Thursday 5 February 2009

How to Blog???????

Sometimes when I go blog surfing I get to read such lovely posts. Posts which touch the heart, question the mind, warms the insides....... in short brilliant. But when I check their comment section, there will be just 1 or 2 comments.

I am surprised. Upset even. I mean....just 2 comments for this beautiful, beautiful post????? What a crying shame!!!!!!
The blogger is so versatile that he/she should be writing books. Well ok atleast he is blogging, we can read his wonderful, imaginative thoughts in his posts and that too…….for free.

And this got me wondering how some blogs become more popular than others.......hehe….U knw I'm suddenly reminded of those Shanti Sagar & Darshini joints in B'lore........ they open those restaurants in any corner of the city & by the end of the week the whole town will knw abt its location and will be having their breakfast & lunch there like as if they have always been. The food is not the greatest but its filling & the price is reasonable. No advertising, no fancy decor, nothing but we don’t think twice about trooping in there.

Infact, I'm reminded of my very own blog in this instance........I’ll be the first one to admit that it is no great shakes.
Ah now you don’t have to be all gracious & polite. You & I will agree that I write inane stuff most of the time………. about stooopid rats popping out of the drain ….. cutting nails on Tuesdays …….putting salt in my moms mouth and……and
bungee jumping onto a mattress for Heaven's sake……and other dumb stuff. But guess what????? Even for pathetic stuff like this I get atleast 10-20 comments.

And on the other side, is a post which strikes a chord in my heart, brings a smile to my face, and makes me question myself but it is lost in the crowd somewhere.

Everyone of us like attention especially if it’s positive. We like to feel important. We like others to listen to us. Many of us blog to seek that attention, which we probably may not be getting from our immediate surroundings. So many others have interesting anecdotes to share. And some just want to be involved……to connect. Get my point????? Finally when it come right down to it, Blogging is all about Connecting, isn’t it???? We are all trying to reach out……. with our stories, experiences, knowledge……

Though I’m not the best person you should be taking tips from but I just feel I could help. So here are a few simple pointers to budding bloggers who genuinely want to connect:

# For starters, a light background & a clear font helps…….a lot. Often a fancy font or a bright pink background just distracts & you are judged by your reader even before they actually start reading the content. And believe it or not, punctuations like fullstops & commas also make a difference.

# There should be clarity in what you are trying to express. Our mind churns out lot of complicated stuff but that doesnt mean we pour it out just like that. What makes complete sense to you may not make any sense to your reader. And try not to use a lot of imposing phrases & intimidate your readers. They’ll think you are fundoo stuff & what’s worse they'll think it doesn't matter to you whether they comment or not.
Seriously, you don’t need big, fancy words & grand sentences to put your point across. Your words need to touch the reader, make them feel for you or your cause, involve them even.

# Don’t pour out sad stories especially about I, Me, Myself & expect people to jump in & comment. Your friends may respond but it won’t win you many new readers except for an odd comment or two from agony aunts.

# Humour works everytime. Infact pour that same sad story out humorously & you’ll find many of us giving you innovative ideas on how you can drown your sorrows.

# Controversial topics also work……..to some extent. But not consistently. And you may be in danger of attracting the wrong type of crowd.

# But most importantly Connect……..go out & let people know You Exist. Works everytime. Just like how you want people to notice you, there are others out there waiting to be noticed & eager to reach out. Out of the 10 people on whose blogs you commented atleast 7 will respond. The ones who don’t respond could be Amitabh Bachchan[actually nowadays I’ve hrd even he responds], an established blogger who’s got more traffic coming in than he can handle or another blogger with a mindframe just like yours.


As of now I can think of only this much to get you started off. If you have a doubt don’t hesitate to ask……….I may not have the answer but you can bet on it I’ll find it out for you…….u see I have a lot of friends out here who’ll help me out.

And to my fellow bloggers I know I don’t have to say anything. If I have missed out on any vital points, I’m sure you’ll let me know.

42 comments:

  1. Oh, you hit on it, right when wrote a sad sad post...and you have it right, Nancy..Though at some time, it is also about letting go for some bloggers and then this is the right medium...
    But I agree, this is a medium to connect..and you do it brilliantly!

