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Blog Review Of 2012

donnamerrilltribe.comI reviewed my blogs for the past year to see what was the strongest and weakest blogs I’ve written.  I like to measure it by reading the comments that I have received on a particular subject.  My readers will actually read the post!  They will comment and sometimes add to the content to the post.  

 

You won’t see many one liners in my comment section. Rather you will notice engagement.

Commenting on a blog is just as important as writing one.  Here you get a chance to speak your mind!  And that my friends will be noticed on the blogs you visit.  That will catch someone’s eye and then they will come over to your blog and start following you.  I cannot stress how important comments are to write and to receive.

How are your comments on your blog?  Are they one liners?  Have your readers given you input or maybe added some ideas?  Here are some tips to make your blog comment section interesting.  

* Don’t accept a comment without a gravatar, unless you know that person well and there is some kind of hiccup in their system.

* Check out the commentluv when approving a comment.  You don’t want your back links to go to a sales page.  You can always remove the commentluv and approve the comment.

* When someone comments on your blog, REPLY!   This can make people feel like you don’t care.  I’ve heard from some people I teach that they don’t go back to a blog when there is no reply to their comment.   Food for thought!

* After replying to a comment, go to that person’s blog and reciprocate.  Reciprocity is the key to engagement.  

* Go the extra mile if you find that blog resonates with you, and syndicate it by sharing it on the social platforms.  Sometimes I’m so taken with a blog that I go to Facebook, and message that person why I liked what they wrote and friend them.  I received more “friends” with quality that way.

I have written one blog this year that received the most comments and they are still coming in after several months.  I did make an exception of the gravatars here because they were people who wrote outstanding comments.  It is highly ranked on Google, bouncing from the top of the first page to the middle of the second page.  

It was my honest opinion on Why I Left The Empower Network. Now, don’t jump out of your seat!  It was an AHA moment for me that I wanted to share and wrote it honestly and did not put it down at all.  I wanted to mention this one so you can give it a peek and scan the comment section.  It is so amazing what people wrote and I am grateful to each and every one of them.

So my friends, if you look back at the past year and scan your comments, what would you say was the strongest post you read?  You can share it here if you like.

Have a Blessed 2013,
Donna

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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46 Responses to Blog Review Of 2012

  1. Rum Punch Drunk January 11, 2013 at 3:25 pm #

    Enjoyed reading you post today, as many of these things I have already implemented by chance. I started blogging exactly one year ago and it’s not been easy, but I continued and through it all, learned by trial and error. Along the way I met some lovely bloggers and bit by bit I’m building an audience. Not sure what my strongest post is yet, as now getting a few comments on many posts, but I got quite a few in-depth comment with this one:

    Depression – Real or Fake?
    http://rumpunchdrunk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/depression-real-or-fake.html
    Rum Punch Drunk recently posted..Anti-Social NetworkingMy Profile

  2. Leslie Denning
    Twitter:
    January 11, 2013 at 10:30 am #

    Hi Donna. You’ve given some great advice in your post here. I just received my WordPress 2012 summary, and it was very interesting. The post I did that got the most comments was (and I’m in my jammies right now, but I usually check my email and syndicate before I get dressed!) It generated a lot of controversy – pro and con. I am looking forward to another great year of blogging. A little slow out of the starting gate, but I’m finishing up a new optin gift that’s almost done. Here’s to us in 2013!

    All the best,
    Leslie
    Leslie Denning recently posted..Did Your Finances Suck in 2012?My Profile

  3. Margarita January 4, 2013 at 11:30 pm #

    Hi, Donna,

    To me leaving a comment is a responsible task. I read the post carefully, especially is it is about psychology, spirituality, personal growth.

    I am a new blogger, have been blogging for less than a year, but I met online many like minded people, mostly bloggers and marketers. I consider myself lucky to have met people like you.

    I cannot point out which one out of your posts is the best. but the ones I have read are very much worth reading.

