Dirty Sexy Comments

This is not a plea for comments for THIS blog. I talk about my  chronic commentitis here. I use my blog only as a reference point. Instead, this is a reminder that comments are like chocolate, really good if they’re rich and  have some substance to them. And that if you can’t comment, you can still help out the bloggers that you like.  A big shout out to Mommie Pie and Bloghernot 2008. I’ll be participating in a big way!

At the time of this blog posting, over 543 people receive this blog in their RSS reader (or via email). Another 2,000 - 4,000 come to the site directly, depending on the day and the post. Add those up, and let’s say that around 5,000 people come here daily to read my stuff. (Hey, don’t laugh,  I’m pretty jazzed about those numbers.)

If 1% of you commented, that’d be 50. (I’m bad at math. Did I do that right?) The average post on here gets a respectable 10 or so comments, but that’s about 1/3 of 1% then, of the folks who get a copy of each post.  Ok, enough of the math class stuff.

This got me thinking about the other great blogs that I love. (That Hotwire© List over on the side bar isn’t just there for looks. I ACTUALLY read those!)

I read several hundred blog posts a day. I comment on maybe five or six, if there is something I feel compelled to say.  So I’m in there with you. I’m not commenting much, either.  Does that make us bad ? Not really. If I’m able to leave a decent and thoughtful comment, I know that the other blogger will appreciate it. Sometimes, I even get a nice little email from them saying so. Comment Relish is a great little Word Press plug in that sends an e-mail message to users who comment on your website who have never commented before.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of time. I’ve read a blog post, and the comment I want to leave will take some time to phrase properly( I HATE TO LEAVE ONE WORD COMMENTS, Just as much as I hate receiving them) or I just don’t have the time to comment right then. If  that’s the problem you have, here are some other ways to help:

If You Don’t Have Time to Comment

• Bookmark the post in a social bookmarking site (so others might find it).(Don’t have a clue how to do this? Check here and for a comprehensive list of Social Sites check Blog Marketing Tactics. Another Word Press plug in Social Home adds a sidebar widget containing a subtle list of all your social homes as linked favicons.
• Share it in Google Reader.
• “Like” it in FriendFeed.
• Tweet about it in Twitter or Plurk it
• Stumble it in StumbleUpon.
• If it’s “really” really good, Digg it. (Note the emphasis on really)
• Note it on Facebook.
• Talk about it on My Space.

You get the picture. If you enjoy something, but don’t have the chance to comment due to time, another great way to be helpful is to move it along to others in your network. That’s why there are social software tools to begin with. Making better use of them can benefit us all.

And now that I think about it, because he has comments turned off (for his own reasons and don’t try to send him email either), how does Seth Godin know when he’s hit one out of the park? (Remember Seth? He’s the Purple Cow guy) Del.icio.us? Links? Hmmmm.

I love my comments. They’re how I know you’re really reading what I type here. They’re often better than the post, (don’t get me started on the spam comments) and they usually tells me when I’ve hit a home run!

I could probably list 100 blogs that deserve more comments without breaking a glow. (You know Girls Raised In The South don’t sweat, we glow) You probably could, too. One might even be yours. If you want to talk about your blog in the comments section here, what it’s about, and why someone might want to come by and comment, that might be fun. Give it a try. I promise I’ll try to respond to your comment. I’ve found that responding to comments, either by email or by response comment, gives the original commenter a little warm fuzzy. Which is nice, don’t you think?

The Power of Intention

Part 7 in the Remarkable Bloggers© Series

Finding a blog for this issue of Remarkable Bloggers© turned into a chore. In fact, I’d all but given up on finding anything really remarkable to write about. Technology blogs, humor blogs, writing blogs, marketing blogs. I searched and searched. Mommy blogs, whines, pictures of kids with too much information. Still nothing “remarkable”. I stewed in my own juices and kept on reading. And then…what I assumed was just another “mommy blog” popped into my screen. I read, A Letter, Re-written.then I read more and more. I got chicken skin. This could be the next Remarkable Blogger©. As I continued to read this blog, I became enamored with this blogger. Her compassion, her strength, her intention to care, her utterly clear outlook on life (despite a wild turn of events), and her from the gut writing all blend to make a Remarkable Blog©. This one is a MUST READ.

When I emailed the Jenn, the author of Serving The Queens, I expected a diatribe about a tough life and tougher yet circumstances. Again, I was surprised.

Back in the day, I used to write about things that touched me and email them, or (egads!) snail mail them to family and friends. One day, someone said to me, “You should start a blog”. “What is this blog thing that you speak of,” asked I, and so it began. I was surprised and humbled when people began stumbling upon it and reading me regularly.

I’ve been taken aback a few times by mean comments or emails with critical messages, from what kind of mother am I to not commenting on other blogs. And I struggle now with people that know me reading my blog, later using the words that I write against me. (If you don’t like it, don’t read it.)

But, Jenn says life keeps her blogging.

writing is my outlet, my expression; my Prozac, I suppose.

While she’d rather focus on the commonality of the writers in her niche and the ties that bind them, Serving The Queens is truly a stellar example of blogging. When asked who she’d most like to meet and have guest post on her blog, her answer was clear.

You know, actually, I’d just love to meet some of my fellow bloggers — Slouching Mom, Lawyer Mama, The Wink — some of the people that inspire me so often and that I wish I could just wrap my arms around.

So, while you’re thinking that those “rockstar” mommy bloggers who rant about their “rockstar” lives and detail much more than you need to know are all there is in this vast niche called “Mommy Blogging”, think again. And remember what happens when you ass-u-me.

Zen And The Art of Mommy Blogging™

Occasionally, the stars align. And for the Mommy Bloggers out there, now is the time. In the April 10 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Sue Shellenbarger interviewed, Heather Armstrong, Aka Dooce. The media world, looked on in amazement. It hit the AP wire, like anthrax. Even small town papers picked up the item.

Actually, its not so amazing. I kind of looked for it to happen, sooner or later. And there is a powerful army of mommy bloggers following or jockeying for position right behind her. Dooce has jumped up to #43 in Technorati’s Top 100 Blogs. Blog reactions, as does her email (according to Heather), range from kind words of encouragement, to “hate” mail. We all get those, though.

What’s amazing about this phenomenon, known as Mommy Blogging is that they’re gaining power like no other niche group. Poised to be the next big “it” on the internet, they’ve got a few things going for them.

1. Content. They have a sort of built in source of inspiration. Husbands, kids, schools, households, play groups and the like. Not to mention just plain outright funny stories. These bloggers write in a style that connects them to their audience, usually emotional and full of personality. Most niche writers only wish they had this talent.
2. Work at Home. Or not. It doesn’t take an advanced degree to be a blogger. And if they’re stay at home moms, that means not having to leave the kids. Big plus. They can do their writing while the kids are napping or at school and still feel a part of the technological revolution. If they are employed outside the home, there’s no need to quit the day job. Great gig if you ask me.
3. Social Skills. Get a group of moms together, any age, and POW. You’ve got instant conversation on a plethora of topics. Give those same moms a network…and you’ve solved the Theory of Relativity.
4. Buying Power. Moms are generally the purchasing agents for their homes. They want to know what works, what doesn’t, what the costs are and they want to share their opinions on these items. Advertisers are finally wising up to this and targeting this niche. Get a mom who likes your product, blogs about it and you’ve harnessed lightning.

Dooce and several other bloggers have hit the media recently. Right now, it seems strange that the media would focus on this niche. But it won’t be long, I promise you. The old song lyric, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world” could soon become “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the Internet”.