Being A Small Fish In a Big, Big Sea

You have a blog? So what. As of today, you're one of 29.8 million.

You have a PR blog? According to Constantin Basturea, the Keeper of the List, you're one of 407 PR feeds and counting. (Speaking of counting, Kami Huyse teases us with the offer of "fabulous prizes...plus infamy" for coming closest to guessing the total number of PR feeds by year's end. If enough people participate, maybe we can persuade her to redefine fabulous beyond some regifted item.)    

As the number of blogs increases, creating and maintaining personal relationships is increasingly important. Josh Hallett points out the benefits of having established relationships when pitching bloggers.

While Josh is absolutely right, I'm also looking at it in a greater context.

By all means link to other blogs when there's a legitimate reason to (i.e., not just for the sake of garnering favor or to increase a blog's ranking). But on some level, leaving comments is just as  important as linking. It lets people know you're reading their posts and lets them know you're out there, which can make a world of difference to a blogger. It lets them know you consider them important enough to take the time to write a substantive comment... or even just a short "interesting post, thanks for alerting me to this." It shows you took the time to read that particular post over the tens of millions of others floating around out there.

This past weekend I finally left a comment on Peter Himler's blog. I've been reading The Flack for months now but for some unexplainable reason hadn't left a comment. He appreciated me stopping by and said he'd do the same. How nice is that? I've also discovered wonderful new blogs through the comments people have left on mine. Jack Yan's The persuader is a good example.   

Still not convinced that commenting on other people's blog is worth your time? Well, based on the relationship I've developed with one particular communications blogger, due in part to him commenting on my blog, I passed along his name to someone needing the type of service he happens to provide. I don't know if this will turn into an actual project, but it's one way I can show my appreciation for his support along the way.

From now on, I'm going to start commenting more.

(Picture sources: School of fish from flappingwings, world's smallest fish from BBC News.)

Comments

[Eric Eggertson]

Interesting post. Thanks for alerting me to this!

[Ike]

Some days, I feel like my scattered comments are far more valuable than dredging up an actual post.

Like today, for instance.

Hey... I think we've just found the missing 1/2 an idea for your "36 things" list!

[Mack Collier]

When BMA went live in Sept of last year, there were around 300 blogs tagged as advertising blogs, and about 600 marketing blogs. Now there are right at 1000 advertising blogs and about 1900 marketing ones, according to Technorati.

As for comments, you're right, I'd much rather have someone comment on BMA than link there. Which blog would you rather read...one that had 2,000 links and no comments, or one with no links, and 20 comments to every post?

BTW I am helping to fulfill my comment quota today, I'm off to the next blog now ;)

[Mack Collier]

"Some days, I feel like my scattered comments are far more valuable than dredging up an actual post."

Exactly! For the longest time I thought that I *had* to get at least one post up everyday. Now whenever I can't think of anything to post about, I just spend that extra time commenting on other blogs that I frequent, and looking for new ones. And almost always after doing so, I've found something to post about!

[Gary Goldhammer]

Andrea, to emphasize your point about finding other bloggers through comments, I checked out Jack Yan's blog and it's very well done. It's in my reader now, thanks to you and comments. By the way, I've been reading your blog for months too (just as you've been reading The Flack, another of my favorites), and I think this is my first comment :-)

[Andrea Weckerle]

Eric: At least I know you actually read the post :-)

Ike: I think you're right about the missing 1/2!

Mack: You're idea about getting inspirations from other blogs when commenting on them is a true win-win.

Gary: How nice to let me know you've been visiting for some time now! Btw, I've been reading your blog too... Just goes to show that we shouldn't be shy about saying hello.

[scott]

Well your comments on commenting have certainly solicited comments.

You're absolutely right, Andrea. As much as I value links, I value comments even more -- because they're the only thing that keeps you from feeling you're talking to yourself.

[Andrea Weckerle]

Scott,

And to think I believed your first love was links :-) All joking aside, I completely agree that comments take away that grawing feeling that maybe you're just mumbling things to yourself.