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  2. aww see Nancy thats y you have 10-20 comments on each post of urs! coz ur brilliant! :D

    that was a good post...and actually its something I realized as well...only once I started interacting and connecting with people on their blogs did people start commenting on mine...! :) plus i think your real friends unless they r actively blogging themselves, r the laziest to comment on ur blog!!

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  3. Wow! Tips on Making your blog popular!!! Well I'll tell you this. I've been blogging since what, a year or even more. But if you see my archives, there were never any comments. My counter showed hits coz. i used to forward the link to all family and friends initially but no comments.

    And then, I started visiting other blogs and dropping comments on those I enjoyed, and suddenly everyone is dropping by my blog and enjoying what I say. Not that overnight I became more intelligent or more funny? But because, I increased visibility :) Thats the key word. No matter how good or bad you write, you won't get any readers if you don't go to their blogs and drop comments, thereby increasing visibility (and a sense of reciprocating comments).

    Seriously try this, for the next 6 months, don't drop a single comment on any other blog. You might keep your existing readers or maybe loose a few but you'll never add a single new reader.

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  4. I am hurt, I am seriously hurt, because you have called one of my favouritest blogs , no great shakes. Don't ever do that again. I think it is way too humble for you to go ahead and say something like that for your blog. You write so well N, I can never read a post of yours without a smile on my face. Your posts speak directly to me and I love them, that is the reason I am committed to commenting. Trust me!! And seriously, there are enough problems and issues in life, we all need a laugh, and that is what you provide. You have a talent with humour lady.

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  5. Good stuff Nancy!

    I so agree with the clutter-free light background & simple font. I can't read anything that's against a glittery animated background... it's like being in Las Vegas... and no music please :-))

    Being a traveler at heart it's a little bit like traveling to me... ... when I am home I really miss the rest of the world, especially SE Asia and Europe... and I prefer real people to TV :-)

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  6. Your posts are versatile and each one is a treasure! Esp when you do write moving stories (about your daughters, your neighbour), they do make me automatically go "awww" or cause a lump in my throat. Your list of items can help budding and experienced bloggers both...changing my template has made a world of difference to both my thoughts and those who read them.

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  7. Hi Nancy

    This should be helping many of us, and the reason you have so many comments is that whatever you write you put it in an interesting manner, appreciation guaranteed!

    :)

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  8. sindhu: Thank U!!!! U make me feel good:-D.
    As u said "it is also about letting go for some bloggers and then this is the right medium..."
    U r absolutely right...one of the uses of a blog is maintaining it like an online diary of sorts.
    Its just tht if one wants to attract comments, writing monologues abt the sad happpenings in 1's life, I've noticed, is not the right way to go abt it:-P

    Sunshine: Awww Sunshine u r so sweet:-D and thank U so much!!!!
    "i think your real friends unless they r actively blogging themselves, r the laziest to comment on ur blog!!"
    U bet:-/

    Rakesh: U r absolutely right....visibility like u say, is the key word.
    But dont agree with "You might keep your existing readers or maybe loose a few but you'll never add a single new reader."
    On every post I get atleast 2 new comments from bloggers who I've never visited:-P.

    Goofy Mumma: U r such a sweetie Pie...more so bcoz anybody else wd have gotten mad that I havent done something I'm spposed to have done;-P...make any sense????

    Agnes: Thank U!!!! Actually I first wrote white background at first, then realised I cdn't make a definite statement like tht;-P
    @ TV statement.....LOL. And nope it doesnt make me feel 1 bit supercial:-D.

    The Idle Devil: Really!!! Awww Thank U!!!! Does make me feel good!!
    And U knw...u r right...sometimes changing the template does make a difference.

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  9. My life is my lesson: Thanks!!!! Glad u find it of some use:-D.

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  10. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on blogging...you are such a sweet person...

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  11. Were you talking about me, Nancy?:)
    Thank you for the tips... and the brilliant post!

    I wonder whether there's any better way than "I scratch your back and you scratch mine" kind of a deal...

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  12. LOL Nancy... I meant to say that a SE Asian blog (or European or Middle Eastern or whatever) is like a little window to that part of the world. It's more real than a TV show (to me at least) :-)

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  13. I am so late to reply.. i so had read it before.. did u by chance get 2 comments?

