Lutz, Florida (high 88, low 70)
I have been writing my blog for a few years now. I remember how excited I was when I got my first comment and follower. Wow…someone actually read my blog?
That was the beginning of my journey in blog land. Since then, I have learned a lot from fellow bloggers, and made some friends as well. Sometimes, just knowing someone out there cares about you is a really big help.
I read some other blogs, and I and notice they don’t get many comments.
Well, here are two reasons that come to mind right away.
1. Do you leave comments on other blogs?
Most of us enjoy comments left on our blogs. If you read blogs and never comment on them, no one is going to comment on yours!
Remember the saying…how to make a friend is be a friend. Well I think the same holds true for blogging. How to get a comment, is to leave a comment.
2. Do you have “word verification” ?
If I see one of these damn things, I rarely leave a comment. No, I do not want to prove I am not a robot.
I will make an exception for new blogs, or people who are having medical problems. So, if you’re not ill, or a new blogger, and don’t get many comments, this may be the reason!
This word verification step has been discussed and discussed on blogs recently. As a result of the most recent discussion, most (but not all) have removed the word verification step.
If you want to read more about it, please check out Rick's post.
I have gained so much from blogging. I’ve made a lot of friends, learned so much, gotten freebies, gotten camping offers, and so much more. Blogging has certainly enhanced our rv’ing experience.
Since we are stuck here in Florida, we are reading about all the places we want to visit someday. One thing, I like to see is on each blog posts is the location of where you are, and the temperature. The location was probably mentioned 3-4 posts ago, but I just can’t remember, or I never read that particular post.
Why the temperature? Because I want to know what season to go there! If your having 105 degree temperatures, I may want to go a different month.
Why the location? Because I read a lot of blogs and can’t always remember where you are. Yes, Ocean View State Park looks beautiful, but what ocean, what state, what city, what country?
Even if I follow your blog regularly, if you’re moving a lot, I can’t keep up with you. Where, oh where are you? I want to go there, but I don’t know where it is.
How about you. Is there anything you like to see on blogs? I know, we all write our own blogs the way we want to, and we can write them however we like, but let’s face it, we all like people to read our blogs. These are just a few of my suggestions and things I like to see on blogs.
p.s. I am making some changes to my blog. Please excuse the work in progress. If you see anything funky, please let me know.
![male bluebird feeding baby_thumb[1]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfN3gzL68XszGM545nlBDvHkbV3uFWindqBjpe6COolNIJHN8BFc6fd1PFFUNtZdYaClfUAkHFNozZcPujSGrDSlNeDIpg6H1nsWTP-qVSQyYnxWyvk7WThgf-3BDVKIYkoA6esQC0RwU5/s1600-h/male%252520bluebird%252520feeding%252520baby_thumb%25255B1%25255D%25255B5%25255D.jpg "male bluebird feeding baby_thumb[1]")
So very true. Like most of us (I assume) we do read/follow a lot of blogs, but fail to leave a comment. Foe me I read/do so much on the internet sometimes it's difficult to spend the time leaving comments. I'm taking your advise though, and putting our location on it.
ReplyDeleteAlready have our location listed. Not a bad idea about the temperature though.
ReplyDeleteYour comments background is too dark...difficult to read!
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com
Thanks for letting me know about the comments. I didn't realize the comments were on a darker background. It appears that I have to have the same color print on the blog and the comments, even though they both have different color backgrounds. I can't figure out how to change the comment background. Be patient...I'll work on it.
DeleteAnother thing you can do to attract readers is to proof read your article before you post it. It is obvious that very few bloggers do that.
ReplyDeleteoops...did I goof up? I try to proof it, but it's hard to proof your own work.
DeleteGood advice Karen. I never put the temperature. Maybe I should get one of those weather gadgets that will do it for me. Another comment I'd make is that for a lot of people with weaker internet connections, a huger header picture makes it take a LONG time to get the blog to come up and if the comments require that it be reloaded, lots of people aren't that patient. What's the best of the blogger comment possibilities do you think??
