Hi friends! I hope you all are doing okay ?
I’m…. well, to be completely honest, I am a little nervous about posting this, but I also really wanted to talk about this for a while, so…. here goes.
Today, I wanted to talk about engagement in the blogging community. Engagement can be wonderful, but sometimes it’s just fake and I just don’t believe in these kind of practices, at ALL. SO I’m going to rant about it all. Bear with me, okay?
Please note that I am talking about engagement in book blogging, on book blogs specifically, since that’s my niche. I bet there’d be things to say about engagement pods on bookstagram and engaging on twitter and so on, for sure, but that’s not what my post is focused on.
What do you mean, “fake engagement” in blogging?
I know this sounds like a strange concept, but hear me out. As a book blogger, and most generally a blogger, I have been noticing a lot of initiatives, both on social media and blogs, to help grow your engagement.
Let me tell you first and forehand: there is nothing wrong with wanting to grow your engagement. Talk to more people! Make genuine connections! Friends! Grow your blog! Yes, yes, yes and yes to all of this, I completely am on board with engaging with bloggers, as you hopefully all know. My issue is: it just feels wrong when it’s fake.
Now, you’re going to ask me again: okay. This is all good, Marie, but what do you MEAN by fake?
I mean these…
1. These “I am commenting back” threads and initiatives.
OKAY HEAR ME OUT on this. I APPRECIATE the initiative of commenting back. I, more often than not, do it myself when I am able to (I mean… I need more hours in the day to check my 6-pages-long-and-growing blogs-list…..) and have something to comment on and want to engage, too.
What I don’t really like is seeing this particular trend of posts, especially on social media. They go like this: “hey here’s my post, I’m giving back all comments on this post.”, or these blogging threads where you share your latest post and ask for comments on it. I’ll admit it: I haven’t seen this happen a lot in the book blogging niche, but it could, and it happens a lot in other blogging niches.
I understand the principle. It feels nice to do something kind for others this way. It feels lovely to create a thread of amazing blog posts and see what’s up there, too.
But personally, I don’t want to post on these threads and leave my latest blog post here. Similarly to these instagram pods you join to get more engagement, I don’t want to join these things because I don’t want people to comment on my blog, expecting something back from me. I want them to comment because they genuinely enjoyed what I have to say. No strings attached. I know. Sounds dreamy, right.
Another issue I have with these things is that…. it feels a little fishy. It feels like you NEED these threads, these prompts, or, as you can often see it on book blogs, this little “I’m commenting back” logo on the side of some blogs, to check out a blogger, take some time to leave a comment and this just makes me… well, sad.
I appreciate threads asking for new bloggers, yes (like this wonderful thread compiled by May). I also appreciate threads like, hey I haven’t been blog hopping in a while, send me your posts (like this lovely thread!) This is nice.
These other kind of threads and commenting back initiatives I mentioned before, well… they seem like fake engagement to me. Why? Because it doesn’t feel genuine.
Because it’s not genuine, not really.
2. Meaningless comments just meant for your own promotion
Once again: don’t get me wrong. I appreciate any kind of comment and length, but sometimes you can just tell when someone only cares about themselves. It’s a “great post, check out my blog” kind of comment. It’s not real. You can actually see they haven’t even read a single line of your blog post and it’s frustrating.
And you know what? You don’t actually need to do that for people to check out your blog.
3. Fake boosting of book bloggers.
I want to take a moment to talk about a thing. This thing is, summed up in a couple of words: “Boost book bloggers and we’ll boost you back”.
I’m not going to be more specific, I just want to talk about this initiative that exists and that has been quite popular on twitter. Basically, all you have to do is to boost book bloggers’ blog posts, and you’ll get boosted in return. This happens, yes. It seems like a sort of instagram-pod kind of thing, really. Seems nice, right?
I don’t find this nice, nor great, AT ALL. You know why? The fact that this kind of this exists makes me wonder: you can’t boost book bloggers on your own without being pushed to do so? You’re doing it in order to get something back? Well…. wow. I’m just not on board with these kind of things.
I mean… it’s just so easy to boost bloggers genuinely and get something genuine back, instead of participating in these and wondering every single day if people are here because they want to be, or because they’re following these prompts and expecting something back.
Okay, but why isn’t this great engagement for your blog?
I mean, to each their own. If you like/do these kind of engagement things I mentioned above and appreciate them, I’m not here to judge, YOU DO YOU.
Personally, I find this fake and irritating. Why? Because I can’t help but wonder:
Is it really support if they’re looking to get something back?
FAIR DISCLAIMER: I’m not putting everyone in the same basket here and saying that everyone doing these and joining, daily, weekly, or just every now and then, in these kind of practices, are wrong and terrible, okay. I am just saying that, personally, I don’t think there’s any need to.
At first, these ideas seem great, of course. You’ll get comments back, yes. You’ll get new visitors, views, your views might spike up when you’re boosted a little bit. Seems fantastic, doesn’t it?
It’s fleeting, though. It comes and goes and the day you aren’t boosted, the days there aren’t these commenting threads, the day you’re taking a break on commenting on these blogs with that “I am commenting back” badges…. it all goes away, too. Your engagement doesn’t grow in a consistent way, because when the boosting initiatives stop, so does your engagement. People that have been there for you through this will most likely disappear, leaving you with the rush you get after the holidays are over. Some of the excitment is still there, but fading as you realize nothing exciting’s happening now, or tomorrow, until the next time you can see this little glimpse of vacation on your calendar.
Most of it all, YOU do NOT need these things to get good engagement on your blog, to market your blog successfully and, most of it all, to be happy blogging (isn’t that all we want?). By just being kind and supportive on your own, you can get all the support in the world you’ve ever wanted and more, because this community IS wonderful and genuine and don’t need these things.
☂️ Related blog post: Why and how you should support book bloggers
What do I need to do to get engagement on my blog, then?
Find new book blogs to follow and engage with
First things first: I know you all might be wondering: okay, but I am finding new blogs by hopping onto these “fake” things, as you call them, Marie, so how the heck do I find them now?
Well… you can very easily. I mean, all you have to do is:
- Check out one blog, then another….
- through the blogs’ comments,
- through social media,
- through people doing threads I actually enjoy on social media, just asking people to share their blog links, for instance. Without strings attached.
- For the Book Blogger Awards, May and I compiled a list of 492 book bloggers, so that can help, too.
- Ask on social media for people to share their blogs with you!
- Read people’s monthly wrap-ups and blog posts where they often share blog posts from bloggers and recommendations, because the community is genuinely that wonderful without looking for anything back but to spread the love.
Give your readers something to engage with
If you want engagement, you have to show that you’re open to it. Okay, I know, now you’re wondering: how the heck do I do that?
Well… to put it simply, just ask yourself: what makes YOU genuinely want to engage with other bloggers? Then, do that on your own blog, too.
For me, it’s:
- The blog in general: these very superficial, very first-appearance-based things, like the blog’s layout and readability,
- The blog posts themselves: are they great to read, with paragraphs that aren’t too long, with images, do they make me want to comment on it, do they ask for my opinion with questions at the end of it….
☂️ I talked about this more in details in my Why I will (and won’t) read your blog post.
Put yourself out there and genuinely engage with bloggers
Without any kind of prompts or anything or anyone to push you to do it. That’s when it’s genuine.
I know. Engagement needs to be built. It feels stressful, nerve wracking, terribly anxiety-inducing, too. Take it step by step and believe in it, because people are kind and welcoming, really.
How do I put myself out there and promote my blog, then?
Without using anything of these fake initiatives I mentioned above, it’s easy to promote your blog, too! Here are two easy ideas:
- Blog hop and comment on other blogs! Genuinely. Without adding “check out my blog” in your comment, because there’s no need. 95% of book bloggers check out their commenters’ blogs without them having to ask. I do. If that can help, here’s how I blog hop.
- Promote your blog posts on your social media! Tweet about your posts regularly! Post about them on your instagram stories! Create a Pinterest and pin about it all!
I’m not going to lie: you will encounter people never answering your comments, no matter how kind. People never building up conversations on blogs, people never blog hopping, people never talking back with you. That’s okay. You also will encounter people you’ll end up ranting with for ages and will love. It’s all a matter of time and finding the right people.
Once you start, all you have to do is interact genuinely, with your heart. I mean: isn’t it the best when someone recognize your hard work on your blog, by leaving a sweet and heartwarming comment, by sharing your post and spreading some love for your work? Don’t you want to give others that same feeling they give you? That’s genuine and so much more rewarding than anything else.
Engage with everyone at your own pace
I know. Interacting genuinely takes time and energy and that’s why it’s so important to interact at your own pace. I don’t care about people taking time, taking hiatuses, not commenting and interacting every time. We are all human after all and no one should EVER force themselves to interact. All I care about are the wonderfully genuine connections you can build, by yourself, just by being yourself.
Slowly but surely, you’ll find minds alike and build genuine connections, yes comments here and there, maybe stats spiking up so yayy, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, you will without realizing it, build a network of support, love and friendships, too.
Genuine engagement will help you grow as a blogger, authentically and I think that’s the most beautiful thing.
Don’t engage expecting something back
I know. We’re all human and we’re going to expect things, no matter how hard we try not to. We’re going to expect building up a conversation, a friendship, we’re going to expect to grow and more.
It’s hard to engage, to take time to genuinely engage with everyone and not to expect something back, I know.
I think what matters the most is to approach engagement as something to build up in order to build interaction and FUN. Not statistics. Yes. Engagement can make your statistics spike up and grow your blog, that makes sense, but don’t go expecting that. THAT is what fake engagement things are for, too. They expect growth.
The thing is : book blogging isn’t a monetary exchange (we’d know if we’d make money, ah ha.). Book blogging isn’t a exchange of services and goods. It’s a labour (yes, because it’s work!!), but it’s a labour of love. So engage with love, genuinely, by yourself, and with expectations of conversations with great bookish people.
☂️ Related blog post: My top 5 tips to interact with the book blogging community
This is how I try my best to engage with the book blogging community every day.