    If not here goes nothing..

    I love you blog not for its content.. but for how you put it forth..

    I am guilty on so many counts.. most of my posts are full of rants!!

    Ah but you are my guardian angel!

    Remember the day I wrote about turning off comments?

    And since then mine has become popular step by step!

    I now have 14 followers.. can you believe that ?

    :D :D

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  14. excellent advice. And I beg to differ- you do write GREAT stuff- not inane in the least. When I come and read something of yours- I always get something wonderful and thoughtful to take with me.

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  15. As I understand it, it is a simple " U scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" scenario. When u begin to blog, we have take active interest and visit other blogs to get them to visit your page. Frankly, though I do feel sad there is just a comment or two, I am just not able to find the time to read even 5 blogs. I know that this is the only way to generate interest but..... sigh!

    Anyway, good points! Also, I feel that your blogs are really light-hearted. It is the same concept that I apply to watching movies. If when u are depressed, u watch a movie like Sadma, u are bound to come out of it even more depressed. So in that way, ur blogs are in a lighter vein and really ease the readers mind. Kudos to u!!

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  16. One of my hidden agenda's whenever i do visit u is to make sure I learn a few internet savvy tips! My life is such a roller coaster that I am really lucky if I visit my mailbox everyday. There is so much I want to accomplish in a day, I am struggling. My husband has changed his work timings yet again and I am thrown into confusion and my schedule has gone haywire again! Boo Hooo Hooo!!

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  17. hey Nancy, thanks much for the input. I guess I seriously need it. I remember you once commenting on an old,old post of mine. You said you were surprised it didnt have any comments :) Boy! was I touched! Since then, I always make it a point to comment on the posts I really like. Unless ofcourse,there`s absolutely nothing I can think of! And I have ended up making quite a few good friends in the process! I seriously have you to thank! Hugs

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  18. very good post nancy and u always connect with everybody..i dont know how u dO it:)
    but after one yr of blogging, my take is ..write what you want because..comeent..traffic and all that is a vicious circle..once u are trapped in it, you loose your individuality, and start writing according to the reader's perspective.
    Now i read many blogs ,but comment only when I have really something to say, otherwise i was loosing the meaning of..awesome:)
    Blog is an expression of my personality and it will remain so, I would anytime prefer genuine comments to the ones given for reciprocation or increasing the traffic:)

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  19. Sukku: Thank U, U r very kind:-))!!!

    naperville mom: "I wonder whether there's any better way than "I scratch your back and you scratch mine" kind of a deal..."
    Hmmm...u've got a point abt tht. But the way I see it, once u get them to ur blog, the content in ur blog will spk for u. If u r good they'll def be back to read more:-)....like I said u've got let them know u exist.
    A fine eg. rests right here...till u commented here I never knew u were there:-D. Likewise.

    Agnes: Aaah now I got it....never actually thought abt it tht way:-o.
    Cooool....really!!!!!

    Winnie: Nope didnt get the 2 comments.....
    The way I see it....u r maintaining ur blog like an online diary of sorts thought I feel ur blog has been taking a turn from the usual from beginning of this year. Is it my imagination?????
    And thank u, thank u, thank u:-D!!!
    Wow....14 followers....cool. See, u r going places.....I have only 13;-P

    Anjuli: Ah Connie thts bcoz u r a nice person & u can see only the good in everybody.

    Bins: U've got the basic funda right. Also I suggest u write back in reply to the comments made in ur posts...it sort of makes a connection....its not like how u think...people do come back to chk if u've replied to their comments.
    Oh it must be terrible. A change from the usual schedule throws everything out of gear.
    And thank U for nice things u wrote:-D!!!! I know how difficult it is for relatives to say nice things abt eachother;-D.

    Piper: Really!!! I'm so happy I've helped, feel so good really:-D. Thank YOU!!!!!

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  20. Renu: Aaaaahhh Renu....u have progressed to the next stage in Blogging:-D.
    Yes really!!!!!! U have already gone thru all this & the realisation has set in.
    But dont forget this post was directed at BUDDING bloggers....people who dont have anything else in their mind except the fact that they want to CONNECT.
    Take a simple example....ur neighbour invites u to their house everytime she see's u. U smile & say u'll come but dont go. After 4-5 invitations she stops inviting u....she'll pass by & even smile when she see's u but she wont invite u in again.
    Bloggers can also be looked at in the same way. Get my point:-D!!!!!