    PP About the gravatar. 2 days ago my son commented on one of my posts. He did not have a gravatar and I did not approve his comment. I have asked many times, bot who listens. And I know my son. I was there when he showed up in this world. 🙂
    Margarita recently posted..Resistance To Change | Is It Still Possible To Have Everything You Want?My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 5, 2013 at 12:54 pm #

      Many thanks for your kind words Margarita!

      Gravatars: I can understand your point and totally agree. I do let in people without gravatars if I know them.

      Also the popular post that I have done about EN had so many visitors and some who did not want to be linked to. I allowed it in that instance.

      Thanks for your lovely comment.

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..The Inner Marketer Day 3My Profile

  4. Raena Lynn January 3, 2013 at 7:48 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    It seems so obvious that some of the tips you shared is just common sense, but that is no always the case. I do my best to reciprocate, but there are many bloggers that don’t engage. Isn’t that the main purpose of our blogs? I think all of your suggestions make sense and are very helpful. High quality comments, sharing, and engagement on a blog is a real indicator of a successful blog! It is the responsibility of the author to create the engagement.

    I remember when you released your Empower Network blog post. Not very many people have the boldness to say it like it is and your review was unbiased and stimulated a LOT of comments! It is a doozy! That post is a great example of how people will take the time and share their hearts when the right buttons are pushed.

    As usual Donna, another great post. You are a never-ending blog machine! You will prove it when you complete your 30 Day challenge! Happy New Year!

    Raena Lynn

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 3, 2013 at 11:21 pm #

      Hi Raena,

      It does seem like common sense to us, but there are so many new people I am meeting that just don’t get it! Unfortunate for them!

      Yes that EN post caused many buttons to be pushed by the title, but it was unbiased and my comments I received were so great! It was the most engaged blog last year.

      Thank you for visiting
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..The Inner Marketer Day 2My Profile

  5. Hale January 3, 2013 at 12:45 am #

    I found it interesting that you sat down to write about 2012 in review and the muse took you to “Commenting Etiquette on Blogs”.

    Once I hit submit, I’m going to go read your “Why I quit EN” post. Your’s is the only blog I’ve been on today that tempted me to “follow a link”.

    Nicely Done! (BTW, I’d love to see someone write on the ins and outs of maximizing the benefit for the commenter. I’ve wondered about putting links in a comment to similar content, etc. and I’ve had my eyes open for that kind of post for a good while now.)

    Thanks,
    Hale
    Hale recently posted..Sail the 7 C’s to Better Blogging- C #4- Content is KingMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 3, 2013 at 1:05 pm #

      Hello Hale,

      It’s interesting that you wonder about how blog commenters benefit from their submitted comments.

      A lot has been said about how bloggers benefit by having high quality comments, but you’re right, we seldom hear about the benefits to the commenter, too.

      There are, in fact many benefits.

      Commenters receive exposure to their ideas and/or personal brand. The more widely read and engaging (ie., level of comment dialogue) a blog is, the more valuable that exposure would be.

      When your gravatar and/or webpage is visible, they become clickable links so that people can follow you. I do not suggest you embed links in your comments unless you first ask permission of the blogger. It is rare that embedded links are allowed in comments because they are difficult to monitor. Comments that have embedded links often end up in spam heaps.

      That said, another benefit to the commenter is in commenting on blog posts (such as this one) where the “Comment Luv” plugin is activated, whereby, your own latest blog post is automatically linked to by that plugin. This is an enormous benefit to commenters.

      That being said, I’m heading over to your blog now!

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..The Inner Marketer Day 1My Profile

  6. Garen January 2, 2013 at 6:54 pm #

    Got to love the one liner blog comments! I do get some junk one’s and I hate when there is no gravitar. A couple of times I have reached out to the person on Facebook or just through their contact forum. Think of it this way if you have 20 comments on your blog and person contacts and leaves a good comment you would be more apt to return the favor for them.

