More Input on How to Blog

Since the post “How to Blog” elicited a lot of positive responses & mentioned several good points which I missed, I’ve decided to put up the comments verbatim as a post. I feel the points mentioned here are very good & will aid anybody who is into blogging, budding or otherwise.

Before you start reading the comments, a small note: My kind commentators view me with rose tinted glasses & so along with their input, they have also penned some nice things about me. I dont for 1 moment blame u if u dont want to wade thru all the material since u may not view it with the same pleasure I do. So to make things easier for you, I have highlighted the key details in BOLD so that u get to the point without further ado.

So here goes...

sindhu said... 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!
05 February 2009 12:40

Sunshine said... aww see Nancy thats y you have 10-20 comments on each post of urs! coz ur brilliant! :Dthat 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!!
05 February 2009 13:14

Rakesh said... 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.
05 February 2009 14:33

Goofy Mumma said... 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.
05 February 2009 16:12

agnes said... 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 :-)
05 February 2009 16:40

The Idle Devil said... 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.
05 February 2009 17:13

My life is my lesson! said... Hi NancyThis 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!:)
05 February 2009 17:45

sukku said... Thanks for sharing your thoughts on blogging ...you are such a sweet person...
05 February 2009 18:17

naperville mom said... 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...
05 February 2009 18:35

Winnie the poohi said... 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 your 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
05 February 2009 23:31

Anjuli said... 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.
06 February 2009 03:18

Bins said... 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!!
06 February 2009 07:50

Piper .. said... 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
06 February 2009 08:03

Renu said... 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..comment..traffic and all that is a vicious circle..once u are trapped in it, you lose 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:)
06 February 2009 08:33

WannabeWriter said... 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!!!
06 February 2009 12:01

DeeplyDip said... Hey Nancy 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...
06 February 2009 12:16

Deeps said... 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!
06 February 2009 15:46

Indyeah said... 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:)
06 February 2009 20:14

STALAG SUKHOI said... what an idea madamji :) ..good post
07 February 2009 07:43

lan said... 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.
07 February 2009 08:51

I scribble here said... 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 postsbut 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
07 February 2009 09:20

Solilo said... 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.

The blogger formerly known as Sansmerci said... 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!
08 February 2009 11:34

Datsme said... 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.
08 February 2009 12:25

Enigma said... 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
08 February 2009 14:41

agnes said... 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).

Indian Home Maker said... 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!
09 February 2009 19:52

and finally once again

Deeps said... 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??
08 February 2009 10:30

Deeps comment appealed to me.......and I'm thinking of starting a "Blog of the Month" section which will feature a post of any blogger who inspires, makes me laugh or generally gives me information with his/her posts. What do U think???????

Going back to the topic "How to Blog", if anybody feels u have some more information we'd benefit from, please feel free to let me know, I'll be happy to add it to the list above.