During a #blogchat chat not long ago (remember they happen on Sunday nights starting at 9 PM EST), someone tweeted out, “Your goal should not be comments.” Or something like that. It got retweeted a lot. I raised my hand, then I remembered no one could see me, so I tweeted instead. I said, “Well, comments are definitely a goal for me.”
Here’s why.
This blog is not intended to make me one red cent
I know. I know. Just put your head between your knees. Get a paper bag. It’ll pass. But this is still the truth. This blog, as a method of communication, is not monetized. Now there might come a time when I say, “Hey, I have this or that piece of work if you’re interested in buying it over there.” But you, my readers, will never be put into a system whereby I make money. It’s really not what this blog is for.
This blog is like public school without the cafeteria. It’s like a gathering in the park without the beautiful surroundings. Or…pick whatever analogy you see fit.
The purpose of this blog is to talk about things that are relevant to our clients (I’m always, first and foremost, an ambassador for my family’s agency) and to offer points of conversation (and hopefully help) for people immersed in Social Media.
Because I’m not monetizing this blog, I don’t need to stress over a lot of the things other people stress about. I LOVE the fact that you subscribed to my blog because it tells me you’re interested, and I consider it a gift. But I’m not going to send you a Margieclayman.com e-newsletter. I like looking at my Google Analytics (sometimes) but there’s no dollar sign looming over it.
So what good are comments?
I can’t really say that comments as a thing to count are what matter to me. Truly what matters to me is conversation. It’s just that on a blog site, conversation happens in the comment section. I care about comments not in terms of how many I get, but rather what people are saying. Do you have a completely different perspective to offer this community? Do you have tips and tricks that I didn’t cover that you’re willing to share? Do you have a question you hadn’t realized you had before reading my post?
Those kinds of comments are what I’m aiming for here.
What this means to you
“This is all very nice,” you may be saying, “but your point would be what?”
Oh, well…I’m getting there.
My point is that no objective for a blog is “unnecessary” or dumb or a waste of time if it’s yours. Now, if you’re trying to monetize and your primary concentration is on getting comments, then yes, you probably need to adjust your priorities. But if you are after something else, that’s okay too.
For me, comments mean I’m writing the kind of posts that you enjoy. It means I have a chance to learn from you and to help you if you need it. It means conversation between me and you and between you and other people who comment here.
I don’t feel the least bit stupid for saying so, either.
What’s your take on comments?
So what’s your perspective? Would you have retweeted that tweet about comments not being a good objective? Are comments your objective? Or do you have something else to add?
Hey – let’s talk. In the comments section!
Image by Mandy Julian. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/mjamanda
I love comments! It means that not only did someone read what I wrote, but it made them think enough to want to say something about it or to congratulate me or berate me or whatever. I love that! Now, I wouldn’t mind a little cash now and again too, though! 🙂
Well yes. I am not anti the dollar. If the dollar gods are listening – I have no problem with you. It’s just, I’m not trying to get ’em *here* 🙂
Excellent response. It may well have been my comment tweet that you’re referring to (?), but I can’t disagree with your thought process at all.
In fact, I love what you said “Now, if you’re trying to monetize and your primary concentration is on getting comments, then yes, you probably need to adjust your priorities.”
And “For me, comments mean I’m writing the kind of posts that you enjoy. It means I have a chance to learn from you and to help you if you need it. It means conversation between me and you and between you and other people who comment here.”
Makes perfect sense.
What I was trying to get at in those measly 140 characters is that comments aren’t a magic bullet for all blogs. A comment doesn’t necessarily make a sale. And some blogs just are not the kind of place people will comment. For example, I may absolutely want to read a blog about basic car maintenance–how to put oil into my car or change a tire, but will I feel compelled to leave a tidbit of my own? Probably not. Will I be compelled to go down the street to the mechanic who wrote it when I need something that I can’t do myself? I very well might.
So that blog becomes valuable for his business, but comments are beside the point.
But on a personal blog? When you’re looking for community or feedback or trying to create a “tribe” — then comments make sense. Absolute sense.
So here’s a comment for you. And a “hear, hear!”
Thanks, Gigi. If it was you I apologize for not giving credit. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who actually initiates a comment in #blogchat 🙂
You are right, comments are only a valuable metric for certain kinds of blogs and certain kinds of people. I just thought it was an interesting comment, and interesting that so many people were clearly touched by the comment as well.
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Just because someone hasn’t commented doesn’t mean they haven’t valued your post, but as time is precious knowing that someone has taken the time and effort to comment makes you feel good.
However, the bottom line is that if it is a great post, people will comment. By definition I would argue that a great post is judged by the number of comments (presuming you have reasonable traffic). Great post is not the same as a useful, interesting or even good post.