That’s what I am trying to do and that’s what I am aiming for with my blog.
To post regularly, to put myself out there, to engage with the content I genuinely enjoy.
To share my favorite posts each month in my monthly wrap-up, to support book bloggers and their work, to boost their voices without any kind of prompt or agenda.
To be authentic and myself and talk truthfully about these kind of things in blog posts just like this one.
Yes. It might take me a bit of time to engage with the community sometimes, with life and everything else, but I always want to do it as genuinely as possible. By reading your posts, by commenting on them, sharing them, without agenda or any kind or expectations, either.
My only expectation is to share the love for book bloggers’ work and it’s my only hope that you’ll all do the same yourself, without needing any kind of prompt to do so. Because you’d expect the same from others for you.
On that topic, my friend Kate @ Your Tita Kate wrote an amazing post about how to make friends in the bookish community, a lovely read if you want more tips!
☂️ In case you’re interested in supporting book bloggers’ work, you can now vote for the 2020 Book Blogger Awards up until August, 16th, 2020, right here!
Did you ever participate in these kind of engagement initiatives? How do you engage with the community? Any tips and tricks to share?
Quick question: would you be interested in a blog post about how to promote your blog? Or any other blogging topic you’d like me to cover? Let me know in comments!
Twitter ☂️ Bookstagram ☂️ Goodreads ☂️ Bloglovin ‘☂️ Support the blog
Oh this is a great post and yes you are totally right, it takes a long time to build up a good following, I have the feeling that newbie bloggers want it all too quick and you can’t get anything without interaction. I still have new followers every day but very often they don’t engage at all. I’m not even asking for a comment, just a like from time to time on one of my posts is ok, just so I know they’re still interested and are keeping an eye on my blog, reading some of my posts.
I personally have never done any promoting via others or even done any blogger following trains because as nice as it would be to check new blogs and have other blogs following me it takes time and energy to read those posts and I don’t really want to read about the next fantasy book so I don’t really want to follow a lot of blogs that focus on that. Thing is that you can’t choose and I don’t want to feel guilty (and yes I would feel pressure to return the gesture) for not reciprocating so I just don’t :-). Thanks for voicing these thoughts Marie!
Oh thank you, so happy you enjoyed it, thank you so much ?
I agree with you! It takes a long time to build a following and it takes time, too, to get engagement regularly and consistently, too. It’s a lot of work and a lot of patience, too, and for me, these fake engagement methods just… don’t seem right.
I understand your point completely! As nice as it might seem, the posts shared aren’t ones you’d like to read or are interested sometimes and… well, it’s best to engage with content you genuinely enjoy for sure! 😀
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the topic! <3
Well Marie I hate getting comments like: Great review. And nothing more when it comes from the same persons all the time. Iy just feels fake. Like the person did not read the review. And that’s fine! Not everyone loves reading reviews! If I don’t have anything genuine to say, I just like and that’s it…
I understand what you mean SO much! I agree: not everyone likes to read reviews, and sometimes even if you read the post, you don’t feel like you have something meaningful to add. When this happens to me, I just like the post or / and keep it to share in my wrap-up, too 🙂
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!! <3
This post must have taken forever to write!! ? I am so impressed by this post and what you write + I appreciate the fact that you talk about fake engagement in blogging because I feel like this can be seen quite frequently on bookstagram as well. I am a big fan of discussion posts where one can share their own opinion and comment on the blogger’s perspective and if the discussion’s topic is very creative and unique that’s even more fun!! ? I’d love to see more posts sharing blogger advice and on how to promote your blog, Marie. ? Thank you for sharing. ?
It…. took me a couple of days to write it, actually ? thank you so much!! I’m so, so happy you enjoyed this post, thank you, it means a lot ?
I think this is seen very frequently on instagram, yes, I’m not on instagram too much so I couldn’t truthfully talk about that, but I’d be curious to dig deeper into it on that social media someday, too, see what happens there ?
Thank you so much!! I’ll do my best to write some posts about that too then! <3
I haven’t been on the blog for long but I definitely have seen this kind of engagement in bookstagram a lot. Things like “follow for follow” and “comment for comment”. At first I didn’t mind it when people leave this kind of comment on my bookstagram posts, but when it becomes frequent that’s when I find it annoying…? Also with this kind of engagement I think it can be difficult to comment on posts that you don’t have much to say without making it not sound generic. And like you said, although the stats might spike up very fast, the engagement, the comments they won’t last long and can stop coming altogether when you don’t do it.
I usually blog hop to engage with the community and find new blogs to check out and follow. Twitter threads are really helpful and I love it when bloggers promote posts from others in their wrap ups (they definitely have the highest possibility of me checking them out ?)!! Sometimes I will check the post’s comments for my blog hopping purposes.
This was a great post, Marie!! You had me thinking about the overall concept of engagement, why do I want to comment on people’s posts and how can I engage with others in a more genuine way without expecting things in return. Also I’d love to read the blog post on how to promote your own blog (I’m not that good with self-promo thing. It’s nerve wracking for me and I don’t feel like I should be doing that because it always makes me thing that I’m attention-seeking in a way ?).
Oh thank you, I’m so happy this could make you think a little bit about engagement! I also use twitter and blogs comments to find out new blogs, but I’m always looking for genuine interaction and try my best to leave comments when I feel like I have things to say, too, I feel much happier that way not forcing myself either 🙂
Thank you!! I’ll think about sharing this kind of post then. I so get that, promoting feels a little… awkward at times ahah 🙂
I do occasionally participate in those ”leave your blog link for others to find” threads because I think they can be a good way to find new blogs and followers, but I do hate it when some people use blog hops and link-ups just to get empty engagement.
When I first started blogging years ago there used to be a Follow Friday meme where everyone would answer the same prompt and go around following everyone. It sounded like a good idea on paper but in reality, you would end up with a ton of followers who didn’t read your posts or leave comments and would eventually unfollow you.
Like I mentioned in my post, I appreciate threads to help find other bloggers, too! I’m a little conflicted on the ones that are like “l’m commenting back on all comments on my blog post”, things like that. These feel too much like commitment and forced engagement to get something back and I don’t like that ahah 🙂
Ohhh yes I have heard of that one! I agree, it might sound like a good idea, but it doesn’t turn into genuine engagement and friendships for the most part, and that’s too sad.
thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Louise! <3
Even with all your disclaimers, I totally get where you’re coming from. ☺️ I’m still pretty early on, and I’ve been seeing these things like pods and what not. But I primarily started this blog for myself to share what I’m interested in, and if anyone wants to engage with my blog I wanted it to be because they’re also interested in it and we can spark a conversation from that. Not because they feel like they have to pretend they care. Of course that’s not necessarily the case for everyone in these things, but I would always wonder how many followers or readers were just in it for the perks, so to speak. on the bright side though, I have found a lot of really great blogs through those lists posted elsewhere. Your blog awards list took me a long time to get through but I found so many that I really enjoyed! ?
Thank you, Jennifer, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post!? I 200% agree with you, I also want people to engage because they’re interested and not because they feel like they can gain something back.
Thank you!! I’m so happy to hear our list could be useful, thank you so much ?
I agree that the most important elements of engagement are to share meaningful content and to engage meaningfully with other people’s content.
When I first started blogging, I participated in a few blog hops that created artificial engagement. I did the same later on Twitter through hashtags that turned into a follow for follow. I’m sure that these blog hops and hashtags started with good intentions: to help people find other accounts they’d be interested in following, and I’m sure that there were other people who found them meaningful. But they were exhausting for me.
What works for me now is to write the posts that I want to write. While I participate in some blog hops and link sharing, I only write the posts that I want to write. When I have time, I take the initiative to comment on other blogs’ posts, but only if I have something to say. On Twitter, I follow accounts with content that I’m interest in; as result, I have meaningful engagement with these accounts.
I understand what you mean. I’m sure that some people managed to find meaningful conversations through these kind of things, but to be honest it’s exhausting and it feels like… well, it feels demanding, too.
I’m so happy you’re taking time to write whatever you feel like writing and engage when you feel like it, genuinely, too. I’ve been working on that and I’m much happier with it, too! When I can give my time and comments when I genuinely feel like it and on content I can relate to / have something to add to, I love it so much more, too.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience!?
I agree with a lot of the things you have said here, Marie! When I first read the title of this post I was hoping you would talk about leaving comments that are just meant for self promotion. This really irks me. While I appreciate every comment, it honestly hurts my feelings when people comment, “great post, check out my blog!” Because it makes me feel as if they haven’t even read my post. So I totally get where you’re coming from here. Also side note, I would love a post talking about how to promote your blog! It’s something that I have struggled with for a while so any tips are appreciated.
I understand what you mean, I feel the same way! Not everyone will write long comments, and I get that, but sometimes you can feel that the comment is only there for self promotion and… it just hurts, a little bit? ?
thank you so, so much Emily! I’ll do my best to write a post about it soon then! ?
Um wow, Marie THIS POST IS AMAZING!! Truly, I love it so much and love (and appreciate) how you put so much effort into eeppp!! I,,, did not know that “comment back” was even a thing tbh. I know that those engagement things exist and I have no interest because I definitely agree. Firstly, I’d feel obligated to comment and that makes it less fun and also a chore. Which is when I would no longer want to do it. But secondly, I don’t want people only coming to me knowing that I’d comment back. I’d rather have it come organically, even if it isn’t as fast or doesn’t show up in the views. And I’ve seen some really horrible ones too, especially on Instagram. Their “terms” are just so sketchy and some of them (excuse my wording) are so bitchy.
Then again, I found this lovely Twitter account that a friend recommended that you can tweet your new posts to and they’ll retweet. And I don’t THINK there is any obligation in return, it’s just meant to boost. Which is super nice.
But I also LOVE all your tips so much. I have been blog hopping so much recently, I realised I had never actually done it and made real use of my Reader. But it’s actually just so easy to do it and I don’t know why it’s taken me so long?? But it’s been so great and reading other blogs has made ME excited about my own. You’re just SO right wow.
