Thank you so much for all the great response to How To Make A Blogger Happy last week! This week is Part 2:
Top Ten Ways To Make Your READERS Happy!
1. Full Feeds
This is for those readers that read your blog in a feedreader. You can set up your blog to show FULL feeds (the entire post) or PARTIAL feeds (a snippet of the post). There are many different opinions on why you should have one or the other. But as a reader of blogs, I don’t like reading partial feeds. Let me rephrase, I DO NOT read partial feeds. I subscribe for a day or two, then get tired of clicking a billion clicks (oh, poor me!) so I end up unsubscribing.
If you’re not sure if you have full or partial feeds, you should subscribe to your own blog. Then if you’d like to change it just go to SETTINGS-READING and then click “full text” or “summary” on a WordPress blog. (Any blogspot folks wanna put the instructions in the comments?)
Read more: Full or Partial Feeds at Blogging Basics 101
2. Easy Commenting
We have already established that comments are like crack. So. If you want to help your reader make YOU happy, make THEM happy by making it easy to make you happy by leaving you comments. (Do you love that crazy sentence?) OK. Back to the point. TURN OFF all those crazy steps and hoops to enter a comment. Sometimes blogs make you go through 3 different steps to leave a comment. Some people get fed up and don’t even leave one.
On my blog all you have to do is enter your name, your blog/twitter/facebook URL (which is optional, but potential traffic for you) and your email (which is private). Easy Peasy.
If you are trying to protect yourself from spammers just moderate your comments OR just make sure you have ONE step to protect the comments. Not three-thousand.
3. Easy Reading
Use bullets, spaces, bold text and italics. Thewholestreamofconciousnesstypehowyouspeak is really hard to read. Spend time making your post look good. Experiment with headings, titles and wording. The average blog reader spends SECONDS on a post. Make sure you give their eyes something easy to read with those few seconds.
4. About Page
I love me a good About Me page. I do. When I get to a new blog, I always look for an About Me page and I read it! I want to know if this person is related to someone famous, has a special talent I want to imitate or lives down the street from me. About pages fill me in the same as if I read twenty posts.
Here are a few About Me pages I really like: ProBlogger, Musings of a Housewife, BooMama, and The Gypsy Mama.
5. Respond to Comments
Some people respond to comments in the comments (there are lots of great WordPress plug-ins for having a conversation in the comments or if you are a blogspot blogger, you can use Disquis or Intense Debate) while others respond via email. But whatever you do, respond to your comments. Someone spent the time to leave a comment, send ‘em a note back! Say thanks, answer their question or ask your own. You can start a fun conversation this way and attract some loyal readers.
6. Visit their blog/twitter/fanpage
Venture out of your world and visit theirs! Read a few posts and comment on more than one. Become a fan on facebook and let them know you did so! Follow them on Twitter and give them a shoutout. Don’t think of them as YOUR readers, think of them as potential networks, friends and allies. It’s also one of those “do unto others” kinda things…
7. Link
I’m link-happy. I think it is important to link to any and all things. For example, you could write,
“I went to Target today and found that book I was telling you about. Only it was in hardback. So, I let my mom buy it for me.”
OR you could write,
“I went to Target today and found that book I was telling you about. Only it was in hardback. So, I let my mom buy it for me.”
OK, so that could get a little overwhelming. BUT, look at what this second setence does for the reader: 1) Links you to Target, you know in case you live under a rock. 2) Links to the actual book on Target’s site so you can BUY it 3) Links the reader to one of your old posts which is good for you AND them 4) Links to my mom letting the reader know more about me AND gives some linky love to my mom. (Did that make sense?)
8. Freebies
This is something I wish I could do more of. I guess I’m just not very informative. But when someone talks about a checklist or a party game or a coloring sheet, I love when someone gives ME a copy! Perfect examples: Living Locurto’s Printable Menu Plan, Organizing Your Way’s printables and Cathe Holden’s free art.
9. Photo
Your readers want to see who’s talking to them. Put a good picture in your sidebar so they can connect a face to your words. And the best part? YOU get to pick out the picture. They don’t have to know you don’t look like that every day.
