Blogging for yourself or to get comments?
For lunch today, I went to Corner Bakery in Pasadena (Hastings Ranch) with Alex and Mystery James.
One of the things we talked about was blogging. James started a new blog to write about his work experiences. But, he was upset because he didn’t receive any comments. Alex complained because he wanted to blog on his Myspace account, but nobody reads it.
Here’s my thoughts about that:
What’s the purpose of your blog?
You need some sort of “About” page about what you or your blog is all about. If people don’t know of its importance, they’re less likely to subscribe. That’s fine if you want to stay somewhat anonymous, but you need to give people a reason to read your content.
What are your strengths?
If people know why you rock, they’ll be more inclined to become longtime readers.
Make people think so they’ll feel obligated to say something.
If you’re not getting comments, your readers don’t feel compelled to add anything. Examine your writing. Are you making statements or open-ended questions?
Does your personality invite other people to voice themselves?
If you’re the type of person that immediately goes into debate-mode, you can’t expect people to want to jump into a discussion with you. Listen, acknowledge and work with them.
Read what you admire.
In regards to the subject of writing, I’m subscribed to Copyblogger. Their purpose is to provide “copywriting tips for online marketing success.” Lots of people learn from trial and error, but if someone else already messed up and learned from it, you don’t have to.
Why do I blog?
I just like writing about anything and everything. I’m not an expert in any single aspect. Chris Brogan saw bryanvillarin.com and described me as the “jack of all trades.” (via Twitter) People know me as a “computer guy,” card magician, and rock star. As much as I like comments, I’ll just write about whatever that interests me.
It’s time to examine yourself. Does your blog have a purpose? What are your strengths? Do you get people thinking? Do you let them speak?
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