ReplyDeleteThe header picture stuff is very true. Although, I usually skip it and begin reading while it loads, but it took me a long time to figure this out (d'oh!).
DeleteGreat suggestions Karen. Our blog already has our location and temperature using a weather widget that I got on the internet. I believe that this is what most bloggers use. I also agree with Sherry (above) that the very large header pictures can slow down the load of your blog. But that doesn't stop me, I just go to another tab and do something else until it loads!! But then, I am normally a patient person.... :)
ReplyDeleteAs Kevin & Ruth mentioned above, I find your comments background too dark to read comfortably. The dark green is a nice contract to the other greens, but just too dark...especially with the dark brown font color. Thanks for the good tips from your own experiences...never really thought about the temperature of where we are, since we just take that for granted most of the time.
ReplyDeleteAll very good ideas.We enjoy hearing about FL.
ReplyDeleteAll good suggestions, Karen. Now, I just hope some blogger 'clown' doesn't come along and ask "hey, who do you think you are making all these rules?"
ReplyDeleteI agree with others who find your current comment section difficult to read. White print fonts might work better or a different background.
I see the bluebird of happiness is near you. Great capture!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed at how many people still use that word verification stuff. Ugh! Perhaps they don't read other blogs or comment on them.
I've never thought of putting the temperature in. I did add a location side bar a while back, though at a reader's suggestion.
I never thought about the location and temperature being useful to readers, but it makes sense. Maybe I'll add another gadget - what's one more? :D
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say Hi! My wife and I just purchased a MH this last Sept. I've been reading everything about RVing I can get my hands on,and have discovered that Blog's are a good source. With so many bolgs out there I find myself checking on two blogs often, and now check them almost every day. They are "R Sanity RV adventures" and "RV travels with Karen and AL" One thing I liked about your blog is that I can count on you writing something every day, while others go days before any comments. I do enjoy reading about peoples MH and why they made the choice they made to buy a certian unit. We live on the west coast, in a small town (about 45k pop)called Newark, CA. We are about 20 miles south of Oakland CA,(everybody knows Oakland)
ReplyDeleteabout 50 mi SE of San Francisco. Are temps are around mid 70's in summer sometimes hitting mid 90's. Winters are mid 50's sometimes getting into the lo 40's. Steve
Great post! I like all your ideas. It's true that the more we comment on other people's posts, the more they will come back to ours and leave comments. I've also had new Followers come over to my blog from comments I've left.
ReplyDeleteI have a weather gadget that tells what the temps are. I also have one on my computer desktop that I check from time to time. But most of the time I don't pay attention to the weather outside, it's the INSIDE temp I track. If it's hotter than 85 or 90, I turn on the A/C!
I often skip leaving comments if the word verification comes up. I'll leave a comment on a new blog, but I usually add that they might think about taking it off. Most people dislike that feature and their comments will be reduced.
Very good suggestions. Never thought much about the temperature but that's a good idea. The location is very important. Have to agree about the word verification - just let Blogger catch the spam.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your blog for the very reasons you state. I don't comment a lot because I appear anonymous. I don't have my own blog but do plan to join the RV life when I retire and find these blogs an invaluable resource to assist with RV selection and places to see. Both of which there appear to be too many choices. Keep up the goodwork on your blog.
ReplyDeleteBev in NS Canada
All good suggestions. I tend to think that the underlying thing is to not get too "crazy" when it comes to adding a bunch of "stuff" (um, cr*p?)to your blog/page/whatever you call it.
ReplyDeleteAs an example, I'd prefer not to hear what "music" you might be playing (blasting) on your car stereo, so if I go to a site and some music starts up, I'M OUTTA THERE! Oh my Gawd! Why do people do that? I don't get it.
Sorry.
Got carried away.
I do tend to think simpler is better. And no word verification and no freakin' "comment approval" either.
Please.
So you might get one or two spam comments a week? Who cares? Go in and punt them out! It's not the end of the world.
So thanks for the tips.
