No Comment

"It’s hard to keep writing when you feel like no one’s watching..." So true! I'm proud of what I write and keep plugging away but without the direct feedback there are definitely days that I just don't feel it.

I'm a nonblogger. Until very recently, I had no idea that blog comments meant much to the writer. Thank for the heads up!

Yeh, having no comments definitely hurts. You feel like a failure. Your blog is lonely... It's rough! :-)

And ironically, only after you really start blogging do you realize what you'd done wrong.

Great advice for new bloggers.

Great point and another comment. I'm not desperate about comments since I do consider there's not enoguh posts on my blog to interest anyone. I do it for myelf like a personal diary that could be opened one day by will or luck.

Blog comments are definitely a big morale boost for the author - it lets them know that what they write is worthwhile to more than just themselves. They do grow over time, so if there's only zeros now, give it time - people will soon chime in. You can also try the technique that asks a question at the end of the article. Spike your readers interest in conversation.

Chris,
This is a good post. It is hard to keep going when you're not sure if anyone is even reading your posts or not. I love comments, as we all do. I am trying so hard to provide good content for people, it would be great to get more feedback.

I know - persist, persist, persist!

I hate that. Especially when I've written something that I think people are going to feel connected to. And then I get a bunch of comments on some odd throw away post. I don't really get what motivates people to comment. Well, apart from cake recipes and contests.

Thanks for the encouragement! I plan on just giving it some time and sticking with it. The comments will follow. I hope.... :)

And so I persist. Thanks for the post!

Yes, keep going! I'm there now! Keep writing! I get VERY few if any comments (so read some of my posts and feel free to comment ::HINT::). Those I get comments from I try to engage in further conversation. Relationship building so-to-speak. Some posts I write get comments outside of the blog and I try to politely get them to repost them at my blog itself. At the end of the day you're doing this because you enjoy it and have something to say, not because you're starved for the "blogger limelight" - right? Thanks for this Chris!

It has taken me a long while to realize that "if you write it, they will come" isn't always true. I've made it a goal of mine for this next year to get out and interact with the community more via comments to build relationships and to pull people over to my blog.

Perhaps this will help with more comments...just hope they aren't "your blog sux" :) If they are...I'll just have to write better!

Getting no comments on your blog is alot like sitting on the park bench watching all the other kids play.

Posts are meant to spark conversation. Comments aren't only a feedback mechanism for the blogger but a way to keep the discussion going and engage the community. A blog without comments sometimes feels like you're talking to a wall. At the same time, if you're blogging and you're not getting any comments, don't get discouraged. Focus on ways to engage your readers and/or how to let others know you're out there.

I've been blogging for 2.5 years and am fortunate to have built a small, loyal community. I began podcasting last August. We get the occasional comment on the podcast blog. I'm waiting for the day when someone sends us an audio comment.

A lack of comments is always tough, but I enjoy the writing process and know that it will take time to find my voice and build a following - and thankfully there are bloggers like Chris to keep us all inspired along the way!

Best tip I ever got on this was as follows:

1) Make your point, but exaggerate how strongly you feel about it by 10%
2) Don't put the other side to the case - let others do that
3) 'Forget' to mention something

It's a good way to get started. These days, I have to ratchet my feelings down by about 20% because I have really strong feelings about some things that some of my really valued readers strongly disagree with. You want to divide your audience enough to provoke debate, but you don't want to send people away - so the controversial must be couched within the genuinely useful.

I suspect there's a magic button for blogs of all types. For me, because I write for the independent music industries, I only have to mention copyright reform, free mp3s or the word 'piracy' and everyone comes out of the woodwork for a bit of a rant.

The latest post on New Music Strategies is a pretty good example of that.

How very true! I like your blog...gonna follow you! Thanks for the encouragement!

No matter how good a posting, quality, intelligent comments can almost always enhance the content itself. As a reader, I know I many times enjoy the comments as much as the original writing.

This is great encouragement Chris!

Thanks for the encouragement, Chris! Until I started blogging, it never occurred to me to leave comments. I thought of comments from a "would the blogger place a value on what *I* have to say" perspective vs. a "commenting shows *I* value what the *blogger* has to say" stance.