    Read your post on the Empower Network and haven’t heard from it before. I have seen the ads on other blogs though. I personally think it shows lack of character to show screenshots of their income. If they are really successful why do they have to prove it so much? Who cares? Maybe, it’s just me.

    Maybe, Empower Network was the cause of you getting warned by Facebook. Yeah, I agree I wouldn’t sell something I knew was going down the drain. Haha they wanted you to go to San Diego. Screw that I have pets to take care of! Lot’s of people question my business moves, but I don’t let it get to me 🙂
    Garen recently posted..Promoting Affiliate Products With A Bad RapMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 10:05 pm #

      Hey Garen,

      Sometimes I’ll comment on an article I find interesting on Forbes and a few times the author has contacted me. I know it’s small beans, but it is a nice feeling to reach out to a stranger that has written something of interest for me and we start communicating.

      Ahh you read that Empower post! I just keep getting comments on that one and I love the long comments strangers are giving. They are well thought out and some became conversational.

      I was laughing when I read your last paragraph. “Screw that, I have pets to take care of!” That’s something I often say.

      People question my business moves also, but never let it get to me either. I live with my husband and three dogs. The dogs are our life and I like to take them with me wherever I go.

      -Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..A 30 Day Blog ChallengeMy Profile

  7. Sergio Felix
    Twitter:
    January 2, 2013 at 5:51 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    While I didn’t “know” the rules for blogging reciprocity I kind of did what everyone else was doing, which was exactly that, replying to every comment, checking out the visitor’s content and writing a comment in return, etc.

    I have found that this is one of the best strategies out there to network with the right people, the ones that shares a common interest with us.

    It also seems like you have a huge audience here and I definitely liked this article so I’m surely coming back, take care Donna and talk soon! 😉

    Sergio
    Sergio Felix recently posted..Goodbye 2012, How You Doing 2013?My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 9:49 pm #

      Hi Sergio,

      Blogging reciprocity brings a strong following. The best way I found to do it is to join a Tribe or Blogging community. There are tons of them out there, but I find that some Facebook communities do the “drop and run” thing. I admin a group for a friend and have to constantly remind people to visit a blog FIRST BEFORE you post yours.

      Sometimes I feel like a kindergarten teacher! On the other hand, there are communities that are accountable. I belong to a group called Bizbloggingbuzz and the bloggers there are seasoned, authentic folks all on the same page when it comes to Reciprocity.

      Blessings,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..A 30 Day Blog ChallengeMy Profile

  8. Mike Smith January 2, 2013 at 3:10 pm #

    Hi Donna, Love your blog review, and I agree with the reciprocation analogy. It just doesn’t happen that much. I’ll be looking for your blogs though!! Speak soon.

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 9:40 pm #

      Hi Mike,

      If that reciprocation isn’t happening for you, I would suggest you join a Tribe, or a Blogging community that is active. There are many out there and it is a great way to build relationships.

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..A 30 Day Blog ChallengeMy Profile

  9. Ken Pickard January 2, 2013 at 2:38 pm #

    Donna,

    It’s true…you don’t see hardly any one liners…as far as blog comments go. In fact I don;t see any. You don’t accept them AND you don’t give them.

    This is due to the community that you’ve built…from the ground up. You deserve all the credit and recognition of a blog well served!

    Ken Pickard
    The Network Dad
    Ken Pickard recently posted..Mindset Monday 2013 New Year’s ResolutionsMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 2:41 pm #

      Thanks so much Ken,

      It means a lot coming from you! Not only is it a great thing to have a post that has caught so much attention, but what I learned from it was priceless.

      It gave me incentive to develop products and blog posts to help others along their way.

      We must pay attention to our readers!

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  10. Patricia Gozlan January 2, 2013 at 2:17 pm #

    What a great question Donna!
    Our posts mirror what people want, what they year for and if we know how to read between the lines, we receive important information on what are the hot subjects that our audience wants.
    My best posts are on life- work balance, goal setting and energy work to unblock fears.
    I was totally surprised to see some posts get more that 10.000 likes from stumble upon and still get likes up to today, something I did not expect.
    From that I have decided to create a free NLP toolkit on how to let go fears,a product and a program.