Also, side note, those gifs work perfectly!! The accuracy is there. Especially that Gilmore Girls one hehe
aaah I’m ?? thank you so, so, so much for your sweet words, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post, thank you ??
I SO agree with you on the “I don’t want people coming to me knowing I’ll comment back”. That’s exactly how I feel, too. I mean, on my own I’ll most likely check out every blog on my own time, but I just don’t like that obligation that you have to engage and comment and give something for others to come back, and the circle goes on and on…. in the end, it just feels like an exchange and not real, genuine conversations ?
AH that’s lovely! That’s an initiative I can appreciate, too, without strings attached. And other blogs are sooo inspiring, blog hopping always makes me more motivated to work on my own blog, as well.
Thank you again for your comment, this means so much! ?
I love this post so much, Marie! ? Thank you for taking the time (and courage) to write this. I agree with you on everything you said about fake engagement and it feels iffy to me as well to comment or engage with expectations – it never leads to organic growth and you never know when that support is going to go away. I have been very lousy at book blogging recently but life has been a giant mess for a while now, so hoping to build a consistent habit once things finally settle down and I can start building up habits and routines. I still read all the posts I link on my wrap-ups and I try to cover as many different blogs as possible to interact with new bloggers each month. You have some wonderful tips here! ♥️
Thank YOU for taking the time to read it, this means so much!! ?
I’m glad you agree, it just feels a little iffy and… fake. There are so many wonderful, real ways to grow, too, so why engage in that? I don’t really get it, ahah.
Ahh I hope you’ll be able to build a new routine soon, but always take your time, too ? that’s the thing with genuine engagement, don’t worry, your readers and I number 1 will always be there for you and to support you, no matter how active you can be ?
Thank you, Marie! ♥️ You are too sweet and kind! It means a lot.
ALWAYS here for you, always!❤️
I’ve seen a lot of these kind of things on book IG, specifically shout out for shout out sessions. I remember doing them in the beginning, but I hardly do them now since my time is still more focused on my blog.
I will say that I’ve never really given a lot of thought about these types of engagement things, maybe because I don’t really participate?
In any case, I mostly agree with you that they feel fake, especially on IG. However, I like to think that the people who start them at least think that they’re coming from a good place. Hopefully they do!
I really enjoyed this post! 🙂
Oh yes, I have seen these things on instagram, too. I can’t personally speak about these, though, I never participated and my knowledge of how these work is limited?
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts, Nicole! <3
As I’ve never done something on Twitter, I’m not 100% sure, but I imagine that the IG ones are pretty similar to any that happen on Twitter. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
Yes definitely, I think these are pretty similar in the end! 😀
People commenting checkout my page/account/blog is really irksome. More than a rant, what you said here is the reality! ?
I’m glad you agree ? thank you so much!! <3
Marie… I adore you. Before I actually *start* my comment, I just want to say how much I idolize and love you <333 You're so sweet and you somehow always come up with THE best discussions and post!!! So much respect and just lovelovelove for you ❤❤
Okay, so I *suck* at engaging consistently. It's not that I don't want to or that I don't like engaging ~ Normally, when I comment, I end up leaving paragraph long comments (and then I get anxiety about being obnoxious and taking up too much space but that's off-topic lol) and it's just very time-taking? I don't want to leave comments that sound too generic, such as "lovely post!" because those sorts of comments can go for ANY post and it personally sounds really out-of-a-can for me…. and I most certainly don't want anyone to feel as if I'm just doing the bare minimum but then feel obliged to comment back. That's not the sort of relation I want to build! Anyways, all that, along with my "anxiety" (I put this in quotes because I don't actually have anxiety and I don't want to use a label incorrectly but I do get anxious and overthink these things? Just want to clarify that I'm not trying to dismiss it in any way!!) makes it so that I don't comment all that much at all, oof. ?
The entire point of that entire paragraph was me trying to say, "YES! I AGREE WITH YOU!" because personally, fake engagement is more demoralizing than anything. It feels hurtful and just makes me sad when I think of people "liking" my blog just because they expect something in return and I agree that that kind of engagement is very harmful.
That last paragraph is ART and just so elegantly worded, I love it!!! "Labour of love" is just such a beautiful way to put it, and so true!!!
Anyways, I adored this post a lot!!! (And I apologize for this weirdly long comment, oof)
Okay but oh my god Sara you’re making me cry ??? thank you so, so, SO much, it means the world that you enjoyed this post and my work so much, thank you ???
I completely get what you mean! It is very time consuming to engage, I get that… I mean, I spent 6 hours the other day doing just that and I’m far from done, so I get that ? That being said, I don’t think the length of a comment really matters. Of course, if someone leaves a long comment and has lots of thoughts, it’s AMAZING, but someone can leave a comment just as sweet and as genuine without writing just a “great post”. There’s an inbetween,too! I mean, I know personally, depending on the post, I either write a novel or a couple of lines! Don’t worry about it too much, you’re doing amazing. As long as you comment with your heart always <3
Thank you so, so, SO much!!
I love this post so much, Marie! I agree with you 1000% – there’s a big difference between fake engagement and real engagement, and while I don’t think the book blogging world is filled with people who do the former, there are some who are on the thin line between the two. I *hate* those comments that contain one super-generic line and then ask me to visit their blog. Like you, I try to comment back, but I’m certainly not going to do it if they are leaving comments like that. Maybe that’s petty of me, I don’t know, but I only have so much time and I’d rather spend it visiting bloggers whose content I love and/or who live meaningful comments and replies.
Years ago, back on our old blog, we used to display the “bloggers commenting back” picture, but it seemed to encourage people to ask for comment back. Not to mention that it put a strain on us – like I said, I try my best to comment back, but sometimes I go through ten posts on a blog and I don’t like/am not interested in any of them, so I have nothing to say even after reading them. Forcing myself to comment means that I too am likely leaving a meaningless, fake comment. :/ That’s not fair to anyone.
I like tweets where bloggers as others to share their posts, the ones you pointed out as positive examples. There’s an account I follow on twitter that boosts bloggers and they also occasionally ask for bloggers to share their blogs and check out each others’. Which sounded good, and so I did it (there was NOTHING about having to follow each other!!) but it was annoying because people started to follow my twitter for a follow back, and then unfollowed when I didn’t do it, haha.
That’s definitely not petty of you, I get that! I’m a little turned off as well whenever I see these kind of comments. I’m way more interested in checking out blogs that seemed like they really wanted to have a conversation with me, too! 😀
200% get that! I didn’t actually have that badge displayed on my blog, but years ago I kind of had this state of mind, as well. Yet, I quickly found it overwhelming and hard, because sometimes I just don’t have anything to say. When the blog has completely different interests than I, I just didn’t see the point of leaving something meaningless :/
Oh no, that’s really too bad. I hate people doing that, expecting to be followed back :/
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts!! <3
I honestly think this is a great post! I occasionally go through the “latest blog posts” threads, but I don’t like posts that force you to comment. I always try to leave unique and real comments with my thoughts and ideas! I hate those threads, cause a lot of the time you get inauthentic comments on your posts! Great post Marie xxx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Thank you so much, Melina! I agree, the latest blog posts initiatives can be lovely ? it really is the ones forcing you to comment that makes me feel awkward. It just feels forced and gives inauthentic comments, too, yes!
Thank you so much! ?
marie im about to read this post and im SO excited
ahhhhhhh i hope it was an okay read ahhh ??
i just realised never commented afterwards but i read it and MARIE THIS WAS SO FANTASTICALLY WRITTEN. there was a lot of nuance here and i just,,, agree with this so much. thank you for writing this!!
AHH thank you so so much!! ?❤️
This is a really great post. I never really thought about fake engagement. I tend to just comment when I have time, even if it’s something small. I don’t think I’ve ever commented asking for follows or anything like that. I guess I do what feels natural.
Thank you so much! I think, (as cheesy as it sounds ?) that as long as you comment with your heart and genuinely, it’s the most important 🙂
You’re welcome! I agree. I wish I could write out more, but most days are just limited. I definitely want the blogger to know I read their post and appreciated it though.
I agree, it’s hard to do it all! But it’s always great to know someone appreciates your work 😀
🙂
Thank you so much for this post, Marie! I was so nervous when I first started blogging to engage with other bloggers, but, at the end of the day, we’re all just here to shout into the void about our favorite books, so why not shout together? I’ve found some great friends through leaving long, rambling comments, and, really, that’s way better than just fake engaging with the same comment on every post.
Thank you so much for reading!? I was so nervous to engage with bloggers when I first started, as well, but I’m so happy I did. I found the best of friends and it was just wonderful once I managed to just, find my words and comment genuinely! ?
I think it usually easy to tell genuine engagement versus engagement because someone wants something in return, and that can be frustrating. I do get a little sad when it becomes clear someone left a comment just because they wanted me to go their blog or comment in return. It’s usually obvious they only read the title of my post because often they will respond to something I didn’t say or argue against something they assumed I must have said, but I didn’t. I usually try to leave thoughtful comments for others, but when I see someone just commented for show, it feels like a waste of my time. They didn’t read my post. Why would they read my comment?
I agree with you! It’s easy to see when it’s really genuine or not and… it’s frustrating. Sometimes yes, they only comment on the blog post’s title and it’s clear they didn’t read the entire blog post you worked on for hours and it makes me so sad ?
I get what you mean, too. I always do my best to reply to all comments, but when it’s just for show, I sometimes don’t bother ahah 🙂
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! ?
I completely agree with everything you’ve said!
As a new blogger, I admit, I did fall into some of these ‘fake’ engagements but slowly I learnt that I didn’t really enjoy it and made blogging feel like a chore to me.
I am really glad I understood that because now, I’ve made such amazing friends and with it comes the want to promote them and even other bloggers whom you don’t know that well because of the overall feeling of a community and friendship!
I’m so happy you figured that out: nothing is worth making blogging feel like a chore, that’s for sure. You should do what makes you the happiest ??