I've since tried to make an effort to leave a comment when visiting sites - balancing commenting for comment's sake with trying to engage in the conversation with the blogger.

Nothing gets me more jazzed than getting an email that says "you have a comment"! I know it shouldn't be *why* I blog, but it's something that really feeds the desire to keep going. I actually wrote about it here:

Thank you for the inspiration and encouragement. It is disheartening to speak and think that no one is listening, but there is much warmth and renewed energy when our role models stop speaking to the crowds, pause, and reach out to us. :)

Have a wonderful, new year, and keep writing! We're reading!

Chris,

aw, thanks! my blog is up and down and it's great to get encouragement and "real life stories" from folks like you.

xo,
SL

Chris,

This observation is so true. However, there might be a solution - what if all bloggers create a community called 'Nudge Me' and they comment on each others to cultivate a sustainable discussion...

twitter.com/pinakis

Thanks for the encouragement Chris! I am experiencing exactly what you did in 2006, and although my blog is very new, comments would help inspire me more. I also find so many great ideas for blog posts by looking over the comments in other people's blogs, so having more of my own would help with that as well. Of course I will continue to plug away, and hopefully I will be so busy responding to my comments I will long for the days when there were very little.

Dead right. It's one of my goals to start commenting more - it's just so hard to leave the comfort of Google Reader sometimes, you know? :) If Google added a feature that let you comment from inside the reader, whew - I'd probably be a commenting machine by now.

Chris, I suppose it depends on the blogger and the blog post. Yes, comments are great - a dear friend of mine calls them the 'life-blood' of blogs, but it's important that unless you're a good writer and are able to provoke conversation naturally, trying to force comments is not going to work at all. In fact, in my experience it detracts from the writing and leaves you even more frustrated.

Write for your readers, write to be read. Don't write *just* for responses. Like Ryan says above, sometimes the comments are as good, if not better than the original piece, but you have to help make that happen.

Another question though - do your posts need a response? Do they ask for one? Does your reader know that you'd like to hear from them? Is it easy to leave a comment on one of your posts? Do your readers know how to?

One of the most popular posts I've ever written was "How to leave a comment on a blog" - have a look and see the responses from people who genuinely didn't know how to.

Your last paragraph is great advice for bloggers and is what I do too. :)

That's why it's so important to enjoy blogging - even if you don't get comments - because you won't get a ton at first, not until people know about you and are linking into your blog. And yes, experiment with new things and realise that it takes time.

Years ago, when I started my first blog, comments were few and far between. it took months, but now my posts average about 30-40 comments (and about 12,000 hits a month) small potatoes for some, but manageable for me. It took about a year, and all I did was keep blogging - because I just enjoyed writing. I now have a thriving readership. I mention this because I have some experience of how long it can take. I remember very well get few if any hits.

The other thing is track your stats. You can see that people are reading your posts, and even that many come back time and again. I've had readers lurk for years and then out of the blue they'd start commenting. They'd tell me they'd been a reader for months and enjoy my blog.

When someone comments on your blog it's time out of their day, so I always appreciate it. Comments are a gift, not a right.

I would add this however - in addition to commenting on other blogs is 1) acknowledge comments when people make them on your blog - I still respond to my commentators even though I'm busier than ever - and 2) if someone leaves a comment on your blog why not go over to the commentators' blog now and again and, assuming you have something to add, leave a comment on their blog too? I try to make a point of visiting new blogs when I can to leave comments. i just don't say inane things like "great post" which adds nothing.

So true, so true Chris. Had the same problems when I hosted a local radio talk show. Sometimes, when I was talking to myself (with no phone callers) it was rather enlightening. I occasionally would realize (sometimes mid-sentence) that I was talking out of my...and should re-think what I said before I said it next time. Similar to reviewing past posts I would guess.

As usual you are right on. A blogger needs to be persistent and blog about topics that are of interest to them as well as the readers.

I blog aout various topics but all of them are relevant to what I do and to my audience. I have some blogs that never get any comments and some that have lots. I do watch which ones get the most feedback and try to make future blogs relevant to the popular topics.

Happy New Year.

Always a hard one, especially considering the rise of Twitter and how much of the conversation has moved there. I resented that for a long time, until I started using Twitter and see how it works in different ways and adds another element to the conversation and relationship building.