    Calibrating our market is easy when we know how to listen!

    Have a great 2013, my friend and I hope to see you on a fun hang out soon!
    Patricia Gozlan recently posted..The #1 Goal That Makes You Feel Like a StarMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 2:39 pm #

      That is awesome Patricia!

      When we pay attention to our audience, especially those who keep on returning over time on a post, it does give us a direction to take.

      I have learned it from this blog and it gave me inspiration to write for those who were confused about marketing.

      Lookinghttps://www.donnamerrilltribe.com/2012/12/blog-review-2012/# forward to another great year with you,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  11. Pauline January 2, 2013 at 10:17 am #

    Hi Donna
    Happy New Year! Sorry it has taken me a few days to comment but better late than never LOL
    I love blog commenting as it is not only a great source of traffic but it’s a way of connecting with fellow bloggers and building relationships which is very important! I can’t understand people who do not reply to anyone who takes time to comment on their blog, they will soon lose readers, it is very impolite to just ignore any comments.
    Thanks for sharing
    Pauline
    Pauline recently posted..My End Of The Month Shout OutMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 11:05 am #

      Hi Pauline,

      The holiday season slowed me down also! It is so difficult to keep up with our blogging buddies when there are two weeks of holidays!

      I don’t quite understand that either. But I do know a few bloggers that blog about instructional things every day or even twice a day with a strong readership.

      There, I can understand why they don’t comment because it would stop them in their tracks from the learning curve they are blogging.

      So, in some cases I think it is OK because I can’t even keep up with all the information they are giving me.

      Other than that, Replying is a MUST!

      Thanks for stopping by,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  12. Chathu January 2, 2013 at 6:08 am #

    Hi Donna,

    I strongly agreed with your tips. Sometimes I even forget to reply to the people who commented in my blog. But now I’m trying to avoid it. Because it can make them upset. And we can learn from their comments. Because they will know about a particular subject more than me. 🙂 I like your this post dear. And wish you all the best for your future! Finally I have to say, “Happy 2013!”. 🙂
    Chathu recently posted..Waiting for 2013!My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 10:52 am #

      Welcome Chathu!

      Thank you for stopping by! If I miss a reply..and sometimes do if someone goes to an old blog of mine, I almost get a panic attack! he he

      But it does happen from time to time. Responding to a comment is so important to make one feel recognized.

      I too, have learned many things from other people’s comments on blogs. So much so, that I go to their blog and sometimes become a regular reader.

      It’s all about Engagement!

      Wishing you a blessed New Year,

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  13. Carol Minarcik January 2, 2013 at 5:28 am #

    Happy New Year to You Donna, I have enjoyed reading all your posts, they all contained value for me. In answer to your question…The strongest post I have read this year? well wow! I have read so many posts and so many inspiring ones, I would not even know where to start to answer this question. I will tell you tho, I have met many interesting people through blogging and would not even consider stopping this venture.

    I am wishing you the best 2013, as you are surely a wonderful person and one that I have enjoyed knowing. Cheers.

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 10:49 am #

      Hi Carol,

      I am glad to know you are receiving value from my blog. If I can help in any other way, just FB message me at any time.

      I too learn from every blog I read….well, most of them lol! That is one of the things I just love about blogging.

      Have a wonderful New Year,

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  14. Sue Price
    Twitter:
    January 2, 2013 at 1:23 am #

    Hi Donna

    Great advice here on blog commenting. I really cannot understand someone who does not respond to comments.

    I used to just accept all comments as long as they were on topic when I started out because I was so grateful someone commented 🙂 now I am much wiser.

    Interesting you have so many comments on the EN post. I have one on why I joined EN and it also has a lot of comments and I still get them. I wrote it at the very end of 2011. I guess there are a lot of people out there trying to find out about it.