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts!! <3
as a new blogger, i love all of your blogging advice, but especially this post in terms of making genuine connections. i’ve never joined an engagement group because 1. i am a younger person, and 2. that doesn’t feel true to me. thank you for this post! i am putting less pressure on myself to always comment on every post and to comment on the ones i truly love.
oh thank you so much!! i’m so happy this post could be useful to you, thank you ? I think that’s what matters the most, focusing on engaging with the content that you want to engage with, too 🙂
Omg I adore this post!! I agree with every single thing in it. And omg you’re not alone, I hate those accounts too. (Also, what you said about their interaction being inconsistent is soo trueee, the accounts always have thousands of followers but get barely any likes on their tweets ??) And it’s so irritating when bloggers comment on posts for the sole purpose of promoting their own blog!! It’s always so obvious and just so annoying. Also, making friends in the book community is so hard for me because I’m terrible at socializing ?
Oh thank you so so much ?? I’m so happy you enjoyed this post and agree… it just feels so, ughhh I don’t have a word ahah, ?
I understand that, it took me a while before throwing myself into the community and i’m still nervous about it every day? but honestly, it comes a little easier every day and I always remind myself that we’re here for the love of books and ready to have lovely conversations and it helps me in posting these comments and interacting (on blogs. I suck at social media ahah) ? know that I ADORE your content (I’m perpetually late on blog hopping and commenting?) and I’m here to socialize if you want ?
Love this post! I also don’t like when bloggers add their post links in comments. I don’t mind checking their link but it doesn’t give genuine feel and like you said it happens rarely. I blog hop and comment but sometimes I don’t have anything to say and I don’t want make generalise comment so mainly I share blog posts on social media. These worked best so far. I’m going to start adding post enjoyed every week in weekly wrap-up. I would like to read post on blogging topics and read more tips.
Thank you so much, so happy you enjoyed this! <3 I'm right here with you on that, I don't want to give out just a great post, I'd rather share the post on social media or in my wrap-ups so they know I appreciate it that way, too 🙂
Thank you!! <3
Yes yes yes to all of this! I definitely agree that I’m personally not comfortable with the boost-for-boost threads and all the related stuff you mentioned. It just feels so much like the LA/Hollywood rat race expanding, you know? Where it’s really hard to find genuine friends because it seems like everyone just wants something from you and all you are to people is a connection to something better. I absolutely love it when people comment on my blog not because I commented on theirs first but because they genuinely connected with something I wrote and want to take time to tell me their thoughts! I’d take having one genuine comment over a hundred commenting-back comments any day!
Laura @BlueEyeBooks
Yes that’s exactly it! It feels like you’re just here because you want something back and this kind of attitude just makes me sad 🙁
I so agree with you on that. It’s so wonderful to see people commenting because they had something to say, genuinely, and not because you were there first! 😀 Thank you so, so much, Laura <3
This is such a great post Marie, and I agree with this!! You can really tell when someone doesn’t actually read your post, and although I appreciate all comments, it’s ones that actually say something about the post that are the most special.
When I started blogging I didn’t really know anything about blog hopping, or what any of this meant, but now I can actually appreciate meaningful conversations more.
Of course it commenting on lots of posts can help your blog’s stats, you should blog hop only for yourself. It should be about supporting other blogs and other bloggers!!
Thank you so much, so so happy you enjoyed it! <3
I agree with you, these comments are the most special and they're the ones I cherish the most ? and yes! I can't deny that blog hopping can be good to grow your blog, but in the end, it's the genuine conversations that matters the most to me, too <3
I totally agree with everything that you’ve said in this post! My blog is still small, and I want it to grow but I don’t feel right about doing “commenting back” threads because that doesn’t feel like honest engagement. People aren’t commenting because they have something to say about my content or want to interact with me, they’re doing it to grow their own blog. No shame on them for doing it but it feels a little too hollow for me to be comfortable with.
It also bums me out when I get a comment that’s just “Great post, check out mine!” because it’s entirely self-promotion. 9/10 if you leave a thoughtful comment I’ll check out some posts on your blog because you seem interesting! I almost never click on a link that was dropped with a simple “great post”. I appreciate that the person took time to say it…but it’s definitely not as encouraging as a thoughtful comment.
You’ve given some excellent suggestions on getting real engagement. I’m co-running a meme that I’ve found very successful in boosting lasting engagement because it encourages discussion. I’ve also taken to sharing my favourite posts in a wrap-up each month to boost the bloggers I love. I appreciate one loyal, thoughtful follower more than 100 who just hope that I’ll follow them back.
Great post – check out mine: jkjk
I completely understand what you mean. Some initiatives just feel too hollow and it’s not really what we want here, either. It always makes me a bit sad to see so many people into this, just for the sake of “growing”. It’s not really growing meaningfully to me.
Exactly! I am the exact same way. It takes me a couple weeks more often than not to check out the blogs (because, well, life?), but I always eventually do! The comments just leaving their blog links make me NOT want to do that though.
Oh that’s such a lovely initiative, I will have to check it out. I so agree, loyal and thoughtful comments are so much better <3
THANK YOU so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! <3
When I first created a bookstagram, someone added me to a group where we would all comment on each other’s posts. I thought it would just be a fun way to grow my platform, but after a few weeks it started getting really overwhelming. I’d have to comment on 20+ pictures nearly every day and it was hard to find genuine things to say. I ended up leaving the group and I’m thankful I did. Most of the comments were just emojis or “great post” and they didn’t feel meaningful at all. Now the comments I get from actual friends I’ve made on the platform are genuine and really encouraging.
I’ve started blog hopping again more recently. I wasn’t doing too well when it came to blogging and I was feeling really discouraged but ever since I joined book twitter I’ve started to make some more connections. It’s been nice finding people who like the same kinds of books I do and chatting about it with them because I don’t really have any friends or family that enjoy the books I read. Most of the content creators I was following would mainly talk about fantasy or other genres I’m not super interested in, but now I’m starting to really connect with people who share my interests.
I have seen a lot of comments where I can tell the person didn’t even read my post and that hurts sometimes, but I’ve also gotten a lot more comments that spark conversations lately. It can be a mixed bag but you can really tell when someone reads the whole post.
I feel like I was rambling for most of this but this post really hit close to home for me and I’m happy you decided to talk about it. I would love for you to do a post on how to promote your blog! It’s something I really struggle with and I’d love to hear your methods 😀
Ohh I’ve heard about these initiatives on instagram, yes! As helpful as they might seem, I also feel like they’re just here to help you grow and not really… genuine, in a way, too, since it doesn’t start meaningful conversations or friendships. It makes me a little sad.
I’m so happy you could little by little, find your people in the blogging community! It really is a mixed bag sometimes, but when you get these little gems and conversations starters, it’s so lovely and it makes me so happy <3
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed this post <3 I'll try and work on more blogging posts soon! 😀
I agree with everything here, Marie! Although, I think I might have participated in something like these initiatives, even just a little bit. ? Early on, I noticed that my blog would get more engagement if I commented on other blog posts, so I tried to do that as much as possible! But I also noticed that I was more compelled to blog hop to someone’s blog if they left a meaningful comment on my post, so I have always tried my best to do the same. I always try to read someone’s post (at least a little bit), before commenting, so they know I appreciate their post, even if I don’t have time to read the whole thing! I would never leave a single sentence comment on someone else’s post, because that just feels kind of… fake. 🙁 Whenever someone comments on my posts with a simple “Nice post!”, I appreciate the gesture, but nothing about that comment lets me get to know that blogger. I would much rather receive or give a long comment so that we can get to know each other.
Some things I’m guilty of doing sometimes are the “here’s my post, please send me your post as well!” things, and also the thing where I follow a bunch of blogs without really reading their content first, but all of these things are so that I can eventually engage for real. I ask people to send me their posts (while also showing them mine), because you never know – we might become friends! I’ll never read their content if I never find it, so at least I can look at their posts if they send the link on Twitter. And I follow quite a lot of people on here and on Twitter, because I want to get to know people more, even if I didn’t know them before I followed them.
Personally, it has been hard to engage with the community lately. 🙁 I just feel overwhelmed and like I don’t have time, but I also feel bad that I’m not commenting on other blogs as much as I used to! I’m definitely trying to blog hop a little more, because so many bloggers deserve to get engagement, too. Whenever I tag someone’s post in one of mine, I don’t really expect anything back – I just want them to know I read their post and I recommend it to others!
This is such a great discussion post, Marie! No need to be nervous! ❤️ Sorry if my comment doesn’t make sense, I just have a lot of thoughts about this and it could have been so much longer! ?
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to share your thoughts, not rambling AT All! thank you!! <3
I get what you mean. I appreciate all comments so, so much, but when I feel like I could provoke a conversation with my post, this makes me the happiest ever. <3
And not at all, I think what you're doing are great examples and initiatives I appreciate, on the contrary! I like threads where people just give their blog posts or share their blogs, because it doesn't feel as forced as the ones where people are mentioning "hey i'm commenting back" ?
I so get that. I've been slacking cruelly on blog hopping lately because, well, life and time slips by and I don't have enough to do it all, it makes me so, so sad. But we're trying and we're doing our best, when we can and want to, genuinely, that's the most important <3
Thank you so, so much!! <3
I agree with you here! The principle is fine, but I’m not keen on it either, because something always seems off. Being disingenuous can be really off-putting. And yeah I see the fake boosting a lot (I was asked to join in with one of those schemes and chose not to, so can’t say much on a personal level, beyond feeling like the whole interaction didn’t feel all that great- kind of like a “hi stranger, you seem to like blogging, fancy joining this?”) And I think it isn’t great for the blogs involved- they get a brief boost and then it disappears after a day… without many people sticking around! And I agree that it’s better to engage organically- that way you can actually meet people, have real interactions and grow as a blogger. It takes time to find *your blogging people* (there aren’t really shortcuts!) And it would also be a lot less fun if all the engagements were phony. Also I really relate to keeping a realllly long list of blogs to catch up on! Now, I’m tempted to make a joke at the end of this comment saying “please check out my blog” 😉 – but I think I’d prefer to say thank you for all the wonderful and genuine interactions we’ve had over the years <3 It really means a lot and I love your content! <3
Yes that’s exactly it! The brief boost is just that, very brief and it’s rare that people stick around, so… it just feels a little sad. There is so much more growth and fun happening when you’re engaging in a genuine way, without expecting or pushing for something back. It takes time, yes, but it’s SO much more rewarding to have conversations like that too <3
Aww thank you so, so, so much, this means so much ? it's been incredible to chat with you for so many years now and I always love it!! ?
