here’s a behind-the-scenes glimpse at running a blog like scoutie girl.
as you can imagine, i get a lot of submissions via email. sometimes they’re confident and sassy (i kind of like those!), sometimes they’re self-deprecating (wish you all had more confidence!), and sometimes i get ones that are slightly bizarre. jena, from modish, wrote the definitive guide to approaching blogs for marketing in the creative community. it’s a great post and a great resource. however since everyone reads it… the emails start to look the same.
and there’s not a whole lot of advice i can give you on that.
but one thing that never fails is writing an awesome comment. not a “that’s great!” or “those are beautiful!” kind of comment but a comment that adds to my post. if all i do is write or curate beautiful posts, my blog is less than it could be. when you add to the conversation, when you bring something to the table that wasn’t there before, you make my blog better. a lot better.
beyond the thrill of receiving those comments, there is the thrill of discovering more about who wrote it.
for instance, this evening, i found this beautiful blog through a comment.
i twittered about her immediately and there’s a great chance she’ll get a feature on scoutie girl sometime soon. that’s results.
i keep this in mind when i comment on blogs too. and i think it works. even if i don’t get a link, i’m much more likely to get a new friend. someone who will be interested in me as a person and someone who will be there when i need a favor. that’s community building in the blogosphere.
do you comment on blogs? do your comments get lost in a crowd or treasured & clicked by the blogger?
for ideas on what to write when you just don’t know what to say, read my follow up post.
image by joanne thies
I’m Tara Gentile. I think big. I set lofty goals, execute ambitious projects, and get sizable returns. I'm not satisfied to stop at good-enough or moderately successful. I’m in the process of building a web empire. True tale. I can help you build yours too.
I am really so clueless about blogging and what you do and how you do it that any insight you provide proves fascinating. I imagine that our jobs are much the same in the fact that we are bombarded with submissions of projects and ideas. I would love to hear more about how you process it all, keep it organized, and weed through the dandelions to get to the dahlias.
i found this post via twitter and wanted to let you know that i think you are right on. i’m pretty new to blogging and as i am building my readership base, i’m finding that thoughtfully crafted comments are really what make my day. what is interesting to me is the development of conversations between bloggers and readers, and how comments can inspire the next beautiful project or collection of ideas. as i’ve figured out some of the logistics of actually running my blog, my new resolution over the past few weeks has been to be a more active participant in the greater cultural community.
thanks for the food for thought.
- alexandra
ps- saw your snow pics- looks like you are enjoying this madness in the philly area too!
Thanks so much for the insight! Just found your blog through Twitter and am excited to read more.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I think it’s similar to receiving an actual letter or package in the mail. It is always the best feeling, but it’s much less likely to happen if you don’t send any mail out yourself. If I’m not commenting on the blogs I love, how do I expect anyone to even glance at mine.
My problem is that I’ve decided to click “follow” on 50 Bagillion blogs that look pretty or interesting. I now find it utterly impossible to keep up with them, so I just avoid them all. If a title catches my eye on my google home page I click on it, otherwise… my blog list has become like a junk drawer, or my email inbox, or the receipts in my pocket book. TOO FULL!
I read your blog more than most because I also follow you on twitter. I found this post thru Twitter, and it has inspired me to continue my recent commitment to simplify. So… Thanks!
Tonight – I’m going thru the blogs I “follow” and I’m going to simplify and try to actually follow them. I’m going to check in… comment… and enjoy!
I think you’ve offered great insight from behind-the-scenes. It must be difficult to sort through all the inquiries to figure out who is really who they say they are! I also think commenting authentically helps to build relationships, that’s how it all started with blogging and online communities. However, I still think it’s okay to say “That’s great!” or “I love it!” as well, because sometimes that’s all it takes!
