How to deal with unwanted comments

It is interesting to get comments, it is even better to get nice comments but it is a thrill to get a comment that shows that someone just ‘got’ your post the way you meant it. It gives you the feeling you are on the right track and it reinforces what you have to say.

There are occasions though that you get comments that are not nice. They can be negative, putting you down and even be insulting. Then there are comments that should not be allowed to be called ‘comments’ as they are reactions to your post to promote something.

I have had a couple of such comments lately. Some were actually quite nice or full of praise and they left a link to their website. I explored their link only to find out that they were on a mission to market their products – some were the kind of products I might not want to be associated with!

I have had others that did not have the courtesy to actually comment on my blog post. They just left a link hoping that I would explore that link. And just yesterday I had a comment with an invite to check out their link.

Quite often these comments are worded in such a way to lure you in as they offer a service that you may benefit off. My daughter told me that companies hire people who do nothing else than targeting blogs and websites to promote services and products and plants links. What a job to have I can only say!

What to do with a negative comment?

You are in control! So what do you do when you get negative comments? Many hosted websites make it easy for you because they act as a filter for all comments. Most of my comments actually end up in spam. When that happens I have various options of dealing with the comment before I allow it to be visible to all. Usually there is an email address and if you feel you need to react the option is there.

In principle you want people to comment on your blog as they give you the opportunity to engage in discussions. Not everyone will agree with what you say but that’s life and it makes it more interesting.

Get a thicker skin! When the comments are negative or insulting one way of dealing with it is to get a ‘thicker skin’! Not everyone will agree with what you write but disagreement does not mean that you are disliked. As adults we should be able to deal with the difference between ‘disliking you’ and ‘disliking your behaviour’. Two completely different although related things. In generally it is children who don’t understand the difference but by the age of 10 they should have sussed it out. Some adults will never learn it though!

Use them to your advantage! If you do allow comments no matter of what nature, you can make sure they are legitimate by checking out whether their email address is a real one. If they are real but disagree with you, then it is up to you whether you like to include the comment in your blog. You could use the comments as inspiration to write new blog posts or alternatively invite more readers to comment to promote a discussion. One way to increase your traffic – a tip I should use more myself!

How to get more traffic

Your blog is up and running, it looks gorgeous and what you write about is interesting. Everything is in place for success. So how do you get people to stop by and have a look? In other words what can you do to increase the traffic to your blog?

Interesting content – It seems logic but nevertheless it has to be mentioned. Whatever you write about or show should be interesting, original and be up to date.

Regular posts – You have to post regularly, not once a month or even once a week but more like 3 times per week. That way your followers are not overwhelmed by your stuff but will be intrigued to see what you have to say next. Nowadays people are bombarded with news on a daily base. The statistics are horrendous! So don’t overdo it but in order to stay connected with your blog readers you do have to see you on a regular base.

When I publish a blog post I usually have enough inspiration to write a couple more posts but feel that I ought to make myself useful in other areas. Before I know it is a couple of days further and I have to dig deep to get that initial inspiration back. I suppose it would be better if I let myself be guided by my drive and creativity on the spur of the moment.

By invitation – A pro-active way to get more readers is to invite them. By checking out other blogs, leaving comments and introducing yourself you may entice bloggers to have a look at your site. If they like what they see and if it is relevant to them they may become a regular visitor.

I think I am a little guilty of not looking at other blogs enough. It seems a little indulgent to just browse the net and look for interesting things to read. Well I’ll also say to myself – if you like people to read your blog, you may have to take the time to read others’!

Don’t overdo it! Your comment on someone else’s blog should not be an advertisement for your own blog. If you leave your link with your comment it should be relevant to the blogger otherwise it is the same as getting a random email to promote something. And I don’t appreciate those and very likely you don’t either!

Be creative!

Looking at other blogs – I realise I am doing it for research purposes – I came across a couple of more interactive ways of creating more traffic. Giving away something, swapping items with other bloggers and organising competitions are some of them. I like to look into this a bit more myself and maybe set something up at a later stage.

One way that appeals to me to get more readers is to ask for opinions about a certain project. For instance I am looking into making insect screens for a rental house I am currently living in. I could ask for suggestions. But that hasn’t got anything to do with blogging!

Although, anybody out there who has got some ideas?