10. What did I miss? What makes you happy as a blog reader?
:: :: ::
Wanna add your own Top Ten list? I’d love to hear what you’ve got! Just write one up, link it back to me, enter your post’s URL below and start to visit the rest of the TopTen-ers! For more details visit my Top Ten {Tuesday} page!
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{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this! I agree that full feeds is the way to go! One thing I would add on your comment one is give the reader more than one option if they want to leave a comment. Some people have comment sections where you can only reply using your gmail info and I can never remember the password for mine so I just skip commenting all together which makes me sad cause I love to give support to other bloggers!
I completely agree! I also ALWAYS go to the about me page. The funnier or quirkier the better!
So, in your opinion, do you like short “about me’s ” i.e info only the blogger or do you like a little bit on everybody in the family?
I hate CAPTCHA! That on it’s own makes me not want to leave a comment. I do it for friends and family because I love them.
I understand the link thing but it’s so time consuming! I do add links but only to stuff I REALLY want people to read or want to give credit to.
Great top ten!
Twitter: amyjbennett
March 23, 2010 at 9:11 am
I love your links example. Really shows the impact. And I have been trying with the photo thing. Sometimes I am too lazy to do one but I love when people include photos. Definitely a winning ingredient for Pioneer Woman!
Amy´s last blog ..Sunday Highlights: Love, Sex, God: True Love
Agree about the CAPTCHA. Turn it off! I better go check to see if mine is turned off…I think it is but you never know!
Twitter: Funkidivagirl
March 23, 2010 at 9:26 am
Two things I HATE as a reader: partial feeds (like you I don’t want to click on another link to keep reading) and Blogger comments page…I HATE entering the anti-spam word box-thing. So annoying. Also annoying is when I go to a Blogger page for the first time, make a comment and then find out that I can’t even leave my comment because it doesn’t accept URL/Name. I never visit that blog again.
Funkidivagirl´s last blog ..Mad Cool: OPI’s New Nail Color “Mad As A Hatter”
Great advice!! I too, agree with full feeds. Way too much work to click, click, click! Esp when you’re reading 335 blogs. Teehee.
I’m kind of bad about responding to comments.. not like I get that many anyway! And I think that it’s difficult to leave a comment on my blog.. not sure why.. but I’ve had people tell me that they’ve tried and couldn’t do it?
Do you think it’s better to respond via email or comment yourself? I sometimes forget to click the “email follow up comments” button and I just assume that other people do too, so maybe responding via email is better????
Thanks!
Catie´s last blog ..Newby Finance 101: Post 3: Financial Resources
Another great list, and all so true!
Karen Sanders´s last blog ..Viva La Rock!
Thanks, Amanda! This is really helpful. I’m trying to get back to blogging after a long long hiatus, so these are really good ideas. I agree completely about the links. There are so many sites and products I would never have found without blogs!
Katie´s last blog ..Top Ten Weeknight Recipes
Oh Amanda…goddess of all things bloggy. Thank you for being my go to
Staci Brown´s last blog ..Top Ten Tuesday – Teacher Gifts
Thanks, Amanda! Just launching my new site – how can I get a simple comment block like this? Is it a plug in? What I have right now doesn’t allow people to leave a website…
Sami´s last blog ..Regions Free Days in Nashville
I do like it when folks reply to comments, but if I had a choice, I would prefer a return visit. One gal whose blog I go to faithfully responds to every comment I leave, but has RARELY actually been to my blog!
So, I would say that the return visit ranks up higher then the reply comment.
Also, I have a feature on my blog called Commenters Appreciation.
http://iammommy.typepad.com/my_weblog/commenters-appreciation/
Its one way I like to keep folks ‘in the game’. I get to talk about my favorite blogging buddies and they get to see how appreciated they are!!
Oh… and twitter!! Its becoming more and more of an asset to utilize twitter in blogging… but I think I need to not write a book in your comment section here… so more of that another day!
God bless-
Amanda
@manda2177
Amanda´s last blog ..Of Course You Can Get a Tattoo Honey!