Writing great posts is surely what bloggers aspire to achieve regardless of whether they are looking to earn money as it is unlikely that they will make anything unless they have great content.
I don’t know. I read a lot of great posts and find that I just have nothing more to add. I don’t like leaving comments like, “Great post, man.” It just seems like anybody could say that without reading the post. Heck, spam bots say it sometimes. If I don’t have anything to add, I tend to tweet out the post and pay homage to it that way.
Interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing!
Margie for me comments can be a conversation about the topic at hand. Many times i learn as much in the comments as i do in the post, well that’s certainly not the case here, it’s those other blogs i visit.
So I am with you, keep the comments coming.
😉
Joe
Oh, I don’t know, Joe. I think many times comments that are left here are much more interesting than my initial observations.
I’ve been to blogs where that is also the case 🙂
Thanks for popping by, my friend!
Comments are a way to find out whether you’re resonating or not with your audience. Sure, I write because it’s a good habit – and one I need to get better at. Just like going for a 5 mile daily run keeps you in shape, writing helps you articulate the ideas swirling in your head. But I really believe comments can help the writer create even more useful content for their readers (assuming said writer cares about the audience).
I know some don’t allow comments (Seth Godin) and have good reasons for this, but it’s really about community. Having a comment chat vs. Twitter Chat or Instant Message. You can go deeper with comments. Gain more understanding in a 140 character world.
For what it’s worth, your musings are sharp, witty and refreshing. So keep ’em coming.
Best,
Patrick
Hey there, friend. Thanks for popping by!
Yes, I agree – comments are all about conversation. Even the commenting can be limiting – if people have moderation turned on the conversation can be controlled to meet their objectives. However, for the most part, comment sections allow us to converse not just with the blogger but with other commenters as well. And I think it’s a real gift and great way to get to know people.
Thanks for the support, as always 🙂
Nice post, as usual, Margie.
You are already aware of this, but I hold a rather passive view on this. I indeed do monetize, but I keep myself grounded in a few ways:
1 – If I don’t make anything off of it–oh well. I would be fooling myself to think that I could get rich off of my blog when I do not truly have anything to sell. Ads just aren’t going to do it, plain and simple.
2 – I do not care for any site, blog or not, that you can’t tell where the ads stop and the content begins. I prefer clean and relatively uncluttered. (If you have been to my blog, it shows)
3 – My interests are not completely my own. If I discuss something that is salable, and I would recommend it to people that are close to me, then I might make it available on my site. My book club page is only monetized for ease of use and convenience. The few ads I do run are geared toward like minded people that might find them useful. I don’t try to make hard sales.
I hear what you are saying about priorities, but a minimalist approach without lofty expectations can work out just fine, I think.
You are the marketing wiz; am I crazy?
Yes, darling. You are crazy. But not in this instance 🙂
Few things in Social Media are black and white. It’s absolutely possible to meld the worlds of commenting and monetizing. Most blogs do so, in fact. My interest in the comment that I saw flying by was the idea that commenting was not an objective, period. That I wanted to pursue, because for me, as I said, comments are my main goal right now. But you can have an objective of selling a bit and getting comments or whatever else your heart desires. So long as you know where you’re going, sail free and well 🙂
Hi Margie,
I love comments, but I am also happy when people share. So if they don’t comment, but they share with others, I am happy about a particular post. I read a lot of your posts, but I don’t always comment. I think comments/lack thereof mean whatever you want them to mean. But I promise that just because there aren’t a lot of comments doesn’t meant there aren’t a lot of readers.
Thanks for posting so much great content.
Amber
Call on me! Call on me! Call on me! Oh wait, you can’t see me. 😉
No comments? What was that person smoking? I have always been under the impression that a blog was absolutely central to a great “social” platform. Social implies a two-way conversation, right?
Ah hell. Never mind. Maybe I’ll go talk to myself instead. That’s so much more fun.
@jwsokol
Wait.
This statement:
This blog is not intended to make me one red cent.
does not jive with this statement:
The purpose of this blog is to talk about things that are relevant to our clients.
If you are winning (or keeping) client relationships based on material which is published (or not) on your blog, then you are (indirectly) monetizing your blog. Just because it is not tracked or not a priority (or not worried about) does not make it untrue – it is still being monetized if client relationships are in any way dependant upon it.
I have gotten into this debate with a few people, and it’s a point well taken. When I say monetized, I mean directly – as in, I am not using ads, I am not using affiliate links, there will not be a MargieClayman.com e-newsletter that sells things, etc.
Does this blog talk about things relevant to our clients? Sure. Is that done with the intent of enriching our offerings and our ability to serve our clients? Yep. So yeah, indirectly monetized, true. Monetization for me on an individual personal level, no. And directly selling services to our clients here – no.
Does that differentiation help?
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