Sep 16, 2011  •  In Blogging, Personal, Web

On Blogging and Commenting

A few of my readers — especially first-time parents — have recently asked me how I manage to find the time to blog.

My answer? Schedule, schedule, schedule!

Don’t get me wrong — I do not have a block of time I set aside every day to blog, because let’s face it: setting and sticking to a schedule is pretty damn difficult when you have a baby (with another on the way).

Instead, I use the “Draft” and “Schedule” functions on WordPress to pump out as many as five posts at once, whenever I have the time. In fact, I am currently writing this post in bed and will be scheduling it to be published the next day.

When I do get some downtime during the day, I check my Google Reader and get caught up on the happenings on the web. This is also the time I take to comment on friends’ blogs.


As reading and commenting takes the majority of my internet time, my
presence on other social media forums have dwindled quite a bit. (image source)

I am proud to say that my commenting has gotten much better since the day I publicly made the commitment. With that in mind, I do find myself at a loss for words more frequently than I would care to admit. One thing I have noticed is that there are certain subjects I thoroughly enjoy reading — travel, food, and fashion to name a few — but these are the ones I find most difficult to leave feedback. Perhaps it’s because these are subjects I am most unfamiliar with…so I feel silly writing the same things over and over again. (ie, I don’t know what else to write in addition to “That looks delicious!” or “What a pretty dress!”)

Or, if I find that a blog already gets tons of comments, usually from a tightly-knit, dedicated group of followers, I feel intimidated and will chicken out of commenting.

If you are a blogger, do you set aside time to write every day?

Do you find it difficult to comment on certain topics as I do? How do you overcome this obstacle?

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12 Responses to “On Blogging and Commenting”

  1. Shannon C. says:

    I also struggle with the commenting issue. My biggest problem is also one you mention above- some of my favorite blogs are very popular, so there are almost always lots of comments; many of which make similar points to what I would say so I feel silly or irrelevant posting.

  2. Amanda says:

    I schedule my blog posts like you, and I make a huge effort to comment whenever I can! Sometimes I do find it hard to find something to say, but then I think about how I appreciate ANY comment, no matter what it says, so I don’t let it bother me.

  3. I schedule my posts too! There’s just no way for me to blog everyday. Life and work and all that, ya know. I agree with the commenting on posts that have dedicated commenters who all know each other. It’s like trying to ask to sit at the popular people’s table when you’re the new kid. I’m trying to comment more as well.

  4. Lauren says:

    I also schedule my post in advance. When I have the time to write a couple, I do and that way if I get busy I still have some going up. I also try and make the time to read and comment before or after work. I know as a blogger I really enjoy comments, any comments. So as long as it’s not some crazy popular blog that receives nearly 100 comments on every post, then I try to leave some love.

  5. penga says:

    hehe, yours is a blog i read all the time, yet never comment because apparently I am a better lurker than commentor >.>”

    i agree with the commenting hardships, it’s hard for me to comment on fashion or cooking posts since I know nothing about the subjects, yet I still love to read about them! equally annoying is that I usually only find time to comment on the weekends or something, so by the time I actually write anything the post is usually old! 🙁

  6. Giedre says:

    Oooo, I never thought about scheduling posts in advance! *silly me* And I definitely can relate to the “what-do-I-write-in-the-comment-box-that-will-at-least-sound-SEMI-intelligent” problem…I know that I enjoy any and all comments, though, so I try not to worry about it too much. 🙂
    -giedre

  7. Lindsey says:

    I’m just getting back into blogging and still trying to find to baby-wrangle, keep up with my house and hubs, and write. I am not a good commenter; I often feel that I don’t have anything to add to the discussion, or don’t see the point if I’m going to be one of hundreds of comments. I’m trying to do better though…it’s easier for me to comment on mommy blogs since I can usually relate better.

  8. I usually find that if I have trouble commenting on something it’s because (a) someone else has already said it or (b) even though the post was lovely it just doesn’t warrant additional comment. I’m like you; I don’t like to leave “that looks great!” comments (although sometimes I do because I feel just that strongly about something looking great, haha).

  9. Terri says:

    I try to comment as much as I can. Some friends have told me that they really enjoy my blog, but don’t comment because they don’t know what to say. I answer that even if you just say “That looks cool” that’s enough for me. As a blogger, I will take ANY kind of comment and feedback. I enjoy when people like something I write or find something I’ve written about informative. It helps me gauge my audience, and heck, it feels good to be appreciated. 🙂

  10. Sarah S. says:

    I am really awful about lurking on anything other than healthy living blogs. I do make sure to comment back on anyone who comments on my blog. My problem with scheduling is that I often just write about my day, which means I’m often waiting for something interesting to happen. I really need to start backlogging posts about relevant topics so I’m not always struggling to find the energy to post at 7 PM at night. I have no idea how anyone maintains a blog during the first trimester.

  11. I dedicate specific time to commenting, but not posting – I think maybe I should do that, because I always feel that “uh oh” when I look in my drafts and see 0 posts!

  12. I have been trying really hard to blog every day. Recently I had about a week where I was unable to and find it really hard to start back up. It’s like, “Where do I begin now?” But I love reading my favorite blogs and try commenting when I can. Blogging and reading blogs is oddly therapeutic for me, so I find time whenever a need a “me” moment.

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