Thank you for this tidbit of advice. Its funny because i am your typical, “thats beautiful!” commenter. Only because I want someone to be encouraged. But now I will certainly take the time to say more. I will make my comment worthwhile. I love reading other peoples comments so maybe that will be the same with mine:)
I agree with Molly! I’ve been collecting random blogs for too long and I”m literally afraid to open google reader and read that there are 1000+ posts or some godawful thing. I’ve found I follow blogs through twitter/facebook – when they announce a post, I go check it out. When I catch it. It’s such a hit or miss thing.
Going through my blog list is a high priority. Weeding it down to a more organized beast.
Regarding comments. I’ve realized the same thing, so many of my posts are comment-less, and it’s time to find a way to get more back from readers- I want a community! One thing I’m planning to do is try adding disqus or one of those comment systems so that I can respond to my readers more directly and build a conversation. Then on to more 52 weeks of blogging your passion (catch up!) and make those posts more comment-friendly.
Notice you write a post about comments and you get’em? Gotta try that
I’m a relatively new blogger trying to learn the ropes of community building through my own blog. I appreciate the insight you’ve provided on building that blog community and will certainly keep it in mind when I comment or follow other blogs.
I, too, am guilty of leaving the “that’s beautiful” type comments. I can’t help it. I’m drawn in by beautiful things and I think other people are as well. But I also find myself having a lot of comment-less blog posts. I’m starting to branch outside of showcasing pretty things, but I have to admit it feels a bit awkward, especially since I don’t know who or if anyone will respond.
I like your conversational style of blogging and hope to develop my own conversational blogging style that will engage (and attract) more readers. I struggle with engagement, but hopefully with practice comes progress. I’m certainly open to learning more about how to bridge this gap o’ mine!
I couldn’t agree with you more. On the receiving end of comments, I’ve had some wonderful ones on my blog – in fact, just yesterday I had one that had brought me to tears – the writer REALLY GOT what I was trying to accomplish. Some of my more introspective blog posts have actually started as comments to a specific question on someone else’s blog. A great question at the end of a post is sure to 1) get me to think and 2) inspire me to write something in return.
I try to comment on posts as much as possible. The number of unread posts in my reader gets way overwhelming at times, though, so often times my comments are a quick “way to go” or “that is beautiful”. I should probably choose to write less, well thought out comments to posts that ring true to me in some way…or read less blogs
sigh… definitely a work in progress!
I found your blog through the spiffy blog talking about the difficulties of submitting a request to be featured on a blog. I have to admit that I am intimidated by the prospect because I find it hard to talk up my art and my blog. I appreciate any input on good ways to make this process easier! I find that it is easier to approach the blogs of sellers/artists that i am comfortable with. This does limit my circle of influence quite a bit…however, I do think that this does help get the ball rolling. Your blog has a great and approachable tone and I look forward to your posts. I try to leave comments that are constructive but like the person above me, some posts just defy comments beyond ‘ beautiful’.
Thank you so much for this interesting article that you’ve shared.
Great advice. I leave comments all time time (well, as much as I HAVE time) on blogs big and small. I’ve gotten a ton of traffic back from some of those big blogs, but a surprising amount of traffic from the smaller blogs too.
I think commenting is a great way to spread your name across blogs in the same field, or to bloggers you want to influence one day. It’s also just good karma — I love getting blog comments, so I figure other people do too!
saw your site on Etsy – as I am trying to figure this all out. advertising, blogging, tweeting………. Baking 200 plus cupcakes seems much easier to me! I have 6 followers on my blog!! but I guess I have to start somewhere. Thanks for your ideas.
http://welldressedcupcakes.blogspot.com/
This is a very insightful article! I’ve gotten a lot out of the comments, too — see what a great community a blog is? I’d love to build this kind of community on my blog, and it’s just starting to pick up a little eensy tiny bit. One thing I really appreciate is when I get a comment on my blog from someone whose blog I’ve commented on, so I try to respond to comments I get both on my blog and to go check out the commenter’s blog. Of course, it’s easy when I only get 3-5 comments per week
But the few times I’ve had someone I really admire come by and comment on one of *my* posts after I’ve commented on hers, it’s made me feel really special (not hinting here, I promise!!!!).
that’s beautiful!
hee hee. i get what you are saying, and i appreciate it when commenters engage, but i also appreciate even a little “sweet!” comment. since i’m a fledgling blog, every little bit is encouraging. and i do try to pay it forward and then some. even if all i got is, “beautiful!” i like to let people know they’re being heard/read!
thanks for the helpful post!
