The best way to a blogger’s heart is through the comments. Seriously. Bloggers love it when people read their writing, but they love getting feedback even more. So, the best way to connect with other bloggers, especially ones in your niche, is to leave comments on their posts. If your goal is to further your personal brand, I suggest that you focus on commenting on other blogs in your career field or interest area. That way, you’re building your network at the same time you’re building your reputation as a blogger!
Today’s assignment
Leave a comment on at least three blogs you’ve never commented on before. But make sure your comment is more than just “great post!” Those are not very helpful or engaging. Read the entire post and take a moment to leave a thoughtful comment that expresses your reaction to or opinion of the author’s ideas. You can even ask a question about something that struck you in the post. A good comment should always add something to the conversation. And finally, please remember to enter your blog address in the appropriate field so after they read your brilliant comment, people can go check out your blog as well!
Don’t know how to find the blogs in your niche? Head on over to Google Blog Search, type in your topic and click on “search blogs.” For example, here is a search I did on my niche: “nonprofit leadership.”
Or, just start with the 18 list posts from your fellow bloggers in the 31 Days to a Brand New Blog Challenge! Leave a comment for your fellow bloggers and I’m sure they will return the favor.
Once you post your three comments, blog about your experience and the results or leave a comment below about what you learned. If you blog about today’s assignment, be sure to share the link in the comments section below!
Note: Please tag your posts with “31bnb” to make them easier to share with us.
It was great reading the blogs of others and realizing that there are people who think like you do. It also let me see just how liberating blogging could be since you have the freedom to talk about whatever it is YOU want to talk about, and it's not for someone to say if the topic is worthwhile or not. While I work on my blog for my niche, I may rethink having a personal blog now that I see that you can be free to express yourself or the thoughts that you have running through your mind. So thank you to evolvingelle, elledub08 & kimberlee over at business for good, not evil for the breath of fresh air that was your blog.
Done – better late than never
And using the list posts help me learn more about fellow 31bnb-ers at Live Creative, b3 Home Designs, and Image 001!
I took the time to comment on some new blogs and old favorites. I promise myself that I will visit the blogs of fellow participants. I'm a little behind on this assignment, but I'm working on it. OriginalNajeema.wordpress.com
Well Rosetta, I'm doing the #31bnb assignments out of order, but getting to them all nonetheless.
I enjoyed commenting for the first time on these #31bnb blogs:
@socialchngediva 's “10 ways to know you are a SocialChange Diva” http://socialchangediva.com/2010/08/07/10-ways-…
@Josh_Gold 's “Board Member in Name Only” http://npgold.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/board-me…
@ShannonRenee 's “The Perfect Blog Post” http://shannonmouton.com/the-perfect-blog-post?c=1
This is kind of tricky for me because google blog search for bloggers active in the area of healthcare & social change tends to come up with lot of bad hits or inactive blogs. Instead, I've been relying on twitter to get me links to good blog posts in my field. This method has led me to some really fantastic blogposts/blogs, but the frequency at which I'm able to find them is pretty variable. Here's what I have so far:
1) I found this awesome blog by a pre-medical student with cerebral palsy (as part of my quest to find more high-quality medically-oriented student blogs) and commented on her post on why she's pre-med: http://healthyunwealthywise.com/2010/08/04/anat…
2) I also commented on a recent blogpost on an issues in healthcare & social media that is critical to physicians, how it's leading to physicians not being properly compensated for the time: http://drwes.blogspot.com/2010/08/when-doctors-… (my comment is listed under astraflame because blogspot is still kind of backwards)
3) I have been invited (through twitter communication) to comment on a blog post on healthcare and social media in regards to promoting sex education: http://wishfulthinkinginmedicaleducation.blogsp… I have not done this yet, but I plan on doing so through my next blogpost, which I hopefully will get out sometime today.
Again, sorry I'm getting behind, but I'm definitely enjoying the opportunity to reach out to other bloggers in my niche!
You welcome.
I know…I am late…Still on Day 5…Slippin, but catchin up!
This was a great opportunity to give welcomed feedback and to spread your personal/professional brand. One of the comments really helped me share thoughts about a subject I did not know where to begin with on RIISE's blog
http://www.4riise.org/2010/08/day-5-blog-challe…
Enjoy
A little late, but I definitely learned that I had a lot in common with the authors of the blogs I read. Sometimes you feel that you are alone in your interests, but not so!