If enough people keep preaching it, maybe everyone will get the message eventually.
Don't let that cat out.
Agree 100%
ReplyDeleteI used to comment more than I do now. If I am on the iPad, I usually don't comment unless I feel what I have to say will be helpful or interesting. I don't leave a comment if there are already 15 or 20 comments because they usually say what I would have said.
I will often leave a comment on a post that has very few comments.
If I run into word verification I will leave a comment one time, and have mentioned that I will not do so again if the verification is still on in the future. I will still read them however.
A good way to get comments if it is important to you is to end your post with a question. I do if I want input on something, and don't if I just writing an update on my life.
I will try to add something about weather and location, but probably not a widget. I rarely look at widgets on other peoples blogs.
Weather has been in the 70's here in Northern California.
The temp ideais a good one. I think you hit most of the ideas I would have too. I do agree with Bob in keeping it simple even though I don't always follow that advise.
ReplyDeleteI also have the temperature using a weather widget. Great quick way to keep everyone updated. With our title being Where's Weaver, we always have where we are currently located.
ReplyDeleteI would like if bloggers would tell where their header photo was taken. We have a text box right at the beginning of our right column that always lets a reader know where we took the photo.
Lots or not a lot of comments doesn't matter to us. We have at least 6 people who send us emails and NEVER leave comments but email every time we update the blog.
One thing we aren't into to is the Follower widget. We were with a very popular blogger couple a few months ago. The gal told us that they have like 300 followers. She said she had no idea who most of them were and know they don't all leave comments because she only averages about 16 a blog.
Thanks for doing this blog. It was interesting reading other comments.
That's a great idea about where the header picture was taken. It's on my list of needed changes.
DeleteLove the bluebird pic! They are one of my favorite birds. I typically don't put our location in all of my posts and I tend to blog after we have left an area. Call me crazy but I don't want any blog stalkers appearing on my door-step (jk!) Good suggestions though!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder. We've sat for so long here in Apache Junction this winter that I just assume everybody knows we are STILL here. And that it's HOT. lol Now hopefully, I'll remember to add that info cause I agree that it's really nice to know where folks are.
ReplyDeleteMy internet connection has been so lousy that I have trouble leaving comments because I keep getting dropped. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle that next year but I'm sure going to try and find something different.
Thanks for reminding me how much I appreciate bloggers who indicate their location at the beginning of their posts. I try to do that, too, but sometimes I forget it when we're not on the road. I'm going to try to get in the habit of identifying our location with every post. One thing that I find tiresome is a post with a zillion photos of something of no interest to the average reader. I question the need to include two dozen photos of a family picnic or, say, rug weaving. Seems like it would be a better idea to link to a photo library for those with like-minded interests. Oh, by the way, I agree with the others about the dark green comments background. One more thing: I always try to leave a compliment when I comment. That is, in fact, the reason for my comments--to pay tribute to something well done. I never leave negative comments, and I don't have time to comment just to be commenting. Again, thanks for good ideas and a thought-provoking post. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI like this information, Karen. You are so right about the location thing, I haven't done it regularly and often forget that folks of course may have just dropped in that single post and wouldn't have a clue. I have also wandered around a blog trying to figure out where in the world they ARE!. I'll try to remember this one. Again, since my blog is for me mostly, I usually know where I was, but not always.
ReplyDeleteGood post. I agree with you - no word verification, add location and weather. I don't have a problem with the beautiful pelican header and I'm on mi-fi - however, I'm sure others would appreciate it being a little smaller so it might load more quickly. Sorry, but I'm not a fan of the black text on gray background. I'm sure you'll figure out how to make changes. If I'm reading blogs on my phone, I don't usually leave comments. Did you take that bird photo? OMG I will never be able to get a shot like that, amazing. Looking forward to Tampa background photos.
ReplyDeleteAs a traveler I love the sites that have labels I can click on to scout out areas they've visited or links to posts with a specific interest. I finally figure out how to do this on my blog and back-labeled all my posts!
ReplyDelete