I agree with you!
You’re welcome!! And thank you!! <3
What a great post, Marie! So thoughtful and honest. I haven’t come across engagement initiatives like that, but I don’t think I would participate. I believe in genuine, authentic, sincere engagement. I want people to comment on my posts because they’re actually interested in what I’m saying, they’re not just looking for a visit back to their blog. That’s why I don’t even mind that my blog isn’t very big. I feel like I have a core group of bloggers that I really connect with, and I can take the time to have meaningful interactions with them. Promoting yourself, your blog, and your posts is important, but it’s very obvious when it’s insincere.
Thank you, Angela, I’m so happy you enjoyed it <3
I get that and I think it's so wonderful! I cherish the close interactions I can have and the genuine connections I made so, so much <3
Absolutely loved this post! Any blogger should be familiar with fake engagement and honestly, it’s such a trashy thing to do. You can do better without and it just ends up losing relevancy to the good content you’ve actually put out. Amazing post Marie ?
Aww thank you!! ? I agree, it’s easy to grow and have lots of fun without taking part in any of this!
Great post, Marie! Ugh the ‘Great post, here’s my blog’ comments annoy me to no end. It feels like they haven’t actually bothered to read my post and I can guarantee I never check out the blogs that are just left in comments like that.
I completely agree that there’s nothing wrong with bloggers wanting to grow our engagement, it’s always nice to have people liking and commenting on your posts when you’ve worked hard on them, but I think the best way to run a blog with a lot of an engagement is just to be a genuine person. Be yourself, write what you want to write and blogging friends will follow!
Exactly! I’m a little sad because it feels like they didn’t read the post, yes 🙁
I so agree with you. Engagement is amazing and it’s so great to know it can help you grow, both in big and wonderful ways, but the best way to do that is to just, put yourself out there and be genuine. No need to do these fake things 🙂
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts, Jess <3
This is such an amazing post! All of the points that you make in this post were so great and I loved being able to read it. I really agreed with the fact that you shouldn’t engage with the expectation you will get something back, I feel like this is such an important thing to think about! Thank you for writing this great post❤︎
Aww thank you! I’m so glad you agree. It’s hard not to have any expectations, but it’s best to try and get into that perspective. You also have so much more fun! <3
Omg yesss my thoughts have been composed into a blog post!!!
I am so uncomfortable with this sort of fake engagement and I dislike it to no end. When I was new in the bookish community I fell into this trap and let me tell you this, I followed and commented but rarely got back anything in return so it doesn’t even work for initial engagement, let alone long term. I hope people realise this is the wrong way to go. I get so many comments that are basically five words and a link to the person’s own blog and I feel like screaming. It only makes me not want to check out their post.
Love this blog post so much!!!
Ahhh thank you Charvi!! I’m glad I am not the only one that is uncomfortable with it. I really hope that people will realize this is not a great thing and… there are so many better ways to get better engagement <3
This is such a great post!
There are so many time on my bookstagram when I get DMs or comments saying “great picture, will follow you if you follow me” and I’ve always deleted those messages and comments because it is just so damn fake and so obvious that they are just in there for the numbers and are not looking for any real engagement or connections
This post has really opened my eyes on a lot of things most of all how I need to be better at engaging so thank you so much for that and I am definitely gonna be checking out all the other posts that you have linked here
Have a great day and happy reading ?
Thank you so much, so happy you enjoyed it!
I haven’t been the most active on bookstagram, but it has happened to me too and… I deleted the messages. It made me a little sad and, I mean, I’m not here for that??
Thank you so, so, so much, I’m so happy this post could be helpful too! <3
Marie, I love this post so much and how in depth it is! This is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately since joining Twitter and seeing those sort of engagements threads you refer to and since I always take really long breaks from blogging and blog-hopping ?. I really agree with all of your points, and “engage at your own pace” is something I really needed to hear right now hahaha. I never want people to feel like I’m liking, commenting, or sharing their posts in return for something—especially since I tend to engage with the community, specifically by commenting on posts, when I come back from those breaks and actually post things too. It’s like you said, you want and expect others to be engaging genuinely, and to me, there’s really no point of me pouring time into posts if they’re not resonating enough with people for them to react honestly. Commenting will always be my favorite way of engaging with other bloggers, but lately sharing posts across my different social media accounts has been the simplest way for me to hopefully share the love and feel like I’m part of the community haha ?.
Really lovely post, Marie—I can really feel how much you love the community! And I always love reading your thoughts on any blogging topics, so the post about promoting your blog would be cool haha.
I feel like when you join twitter, you realize just how normal and, kind of like, the norm, these kind of practices are, and it makes me so sad ?
I’m glad you needed to hear that, I constantly need to repeat those words to myself,too, to engage at my own pace. I feel too overwhelmed otherwise and I want to engage when I feel like it, too, to be as genuine as possible <3
Thank you so much!! I'll do my best to write blogging posts soon 😀
You really hit the nail on the head with this post!! I found myself nodding along so much while reading that I gave myself a headache lmfao. And THANK YOU for linking back to my post!
Aww thank you so much!! ? and of course, your post is amazing <3
Well, I do participate in the #LetsDiscuss2020 challenge which is where we’re supposed to put posts up on our blogs that will engage our readers, and hopefully motivate them to discuss certain topics in the comments. But there’s nothing there that says we HAVE to comment or reply to comments, so I don’t think I do this fake stuff.
oh no it’s nothing like that, no! I’m into the discussion challenge as well and I love finding out new discussions this way. There’s no real thing forcing you to engage with any of the discussions and I appreciate how lovely that is. You can just discuss on blog posts you feel inspired by! ?
thank you for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
I definitely agree with this so much! Like it’s great to engage with people and promote our blogs but not in a way where you’re practically begging ? and definitely I found genuinely reading and enjoying other people’s blog posts, starting some conversations that are related to the post you read is so important! And promoting on social media is also just as helpful! But to have a successful blog means a lot of time and dedication! I read somewhere that someone said it can take years and years to become an overnight sensation?
I really enjoyed this post!
YES exactly, it takes years and hard work and dedication and I believe passion, too, to grow <3 I love engaging so much, but it's not necessary to join these kind of things to get fake engagement. You can grow and have much more fun on your own 😀
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! 😀
No problem it was a great post!??
Aaah I adore this post so much Marie! I think the only times i leave a link to my post is if the threads about someone wanting to find new blogs/they need to blog hop. I find a lot of these initiatives feel very hollow to me, I don’t want people to comment on my posts or content because they feel like they have to. I want them to do it because they enjoy my content and that can be a hard thing to do, when you’re a new blogger as you’ve not really grown your audience or found any friends yet. When I very first started I joined a Discord server, we had a channel on there for sharing blog posts, that was primarily how I found book bloggers and made friends in the community. Now I co-run my own server with one of my blogging friends, which is open to all book lovers and we have a channel for people to share their content in. I know Discord’s not for everyone but I still enjoy using it, it’s a really nice and easy way to connect with people in the community who are part of the server.
I used to feel this pressure to comment on every post I read, to read every post I come across but now I streamline the posts in my Feedly to eliminate ones I know I won’t want to read. Then out of the ones left, I’ll leave comments if I have something to say, otherwise I just leave a like. Sometimes I’ll share on social media, which reminds me I want to be better at sharing posts on twitter that I’ve read haha I always get a warm fuzzy feeling when someone shares a post of mine on twitter.
Fake engagement sucks and it also sucks that a lot of people, particularly new bloggers, will think that in order for people to engage on their posts they’ll be expecting something in return. I feel like that’s a particularly harmful mindset to foster, that your content is only worth engaging with if you return the favour. Something I do from time to time is tweet asking for people to share their latest posts or maybe their favourite and I’ll do my best to hop, like and maybe comment on them. Doing those tweets makes me happy and brings me a sense of joy because a lot of people who link up I don’t follow their blogs and it’s a great way of stumbling into a new blog that you could end up falling in love with!
I would be interested in a post on how to promo your blog, at the moment I’m testing a new layout to my tweets to see if that helps people click on it (I’m not really holding my breath for it but I do like my new layout xD) and I’m not sure if you’ve already done a post on this and I missed it, but I’d be interested on a post of your blog hopping process/behind it? Thank you so much for writing this fabulous post Marie <3
I agree with you! It can be kind of hard to find your place and that engagement when you first start, but if you slowly do your best to put yourself out there, genuinely and without any need to join fake initiatives, it eventually works! I think some people and new bloggers can be focused on becoming popular really fast, when it can take years before you can find your people. <3
I also used to feel a lot of pressure to comment everywhere! Now I focus on the posts I feel like I can add something to. I keep some for my wrap-ups, too and do my best to spread the love, but…. only one human here, hard to do everything ahah.
Thank you so, so much Clo! I'm so so happy you enjoyed this post <3 I'll try my best to keep the blogging posts coming soon then 😀 I had a blog hopping process, but it has changed a little bit now, it's time for an update 😀
Thank you! <3
Great post!
I participated in one of those threads on twitter last year because I hadn’t been blogging for a few months and just wanted to come back and maybe find new blogs in the process, too. But the thing is, nobody really checks them out except when you post about something controversial? I haven’t taken part in another and I don’t plan to. I just went back to good old blog hopping which I love so much <3 It's also fairly easy to find new blogs via social media. I guess the best way to promote your blog & engage is to just put your posts out there and whenever you see something that interests you, comment something nice or thoughtful. I feel like this is the best way and it works for me 🙂
Thank you so much, Kat! I so agree, it’s pretty easy to find blogs, both on social media and through other blogs and it’s a wonderful way to engage with new people, too <3 and yes! the best way to promote is definitely to be yourself and comment genuinely; too <3
Thank you so much!
