Successful Blog

Great Find: Commenting on CTBizBlogs

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www.ctbizblog.com logo

Great Find: Commenting on CTBizBlogs by Sabine
Type of Article: How-to and Informational
Permalink: Commenting on CTBizBlogs by Sabine
Target Audience: Pros who want a model; Beginners who want information

Content: Successful and Outstanding Blogger, Sabine at CTBizBlogs, has written a top-notch document on how the comment feature serves in community building, pointing to Joel Achenbach’s Achenblog and Successful Blog as examples. She explains how Shirley Frazier’s comments led her to discover another great find Shirley’s Solo Business Marketing Blog. She also provides a straight-forward statement of her blog’s comment policy (a great model) and a how-to comment section that any new blogger could follow. Sabine does this so well, I wish she were writing software manuals, because then I might actually read them.

While you’re at CTBizBlogs, check out all you can. Everything that Sabine writes is quality, well-thought business advice.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Blog Basics 1: Comments and Comment Policies

Comments and Comment Policies

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I always remind myself that not everyone knows what I know, and how to post on a blog may be something the reader truly does not know. —Shirley George Frazier, Successful and Outstanding Blogger

Reading blogs is only one part of being part of a community. If you stop at that point, you are missing out of half the experience and half of the fun. Blogs are really intended to be part information sharing, part conversation between the writer and readers. As HART, a reader at Successful Blog said, “” . . .half the show is in the comments!”

Visiting a blog is much like stopping by a neighbor’s house. It’s cordial way to let the owner know that you stopped by. If you’ve stayed long enough to read something, leaving a comment is a nice gesture and a relationship-building act. It’s like leaving your calling card on a business call or leaving a note at the house of a friend.

How to Comment

  • Does the writer want comments? Rare is the writer who doesn’t. There are a few. They are easy to spot. They have removed the comment box from their blogs.
    OR
    A writer may have chosen a design that makes the comment box hard to find. If you don’t see it, look up near the title of the post. Some template designers think that’s a good place to put it. The designer was thinking of the design not the reader. Take the time to find the box and comment despite that, for the sake of the writer.
  • What do I write?

    • If the post inspired you, or made you think of something–a memory, a question, an argument, or a reason you agree–say so. If it didn’t, try “thank you.” That always works. You’d be surprised how nice just leaving a 😛 can be.

  • Can I leave a link? The biggest mistake I see is that occasionally visitors don’t understand that they are on another person’s blog, a space that someone has spent time and effort putting together, a place where a community has formed. This leads them to act in ways that don’t work in their favor. Whether it’s leaving a link or words that don’t sound right. Look around and see what others are doing. It’s a when in Rome kind of thing.
  • Are Trackbacks okay? Trackbacks are often good, particularly on business-type blogs where they are used to connect articles of relevant content. Be careful not to use them as your only form of communication, though, especially with blogs you’ve never visited. It can make you appear as if you are “too busy to be bothered” with actually visiting to comment in person.

A Comment Policy

Each blog owner can control whether a comment is posted to the blog’s comment page. That decision is made based on the blog’s comment policy. Have and state the comment policy for your blog.

The policy at Successful-Blog is simple–no spam, no profanity, and no disrespect for people who use this blog. Links that serve readers are welcome–though more than three, might be excessive. Harmless fun is always welcome.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Links from Outstanding and Successful Bloggers
Commenting on CTBizBlogs
The Comment Policy at Home Office Voice

Blogging Life Question 4: Blog Names

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For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I offer this Blogging Hypothetical Question.

Here you go. . . .

A friend is rethinking his brand-new blog, now that he knows a little bit about them.
He comes to you with two questions:

1. Is it a good thing or a bad thing to have “blog” in my name–such as Blogopedia? You’ve been around longer. Does that make it easier, harder, or just the same for the reader?

2. Suppose I choose a domain name now and want change my blog name later. I know people do it. I’ve seen it often enough. Does it cause any problems that you know about?
Is it okay if my domain name www.joescarideas.com doesn’t match with the new blog name Joe’s Rocket Lounge?

As a blog reader, not an SEO person, do these things make any difference to you?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Great Find: Blogs about Blogging

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Great Find: Blogs about blogs, blogger, and blogging by Barry Bell
Permalink: Blogging/wurk.net/
Target Audience: Anyone interested in Blogs about blogging

Content: Somtimes you can read someone’s writing and know you’d have a fun time at dinner with him. That’s how I feel about Barry Bell. In this, what amounts to his Top Nine blogs about bloggers and blogging he gives a tongue-in-cheek review of who should be reading each blog and why they should read it.

Included are Problogger, Jack of All Blogs. Blogebrity, Workboxers, Performancing, Successful Blog, Blogherald, Blog Network Watch, and Pajamas Media. In it he says things that I realize I’ve known unconsciously, but never actually put the words into a thought of my own. One or two of the descriptions were so perfect, they made me laugh out loud with their honesty.

For new bloggers, especially those who’ve not taken a course in marketing this review shows fine examples of product differentiation. All of these blogs basically “sell” the same thing. However, each has chosen to serve a differerent market niche and has developed their blog to that audience with that purpose in mind. The product differentiation is so clear that Barry Bell as a reader can state in a few words who each blog is meant for and what purpose it serves.

Barry has nailed it, and done so in a post that is an easy, fun read. Seven of the eight of the judges give Barry a ten and pass this one into the gold medal final round. The judge from New Zealand, who’s still sleeping–he phoned in a 9.9. The NZ judge does that sometimes.)

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Fun Find: DONTCLICK.IT

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Great Find: DONTCLICK.IT by Institute for Interactive Research
URL: www.dontclick.it
Target Audience: Anyone interested in web interfaces and interactivity

Content: The Institute has packed more information than first meets the eye when you enter this award-winning, flash-driven website. Everywhere you mouse over you will find options to learn and invesigate without ever needing to click.

Dont click it

You can play a game called Housecamp. It’s a bit addictive and not easy. You can cast your vote for clickless interactivity and try out several types of clickless button interfaces. You can explore the history of computers, leave a message in the crowd of visitors, and much, much more. Look for something behind every word you see. In the experiment lab, you can replay how others moved through the site. This website is like a giant puzzle. Enjoy and explore at the same time.

Be sure to mouse over the gold seal on the opening screen before you go in.

Who knows? There may come a day when the words click here will be history.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Got a Post that Belongs Here?

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Join the Conversation
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Every voice has something to add to the conversation–an insight, an experience, a unique point of view–something our readers see the rest of us have overlooked. Successful Blog is a community where every voice is welcome, every contribution is valued, and where there’s always a “glad you said that” waiting in the comment box.–MES

Would you like to start a conversation?
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Do you have a post . . .

  • that takes an idea further than we’ve taken it so far?
  • with fresh, relevant content we’d enjoy learning about?
  • that explores a new angle on an old subject?
  • about a tool that belongs in the Survival Kit?
  • about an experience that might help a new blogger?
  • on a trend, a plug-in, a tool, a blog, or anything that we should all check out?
  • about something you’ve found that’s just plain blogging fun?

    • OR

  • Do you have ideas about another way that we might collaborate?
  • Do you have a question that you want us to talk about in our Sunday night discussion?

Share what you know, and we all get better. For details on how, see the Want to Be a Contributor? page.

Remember, the 1849er said, “Fergit the gold in them there hills. There’re links in them there posts.” 🙂

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Be part of something bigger than one– Successful Blog–where blogging means Community.

–ME “Liz” Strauss