Sorry its taken me so long to do this, but I finally completed it!
http://www.lolagetslife.com/2010/08/lola-gets-l…
I commented on Mazarine's AWESOME art blog (I so love encaustics)
http://melisander.org.
I also commented on Razmataz's post on Sulla Strada – such a prettier way to say “Found on Roadside”
http://razmatazblog.blogspot.com/
Lastly, I commented at Letters of Note (a FANTASTIC blog that provides a wider audience for memos, letters, correspondence “deserving of a wider audience”. This particular post was just too amuzing not to comment. You think you have a crazy boss, prove it with memos better than these)
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/08/tiger-oil-…
60+ bloggers (smile). I sub to read blogs in Bloglines so that I can track when there is actually something new to read. Like you, I tend to sub up for those that are in my areas of interest, but I personally have a rule of no more than 150 blogs in my que at once. I'm a bit over (to say the least) but still check out blogs not on my list. With that many blogs to track, I usually prioritize those that are going to give me content to write about and those that give me reason to comment (ie, someone sent me a thoughtful email, including a link, and gave me an action step to have to come to their blog to complete). Lazy in some ways, but really, there is just so much great content out there…I know I'm one of the worst at commenting, but I will head out and take a peak, be inspired, tag it for “follow up” and then months later, I'm back. Just the nature of working, blogging, living and trying to get it all crammed in.
Before it is all over, my goal is to have visited and commented at at least half the blogs in this series. I'd like to have subscribed to 10 new blogs (which will require me unsubbing from some others) and I hope, before the end of the real year to have visited each blog that particpated in this fun event.
I'll be honest upfront that goal driven as I am, I almost never hit 100% of all my targets. We'll see how that goes (smile).
Mazarine,
Thanks for the great link to your art site. I LOVE encaustics and had not gotten around to searching out blogs in this subject. There's a really great artist (Janet Nechama Miller) who really turned me on to this medium. She has AWESOME studio plays. Left you some loving on the art site.
This was really a hard assignment for me. Since I have been writing my blog for almost two months, I have a hard time finding blogs which I can follow on a regular basis. This was a good exercise to allow me to see how comments can shape the future of a blog and why bloggers continue writing.
Thanks for choosing me
I look forward to more comments and conversation as both of our blogs grow.
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it!
So do you suggest responding to comments? I would think that would encourage dialogue and more comments from the reader.
Also, I noticed my page views jump from mid-400s to mid-500s overnight. How do you (or do you even do it at all?) set a goal or target for views that you want for your blog? My blog is approaching two weeks old on Sunday.
Thanks,
Madelyn
Hello,
Here are the links to the Day 5 challenge. Again, this was a very useful exercise leading me to blogs I would otherwise might have missed. I followed Rosetta's tip on Google's blog search function and searched for
1. Educate! Small organisation with a mission to educate and empower the future leaders of Africa. I asked about the vision and strategy of Educate and what if any type of engagment has the organisation had with Ugandan policy makers. I also asked if they work with similar org's in East Africa. http://www.experienceeducate.org/blog/2010/8/2/…
2. From Poverty to Power. OXfam GB's Head of Research, Duncan Green's conversational blog. I commented on whether academics are “dumbing down” too much of their research to make it easier for policy makers to understand.
http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=3108&cpage=1#…
3.Blood and Milk. A blog by an international development professional who has just started a personalised advice service for people looking to start a career in international development. I asked about whether it would be suitable for someone looking for opp's in the UK and whether it will also cover entry-level positions for those of us with little experience.
http://bloodandmilk.org/?p=1643&cpage=1#comment…
Day 4's assignment will have to wait for this weekend, I think it is a very important one and I am still thinking about the right angle and approach.
Happy blogging everyone!
Thnx so much for picking me as one of the blogs to visit/comment on. It's much appreciated.
I commented on 3 31bnb'rs
businessforgoodnotevil , RIISE, and thecandyshoppe.
First I learned I wish I had one login that goes across mediums. all have a different way to post comments. Second, all had something I could learn so I'll visit again.
I commented on lots of new blogs, and was pleased with the process, it felt fresh to actually go out and seek new blogs!
I commented on some encaustic blogs, since I also have an art site, http://melisander.org. You get used to just commenting on the ones in your RSS feeds, but there are so many good blogs out there that I might have to feed some new ones!