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  21. Agree with you on all points...and I am one of those who is weak on the connecting front. Partially, it is because I don't get time to read many blogs...and some times while blog hopping when I find an interesting one, I forget to save the link...:( But all said and done, I still think you have to write well and be regular to be popular!!!

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  22. Hey Nnancy you have been pretty irregular at blogging now-a-days, so when I read the title of this post, i thought to myself "here is the explanation she hasn't been writing too often!"...so there you go - a good catchy heading is another important factor in getting you hits to your blog... :)
    I agree with all the tips you've made in this post.
    And hey frequency of updates also brings in a lot of traffic...if the site/blog is updated on a regular basis, it will attract more readers...

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  23. N,How can u say your posts are no great shakes??They always manage to shake me and with the outpourings of comments that I can see now and have been seeing in the past,its clear that you have an amazing quality of connecting with people.
    Earlier when I started blogging I never used to get much comments except from my friends and as much as I used to feel happy with their comments I used to feel dejected that my posts were not getting a wider reach.And then I started visiting other blogs and leaving comments just to make my presence felt.And boy!I was glad!more and more people started visiting me and sharing their inputs too.
    Not that I have ardent followers yet but its definitely better than before.
    Thank you so very much for that post,Nancy!

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  24. I loved this post of yours,the very first one I read....:)
    came via Winnie's link...and you said it all so well...perceptive and touching..you are on my blogroll now:)

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  25. What?! You didn't even know I existed? That breaks my heart:(

    Good point, Nancy!

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  26. wha an idea madamji :) ..good post

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  27. i will not deny that i absolutely love getting a comment yet i also agree with renu's observations above. i've seen many a good blog flounder under pressure to perform up to the reader's expectations. good news is, being strong writers and interested in blogging, most of them do bounce back. blog is a gentle and free media and i love its universal and global nature. leaving a comment is not that easy for me. you are of course an exception:-) it is the easiest to leave a comment if i can identify with a post, otherwise i skip after giving it some thought and not finding anything to say even if i appreciate being able to read it. as always, a good post.

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  28. oh nancy! u dont have to be all that humble.. u write kickass and hence so many comments... I dont need to tell you this but have always looked forward to your posts

    but u are right.. even i browse through some really well written blogs without any comments.
    Those pointers surely make a lot of sense. i have made my notes..
    and hey! i just updated my blog.. pls to read and comment :D

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  29. What do i say.. nance! You are my guardian angel of comments ;)

    Btw remember the old old story deception ??

    http://myrandomattempts.blogspot.com/2008/09/chapter-3-deception.html

    Chapter 3 is here.. fourth in the draft too.. if u dont remember.. u can always read it again :D

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  30. I think this is my post here and yes humor works every time :)):)) just like here.

    Now to the topic, I am a new blogger who started 2 months back. When I started it was meant to be just for me to scribble somethings whenever I wanted. Slowly when I started blog hopping I found comment interaction to be fun. I don't count of I get 5 or 10 or 20 comments but the comments from my favorite bloggers bring a smile. It is like you never get bored in among your friends.

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  31. Wannabe: "I still think you have to write well and be regular to be popular!!!"
    U got the basic funda right!!!!!!! Now the question is what is stopping u....?????? We'd love to read more from U Wannabe.

    Deeplydip: "a good catchy heading is another important factor in getting you hits to your blog... :)"
    Absolutely right......dont know how I missed tht.
    Yeah I knw I've been irregular....just dont ask coz I have no excuses:-(

    Deeps: U knw...when I wrote the last part abt connecting I did remember a post u had done.
    And thank U for the compliments....makes me feel good:-)).

    Indyeah: Blogrolling me after reading just 1 post.......It is the compliment of the highest order. Thank U!!!!!!