When I comment on a blog it’s because I have something to say about the post. I do have people who I interact with regularly, who I consider my “people”, and I make sure to visit them regularly. I am not a fan of throwaway comments, which is kind of why I like the WP blogs have the “like” button. It let’s you know I was here even if I don’t necessarily have anything to say.
YES same here! I also have my people I regularly check out and chat with and I also take time to check out new blogs regularly, but when I engage, it’s because I have something to say, too <3
Thank you so much, Sam! <3
Great post, check out my- Just kidding (I had to do it) ?
You make a really good point with this, because while getting a genuine lovely comment is the best feeling in the world, there’s nothing more disappointing than getting a comment that’s just someone fishing for views.
My favourite way to engage is to scroll through the comments section of my favourite bloggers’ posts, then click through to new blogs from there. It’s a nice way to find new people who share interests with you (since they’re reading the same blogs) and if you’re REALLY bothered about engagement, then you know you’re engaging with people who do leave comments on posts. The Book Blogger Awards were also great for me – I found so many wonderful new people from all the nominations!
I’d love to see a post about how to promote your blog! Especially if some of the ideas don’t involve social media, because honestly trying to run another account on top of my blog exhausts me. ? This was such a great discussion, I can tell how much work went into it ❤️
?? I love your comment ??
AH YES I do that too! I have been finding new, wonderful blogs this way and new favorites, too. I’m so happy to hear the awards have been helping you, too!
I understand, social media is exhausting. (and… it’s literally my job?) I’ll do my best to write some blogging posts soon! Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts! <3
Thank you so much for all the effort you put on this post! As a new blogger I think I’ve been blog-hopping a little too hard and following every blog I came across, but I genuinely try to engage and comment something related to the post.
Sometimes, if the post is about NA or thriller/mystery mostly, because those are genres I don’t particularly like, I won’t comment and just like instead of just saying “good post!” but I really love to read reviews, and people well-thought posts like yours, or even just memes or wrap-ups because I feel more connected to the community.
And I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed with the number of followers but I think they grow kinda fast? When I used to blog a few years ago it took me more than a month to get to 50 so I’m… surprised.
It can be tiring (I spent two hours yesterday commenting) but I think it’s more genuine that the other things you mentioned (on the other hand, my blog has no social media presence at all, which it’s something I should definitely work on. Sometimes I even forget to share my posts ?).
(And thank you so much for the other posts and resources you shared, I’ll take a look now ♥).
Thank you so much for taking the time to read it and comment, it means a lot! <3
I get that, when I first started blogging, I spent a lot of time blog hopping and following blogs, but my process has changed a lot since then and… well, I'm always trying my best now to engage genuinely, even if it's less than before. I don't think the numbers of blogs you visit or comments you leave matter, but how genuine you are?
And it is tiring yes! I spent 5 hours yesterday on it and I'm far from done ahah, but it can be so, so rewarding, too and create some wonderful connections and friendships. Just, take it at your own pace ?
Thank you so much for your comment, so, so happy this helped <3
I do take part in some share threads and/or hashtags – but they’re usually the chill ones, which are like: don’t just drop yours, check out other people’s too.
I’ve found some awesome blogs that way.
People can be a little strange even on those though. One blogger was like, ‘I commented on your blog!’ so I’m like, ‘oh thanks, I’ll add you to my comment-back list’ (which in itself is more of a scribbled reminder to myself than a requirement.) And when I checked *my* blog – they hadn’t. actually. posted. any. comment. Like… wtf?! Lol.
Ahh yay! I also find some great blogs through threads like that and I love that there’s no commitment to it, just share your blog! ?
Uuuh that’s very weird ahah, strange things happen, maybe the comment disappeared ahah.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
This was such an interesting post to read!
Honestly, fake engagement never made much sense to me. I created my blog because I love talking about books, and meeting other people like that genuinely makes me happy. I’ve had so many wonderful conversations and found so many great new books to read (or movies to watch, or new hobbies to try, etc). What’s the point of having a blog, doing all this work (and it’s a lot), if you only care about the numbers and not the people? I’d much rather have a couple of comments that really mean something than hundreds that mean nothing at all. For me, it’s about the community and the connections you can make here.
Btw, this was a very well written post! All of the gifs fit perfectly with what you were saying and that’s the level of accuracy and relatable-ness that I aspire to achieve someday ?
Aww thank you! I understand and completely agree with you. For me, the point of this has always been to make genuine connections, find out about new books and have fun! Some people have different goals in mind, I guess, but I’m just sad when I see these meaningless initiatives.
Oh ?❤️ thank you, this means so so much ahh, thank you!! ?❤️
“I don’t want people to comment on my blog, expecting something back from me. I want them to comment because they genuinely enjoyed what I have to say.” Yesssss wow, thank you for putting this into words! As much as I love the book blogging community, and as much genuine supportiveness comes out of it, it is so frustrating to see this kind of disingenuous interaction. I always feel like I can tell when a commenter hasn’t read any part of my post other than the title, and it doesn’t feel great. Definitely doesn’t make me want to check out their blog in return. And yes, the idea that you would only boost other blogs in hopes of getting something in return feels kinda gross to me too.
Anyways, this is a wonderful post, and I so appreciate how much genuineness (totally a word) you put into the blogging community, Marie! ?
I’m so happy you agree with this. I was a little scared to write it, but I just, had to say this ahah. It doesn’t feel good at all when you know someone didn’t read the post.
Thank you so, so much, Margaret, for your sweet words, this means so much <3
I was just thinking along the lines of this topic earlier today, crazy! I couldn’t agree more with everything you shared here. My hope is always that people realise that I’m genuine in every interaction I have with them or their content. I would hate for any of the bloggers I follow to think that I’m only leaving comments on their posts because I think/know that they’re going to return the favour. I follow people that I want to follow, and I engage with them because I sincerely enjoyed their blog post/tweet/insta post/etc. Here’s to more earnest and authentic blogging interactions, all around!
I’m glad I’m not the only one with these thoughts stuck in my head ahah <3
I agree with you so, so much, I'm scared that people would think I'm commenting or being there because of expectations, and not because I loved their work and want to engage with them. Let's hope this never happens! <3
This is all so relatable. Back when I started, around 8 years ago, I didn’t really know what to do to be read (…well, yes ?♀️) AND make connections, so I joined a follow-for-follow train on Goodreads…the funny thing is, my very first follower has become a real friend through the years…but as for the rest, it was so meaningless. I don’t regret it, because you have to start somewhere (back then, I was mainly afraid that, if people saw that I didn’t have any followers, they would think there wasn’t any reason to hang out with me…), but after that I never took part in these kinds of activities again. I have, indeed, tried some memes, but they were all short-lived because they felt like a chore (like The Sunday Post). And I did participate in a few other seasonal blog-hopping initiatives (like Armchair BEA), but can you believe I only made TWO real friends through them? (who sort of count like one, because they share a blog LOL). So…I mean…I just agree with everything you said.
Okay but 8 YEARS wow that’s fantastic that you’ve been at it for so long, yay!! <3 I'm glad this initiative brought you one real follower and friend ahah that's good!
I get that, too. We all have to start somewhere for sure, and I can understand people turning to these kind of things. I just don't think it's necessary, it can feel like a chore and… rarely brings on connections and engagement that lasts.
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts!! <3
great post, check out my blog
Just kidding haha. Those comments annoy me and I often don’t actually check out their blogs because they come across as disrespectful and entitled, like no, I’m not going to check out your blog just because you told me to? I feel like as a new blogger if you want comment backs, doing memes like Top Ten Tuesday can be really good because then everyone follows the same prompt, it’s fun, and most people genuinely read a lot of TTT posts that day, so that’s a good way to build engagement and get comments back at first. But just because you read my book review doesn’t mean I need to check out your latest blog post, and if I comment on your discussion post, I do it because I enjoyed the post and have more to add to the conversation, not just because I’m expecting you to come back to my blog. Genuine engagement is so much more rewarding because at the end of the day, I remember those long comment conversations I have with people, not the empty pretty meaningless number of likes a post got.
??
I agree with you. It just feels a little…. pushy, and very unnecessary for sure! I’m so glad you agree with my arguments here. It’s so much more rewarding to engage genuinely, yes! I remember everyone taking some time to really share their thoughts with me and cherish that so, SO much. ?
Thank you so much for your comment Kay <3 <3
I get super happy about any comments I get on my blog but sometimes I can tell if they just want me to check out their blog unfortunately 🙁 Also, I think fake engagement takes the fun out of blogging? You’re doing it just to boost your views and then…what? Is it any fun? IMO blogging should be first and foremost something to enjoy so it feels weird to spend time trying to boost your blog in ways that aren’t the most fun. I do promote on Twitter too but it’s more like a casual post-and-go which I don’t expect much from. Anyway, I do try to engage on my own terms when I’m feeling like it which is why I consistently find bloghopping or tweeting to others fun xD
Yes exactly! To me, blogging should be fun and… it doesn’t seem fun to not comment genuinely?
I also promote my blog posts on twitter, but nothing like these “i’m commenting back, check out my blog” kind of posts you can see around. This feels a little… I’m just not a fan of that kind of thing?
I’m glad you’re engaging on your own terms, it is the very best thing to do to have fun with it all 😀 Thank you so, so much for your comment <3
I think we all appreciate your honesty here. I have seen those, and gotten them, and they feel dirty. I did it and I felt dirty. I did it as a reciprocation. I’ve posted TTT then had TTT participants post their link on my blog, and I then did the same to them…
If they need my followers to find theirs, and vice versa, then we’re just sharing the same small pool of people. I haven’t done it in a long while, and your post confirms my feelings. I thought (as a fairly new blogger) naively, that this was just how it was done. No more following the sheep for me! Thanks to you!