[Kami Huyse]

Comments are so important to a blogger. So, Andrea, would YOU leave your guess for the number of PR feeds in 2006? (ha-ha) If you win, I promise the prize will be a good one.

[Eric Eggertson]

Okay, I was being a goof. I agree with you about the power of commenting.

It's not just in blogging. I can't tell you the number of well known authors who aren't million-sellers, who say they feel tremendously gratified when they get mail from readers. If you think writing blog posts for weeks with hardly any commments feels lonely, imagine spending three years on a novel, and then hearing nothing after the first rush of congratulatory cards and e-mails...

[Wayne Hurlbert]

Receiving blog comments is great for a number of reasons. They range from being the start of conversations and the foundation of further discussion, to being the equivalent of fan mail for the blogger. They are also a form of appreciation for the blogger's time and effort in providing thoughful and informative posts. For the more traffic oriented blogger, comments lead many readers back to the commenter's blog.

For the SEO minded blogger, more visitors means more potential inbound links. Note that the comments themselves carry little if any search engine power to prevent comment spammers from benefiting from the open conversations shared by bloggers. No Google juice for comment spammers!

I like to comment on other blogs to start conversations and to get to know the other bloggers as people. I appreciate Andrea's and other bloggers commenting on my postings as well.

Long live blog comments: The conversation builders.

[Serge Cornelus]

This is not a comment. ;-D Blog on, Andrea!

[Neil MacLean]

Great post Andrea
And of course I am commenting here so that my comment appears in the CoComment box on my own blog. It's a sort of endorsement of Andrea's comments on commenters' comments.
:-)

[John Wagner]

When I started getting good comments on my blog, I knew I was finally making an impact. It's very important, but something we don't always take the time to do. Thanks for the reminder, Andrea!

[Sam Smith]

I think sometimes we all need a reminder like this. Thanks Andrea (and thanks for the recommendation). We all know that blogs are more than just forums for us to publish our outpourings, whether they be on our daily lives or professional opinions. The ability to comment, and in doing so, initiate a dialogue is one of the fundamental things that defines blogging. And in terms of PR/marketing this dialogue is hugely important when it engages its target audience.

But even for those bloggers who don't aspire to professional or commercial success, a well placed comment on their blog can lead to an infinite number of inspirations. Right with you on that one Mack

[Andrea Weckerle]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this! And by the way, everyone who commented here really GETS IT.

[Mack Collier]

Quite refreshing to read this thread, after I just read a supposed 'A-Lister''s blog where he is agreeing to START READING any blog that LINKS to his.

Pathetic. These 'A-Listers' are quickly becoming the blogging equivalent of the old-media dinosaurs that they constantly claim 'just don't get it'.

[Andrea Weckerle]

Mack, really? Please send me an e-mail with the name!

[Mack Collier]

Email sent Andrea. And like I said in the email, I want your HELP with the post I just left on BMA, if you could post it here as well, that would be great!

[Jordan]

I know...how important are comments, right?

Andrea, how crazy is it that you wrote this post and sent me a 'nudge' via mack to straighten out my own comment problems all in the same day?

Nice work.

[Mack Collier]

Ah the beauty of the blogging community!

[Andrea Weckerle]

Jordan and Mack,

Thanks to the correction of Jordan's little problem, the comments are starting to roll in. How nice!

[Rick Klau]

OK, OK. I promise - I'll start commenting more. ;)

Great seeing you tonight, it was wonderful to catch up after so many years!

[Jack Yan]

It’s probably about the creation of dialogue, which I remember the internet in general had in the mid-1990s before spammers and pornographers. It was OK to talk to others then, and I hope blogs will re-create that sort of revolution and cooperation. The world doesn’t need borders.

[Jack Yan]

To Gary above: thank you for adding me to your reader. I hope you weren’t dismayed that you signed on the day I had to travel for business and had to postpone new posts for a week.