Soooo agree about the full post in the reader. Why subscribe if I have to go to the site? dumb.
And getting older, but not really old – like the “my eyesight is kinda going but my vanity isn’t” old? I like larger type. I like you. You have small type. I read you anyway. Think about it.
Twitter: zannaland
March 23, 2010 at 10:31 am
I love love love this!! I used to have a ‘fun’ about me…but changed it to more ‘serious’…I think I need to find a better mix of the two. I also saw advice online to word it in the 3rd person, which does seem/feel weird…what are everyone’s thoughts on that?? I’m way more into conversational format personally…
Also – what are everyone’s opinions of comentluv vs. Disqus? I love that comment luv allows links to latest entries, but use Disqus currently and was afraid to lose what I already had. Wow, I’m just full of questions!
Thanks for putting together such a great list!!
Zanna @ Zannaland´s last blog ..Disney Podcasts 101 – All You Need to Know About Great Disney Podcasts!
Twitter: apichea
March 23, 2010 at 10:38 am
Blogger Feed options is super easy: Under “Settings” click on the “Site Feed” tab. Your first option is “Full,” “Short,” or “None.” Choose “Full” for full feed and then save it at the bottom of the page.
Ashley´s last blog ..Let’s kick some…
awesome. Love this top ten!
Dolly´s last blog ..-ing
Twitter: givingupperfect
March 23, 2010 at 10:40 am
GREAT post, Amanda. One of the few I spent minutes (not seconds) on today.
What do you think about Disqus? I’m using it for MY ease, but wondering what others think of it…
Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect´s last blog ..Last chance for chili
Agreed on all points.
Comments are like crack; replies are what build community which is even better. And best yet if replies on the blog are cc’d to the commenter’s email address to ensure they get them even if they don’t circle back to the original post.
Comment verification is my nemesis.
A great about me page makes me feel like I just made a new best friend.
Twitter props are the bomb – you rock at this!
~Lisa-Jo
Love this post – what great info. Think you could take a 30 second peek at mine and tell me if I’m on the right track or not?
Regarding comments…I always go back to their site if they leave one and leave them a comment. Sometimes I reply via email if it was a question…mostly I reply to the comment (I’m on wordpress) but they won’t actually see that right? Unless they subscribe to the comments or come back and check?
Trish Preston´s last blog ..{capturing birthday memories in photographs}
I love the comments stuff! So true, I go to some places and I want to leave a comment, but I don’t have an AIM, or WP, or Google, Or Open ID account, and I don’t want tio jump thru all the hoops to get one, just to comment on your site!!!
I do like to hide behind my “button”, but I can see your point about a pic. I’ve always hated my own pics, but now that I have lost 30+ lbs (see how I just worked that in! lol), maybe I won’t mind pic of myself so much, huh?
Thanks for this, it was very helpful and thought provoking!
Dian
Dian @ Grocery Shop For FREE!!´s last blog ..FREE Sobe & $5 Gift Card!!
Such a good list of tips.
I went to a partial feed because I thought it would cut down on copying of my original content. Then I kept hearing how annoying it is/was to other readers. So, I recently went back to full feed.
I figured that those who want to leave a comment will click over anyway. And not having a full feed discouraged those who would otherwise click over to comment.
I will have to check out Disqus if it’ll make things easier for my readers.
jubilee´s last blog ..Monday (A)Musings – The Amateur Salon Edition Part Deux
Thanks for this – I loved last weeks tips.
Most of them I can tick a YES for – but I need to do a proper About Me page, not just my Blogger profile, and I don’t have a photo of me on my main Home Page.
I also need to look at Disqus and Intense Debate.
I get SO frustrated by commenters who ask a question, but then aren’t linked to an email address so that I can respond. I prefer to reply by email, but maybe I need to do in within the comments instead.
Keep up the great work, and some of these days I will try to remember to write and add a Top Ten post
Janmary, N Ireland´s last blog ..Lessons Learned & what St Patrick was eating this year!