But I love that you remind us that our ideas are just as valuable being out there at all. It's so easy to hide behind lack of conversation as a barrier to sharing, which is really cart before horse when you think about it.

I can relate all too well. But the thing is, all goo things come... As a people, we tend toward impatience. Would I love 50 opportunities to engage others on every post? Them are the dreams. But I'm willing to work for it...no, I'm anxious to. Because there's far greater value in HOW you get there than there is the arrival itself.

I haven't read your early stuff, Chris, but I suspect we're all benefitting from that journey of yours.

Chris

Yes, blogging is very personal and we all take things very personally etc when we get no comments.

But aside of this self-pity, isn't it worth wondering about the impression 'no comments' on all the front page posts leaves on the new visitors? And therefore to ask if and how the blog is contributing to the blogger's aims?

The aims should drive the blog, not the other way round.

Personally my metric is to see how many people clicked on how many links and which ones were most popular outgoing links. :-)

I find this sad also. Some of the best bloggers receive no comments, yet they may have the best posts. I often come upon their posts and think to myself, "who are they writing for and why do they continue to write?" Perhaps their answer would be, if one were to ask them, "I'll write even if nobody else sees the post but me." While that's commendable, they still deserve to be read. So when I see a blogger like this who has especially good posts, (and even those who need some more practice in writing), I try to take a little time out in what I am doing and share with them how to achieve a larger readership and more commentators. They are always grateful. Let's all take time out to help one another when we can. A blogger once said, and I keep quoting this, so I wish I'd remember which one, "There is plenty enough to go around." We don't need to be so competetive as bloggers that we can't share some of our "secrets" of blogging, so to speak -- some of what we know to do that produces "success." Each one of us has plenty to give something away, and still keep our own readership and commentators. We have plenty of creativity, plenty of unique ideas for the future, plenty of our own resources, plenty of intelligence, plenty of wisdom. And we have, well, just plenty!

krissy knox :)
my main blog: Sometimes I Think
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/iamkrissy

Very aptly said Chris. Persistence and perseverance does pay.

A very happy new year

Great advice. It's funny how you wind up saying it to others when they are down, but forget that wisdom yourself!

Given the relatively young nature of my blog, there are times when comments are few.

I kinda cheat the system of my own mind a bit. See, I respond to every comment I do get individually so when I go to the post page it looks like double the actual amount and tricks me needy little writer's ego to think I'm twice as popular as I really am!

(sighs...)

George

I have a busy facebook, You Tube channel, and Website, all of which gets lots of traffic and comments, so I don't miss it on my blog. I have tonnes of zeros when you scroll down and look at comments.

I only started my blog a few weeks ago though, and I have not posted the blog link to any of my sites so I don't truly expect anyone to come there, seeing as no one I know, knows about it..

Yes, you can find my You Tube channel through my blog, but you have to find my blog in the first place. Why have I not promoted it?

I don't know really, fear? Maybe, because I am so new and don't really have a theme, topic, or idea of what I really have to say and if anyone would really care? Right now, there is no pressure, I know I am writing to no one and its ok with me. Maybe because the blog is just my diary really, little useless notes and memories, gig photos, links to videos, etc. etc. Maybe I am not ready for people who know me, to see it yet. I don't know, but the lack of comments really doesn't worry me at this point.

We shall see what the future holds though, I may get bored of talking to myself soon, if that is the case, I will keep your encouragment in mind!

:)

I'd empahsise what everyone else says that you have to get out and comment on everyone else's blog which will encourage them back to you. I would recommend that new bloggers work their way trhough the 31 Day Comment Challenge which will give them some great tips for making and receiving comments: http://commentchallenge.wikispaces.com/

What a lovely blog post. Another example of your reputation for continually giving back to the community. I've been blogging for about six months and I am glad when I receive comments. But the biggest value I get from blogging is that it forces me to sit down at least once a week and sort my thoughts on a specific topic, in my case relating to social media and marketing. There's no better way to really think through an issue in a disciplined manner than by committing those thoughts to a written blog post that others will -- or at least might -- read. I also just like to write. Nevertheless, I admit that I would like to receive more comments than I do. We all need acknowledgment. So I will spend some time reading the comments on this post, checking out and commenting upon some of the blogs in support of all us blossoming bloggers. And of course you're invited to check out and comment on mine: http://socialmediasoapbox.wordpress.com :-)

Such an interesting (and comment provoking) post.

