I logged on to the SITS blog and found that this week they are posting blogging tips for the other "comment junkies" to ponder and try. Here is the one for today:
"Okay, so we thought it would be fun to run through some crucial blogging tips this week and then we'll resume our featured bloggers on January 2nd.
The first one is near and dear to our hearts. It's leaving a return email. It's easier than you think and takes commenting back to a whole new level.
The first thing you need to do is open an email account just for your blog. It's free to do through Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail. Easy Peasy. Why open an email account just for your blog? Well, it's kind of nice to keep it separate from your personal email account. This is your blog and if people are reading it, you need to treat it a little like a business. It's not a "have to", it's just a suggestion.
Now, go into your profile page and choose "edit your profile". Check the box that says "show my email address". Then, on that same page under Identity, type in your email where it says "Email address".
What happens is when you leave someone a comment and blogger puts your comment into THEIR email account, all they have to do is hit reply and they can send a response into YOUR email account. Sometimes it's nice to reply to someone's comment specifically instead of going to their blog and leaving them a random comment to a question they might have asked on your blog. Clear as mud?
Having a bloggy email address is nice if someone wants to ask you a specific question and this is why we say that a separate email address is nice. It ups the privacy factor just a little more. Your personal email address might contain your last name and that's risky to put out for everyone to see."
My question to you out there in bloggy land is: What are your thoughts on people responding back to your comments via e-mail? I know that I have my bloggy e-mail address set up so that you can respond to my comments via e-mail. I also like to respond to the comments on my blog via e-mail also (to those that I can anyway.)
Merry Christmas to All !
10 years ago
I like it when people email me but I don't have a ton of readers. I don't know if I want to get like 3 bazillion emails but I haven't got that problem yet and probably never will so I'm not worrying about it. If you look hard enough on my blog sidebar I have my email up there for anyone to email me. I do have 3 separate email accounts just in case the one I have up there gets jacked by some whacko, it happens, no big. I have had at least 2 people contact me via email that are bloggers and not people I have ever met in irl and may never, who knows. I now consider them very good friends, totally worth publicizing my email address.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind a response by comment or email. I appreciate people just acknowledging me!
ReplyDeleteI think its a good idea if they are asking a question, or if you feel the need to reply, however, I dont think that you need to email (or should) email a person every time they leave a comment. I know that, at least in my case, I dont usually expect a response. They are nice, but if I got one everry single time I commented, I think it would seem fake, you know? That said...it does make a LOT more sense to respond via email.
ReplyDeleteOh and PS...did you get the postcard?
I know a lot of people feel strongly about responding to comments, but in all honesty, I don't think most commenters expect it. Most bloggers I visit don't respond to comments at all. There is one who I know will regularly reply in his own comments. One or two will regularly reply via email. It's nice, but I don't expect it. I visit over a hundred blogs in a week and the majority of those writers don't respond at all to comments. Personally, I feel the purpose of a blog is to focus on your writing. If you get too wrapped up in replying to comments, when do you find time to write?
ReplyDeleteI have my home email address on my blog. The problem is, we're always on my husband's AOL account and I never check it. I should just put his email on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI agree with SITS. If anyone asks me a question through a comment I will always just reply via email. And I love getting emails in reply of my comments too!
ReplyDeleteIf I want to write a more personal message, having an email address available is nice. I've noticed some people have this option and some don't - about 50/50.
ReplyDelete