Yes, I comment on blogs, but not all the time. Sometimes I feel guilty for reading a great post and realizing all I could say about the post is “WOW that was great” or “thanks for such a great post”–and so I don’t comment. Being a blogger myself, I know how invaluable and heartwarming it is to either receive a blog comment or a personal email from someone who has taken the time to let me know that he/she has read something I wrote and enjoyed it.
I’ve recently been making a concerted effort to comment on blogs more often.
As a blogger, I totally understand how precious comments can be, especially the ones that actually add to the conversation. As a blog reader, though, I often have started comments and then talked myself right back out of them – either because someone else already said something really similar, or because I just keep revising and rewording and editing until I get frustrated and eventually hit the back button. A bit too much of a perfectionist, I guess. Since I realized just how frequently I was doing this, though, I’ve been making myself actually finish and post any comments I start. There’s no point to letting my perfectionist streak get in the way of connecting with new people, after all.
Thanks for this very thoughtful post. I’ve been working at really improving how I comment on blogs. It’s important I think, to leave interesting and conversational comments.
Such comments are beneficial to both the blogger and commenter!
And for the blogger, it’s so much more fun to read something besides “thanks for sharing, nice blog!”
Before my comments would always get lost, but now people are starting to click to my blog from my comment. It does work to leave good comments!
Thanks again for a great post!
right on, johanna! i’m going to write a follow up to this post tonight. i hope you’ll check that one out too!
found you through etsy’s blog
i like your point on comments. when i read posts, i try to leave quality comments. and really, it doesn’t matter if i get more readers on my blog or not. i’d rather gain 1 new bloggy friend over getting 20 comments on my post any day.
hi prasti! i couldn’t agree more. a new friend is better for both you AND your business. there’s a school of thought that 1,000 loyal followers who will shout from the mountains about everything you do is all you need to make a living. i think this is SO true – i’m far from 1,000 but we’ll all get there together
You are so right! I really like having lots of comments on my blog, and even more so when they add to a post:) It gets your mind going and might even give you ideas for another post! It also feels like you’re having a conversation with a friend – it feels real. Networking can really be awesome:)
Thanks for sharing! Take care,
Patricia
yes! like all these great comments have given me a few ideas. thanks so much for stopping by!
I always leave a comment on the blogs that I follow to show my appreciation for their article/post, after all, I chose to follow them and I appreciate their time in posting.
..but .. on new blogs that I have just come across something must click first before I leave a comment otherwise I would be commenting willy nilly all day long.
I create in a niche market and blog to a slightly wider one but I hope in all this that I meet like minded beings and for unlike minds, well, I hope I have made them think in a new way.
I came here from your helpful Storque article, thank you!
Annette
hi annette! i think it’s really important to have a commenting strategy. it seems silly… but willy nilly comments probably won’t get you anywhere. it sounds like you’re on exactly the right track!
Hah, I am guilty on doing exactly that kind of comment on your storque article earlier
I’ve read the article, found it interesting but since I am not around long enough yet, there isn’t really anything specific or not, that I could add to the topic.
Generally so, I tend to agree, a stream of “wonderful” and “thanks for sharing” can become quite hmm boring even if that’s genuine sentiments by people that happen to be in the same situation I found myself in
hi rabamata! i’m going to write a post addressing this tonight. all of the comments on this post have inspired me!
Thank you so much for the great advice! I’ve only just recently started a blog and have been quite clueless about it. I’m definitely going to try to be better about commenting more regularly on the blogs that I follow. I tend to fear mass ridicule I suppose and this keeps me quiet. However, I will endeavor to overcome this and push onward with this new-to-me form of social networking.