I know it is different for me depending on the blog.
With MizFit it is a lot about the comments and the community.
With other blogging I've done it was far less so.

Miz.

This word of encouragement is a breath of fresh air. Thanks!

Thanks for this encouragement, I needed this. Launching some new projects soon and it's been discouraging at times for sure.

Maybe I'm a nerd, but I always get a little "glow" when I get a new comment alert. Some of my better posts have been as a result of someone's comment, and ideas have been sparked for Twitter conversations/debates by the comments left on my blog.

I often wish there were more, but then I'm greedy for info and communicative interaction. 2009, my aim is to try and engage my community more, because at the end of the day, they are the passengers on the bus - I'm just the driver trying to make sure they enjoy the ride.

I have a website and two groups on Facebook.

The Truemanity Group

The Wisdom of Thomas L. Friedman

(Please join with us on these groups)

What I have noticed that people love it when I put up my insights and answer to those yet they do not feel free enough to initiate conversation.

I belong to groups of other creators and they have an agreement with the group to participate and it is a really good may of building relationship of value.

Good word. Thanks for the encouragement.

I get plenty of goose eggs or no comments, but many times it is my own fault, what I have written about is boring or poorly written. So I am as much to blame for the lack of comments as my readers are.

But I really think that RSS feeds have led to a large decrease in the number of comments that blogs receive. I know that is why I don't comment nearly as much as I used to. I read a blog in Google Reader and then just keep scrolling down, instead of taking the time to go back and comment. I wrote a quick blog entry about it awhile back, but will not link to it as I am new here and am not worried about driving traffic to my site, I don't blog for that reason.

One of my goals for this year is to actually read the comments to an interesting blog and then comment on the blogs that I read if I have something to say. Chris this is the second blog that I have commented on today :). Besides I have enjoyed reading and getting caught up on your blog. I used to subscribe, but during my great G-Reader purge in October you were one of the casualties of the infamous "delete" key, I had forgotten how much good advise you provided in the past. I am back and enjoying reading your work.

Harold

Geesh Chris, Once again SPOT on.. Always enjoying your blog, great way to start the year

I am a big fan of blog comments. Love leaving 'em and reading comments on other people's blogs, not to mention the excitement when I learn that I have a comment on one of my posts. Very gratifying...Hope to see more people getting involved...

I get more engagement on Twitter than I do on the blog now, so I don't feel too bad about the posts that only get a couple of comments anymore. ;)

I've been writing online for years, but to write a post that generates no comments today still stings a little. I stick with it because I love it, not because of the number of comments (at least that's what I tell myself when I see one of my posts with no comments).

Thanks Chris! So good to know I'm not alone in getting only a few comments from loyal readers.
Hopefully it'll pick up as the audience for the blog grows.

Thanks again!

Yep... another "task" or "project" to work on my blog. And yes, zero comment hurt - I have many (ok, many) of those at A MAUI BLOG right now. I will improve this year ... I know I will. Thanks for this post,

Comments always make ya feel better as a blogger. Makes you feel like you're affecting at least one person.

J. Dakar, I know how you feel. On the positive side, when you DO get comments, it feels great to know you struck a chord with someone, right? It feels like you have just met someone and realized you have something in common and you want to continue the conversation!

Thanks you Chris,
It's always nice when someone who's making it reminds us that they were'nt an "overnight success" and that they went through the same steps that we need to go through to be successful.
Doug

Getting no comments is like shouting into the wind ... the only one you're sure hears you is yourself!

Posts like this are why I wanted to nominate you for a Shorty Award in the category of #generous. Yeah, I feel like that well known tree in the forest that falls without any eardrums to turn it to sound. On the other hand, I'm not exactly a regular contributor so I probably get what I deserve. NY resolution - post more and comment more.
Happy New Year (can't be any worse than last year)

As a newly returned blogger (my original "blog" was actually a "web diary" back in the early 90s), I don't get too much traffic yet. The only comments have been in reference to a tool on the site that I wrote about.