Thanks for facilitating this process,
Mazarine
Kim honestly with 40+ bloggers, I haven't had have time to look at all them I agree that hopefully this challenge creates interaction but for me that will come over the month not in the first few days. The couple that I have checked out are interesting, including yours.
I commented on these blogs:
http://bitesofnews.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/thi…
http://www.socentvc.com/2010/08/critical-mass-a…
http://www.shariya.org/?p=8#comment-7
This was a great exercise, and I enjoyed finding some new blogs to comment on!
I too chose to comment on 3 fellow 31BnB bloggers:
http://www.lolagetslife.com/ <–Lola has natural hair like me!
http://evolvingelle.wordpress.com/ <–Southern Girl in the City had me cracking up and pissed off at the same time because we're both single!
http://diaryofahappyblackwoman.com/ <–BnB creator's Natural Hair Blog. I love natural hair blogs because they give me ideas and really help me deal with this HAIR!
And there's one that I didn't comment on YET but I wanted to give her a shout out because I immediately recognized her name as one of my Sorority Sisters! Z-Phi!
http://elledub08.wordpress.com/ <–Go Loryn!
I choose to comment on 3 of my fellow 31bnb bloggers' blogs.
http://www.lolagetslife.com/2010/08/lola-gets-l…
http://madelynteresa.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/5…
http://tsworkinprogress.wordpress.com/2010/08/0…
I'm not TOTALLY sure I commented on ones I've never commented on before, but I think so. I've been trying to comment on many of my fellow bloggers' blogs since the beginning, so its hard to keep track.
But I know at least 2 of them are new, so that's good enough.
I was actually really surprised by the lack of support this project created. When it started, I immediately followed every blog on Blogger and on WordPress that had signed up for the challenge (sorry, guys, I'm not going to 20 individual URLs on spec) and started reading and commenting right away. I was really surprised to see how few people did the same!
*For the record, I have since subscribed to some individual URLs, the ones that are actually posting consistently and are in my areas of interest. But the blogs that have been following the challenge are overall really cool, and I hope this exercise makes us interact more!
http://businessforgoodnotevil.blogspot.com/
I thoroughly enjoyed reading others' blogs. I learned about a new project, was able to share my favorite places in DC, and talk about my favorite BlackBerry apps. I replied to 2 of my fellow blogger challengers. This was a great assignment, as I'm sure I would not have come across these blogs on my own. I'm excited to see what these bloggers will post in the future.
I decided to visit the following 31 Day Blogging Challenge Participants blogs,
6 Myths, Misconceptions, Stereotypes about Artists, to Which I say F U ! (ZoneArtis)
5 Recipes for Burning Down Your Kitchen (My Dent in the Intertubes)
I visited ZoneArtis because we have tweeted a bit and I liked the vibe of those conversations. Also, the title got me.
Chose My Dent in the Intertubes because I've always wanted to be a really good cook and figured the post would help with that or at least make me laugh. I'm a sucker for a good laugh.
Last comment was on a site called wisdomismisery.com which I found via a comment n twitter. Liked the blog soo much so far that I added it to my blogroll. Never commented before but found today's challenge as the perfect opporunity.
Great assignment, makes me remember that not only visiting and reading are important but also interacting via comments.
I enjoyed reading others. I chose 3 from the list which were:
5 places to go in DC (Black Girl Blogging)
5 Steps to Begin Your Nonprofit Career (My Nonprofit Experience)
My Top 5 Favorite Blackberry Apps (ArtDeal)
I learned from all 3 and will subscribe to them all as well as others. It was refreshing to get out of my “area” and see what other people are talking about in different areas.
Thanks.
http://jaimewesley.wordpress.com/
Hi Karen – you were actually supposed to comment on the blogs directly. Go to each of their sites, click on their posts and then scroll down to the comment section where you can then post your comments. It's the same process as you use to comment here on my blog.
This was an interesting assignment. I challenged myself by looking for 'empowerment' in each link listed on the roll.
Choosing Chocolate Chip, RIISE and ArtDeal allowed me to step out of my box.
Chocolate Chip and RIISE are both about education. CC had activities for the children and RIISE had activities to prepare for the school year. Empowerment can start at an early age. Empowerment can be done via exposure to activities that will stimulate one's mind. In this case, it's about the kids.
ArtDeal was also different because Empowerment can come in the way of 'resources'. Having the essential resources that will allow you to be the best at what you do: WorPress on the go in order to Blog or BBM in order to stay connected, EMPOWERMENT.
Great job folks