Thanks again!!
hey rebecca! i think you’ll find the online craft community quite encouraging! sure, there are plenty of brick walls – i run into them too!! – but there are plenty of people willing to help you improve your business and marketing, too!
I just found you from a Etsy Storque blog that I was reading! I wanted to know what the big secret was to getting featured in blogs, and lo and behold, it was the one thing I was already doing! I comment on the Storque blog a lot, and I’ve been mentioned in it three or four times already. So I guess your advice works. I don’t know how long my good luck will continue. but even those quick mentions have been super helpful for my shop.
Now I just have to find more fashion blogs to comment thoughtfully on!
hey minkie! yes – finding blogs in your niche is key! best of luck – look for you post on sg tomorrow morning!
I also found you from an Etsy Storque blog and I’m so glad I did. I only recently started a blog at the start of this month and obviously am learning something new everyday. I have to admit that I’m guilty of the ‘great info!’ type of comment and realize that it’s pretty pointless. Though, even a comment like that on my blog makes me feel pretty good – just knowing that someone took that extra second to say something. I will be making a greater effort to write more on my own blog – up until now, I keep my commentary rather short and sweet and accompany it with pretty pics but to really get loyal followers, I’ll have to open up a bit and give people more of an idea of who I am. (and hope they still stick around!)
yes! any comment is a good one. it’s just some are more likely get to get some action back
i’m going to write a post tonight on precisely that.
thanks for stopping by!
ok, you know you asked for this right?
commenting on blogs has by far introduced me to some of the most amazing people! artists…writers…moms. after awhile you feel like you know them….you “hear” their voice. i love that. i love the community that is OUT there…just waiting for us to grab ahold and make friends.
thanks for sharing such encouraging words….
for sure! i’ve got amazing friends from my internet endeavors. and i’ve even met people in my own area through the internet!
thanks for stopping by!
Wow! I feel like I’m living in the dark ages here! Having a shop online occupies so much of my time, there’s little of me left to even read blogs, let alone attend to my long neglected one…. find myself wondering if there’s truly a necessity to “build community” online when I can hardly keep up with real-time relationships!
Thanks for the input though… I shall consider how I might find a small scrap of time to devote to this ever-evolving creature called the blogosphere….
hi suzi! certainly, blogging & online community aren’t for everyone. if you’re business is doing that well (and i saw that it is!!) submitting to blogs may just take you away from your real work. best of luck for your continued success!
Okay. So, I really love blogs and I do think that it would be great to get featured on one. I’ve read about how to approach blog editors but it is still intimidating. You know, you have all the questions running through your head, but the one that I find myself asking over and over is “will they get my product?” Sometimes, this question stops me from inquiring. I follow a few blogs and if I have something to say, I definitely will comment. I am not going to lie, some days, it is the generic, “that’s great” comment, but some days, they are more in depth! I know when I comment, I always hope that the blogger will read what I have to say but when you get 1100 plus comments on a blog, it can feel like you are just a number.
hi nathifa!
i think the best way to get the confidence to submit to a blog is to find one that really speaks to your market. for example, i checked out your shop & it’s presented really well! however, it wouldn’t be a good fit for scoutie girl – and if i did feature your work you probably wouldn’t get very good results. however, there are MANY blogs representing a fresh take on christianity and a the next generations of christians. check those out and i bet you’ll get great results!
Great blog!
I have been blogging for a year now, and I think I have some great posts..but often get few comments. I am hoping that this will change as I absolutely LOVE the feel of community …love the conversations that take place… and look forward to meeting more people….it is such a small world, after all
Thanks
(found this via etsy article btw)
hi claudia! thanks for stopping by! yes – let conversation be your guide and the comments will follow for sure. good luck!
I found your blog through Etsy – this really was a great post. I’ve been blogging for about a year and have recently ventured into selling on Etsy.
One thing I love about blogging is the ability to make so many wonderful connections. I really like the ability to converse with people across the country that share my interests and are often inspirational to me. Even though I’ve only met a handful of them in person, I feel like I am friends with all of them in a way.