    Here is to a very successful 2013 Donna

    Sue
    Sue Price recently posted..Why is it Taking so Long to get Success Online?My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 2, 2013 at 10:47 am #

      Hi Sue,

      Because of the nature of that old post about EN, and all the emails and messages I get almost every day, I decided to write this post on commenting.

      What I found from writing that post was that people are researching that particular company. Most go to sales pages or EN blogs where they are biased. Some headlines are bashing it, only to find out when you click on it that it is yet another sales page.

      I wanted to share my own experience and have a place where conversations can be about people who were curious. There are so many people who have contacted me, that I wrote a document to send them telling them to get their own hosted blog – and the reasons why. Keep both if they wanted, but stress their own blog as their own property.

      I am sure you still get comments on yours too from 2011 because people are looking for an unbiased place where they can get some answers to their questions.

      Many blessings to you for the coming year,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  15. Barbara Charles
    Twitter:
    January 1, 2013 at 9:32 pm #

    Hi Donna. This is great advice. I learned early on to evaluate all comments and this is advice we should have a constant reminder on. The blog I got the most comments on was JustUnfollowMe Already! Do You Have Twitter Followers That Don’t Follow You Back? Not only did I got the most comments but many people contacted me for information. I would say I provided good content on a great tool that people appreciated. That’s an awesome thing and my goal of 2013 is to provide more of the same.
    Thanks for your tips. I am constantly learning from you awesome ladies.
    Barbara Charles recently posted..Happy New Year 2013 – Dare To Dream!My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 1, 2013 at 11:12 pm #

      Hi Barbara!

      Don’t you just love it when you put up a blog post, get great comments and also get contacted for more information?

      It reminds me of the book “The Thank You Economy” by Gary Vaynerchuk. Here, Gary points out that when you are giving to people, they are more likely to seek you out rather than the Push economy whereby people push a product or service on you.

      I Loved that blog “Just UnfollowMe Already!”

      I’m sure you will reach your 2013 goals Barbara,

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  16. Sonia January 1, 2013 at 3:38 pm #

    A post we all should live by. For myself personally, when I get one-liner comments, I tend to delete them. They don’t really add any value or tell me nothing new. I check just about everything and the more investigating led me to discover that SEO companies create profiles that appear to be real and but the dead giveaway is the website they try and link back to you.

    My best post was from Jason Ryze and the unique comments I received from that post alone. Some new comments and other regular comments. Comments are getting better, but you still have to watch out.
    Sonia recently posted..How I Added 800 New Followers on Pinterest in 5 MonthsMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 1, 2013 at 11:07 pm #

      Hey Sonia,

      Sometimes those one lines sneak through my spam filter too. Whenever I check it it goes to that kind of company that appear to be real. Grrr

      It is a job checking our comments, but 95% of my comments are from trusted bloggers. Even new people that come into a post, I find that they are legitimate.

      Yet another job for us to do lol!

      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  17. Lisa
    Twitter:
    January 1, 2013 at 12:30 pm #

    Donna, I really like your point about going the extra mile if a post really resonates with you. Gave me something to think about 🙂 I would agree about replying to comments – I always try to within 8-12 hours if at all possible. I used to from my smartphone but felt too rushed and would rather do it from my desktop and take more time in my responses now.
    My strongest post from 2012 was a recent one on “Which Social Websites to Ditch to Save Time”.

    http://inspiretothrive.com/2012/12/social-websites-to-ditch-in-2013-to-save-time/

    Thanks for having us post ours and have a wonderful New Year Donna!
    Lisa recently posted..Follow Friday Is Back and Newly RedesignedMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 1, 2013 at 12:49 pm #

      Lisa,

      Thanks for sharing that post! It is so important to go over “Which Social Websites to Ditch To Save Time” I’ve done my clean sweep too!

      There are only so many social sites we can be on. If we stretch ourselves too thin, we won’t make an impact as well as focusing on a few that work for us.