Thank you so much, so happy you enjoyed this post <3
I understand what you mean. I personally think that memes as TTT can be good to find new bloggers, especially when you're relatively new, but…. some people use these as opportunities to just leave one link of their blog and that's it, instead of trying to comment genuinely and create connections. It makes me a little sad. 🙁
Thank you!! I'm so happy this could be helpful to you <3
What a wonderful and honest post, Marie. I’m glad that you took the time to write it up and share it with us. Some people really just want to take shortcuts to attain that stardom that they desire but won’t work for it. I too prefer interacting with honest people who actually want to talk to me! Thanks for sharing! 😀 😀 😀
Ahh thank you so much Lashaan! <3 I agree, they're willing to take shortcuts, but… is it really worth it, ahah. Thank you so much! 😀
Thank you SO much for this post, Marie! It’s slightly convicting because I comment hop and sometimes tend to comment for the sake of commenting or skim others’ posts, though recently I’ve become better about picking posts I’m generally interested in and if I’m not interested in anything, not commenting. Mostly, this inspires me to be more intentional with my platform! I’m going through a writing program and one of the things we talked about was being intentional and fostering real connections with your readers. It’s better to have 1,000 people who ACTUALLY love your content, would buy your books, etc. than 100,000 who only sorta know you or sometimes read your content.
Oh thank you, Charis! And no judging at all: I used to feel that way, too, like I had to comment a lot and everything. Maybe I should talk about how that has changed ahah.
I’m so happy that you’re trying to be more intentional, yes! This is what I’ve been learning every day as well. It is better to have a smaller amount of people that really care than tons that just, don’t, ahah 🙂
Thankk you!! <3
Thanks for the encouragement, girly! Ooh yes I would love to see an updated post on how you comment 😉
I’ll do my best to work on it soon!! ?
Love ?? this ?? post! ?? I totally agree with you. More and more I see people on Instagram asking for #fff or Follow for Follow (something like that), and it really rubs me the wrong way. You shouldn’t follow someone just so they will follow you. You should follow someone because you enjoy their content and want to engage with them in some way. More recently I’ve seen this Instagram posts that just post pictures and a random number, like 75K, and then there are SO MANY INSTRUCTIONS. You have to post their post to your stories for x amount of time, but make sure you don’t do y, or you won’t get z. Follow this, that, and there person, and then we’ll do the same at some point down the road. What is this??? Why??? I get boosting your numbers MIGHT help with ARC requests, but it feels so fake and and forced. I would hate to gain followers this way. I want people to enjoy my content and want to talk to me!
I could keep going, but I think you said it perfectly!
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? ?
OH yes I see that on instagram ALL the time, it’s a little… too complicated for my taste ahah. And you’re right, for what? It just feels a little fake. I’d rather have meaningful connections with a smaller amount of people, too 😀
Thank you so, so much, so happy you enjoyed this post <3
This is such a wonderful post! I have often wondered the motivation behind the whole “great post check out mine”, because like… do they actually work? It feels, like you said, so inauthentic to me. I used to beat myself up about blog hopping, back in the day when those damn “I comment back” buttons were all the rage, and I would feel like a bad person if I didn’t respond to every single person, including the “cool post” ones. Now… nope. You nailed it that it’s a HUGE time commitment, and I think the majority of us are out here doing the best we can, trying to make connections and check in on our faves regularly and such. So I really can’t devote my time, since it’s so limited, to manufactured engagement.
You know, now that you have mentioned it and it is on my mind, I am wondering if those people expect the same- you to just post like “cool post!” on THEIR posts. Maybe it’s a whole other… “thing” than what you or I try to do? (Admittedly, you are FAR better at it than me, but alas hah.) Like- maybe they don;t actually even care about engagement at all? And it IS just for the numbers? I guess you can paste “great post!” on literally hundreds of blogs a day, but I genuinely don’t get why you’d want to? I feel like there’s some kind of psychology lesson in here, I just don’t know what it is ?
Oh I’m so happy you get that too: I used to be so stressed out with these comment back buttons and would feel so bad if I didn’t get to all the posts. I still do, sometimes. But there’s only so much time in the day and we’re doing our best, let’s focus on the content we appreciate genuinely <3
Oh that's an interesting point…. maybe? Honestly, I don't see the point in that, either. I'd rather have a couple genuine comments than a hundred "great post" that just feel… empty,a little bit.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Shannon!! <3
I’ve never seen those “i’ll comment back” things but it kind of reminds me of when people do the “i’m following everyone back who comments in the next 10 minutes” thing I’ve seen on instagram (not in the book community, but still). It is weird.
The comment one is so true! I feel like it’s been something that’s been “taught” as a “no-no” for a while but I occassionally get comments that I genuinely don’t know how to reply to because it’ll just be like “happy reading!” or something like that.
Personally, there are plenty of times where I read a blog post and even if I like it, I just don’t feel like I can add anything valuable to the conversation…so I just don’t. In that case, I try to share the post on Twitter!
Great post! Here’s my blog…lol jk
OH yes I was aware of these things happening on instagram, I find it…. so weird ahah.
I understand what you mean! I appreciate every single comment, really, but I never know what to answer to these simple “great post” ones, either.
And I get that! I read so many blog posts, I don’t always have something to add to it, either, so I keep it for my monthly wrap-up to show some love for it anyway 🙂
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts 😀
Ahhhh I LOVE THIS POST SOOO SOOO MUCH!??? And I could see you were nervous, and it is pretty understandable! I really do not understand the “follow for follow” or “comment for comment” culture. TBH it does have its “apparent” advantages, your numbers grow and you feel good about yourself, but as you rightly pointed out, it is SO FLEETING! One long, heartfelt comment makes up for 100s and 1000s of half-hearted “Great Post!” sort of comments. Really, all I can dream of as a newbie blogger is to really engage people, to make them think and learn something, to really talk to them. How is it even engagement if you are bartering comments!?
Oh thank you so, so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! <3
I agree, it seems to be a great idea, at first ,to help you grow, but…. it doesn't feel like something lasting and something great if you're looking to create lovely relationships in the community, too 🙂
Thank you so, so much, and I hope you'll have fun blogging!! 😀
Thank you Marie!? And thank you for replying gosh I can’t even imagine how time consuming it must be to reply to so many comments! You really are a star?
Oh this just made my day ?? you’re too sweet ?
This is a brilliant post, Marie. You make a lot of great points as always, and I think you are absolutely right. When I started blogging I was not totally aware of the extent of the community, but ever since discovering it I have devoted a lot of time to reading other book blogs and commenting. This is because I love reading book blogs and the enormous range of topics that are discussed as well as all the tags, reviews, and recommendations. I agree that the things you mentioned seem fake and perhaps even slightly insincere. I have never done any follow trains or initiated long blog threads on Twitter because I am quite modest and I feel like if people want to read my blog posts it should be their decision with no strings attached.
The spreadsheet you and May created with all the award nominees was so helpful and I discovered lots of wonderful blogs from that, so thank you, Marie! Thank you also for sharing your thoughts in this post.
Oh thank you so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed this post, thank you <3
I agree! There are so many book blogs out there, it's incredible to see it all. I'm so happy that our spreadsheet could help, thank you so much for checking it out <3 <3
Marie!! I’m so happy to see this post here and you addressed everything so well there’s not much for me to say other than that I wholeheartedly agree with you <3
Thank you so, so, so much for reading Cas, so happy you liked it ?
You’re the blog-hopping queen, Marie!! The facts that you get back to pretty much everyone, leave thoughtful comments and are such a lovely person make everyone feel welcomed in the community. And how you keep sharing these tips,,, you’re an angel!! <3 I first noticed this "fake engagement" on bookstagram, when some people would even create "partnerships" between themselves to promote ONLY whoever agreed to the partnership, whatever the conditions were, and no one else. It made me incredibly sad, because the online book community, in general, used to be so much more helpful and kind towards small content creators, no matter if they got anything in return. I don't mind following/liking/commenting threads as much, even though I don't participate in them, but I also believe it's so much more meaningful to create real friendships with people out there! Brilliant post!! <3
ahhh what I am not you’re so, so sweet ???
yeeeeees! I have noticed this a lot on bookstagram, despite not being too active and… I feel a little weird about it, because it feels so, secluded in a way? That’s not what I am here for.
Thank you so, so much!! ?
I try to spend a day each week following up on comments and checking out blogs I follow or new ones I’ve come across. Engagement is definitely a job in itself but it’s such an important part of blogging to meet others in this bookish community! Unfortunately I’ve seen these fake engagement things a few times but I’m happy with to have fewer but higher quality engagement with a group of bloggers I really get along with
It definitely is a job, but it’s a labour of love and it’s so wonderful to create conversations on amazing topics with other bloggers, too 😀
I agree, it’s so much better to have fewer, but better engagement with great, meaningful discussions, too 😀
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! 😀
oh gosh I agree with this post so much!!! especially the part about comments saying “great post check out my blog.” It feel bad but whenever I see those comments I feel like i’m being targeted by a robot. And like you said it just doesn’t give out community vibes. <3
Exactly! ! It feels a little too robotic for my taste as well ahah and that’s not what I am here for <3
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts!! <3
I have a strong dislike of comments that basically just ask you to check out their blog. But I’ve not come across those “I am commenting back” threads fortunately – it really saddens me to hear that this is what people are doing. I know it happens on Instagram a lot, the kind of follow me and I’ll follow you idea which is just ridiculous.
Your advice is spot on. I’d rather have half the number of followers who are genuinely interest in what I have to say than a stack of people who just follow me in the hope I follow them….
Oh yes I’ve heard a lot about these practices on instagram and it makes me a bit sad. I mean, I’m here to have fun and create a sense of community and… this just seems a little fake to me.
Thank you so much!! I’m so happy you agree with this <3
Absolutely, it does feel fake to me too
Okay YOU HAVE NOOO IDEA HOW MUCH I HAVE MISSED YOUR HONEST, thought provoking, AND ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS POSTS, Marieee!! ????? For some reason, they weren’t showing in my reader and today, while going through my list and trying to find you there to catch up, I COULdN’T FIND YOU?!? I don’t know how that happened BUT AHVEVSWJOWWOSBSJS I FEEL SOO ANGRY!!! I am pretty sure I was following you and just because a glitch or something idk I have been unable to read your beautiful posts! ?????