On the other hand, it is challenging to have a good blog that draws readers when it seems like everyone has a blog or some other sort of on-line presence.
hi kate! i think that’s why it’s so important to really find what it is about you that makes you different. it’s both a blessing & a curse to have so many wonderful blogs & shops out there – but you can distinguish yourself by the way your present your online self. check out a post i wrote over at scoutie girl for more on that: http://www.scoutiegirl.com/2010/02/the-art-business-of-crafting-your-online-self.html
The light just went off in my head when you said add to the conversation and not just comment. Brilliant. I did a blogspot on Hats and it went no where quick. However, I have found vlogging to be amazing because people can see you and it brings another 5th deminsion element into the mix. I love that you see commenting on blogging as a way to connect with people and not just blog. This helped me tremendously. I am a milliner and dressmaker in Los Angeles and new to Etsy so I soak up all the great advice from fellow etsyians.
Cheers,
Sonrisa
hi sonrisa!! nice to meet you! i think you’re right on about vlogging. and it’s something i want to incorporate more into both of my blogs. it’s a little tough when you’re camera shy like me, though
thank you for all your kind words. i’m off to check off your shop!
I’m glad I found this blog today! My cousin and I run a card designing business and we started a blog and recently switched from just promoting products in it to trying to tell stories to get people interested in reading it. I think it is important to network yourself and your business to get more interest in your craft! And if you meet some good friends who are in the trenches of trying to be successful with you then all the better!
This, along with an experience today, have been very enlightening to me. I JUST started a blog this past week, and today–I got several comments. Some of them were just as you describe–meaningful. I have surfed and followed many blogs – most of them like mine, and only once or twice have I actually left a comment. Part of that was b/c I did not have my own blog, and some was that I didn’t truly realize the value in a comment…how it can make the conversation so much more!!! I almost always commented at my desk
, but rarely in writing.
great inspiration for thinking outside the box, now you will have to read mega long essay like comments now ;D
Dear Tara,
First of all, I genuinely appreciate this post and your heart to teach. Coming from a newcomer to this blogging/etsy/art/design community, I am so thankful that you are open to share how to make meaningful connections in this arena.
I have attempted to make connections on twitter, but haven’t thought about building relationships through comments on blogs. Thanks for the suggestion! I have also not been shy about sending out e-mails to several blogs. I have even been featured on a blog. And I have started to build relationships through twitter. My problem is that sometimes, in this cyberspace world, I feel like a stalker. It especially feels this way when you never hear back from the person. I understand that people are busy and don’t have time to respond to everyone. But how do you make that leap from fan to friend in this crazy cyber world? How do you make a lasting impression that says, wow, I want to get to know you?
Looking for real connections with like-minded artists,
Wendy
hi wendy!
thanks so much for your thoughtful comment.
you emailed me earlier this week, right? i had visited your shop then and made a mental note. loved your aesthetic but i wasn’t sure if i could use it for scoutie girl. often times that’s where it ends for me. that’s my problem – and i’m working hard at fixing it. BUT you came over here and left this great comment and now you’ve made a real connection. i think there’s a saying in retail that people need to see something 7 times before they buy it. well, i think it’s similar with your brand – the more ways you can connect with the person you’re looking for form a relationship with, the better! now that i’ve seen your brand twice – which means you’re doing an awesome job – i’ll remember you for the future!
and, i’m in this just like you, i’m writing emails, leaving comments, connecting on twitter to build relationships & grow my blog and business. and there are many, many times i feel like a stalker. and then – wow! – there’s a connection and i find out they’ve been watching me all along. it’s not nearly as one sided as it feels sometimes
thanks again!
got your message, uncle steve… right on time. thanks
thank you tara
honestly this stuff gets so overwhelming. i don’t even know where to start. and i have finally come to understand to be successful its necessary.
but its so sad that if i don’t get involved with this (blogs, facebook, etc), no matter how great my stuff is, its very unlikely to get seen.
sorry this comment contributed none!!