      Thanks for sharing!
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  18. Neamat Tawadrous
    Twitter:
    January 1, 2013 at 12:11 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    What a great post you put together here about commenting and comments. As a new blogger, there are some tips that I have never heard about and they are sure of so high value.

    I am so thankful to God and to you about this post. After I read it, I got a comment from someone that I don’t know with no gravatar and no blog site and the link is leading to a sales page. How would I know if I didn’t read this post that a backlink going to a sales page other than a blog could be harmful for me in the long run.

    Thanks a lot Donna for such a great post. I loved what you said: “Commenting on a blog is just as important as writing one”. This is really very powerful. Thanks again.

    Be Blessed,

    Neamat

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 1, 2013 at 12:32 pm #

      I am so glad to be of help Neamat!

      If you come across someone with no Gravatar nor post, Click their name and it will probably take you to their blog or sales page. If it is something that is ethical, you can approve.

      But, it is better to be safe than sorry! Your comments are great Neamat and I’m sure you will receive attention from them. It does take time, but it is a part of the “big machine” of blogging!

      Thank you for your kind words,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  19. Sue Neal January 1, 2013 at 8:21 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Great advice here – the only point I’m unsure about is not accepting comments without a gravatar – if the comment itself is clearly genuine, I think it’s being a bit harsh, as there are some newbie bloggers out there who may just not have got around to it. My policy is to respond to the comment but to add a note advising them to get their image sorted and directing them to gravatar.com.

    I agree with you, too, that reciprocation is very important, but I must admit I’m struggling finding the time to do this as I’ve suddenly started getting loads more comments and I don’t have loads more time! I never just leave ‘great post’ one-liners, so it’s quite a time commitment to do it properly.

    My strongest post so far was an unexpected Christmas hit, which I wrote at the last minute just when I’d almost decided it was too late to squeeze one in before Christmas – I think the Santa Claus element proved irresistible. I was overwhelmed by the response. Here’s the link, in case anyone wants to check it out:

    http://writeclever.com/content-writing-tips-6-lessons-from-santa-claus/

    Thanks very much for these tips, and the opportunity to share,

    Sue
    Sue Neal recently posted..Become a Better Writer in 2013: Two New Year Resolutions to Make it HappenMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 1, 2013 at 9:40 am #

      Hi Sue,

      I am happy you shared your post! I loved the analogy of Santa! I can see you get lots of comments and take the time to reply to each and every one of them in a well thought out process.

      It does become time consuming. I try to visit my blog in one hour intervals, three times per day. It is not only answering a comment, but going to that person, reading their blog, commenting and syndicating it.

      I find that if you take it in chunks of time, it doesn’t get too overwhelming. I only post once a week on a consistent basis because that is all I can handle. Most of my time is spend writing emails to my list, which is like a blog itself lol.

      As for gravatars, I do accept some if I know the person is new, or if it is a great comment. But always check the commentluv. If it goes to a sales page, I just remove it.

      Have to play nice with Google these days!

      Have a blessed New Year
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  20. Mayura
    Twitter:
    December 31, 2012 at 11:54 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I love engaging with people and finding their blogs on the Web dear 🙂 No matter how long they have been blogging, I find very kind hearted people behind their blogs and they all help us to grow, right? 🙂

    I totally agree with your about replying comments. If we don’t reply, it’s like neglecting someone stop by our home, no? 🙂 It’s true again that personally if someone not replying my comments on blogs, I tend not to stop by again. Well, probably not at first time though. Else I may wasting my time neglecting another wonderful blogger out there.

    That’s it Donna, that’s it. EXTRA mile never hurts and someone needs to srart 🙂 I’ve been trying on that and it work well. Anyone who kind and loving enough would not think about that mile as a wastage of time.

    Happy 2013 🙂

    Cheers…
    Mayura recently posted..Blogging Tips from Bloggers for You to Blog BetterMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 1, 2013 at 9:23 am #

      You are always going the extra mile Mayura!

      This is why I enjoy coming to your blog and meeting you on the social platforms.