Does anyone else out there get completely OFFENDED by a title-only feed? I mean come ON. At least give me a little taste! I wouldn’t even read my mom’s blog if there was nothing but a title in the RSS feed.
Great article, as was your previous top 10!
Heather – Dollar Store Crafts´s last blog ..Make a Spring Table Runner (out of dish towels!)
Twitter: itscome2this
March 23, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Great tips A!! I definitely agree with having an “about”. I enjoy reading them but it’s also helpful!!
Great list! It’s good to get tips from the more popular bloggers – not kissing up here at all
And I will get my Top Ten up today. It may be at 11:59, but I’ll do it. Can’t wait to read everyone’s lists.
Twitter: DiaperDiaries
March 23, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Agree, agree, agree. Except about pics. I no likey pics of myself. I was a cartoon on Twitter my whole first year. I guess I am just mysterious that way
AMEN to #1!!! That is what frustrates me so much as a reader!
Twitter: Alli_n_Son
March 23, 2010 at 2:59 pm
I love it when I comment on a blog, and they visit my site. It just totally makes my day. I try to do that too, spread the love around a little.
Allison´s last blog ..Dapper Snappers Review
Twitter: apichea
March 23, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Numbers 3 & 7 are my top priorities right now as a “new” blogger. #3 to make it easier to read (even though it doubles the amount of time I spent on a post), and #7 to help lower my bounce rate.
I also recently installed Disqus so I can more easily respond to comments – I try to respond both on the blog and via email (which I can do if they enter their email address). I’m working on getting around to the various blogs as well… time is an issue there.
Ashley´s last blog ..Let’s kick some…
I agree – I love a good ‘About Me’ page and pics of who is writing.
Kat´s last blog ..top ten tuesday – spring
I’m making the move to wordpress specifically so I can comment back – I feel bad that I don’t do it more regularly.
I appreciate it when people don’t make their email private…no-reply emails stink.
amber´s last blog ..Top Ten Signs You’re Not Ready to Have Another Baby.
Oh, my yes. I hate having to jump through hoops to leave comments.
The other thing I hate is blogs that use tons of different colors in the text. I can’t read some of the lighter ones (bad eyes) and it frustrates me when I can’t.
Beth´s last blog ..Still Danged Sick, Thank You
Love this! Another excellent list from you. Thank you for pointing me to Disquis and IntenseDebate — I’ll check them out!
Those pictures of you are so cute!
Holly at Tropic of Mom´s last blog ..Great items made by moms for moms
As a freelance writer, I’ve had my own website for a while, but am just now getting into blogging. Thanks so much for the info…I still have SO much to learn! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Definitely consider giving cloth a try if you have another baby…I’m really glad I did!
Kari´s last blog ..Top Ten Tuesday
Thanks for sharing! I linked up for the first time today!
love all the advice. and i’m a strong hater of partial feeds. most annoying thing ever.
FABULOUS post!!!! Wonderful advice.
Janice (5 Minutes for Mom)´s last blog ..How to Train Your Dragon – IMAX Giveaway
I love all of the tips except the partial feed one. I actually won’t subscribe to full feeds. I’d much rather get a snippet in my feed and if it catches my interest I click over and read it on the blog so I can comment. I did a little experiment with my own blog and actually lost subscribers with my feed on full.
Cat´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday Local View – The Windy City
Great post A. I need to get better about responding to comments. Actually, strangely enough, just the other week I set up threaded comments for Pop Discourse (easy via WP) and also for Boston Mamas (harder…required MT upgrade + some ridiculous coding), but at BM I think if you reply to comments it doesn’t automatically toss an email to the original commenter. So I still have some work to do there… thanks for the nudge.
Boston Mamas´s last blog ..Start Sprouting
great tips! I am making an About Me page right now!
Naomi´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday
Great post! Thanks for the shout out too:-) xoxo
Amy @ Living Locurto´s last blog ..My 80’s Bulletin Board
This is a little off subject… but as far as “blog etiquette” is concerned.. when you do your “fave links of the week” or whatever, do you let the blog know that you’ve linked to them?? Thanks!!!
Catie´s last blog ..Prego Pics!!
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