56 comments already in one day. Need I say more? Chris, you are inspiration, as usual, to all of us:-) Happy New Year!

I've only been blogging for a few months and am really enjoying it. I'm getting increasing page views mainly from Twitter followers I think but I'm still not getting many comments which is a pity because this would help me gauge my readers better and plan future blog posts.

I feel your pain Chris. Most of my posts get zero comments. But twitter is helping. got one with 4 the other day and I followed up like a good blogger and responded to each one.

As a new blogger with two blogs I guess I am still in the, I am having fun no matter what stage. I have not gotten to the point of being discouraged by lack of comments.

Yet at the same time I welcome comments and get that this is one way to judge the effectiveness of your words and how many people you are reaching.

I did set myself a goal for this month of 100 comments on my blogs. And I can see how commenting on other blogs will lead people to see what I have to say and may have them click on my info on that comment and go to my blog and comment.

I like having the blog conversation as I write my posts. I am thinking of using converting software like Dragon Naturally Speaking to create my posts. Is anyone using this or other software for their blog posting?

I also welcome guest posts on my two blogs as well.

My first blog is on the subject of Business Coaching and how it helps businesses.
Blog#2 is All Blog All The Time, where I mainly focus on profitable blogging, traffic generation, SEO, PR, content and the like.

Enjoy the New Year.

This comment brought to you by Twitter and the tweet you left on comments.

Mark
@Mark_Ayers

I've never been into taking the time and making comments when I like an article or post. Now I know how important they are b/c I'm always rushing to check and see if I got any comments on my blog. I love the idea of encouraging it on Twitter with your project idea.

I think comments become reciprocal the more you comment on others. When I find that no one is commenting on my blog, I know that it's time to start commenting on other's. It's like Zig Ziglar says, "If you help enough other people get what they want then you'll get what you want."

Thanks for giving us newer bloggers hope!I have only been blogging since the 30DC in August. I try to post every day with good content and although I am getting pretty good traffic some days it seems like my readers are shy!

I'm going to go comment on the three people's blogs who commented before me!

Chris,
I am reading your blog since october and i really love it. It's very interesting and so sensitive too. I will probaly use this post to many things in my live in 2009. And I will use your words to inspire me: " Keep trying. Persist. Try new things. Experiment." Thank you for share your thoughts.

Thanks Chris, I have not been commenting, and thus not relating. I learned a good lesson here. Thanks.
Bert

I started blogging to keep notes for myself that supported the presentations I was giving. Now that I've embedded backtype on my blog even my comments on this and other blogs get crosslinked on my blog. Commenting and posting is always to please myself, and readers get the value whether they comment or not. It would be nice for readers to comment more often. Perhaps we need to ask for what we really want?

Bloggers using backtype can benefit directly from their comments, but ask yourself what benefit your audience gets from commenting. Then make those benefits clear to readers.

Chris,
I've read a lot of your articles, I follow you on Twitter, click sometimes on links that you suggest and I am thankful to you, because I learnt a lot! Thank you!

But, still, I have very few comments. I love when I get one (one, yes, one!), I feel immediately connected to the person who commented.
It is a generous act, that opens to new perspectives.
I must admit that I prefer few comments, but of value.
I am commenting for the first time on your blog and it is because I saw your message on Twitter a few minutes ago.
So, I'll do my homework and read and comment on 3 blogs mentioned here.

YOU, you can easily comment to my last post, by finishing this sentence:
You know it's the crisis, when.....
Think out of the box!

Thank you Chris, again, for your practical advice.

Thx Chris,

For the encouraging words....

-Aad

I'm new to the world of blogging. As a journalism student, I decided to take the next step by beginning one. Your words echo some of my thoughts: is there a "wrong" or a "right" way to write a blog? What am I doing wrong? How can I improve? What catches people's attention?

"I know what I was doing wrong." -- Can you explain? I've read several articles on creating a voice, serving a niche, and networking but writing a blog itself is still a gray area. I'm hesitant every time I begin another post because there are so many ways to blog, especially unsuccessfully.

Thanks for writing this. It's always encouraging to know that others are and have been in the same place.