Your points are good – kind of like like momma used to say, “If you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all.” That’s fine for kids, but as an adult it had to be replaced with”Speak the truth in love.” The concept of adding to – it’s a good one! I think too that consistency and balance are important both in both blogging and reading blogs. Unfortunately I’m not good at either!
I’m really trying to make a conscious effort to make comments more regularly on blogs as I appreciate them so much myself. I’m constantly reading blogs and I have to remind myself how appreciative I am when other people take the time to drop me a line. . . even if it is just a ‘thank you’ or an ‘I enjoyed your post!’ (Even though it’s much, much more fun if they have a little more spice. . .)
I have so much to learn and will definitely get your online book. I want to learn how to blog well and there is so much information out there that it gets confusing. I just started a blog on blogspot, figured best to just jump right in but now wonder if I should switch over to wordpress. How does one know what platform to use? Thanks
hey manette! well, there are lots of factors that are involved in choosing a platform. although, budget shouldn’t be one of them. even a self-hosted wordpress blog is really only going to set you back the hosting fees which are nominal. there are lots of articles out there on the hows & whys of each. my fave in wordpress because of the sheer ability of it to do everything i want it to do – if i can dream it, i can build it pretty easily with wordpress. but that’s not for everyone!
my ebook is definitely geared for speaking towards the “language” of creative people. not everything you read on problogger or other how-to-blog blogs translates easily to our media. hopefully you learn some technical lessons in a very creative & introspective way!
First of all thank you for interesting post
I will think about it.
I comment rather rarely because I am ashamed of my not so perfect English. Also I am new in blogging at English and I became used to Russian blogosphere at livejournal, which is so different from English-speaking craft blogosphere. I feel myself too clumsy when I try to comment.
I guess my comments get lost in a crowd because I do too much mistakes
But it is not the way I wanted to stand out 
hi dina! don’t worry at all if your english isn’t perfect! my husband and i were just talking about this at dinner. i get a lot of emails from people who don’t speak english as a first language and you all are so apologetic! girl, if i could speak your language half as well as you speak english – i’d be ecstatic.
i think in this internet age, we’re all used to dealing with the difficulties (& joys!) of communicating with people from around the world. thanks so much for your comment!
Hi Tara! I do try to leave comments with substance, but I know there are times when I fall into the “that’s beautiful..” category. {Though I do leave more than a few words.
} And there have also been comments left on my blog which have been the same. But, I love those, too! Sometimes, it just opens the door. If they leave a link to their blog, I visit and leave a comment. Even if it’s short and sweet. Sometimes they come back, or they don’t. I have found that initially, comments can feel impersonal, but once I get to know the bloggers and they get to know me, the comments become more conversational. And that of course is really fun! It takes time to establish that community. It’s about me opening that door beyond my post.
Hi Tara,
I believe i found you on the Etsy Storque blog – not sure – i’ve been surfing a lot lately. I cannot believe the amount of traffic some blog sites receive – I am a very talkative and I’d like to believe, thoughtful person – so to find a vessel where I can just voice my thoughts and have them received is incredible – its almost like therapy. The blogging community is so receptive and positive. I am so new at this – didn’t even know the vastness of this new social networking thing and I am quite intrigued to learn more. I have a blog on blogger – pookblogger I believe – I don’t remember – but I have a website – pookdesignz.com – and I have a few blogs there. Again, I am so new at this but I am sincerely grateful for all of your input, the input of your online blogging community and all of your enthusiasm that comes with your posts. I feel like I am swimming in a pool of creative forces that just pull you farther along your creative journey. Look forward to following you along,
Thanks so much,
Amanda
I love to make comments and I always appreciate comments of my blogs and twittering too! It gives me a bit of insight as to what I catching people’s eyes and what they want to hear more about.
The thought that someone took the time to stop in and actually say something means a lot, especially if it is more than “Beautiful!” or “Nice!”
(Not that those aren’t appreciated!)