Social media engagement can be defined as getting people involved in a thoughtful interaction within a social medium, as well as an encouragement and support of such interaction.
As a blogger myself, and a frequent commentator on blog posts of others, today I’d like to focus on social media engagement within the framework of blogging.
There are 3 mistakes that I see being repeated by bloggers (large and small, new and seasoned) on a literally daily basis. These are:
- Having a “no comments” policy
C’mon, blogging isn’t broadcasting! No matter how bright your thoughts may be, they can always be enriched through an interaction with other thinkers (and critics too). - Taking too long to approve comments (or forgetting about them altogether)
As tweeted a couple of days ago, I believe that no blog comment should sit in moderation queue for longer than 24 hours. Over 48 hours = disrespect. - Ignoring people’s comments
Allowing your readers’ comments (i.e. approving them to show on your blog) isn’t enough. You gotta interact. Some of the most valuable thoughts are born in conversations.
If you don’t want interaction, you shouldn’t blog. Period.
As always, your comments on the topic would be much appreciated. 😉
Agreed, I notice this quite often as well. Ignoring comments or not allowing them altogether displays a bloggers lack of interest in the community as well as anyone’s opinion in general.
Is tomorrow’s post “Social Media Engagement Mistakes Committed by those who comment?” I enjoy reading comments about the article that add value to the post, or have good questions. Am I the only one who feels that some comments posted are just a waste of time?
@Ryan: I agree, and have a question I myself don’t know an answer to. How much censorship should there be on the blogger’s part prior to letting new comments out of the moderation queue? If the commentator is using foul language, for instance, do you want to approve it as is, or edit it, asking them to abstain from such language? And if it’s the latter, the last thing a blogger wants to do is police his own readers for political and other correctness…
@Betty: Very good point, my friend; and it even touches on what I’ve mentioned above too. Yes, some of the comments posted are a true waste of time, or lame efforts to get a free link back (for useless input). You’re only as Good as Your Comments post comes to mind.
That’s an excellent question Geno and I would have say it depends on the blogger’s personal beliefs and the type of community they’re involved with as a whole. Bloggers should encourage friendly debate and allow different points of view to be expressed in their comment section. This makes for great discussion and allows readers to come up with their own conclusion and even, like you said, develop new ideas. Of course you don’t want to police or censor your commentators, but an abundance of irrelevant commentary or unnecessary profanity adds little value to any conversation.
Correct me if I’m wrong, Ryan, but is seems that the key word in your response is “friendly” (as in “friendly debate”). Bloggers should encourage participation and interaction, turning their blogs into “think tanks”, but ensure that discussions stay within the tones best digestible by the blog’s audience.