, which is perfectly understadable, especially if you have taken part in comment threads already.
Post Regularly
There are many blogs I genuinely like but I have given up on them because their posting schedule is all over the place. We readers want to know when to expect new content, so if you are posting daily, great, if you are posting weekly or bi-weekly, good, just let your readers know when to expect new posts. When posting regularly, notice the posts that get the most engagement, and keep publishing posts like that. So if your readers read and comment more on product reviews posts, publish more posts like that, if they engage more with outfit posts, publish more of that. Listen to your readers, they are always talking!
Visit Other Blogs
So if a blog reader has left you a comment, and you can see the reader has a blog too, you should pop over and say hi or at least check the blog out, you do not have to comment if you don’t want to. I enjoy checking out new blogs, so I always pop over to read any blog I find, and if I like what I see, I will be revisiting, and probably following on social media. This sounds like a normal thing to do, but it amazes me the amount of people who do not do it.
Another thing you could do if the blog commenter does not have a blog, is to email saying thank you. The fact that you took the time to email the reader specially may have earned you a reader for life.
Host Giveaways
Now to the controversial giveaways incentive, I know I was previously on the fence, as to where giveaway stands in terms of thanking your readers, because there is no guarantee a regular reader will win the giveaway, but I still believe it is a great way to say thank you to your readers. Everyone loves a gift. However, if you do want to narrow the winners to your regulars, it is very easy. Just ask a question only your regular readers will know the answer to, it could be anything about your life or blog, that you have mentioned in the past.
These are the ways I say thank you to my blog readers and commenters. How do you say thank you?
Great post. I try to reply to all comments and any emails I get from blog readers, and post regular content I think they’ll like.
Thanks Lucy x
Some great tips and I totally agree that you should reply to a reader’s comment – if they’ve taken the trouble to read and comment on your musings then so should you on theirs :). Tx
Yeap. Thanks Tracey x
I was the same as you when I first started blogging thinking it was the norm not to reply to commenters but now made my own rules and always comment and reply to my readers and fellow bloggers
Yea I do me now. Thanks Anosa x
I have been frightfully negligent with replying to comments of late. I need to spend a day and go through them all. I do read every single one though, and they make me smile 🙂
Ah good to know. Happy Easter x
Great post, I am guilty of not commenting on many, but that is genuinely because I don’t get much time and I am erratic at posting, as I try to fit it in when I have a spare two minutes, which isn’t often with these seven!
Thanks Mandi x
Lovely post and great tips. Sometimes it’s really easy to get distracted and not thank followers, but without them our blogs wouldn’t exist.
Thanks Jessica x
Love this post. It says everything that I have been thinking for a while!
Glad it does. Thanks Jo x
I have to admit while I read all my comments I don’t reply to them all, a lot of them all I could reply is thank you for commenting which in the long term would be bad as google will see the same comment over and over and think uh oh spam! So I read all and respond to those I can give a full and meaningful comment back to.
Nice Sarah x
All great tips! I try to reply to as many comments as possible when a blog reader has left a meaningful comment. I too have noticed that a lot of huge bloggers don’t and it seems quite arrogant to me!
Yea it does to me too.
I am not a blogger: I am a comper as you know which is how I found you. I think it is important whatever world you are in (on or off virtual) to be polite, respectful and consider others. We all have our own niches, in my comping world, as we all have, our best at, whatever the area is,
I tag people, letting people know they have won, ask them if they want to be added (not just doing it) to groups that would be useful to them as they are to me. I share other comps and just generally be in the mix of advice to newbies and the like. I dont do it cos I have too. I do it cos I want too.
It’s all part of being part of a community. As I was told once Karma will keep me lucky with comping as I give back and also give away wins thinking of others when I enter a comp as to who it would be useful too. I dont enter comps I can’t use in some way. it stops others having the chance.
It is good to interact with each other whatever area that is. Also to interact accross what you do. I do it for fun too, cos I enjoy it. If I just did it for the wins only I would have stopped. So many have jumped on that bandwagon and dont stay around.
Life is about communication and relationships, however that maybe. Keep on Stella. I enjoy reading your blogs. I dont comment on all. I always read. I am not signed up to loads of blogs as you can get too many and not interact with them properly. I like to interact.
Thanks a lot. I do appreciate your thoughtful comments, and you are so right. Life is about communication. Happy Easter.
One of the things that keeps me blogging is the engagement I have with readers, so this topic is very important…one of the ways I say Thank You is to respond to my Comments. If someone has taken the time to read my blog and comment, you’re damn right I’ll reciprocate in kind. With the more popular blogs that get over a 100 comments, I get why they dont respond to their comments but it baffles me when I go to a new blog, thats getting no comments and I leave one and I get Radio Silence.
I read an article once that read something like- ‘I dont expect to get comments just coz I give them…’ Well I am not singing in that choir. Happy Easter! ( :
I agree. It all boils down to bloggers pretending to be ‘established’ when it is clear they are not…Happy Easter hun x
I always read and reply to comments someone has left me, I try to check throughout the day so it is not a huge task and doesn’t take too long then. I love the idea with the giveaway comments, I might try that next time I do a giveaway x
I try to reply as soon as I can as well so they don’t build up x
Some great tips here. I always try to respond to all comments & feedback I receive, it’s very important.
Yea I agree x
I have to say I some days don’t have time to reply to all my comments and I know I should but I am so limited for time but I do at the end of the week go and read through them all must try to reply to more
I know. I struggle to keep up some days as well x
I always respond to any comments on my blog 🙂 My readers are very important to me.
Nice on Claire. They are important.
Great post – I reply to all my comments, and when I’m lucky enough for a reader to reach out to me, I reply to that as well. Comments aren’t hard to reply to, but it’s so important (like you have said) to reply and acknowledge the people who are here with you. H x
Thanks Harriet x
It is hard to reply to everyone especially if you get 100’s of comments but if I am particularly touched by their comment I will message them. I think it just depends on the platform but it is important to show that you care.
Yea it is. Thanks Ana.
What’s lovely post! I try and reply to most of my comments, but as I have gained readers and commenter, it has gotten harder! I am greatest for every single one though
Thank you x
Love this great post! it’s so true x
Thanks Sasha x
I totally agree with you and I try to take the time to reply to every comment I receive but I understand that for bigger bloggers that would be impossible!!
Lots of love, Em | emilyrosevass,com
Thanks Emily x
That’s so lovely, I’m the same.. I take ever comment I get really personally and try my best to reply but with the popular posts it’s hard to get round to replying.
Cool. Thanks x
Great points – I do try and interact with my readers across all my social media platforms, and I do read every comment on my blog, but I just don’t have the time to reply to each one, unfortunately. Kaz x
Thanks Kaz x
Great post and I think so many people could learn from your tips. I find it really hard to reply to all of my comments purely because I run social networks and my blog as a job and sometimes theres just too many. If someone asks a question though then I try to always answer xxx
Yea many blog full time so they may find it hard x
Wow, thanks for the reminder. I rarely reply to commenters, but I defnitely should.
Yea it is a good idea x