      That extra mile includes syndication of someone’s blog on G+, Facebook, Twitter, etc. And YOU do it all my friend.

      Looking forward to a wonderful new year,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  21. Justin December 31, 2012 at 9:24 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    I definitely respond to all comments on my blog even though I may not get to them right away. I like to make sure I am in the right frame of mind so I can reply to a comment with a heart-felt response.

    Take Care.
    Justin recently posted..How to Become Happy in Five Minutes While Allowing More Income into Your LifeMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      January 1, 2013 at 9:13 am #

      That is awesome Justin!

      We need to be in that right frame of mind to answer our comments. Sometimes they can be a bit difficult when someone will ask more on the topic. We have to have that “writer’s” mindset.

      Good to see you,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  22. Sylviane Nuccio
    Twitter:
    December 31, 2012 at 8:31 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Well, you’ve told it all about comments and commenting here.

    I always check what kind of site my commentor is linking, and I do not approve or disable the link if I don’t feel that the site is of any value. Or worst promotes things that I really do not like such as guns. That has happened before.

    I do accept people who have no avatar if they are genuine comments. For example, some people who are on my list do not have avatars, because they don’t really have a blog, yet or ever, so in such case I do accept it, because I know who they are. Other than that there’s no excuse not to have an avatar.

    Thank you for sharing this valuable information, Donna and have a very Happy New Year!
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..Words Are Powerful Are You Taking Advantage Of Them?My Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      December 31, 2012 at 8:57 pm #

      Hi Sylviane,

      I do the same with the gravatars when I know they don’t have a blog. Or, if it is fabulous comment and links to a great blog site.

      Have a great New Year!
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  23. Adrienne
    Twitter:
    December 31, 2012 at 4:14 pm #

    A great topic to end the year Donna because everyone who visits you has a blog. I think that most people would be lying if they said they didn’t want interaction going over at their place. I mean isn’t that why we write in the first place!

    Accepting comments is crucial to the success of your blog. I know that a lot of people don’t realize this but Google is paying close attention to the incoming links as well as the interaction on your blog. Oh yeah, if people are coming to your blog with low quality content then you can be penalized for that. No one wants that to happens so for that reason alone you should be picky about who you allow to comment and who you don’t.

    Engagement is the key to building strong communities. You would definitely know about that so people listen to Donna! She’s the social media Queen and knows how to get people talking with each other.

    Well you know which post of mine I felt was my strongest so far. Although it is a year old today it still gets a lot of attention. It doesn’t have the most comments but it’s ranked as my #6 post. Here is the link if anyone is interested in learning how I finally succeeded in blogging.

    http://adriennesmith.net/my-secret-to-blogging-success/

    Thank you Donna and Happy New Year! May 2013 be your best ever.

    ~Adrienne
    Adrienne recently posted..20 Loyal Bloggers You Will Want To KnowMy Profile

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      December 31, 2012 at 8:56 pm #

      I love that one Adrienne!

      205 comments! Woo Hoo….plus all the engagement that went on in that particular post.

      Thanks for sharing this one Adrienne. I hope my readers click it and learn from you!

      Actually I bookmarked it to send some newbies to your post to learn a thing or two!

      Thank you,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

  24. Steve Borgman December 31, 2012 at 3:52 pm #

    I appreciate you sharing the suggestion of being careful of accepting just any comment. I’ve been torn at times because I’ll have someone from a completely unrelated niche, like real estate, or sales, place a decent comment on my site. However, I’ve opted not to approve the comment because the link is so unrelated to my niche, and with all the Google slaps that have been going on, I’m not willing to take a chance.

    • Donna.Merrill
      Twitter:
      December 31, 2012 at 3:58 pm #

      I know what you mean Steve,

      I allow those out of my niche sometimes because it has to do with blogging. Maybe it is a technical part of it, or maybe it is information that can help in a certain way. But no static pages or any thing that back links would hurt me.

      Thanks,
      Donna
      Donna.Merrill recently posted..Blog Review Of 2012My Profile

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