AND YES YESSSS YESSSSS TO THIS WHOLE POST! I absolutely hate this comment for comment system! I mean we get it that you are just trying to help hut fake commenting is NOT THE WAY TO DO THAT! It just creates false number of genuine readership in our minds and when the hopes come crashing down, it HURTS!! ????
I love you for this post! IN ALLLLL HONESTYYY!! And i am soo looking forward to read your wonderful discussions, recs, and reviews!!! ???❤️❤️❤️???
Ohh no, I’m happy that you found your way back here, thank you so much for reading! <3 <3
I'm glad you enjoyed this post, thank you! I agree, this whole thing just gives us wrong expectations, fake engagement and nothing really genuine and that's a shame.
Thank you so much for reading! <3
Exactlyyy!! When there are so many genuine people out there – waiting to be made friends with – it’s super annoying to have to deal with those who are only out to promote their own stuff!! Not interested in anything else!!
Exactly! 😀
This post is such an eye-opener! I have tried participating in the engagement threads and have found that while my stats do spike, they don’t consistently grow. I found it a bit stressful as well since sometimes I wouldn’t find a post that interested me :/
As always I try to blog hop whenever I have time and have found that to be better for my blog! It helps me find bloggers that I feel I would actually connect with and posts that I find interesting!
Oh wow thank you, Cam, I’m so happy this could help you, thank you for reading <3
I can imagine that, too, how stressful it can be to just feel like you have to find a post to comment on. It's frustrating and just feels forced, it's much better to engage on your own terms and with posts you're connecting with! 🙂
Blog hopping is something I love doing. I try to visit at least a few book blog each day. But at the same time I still do not know how to find new bloggers, other than those Twitter threads.
Ahh that’s wonderful! I agree that sometimes these threads can be lovely to find new bloggers, yes. I also find a lot of bloggers while blog hopping and reading comments on posts 🙂
I don’t know how I missed this post in my feed! I relate to everything you said in this post! I was literally going to make a whole post on “comment back culture” this weekend because I have so much to say on it. Mainly: I’m annoyed that it doesn’t allow for genuine relationships to form because even if you comment because you enjoyed, it might not be seen that way. I know a little bit more about the comment back threads etc. because I engage with other niches as well. There are positives to it without using the exact comment back line but that’s a complicated thing to explain in a comment.
Anyway, great post!
Ohh, I’d be curious to read your take on the comment back culture if you feel like writing it 🙂 I agree with you, this kind of practice just doesn’t allow for real relationships to build themselves and it makes me so sad.
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Her post is great! You should read it.
HA! I just commented on your post, and then I saw this one!
haha quite a coincidence!
I can’t believe I am only reading this post now… But oh well better later than never. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated this post! I completely agree with you. I honestly don’t like these “like for a like” or “comment for a comment” because, as you’ve mentioned, it doesn’t feel genuine AT ALL. I want my followers to follow my blog/like my posts because they like the content that I post or they like interacting with me (I hope some do at least).
I guess the real problem stems from the fact that we focus too much on the numbers and the stats. And while that may be a good sign that we’re building an audience, it’s also not the most important thing after all, at least not to me. I personally created my blog to talk about books and to *maybe* make some friends. And yes, sometimes you can’t help comparing yourself with others, especially when it comes to numbers. But at the end of the day, as long as I mention the books I’ve read (and ramble about them), I’ve achieved my goal.
Another thing that bothers me, especially when it comes to popular memes, is people coming on your blog, commenting something that clearly shows that they haven’t read your post (or just quickly glanced at it) and just linking their post on the topic of the week. It’s just sooo annoying. And it’s a shame too because I love weekly memes.
WOW my comment is wayyy longer than I was expecting. All I wanted to say was that I agree with you and that it was a great post, as per usual!
I so, so agree with on that. we tend to focus too much about statistics and even if it’s only human to do that, it’s good to remember that… it’s not everything. I’m just like you, I came here to talk about books and hopefully find people as bookish as I am and, that’s the most important thing to me 😀
YES I get that so much… that’s one of the reasons I was a little discouraged by memes and stopped… some times it just felt like the comments weren’t genuine and looking for any kind of discussion, just for me to come back to them :/
Thank you so, so much, Joss! I’m so happy you enjoyed this post <3
Awesome post! I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get more traffic to my blog, but with no luck. However, participating in book memes like Sunday Post and Can’t Wait for Wednesday has really helped me out!
Thank you! I’m happy that those book memes helped you out 🙂
You’re welcome!
I love this post! I opened up three of your links to read those.
Thank you so much! I hope you’ll enjoy the posts 😀
I’ve noticed this recently on Twitter and I’ve taken the bait in hoping they would check out my blog LOL However, only those blogs that I checked have only noticed my presence and checked on me. I don’t care if they comment on my posts. I just want them to know I existed tho. Hehe. & you’re right, I dislike those who comment for the sake that they would comment for me to go visit their blog even though they have not read a sentence on my post :< It's sad really
I get that! And if they might feel like a great way to put yourself out there, I also feel like they’re not the best, in the end, to create great engagement and just, find your people, too.
Thank you so much, Yani! 🙂
I love this post! I’ll go ahead and be honest here, since I’m at the bottom of the comment pile and can probably do so without getting noticed, but I am flat out judgmental of fake engagement stuff. I think it’s completely immature. Anyway, I’d rather engage really meaningfully with three people, but feel like we’re best friends, then have the world’s best engagement stats.
OH please be honest you can and I 20000% agree with you here, I really hate these kind of practices, they’re just, nope nope nope for me. Meaningful engagement and comments are just so much better and so much more fulfilling <3
Thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts!! <3
I tried to comment earlier but I think my computer spaced out. So I’m sorry if you have a double comment from me! This was a very thoughtful post, I Imagine this must have been quite a hard topic to tackle, but I think you did a great job 🙂 I always try to leave comments interacting with the actual content of the post, making it supportive and having fun conversations. Sometimes it’s really hard to keep up with everything and read everyones entire posts. So I get that people sometimes just want to leave a comment, but it’s so much nicer when it’s actually meaningful. It doesn’t always have to be super detailed or anything, just like you said, something that feels genuine. It’s kind of sad when someone replies something that could be left on literally any post ever, only to leave their own link.
Oh god I’m so so sorry for missing this comment!! ? thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts on this!
I agree, it’s so hard to keep up with everything, but when I can, I always like to take my time to read and comment thoughtfully, because I know these are the kind of comments I’d love to receive myself, too <3
Thank you so much!! <3
Yes, yes, YESSSS. A million times yes. I hate when people just write “nice post. check out my blog”. It makes me not want to. It makes it seem like they’re not a very engaging person so why would I want to check out their blog? It’s so easy to find new bloggers through comments and blog posts that recommend bloggers. That’s how I found everyone I follow! Great post as always! I think this is such an important topic to be discussed. I think a lot of new bloggers just starting off aren’t sure how to gain followers to they resort to the “check out my blog” comment. I think I did when I started out many years ago XD
-Amber
Agree! I feel like it’s so important to talk about this. It’s easy to fall into that trap, especially when you first start out and don’t really know what to do, but there are so many more efficient, wonderful ways to grow and make connections <3
Thank you, Amber! 🙂
I just saw Sumedha’s post on this topic and I’ll repeat what I said to her. “Well, ironically, this post is going to get a whole LOT of comments! That said, I agree with everything you wrote here, and well… to be honest, I didn’t realize that there was a whole culture around commenting. I mean, yeah, I hope that people will comment on my discussion posts, or let me know if they like one of my reviews. But I don’t think I ever went to someone’s blog to comment on something just because they commented on a post of mine. That’s so… fake, as you say! That also makes me think… oy, maybe some bloggers are pissed at me for not commenting back on their blogs. Gosh, I hope that isn’t the case!”
Ahah yes I saw her post, as well, I’ll read it soon 🙂
I agree with you! It just sounds a little fake and… I also hope that people aren’t mad at me for that either ahah. We’re checking out blogs, but commenting when we connect to something and honestly I think that’s the most important 🙂
Precisely. If it doesn’t come naturally, then don’t do it!
Yes, I would be 100% interested in a post discussing blog promotion because that’s where I struggle most. I’ve been wanting to spend less time blogging due to various reasons but your post motivated me! Thanks!
Ahh I’m so happy my post could motivate you, YAY! 😀 Thank you so much!
I love how along with ranting, you also included tips and tricks, which is really cool! I like finding all these new pages, because a lot of people in the book blogging community have similar thoughts, and I like having all these thoughtful discussions with new people. Honestly, (this might be becuase im new), but I haven’t seen a lot of self-promo in the book blogging community (yet), and I love that! I think I may have mentioned this before, but I LOVE the aesthetics of your blog ✨
Oh thank you so, so much, you’re so sweet <3 I'm glad you haven't encountered too much self-promotion just yet and met some lovely people, too, so far :) Thank you!! <3
This is such a great post and you touch upon some very relevant points here. I have actually not seen such engagement ‘initiatives’ on blogs but have come across so many of them on Instagram and even Goodreads! It just spoils the whole purpose of blogging doesn’t it? P.S. I love the idea of promoting other blogs via your own, I think I am going to start implementing that myself 🙂
I agree with you on that. I feel like it’s not as genuine and it feels a bit… forced!
I’m so happy you like that idea! Honestly, even just sharing one post you like every now and then is SO appreciated. I know when it happens for me, it always feels so wonderful to be supported that way <3 Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
Thank you so much for this post! I am quite new to blogging and while researching ways to grow I just felt icky. I’d like for people to follow my blog because they like the content, not because I want something back. Thank you again for the tips, I am reading a lot of your posts because they’re a well of wisdom!
Oh thank YOU so, so much, I’m so happy this could be useful to you and that my other posts could help you, as well! I’m always happy to help if I can 🥺🥺 thank you so much for your sweet words!! 🥺🥺