This is such uplifting advice, Chris. And so needed.

I've thought about this commenting on blogs issue a lot. I've been a professional writer for most of my life, so I never considered the possibility that not everyone takes to words like a fish in water.

It wasn't until I started teaching blogging for beginners that I realized that some (lots?) of people are intimidated by commenting—and the actual act of writing itself.

They've been told over and over again to "say something meaningful," that their credibility is on the line when they leave a comment. They know they must "add to the conversation," and not just say, "I agree" or "nice post."

And I get Darragh's point. I blogged live from biznik.com's BizJam event last summer. I was amazed at the number of smart professionals—friends and colleagues— who were hesitant to leave a comment about the conference on my blog. Some of them did not know how to do it!

I see in the number of page views that people are reading my posts. I hear from them in personal e-mail messages. But I admit that comments are more exciting to get.

I plan on hanging in there, ending more posts with questions (which sometimes I forget to do!) and continuing to comment on other blogs. It all helps. Thanks for the encouragement, Chris.

Greetings Chris,
I'm not a social media blogger. I'm a genea-blogger. Nonetheless, I have used some of the many ideas & tips you have shared over the past year. Thanks. Happy New Year.
Kathryn

Thanks for the words of encouragement Chris! I'm heading into my second year of blogging and just started receiving a few comments - my record is 7!! :)

I'm getting a bit of traction by reaching out via comments, linking to other blogs, social networks, etc. I don't think anyone can go wrong building relationships and trying to add value to the communities they participate in. All the best for 2009 and beyond.

People who often comment on your blog posts feel like friends, although you've never met them and probably know very little, if anything, about them. Happy New Year.

Chris, that is awesome! I'm doing this now from my Palm PDA. Zero comments can be disheartning, but perseverance is worth the wait! You rock Chris! Happy New Year! www.twitter.com/nachase

Great article!
I am soo inspired by your posts, and wonder why I just did not start blogging earlier. I am waiting for my new personal blog to be prepared, and start blogging as soon as possible! :)

Chris,

My commenting goes and up and down - depending on the type of the post I'm writing - if I'm made it conversational and personal - more comments. But, some of my posts that provide value .. have less comments.

Is commenting the only measure of success for blog content? What about bookmarked saves in delicious because people found it of value and they want find it again for later reference.

Just noodling around with this ..

Comments on my blog are so few and far between that I'm shocked when I actually do get one. I try to maintain an "act as if" mentality when it comes to blogging--if I keep writing as if people are actually reading, they will start reading. It definitely works-when I started blogging in February '08, I had 2 page visits that month; in December '08 I had 496.

Thanks for the encouragement and happy new year!

It is hard. If it were easy, then everyone would be Chris Brogan. I have found that my best commentors have come from relationships I've created by commenting on their blogs.

Good Hunting,

Comments come in other ways too. Some people link to posts, sent a Twitter message or something else... but they don't leave a comment on the blog. They obviously liked it, but they didn't leave a "yay!" to tell the blog owner.

81st!!!

It can be hard for those of us who use their websites to generate conversations to feel like you are talking to yourself. Thanks for all of the inspiration and happy new year.

Chris,
Thanks for maintaining a great site and addressing the "comment" issue. After reading the above posts, I can see how much comments mean to most bloggers. I haven't gotten to that point yet. I just started two blogs a little over a week ago and I love it, but not because I'm getting comments (which I'm not), but because I love the writing process. I consider myself a writer, more than a blogger. What is the difference, anyway???

I started two blogs in October for Watercooler and I can tell you from experience that it's a slow burn rather than a flash fire. I'm trying not to get discouraged though because I completely believe in the concept that we've implemented and am confident that readership will come with some work. So we'll keep chugging along. I'm happy to know that others are in the same boat.

Hi there, I liked this post because it makes me realise i'm not alone. i've really only just started blogging though. I love the idea of being able to put my thoughts down, it's kind of therapuetic, but where's the therapy when no one's listening?

Thanks for this Chris...I agree. Reading your post AND the comments help me feel validated and not alone. I'm working hard to start conversations...for me (not so much a writer and a silly video maker) it's more about helping, empowering, and learning together. I'll keep trudging forward and as always...appreciate your blog so much.