    Naperville mom: Nope hadn't visited ur page even once. Even if I didnt remember anything else...I'd have definitely remembered the porcupine;-D

    Stalag Sukhoi: Sab aap logon ke dua hai Sirji!!!
    :-D

    lan: Renu & u have a good point. But dont u think sometimes pressure is a good thing....makes one put a lot of thought & want one to better one's previous efforts....yes the opposite can happen too:-(.
    I love to receive ur comments lan coz they make me think, they peel off a layer & sometimes go straight for the jugular but yet u cover it smoothly with nice words:-))!!!

    Ish: Kickass huh!!!!!......love tht. Thank U, thank U....!!!!!
    I too love ur posts Ish u know tht....ur post just shows u as u r, u r not apologetic abt anything....tht attitude just attracts me there;-P

    Winnie: Much as I love tht tag, we know it is ur writing tht pulls ur readers. And lady u've got work published.....U r going places!!!!!

    Solilo: 2 months old huh.....u knw when I first started blogging, for a long time I didnt know how things worked, only my friends used to comment.......then gradually it all started making sense & then the interest in blogging sharpened & here u'll agree comments make us want to keep updating:-)).

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  32. BTW,Nancy..just a thought.Why dont you mention those lesser-known blogs in your blogrolls or maybe you can mention them in this post itself??That way we too will get to know about those gifted bloggers and inspire ourselves.What say??
    I hope you didnt mind my saying this,do you??

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  33. wow kewl job... i don religiously follow the first few points but the last one yes! and i guess thts the secret i get comments.. i ve noticed my comments reducing wen i don have time to chek other blogs :) so mostly people have been returning favors eh! :D

    yo .. m here cos i jus wrote a post after weeks and people ve almost forgoten me... i kno i kno.. wat ur thinkin!

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  34. Wow! Words from the wise :)I know of some ppl who maintain blogs for professional purposes..Maybe I shud share this link with them :)

    "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" Someone wise said dis once about the blog world and i found it quite true.

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  35. hey nancy, ur blog is good okk...
    i enjoy reading it and that is y i keep visiting it...beleive me, i dont go back to blogs i dont njoy reading.... so enough of the humblesness :P
    and abt u telling abt the font and background etc is true...wen its bright pink and all its so tough to read, but u know what wat one of ur comments said was true, if u dont leave comments on other blogs and make urself visible, its true that our dont get seen too ...sad fact na

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  36. One more thing. It also helps to post a picture of yourself so your readers get an idea of the "face behind the blog" ... :-))))

    OK I am just kidding. Actually, I think it's quite important to maintain a level of privacy (don't post your social security number etc) yet allow your personality to come through so your readers feel they "know" you.

    To me another factor is that while it's OK to abbreviate words some writers take it to a whole new level (a level where I can no longer recognize the words).

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  37. Deeps: The answer to ur comment is in my next post;-D

    Former Sansmerci: LOL u've got a sense of humour. But yeah the secret to tht is to keep updating;-P.

    Datsme: Yeah u have a point, Professional bloggers cd really merit from interacting but I guess they r busy ppl who cant be bothered;-P.

    Enigma: Thank U, thank U...overwhelmed by ur kind words:-D.
    Yeah a bit of advertising has to be done but then its all for a good cause;-P.

    Agnes: Oh yes u've put across a very good point....no, not abt the photograph:-D....but abt the pains of unravelling abbreviations;-S.

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  38. Nancy, I have a request to make. Can you please put up this link for a petition to stop moral policing? I dont know how else to advertise, other than having the most popular bloggers advertise it in their blogs.
    Here`s the link:

    http://www.petitiononline.com/SMP12345/petition.html

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  39. You are right, we do blog to connect, and loved your pointers ... I try to keep my blog clutter free, but invariably there is so much to read, there are so many blogs to read, one has to choose between replying or reading or writing new posts, and just when I think, no post today , some Ram Sena, or Vanar Sena does something ... Blogosphere is immensely distracting!

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  40. Piper: Happy to help:-))!!!!!

    IHM: Anybody who reads ur blog will understand:-D.
    And thank U!!!!!!

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  41. "One of the best posts I have read in a long time". flicked it from ur comment form :)

    jokes apart, I think this is a great list and a real useful one I must say.. thanks for stopping by my blog ... adding you to my list :)

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  42. Prashanti: LOL!!!! High time I changed it;-P
    Glad u think so.
    And....I feel good:-))

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