Short and awesome. Thank you for spreading those words of wisdom.

Happy New Year!!

No handy hints. No tricks. Just reassuring words of wisdom. Nice one Chris.

Thanks for the very encouraging post Chris, it's a great way to start the new year.
One thing I have discovered about myself during this first year of running a site is that I am the kind of person who does need a certain amount of effort validation. Not necessarily praise, just knowing that somebody noticed does it for me.

In the past few months I've made the effort to try and comment more and to reach out to other bloggers. It's made a world of difference and I feel refreshed and energized. It was a great decision for me.

I like what Polenth had to say about other ways people let you know they liked your post. My site has a forum and I do often link to posts I think others will find interesting, helpful or amusing or I tweet them or post them on Facebook or email them to specific people.

It would be great it each commenter read at least one other's blog & left a comment. Someone already did that for me and I think it'd be a great way to share, and start, the commenting love.

Many thanks, Chris. I was just about to ask my Twitter friends for advice on this very subject when you post came out.

One thing I've learned recently is that even if people aren't posting comments, it doesn't necessarily mean they aren't reading. I've seen this with some of my blog posts which had 0 comments, but people have tweeted, emailed, or talked with me about their feedback and questions.

My plan in '09 is to keep listening, keep conversing, and keep writing.

Again, thanks for the post.

I'm a firm believer in finding exactly what you need at the right time. I have started many new things over the past year. Among those things is writing a book and starting a blog. I love to write. I feel it is important to have a voice. It can be discouraging to feel like you are having little or no impact and sometimes that is how I feel. But I hang in there. I write, share, and persist. Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I am overwhelmed by the thoughtful remarks you've all made. I'd love to comment on each, but I spent most of the day being a dad because I'm going on the road again in 4 days for a full week, so I knew it's be best to be a dad.

Thanks so very much for your thoughts, and also, thanks to those of you who went and visited the blogs of other commenters by clicking those people's names and following the links.

This is how community is done.

Many thanks for doing this post, Chris. I'm enjoying visiting the different blogs - and making new acquaintances.

Actually, that's one of my biggest concerns as I revive my blogging attempts - I know it's not true, but it seems almost impossible to gain a following these days. Most major blogs are already established, and while I'm obviously not setting out to have an audience of hundreds, it would be nice to know I'm not just talking into the ether.

It seems as though it will come down to sheer willpower to maintain it.

Chris, It's a nice reminder sometimes to read and see that even though not every post I write gets a comment, the content is still worth putting out and voicing my opinion.

I've found that I write because I enjoy writing, and enjoy publishing the news, rather than doing it for the engagement or for the money -- since my blog doesn't make much, I can't really do it for the money. I do it more for the love of blogging.

Every once in a while I see a comment like this and it comes as a shock to me all over again--and serves as a good reminder. I have six blogs, but I write simply for the sake of writing. Before there was an internet I wrote on paper and tossed it in my desk drawer and never gave it another thought. Every once in a while I get a special comment that I'm glad for, but for the most part I never give any thought to whether or not people comment on my posts--sometimes I don't even noticed comments for several days (or occasionally even weeks) after they're posted. With that mindset, it absolutely never crosses my mind that other bloggers might have a need for comments...I have to keep learning that over and over again.

A positive attitude is vital in blogging and really in building any community. It obviously takes time and effort but requires your positive attitude to shine through in your posts. If your attitude is down so will be your posts and anyone that's reading your posts will see that you don't have the passion that's needed to succeed.

Great advice, Chris.

that helped :) have a great year :)

It's definately a lot more fun when people comment on your posts. I love the feedback. It gives me ideas for new posts and ways to improve my work. That and it shows that readers are interested.

Before I started blogging - and that was a serious decision due to time commitment - I read somewhere about "don't worry about the lack of comments" and "don't get too obsessed about statistics". That really helped me set the expectations and focus on what is really more important - the act of posting useful materials and the ability to voice my opinions and share info. And when comments or other feedback (e.g. people linking to my blog) came in, I enjoyed the increased communications, knowingthatI have done something right. I definitely look forward to having more comments - they are really convos and who knows where they will take me...