Do you remember how you felt when you started on WordPress? If you’re fairly new here, I would imagine it’s pretty fresh in your mind. Even I consider myself a bit of a newb, but after just a little more than a year I’ve come to feel comfortable here; I’ve found a great community, some wonderful friends, and plenty of people who I can joke around with.
What stands out most in my mind from when I started, however, is how intimidated I felt when I stumbled across a popular blog and I wanted to comment. Should I? They seem like such a tight bunch of people, bantering about things they’ve learned about one another…
So I was considering this, and I wondered if people who are just starting out feel that way when they stop by to read my blog.
In light of my pondering, I decided to change my comment box prompt from “Leave a comment” to what it is now.
How do you make newcomers feel welcome? How do you encourage them to join in the discussion?
lindaghill.com 
February 20, 2014 at 8:45 pm
It’s absolutely intimidating especially if you’re just getting into this whole blogging thing (1,000 years after it was the “new” thing to do) and in some instances….putting yourself way out there!
Great post!
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February 20, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Thank you! I’m a latecomer myself – now I’m wondering why I waited so long. WordPress is a fantastic place to meet people! 😀
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February 20, 2014 at 10:40 pm
Noted! And please, please, please don’t say those words around my mother! 😉
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February 21, 2014 at 6:36 pm
It sounds like your mother is much the same as mine. 😛
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February 20, 2014 at 3:58 pm
Nah, I comment as I like. I find now and again I’ve missed a comment I could have replied to, and I hate that.
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February 20, 2014 at 7:23 pm
Yeah, me too. WordPress isn’t always reliable in letting us know there’s a comment.
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February 20, 2014 at 10:30 am
I like to comment on other blogs, and on mine, I always respond to every comment. I always encourage my readers to leave a comment. I’ve been blogging for 4 1/2 years now with my longest current blog, but my first blog was started in 2004. I didn’t continue that one for long.
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February 20, 2014 at 7:20 pm
Wow! You’re an old-timer at this blogging thing! Hope I last that long. 🙂 Thanks for the comment, Jay 🙂
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February 20, 2014 at 11:43 pm
No problem. I’m currently running 5 blogs, though one is retired and another is updated infrequently. Sometimes, it gets hard to juggle them.
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February 21, 2014 at 6:37 pm
I bet it does! I’m only completely responsible for two, and that’s enough.
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February 21, 2014 at 6:43 pm
I’m only concentrating on one blog at the moment, although another is posted to regularly with photos. But that one’s easy to update.
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February 21, 2014 at 8:15 pm
I think I’ve found most of your sites! 😀
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February 22, 2014 at 6:37 am
I think I need to do better at linking all of them. It gives me an idea for a blog post, actually!
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February 20, 2014 at 6:23 am
Mine says “Don’t be shy, Leave a reply”
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February 20, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Nice. 😀
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February 20, 2014 at 2:59 am
I try to answer all comments and visit back, give a like or comment, if I have the chance. Not all bloggers give us that posibility, but that is their choice.
Show love and empathy help a lot.
Irene
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February 20, 2014 at 7:18 pm
You do these things extremely well, Irene. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
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February 20, 2014 at 2:14 am
Love your comment box title!!
New blogger here (like a week into it), and I am on a mission. I needed to “jump right in”, simply because blogging is my therapy. Seriously. I’m using my blog and community interaction to get over my fear of…well, interacting with people. And my major obsession with privacy issues.
For me, online is easy. It is prepping me for the real world 🙂
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February 20, 2014 at 5:24 pm
Thanks very much!
Blogs are great therapy for many people I know. Just being able to write about things that are concerning and receive feedback and especially, support from others who deal with the same issues is invaluable.
Thanks so much for commenting! 😀
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February 20, 2014 at 8:11 pm
T_Dizz_C, I heartily recommend that you jump in with both feet.
Do be wary of that LindaGHill. Rumour has it she drinks wine. };-)>
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February 20, 2014 at 10:26 pm
…are you implying that it’s the bottles that will be empty rather than the pool?
Don’t mind Nav, my dear. He’s just upset that I have all the wine.
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February 20, 2014 at 10:38 pm
Indeed.
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February 19, 2014 at 11:14 pm
Asking for comments is a great way to get people talking, though that doesn’t do the trick all the time. I usually just let them choose if they wish to comment or not. There are bloggers who just like reading and not commenting 🙂
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February 20, 2014 at 5:22 pm
That’s true. As I said on an earlier comment, much of it is a case of personality. Comments are a great way to get to know other bloggers though, which is why I try to encourage it. 🙂 Thanks for your comment, Jeyna.
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February 19, 2014 at 10:18 pm
I suppose I shall have to change mine, now that I know it can be done.
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February 20, 2014 at 5:19 pm
You could change it to “Don’t let your comment go south” 😉
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February 20, 2014 at 8:08 pm
“Your kind and civil reply is indeed solicited. Unless you’re a moron.”
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February 20, 2014 at 10:23 pm
Good one! …wait, that doesn’t exclude me from commenting, does it?
o_0
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February 20, 2014 at 10:36 pm
Of course not.
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February 20, 2014 at 10:38 pm
😀 *sings and dances around kitchen* I’m not a moron! I’m not a moron!
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February 20, 2014 at 10:39 pm
Hardly.
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February 19, 2014 at 9:53 pm
Hi Linda, thanks for asking 🙂 I’m comfortable commenting and engaging across social media. It makes me happy to see friendships grow for others (and myself too!) and am glad for those who find them through blogging. Reblogging may not be for everyone but I think it reflects who I am IRL. I enjoy meeting and introducing people to each other and as a newish blogger, I reblog once a week as a way to introduce bloggers and their content to each other. Thanks for being so welcoming!
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February 20, 2014 at 5:19 pm
Thank you for commenting, Angie. 🙂
I only re-blog on average of about once a month myself, unless I’m trying to direct people to something I’ve done myself elsewhere on WordPress. It does help people meet other bloggers, and it can be a great way to promote the work of someone who doesn’t have as many followers.
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February 19, 2014 at 9:08 pm
I always respond to comments. But I still feel a little shy about commenting on other peoples blog, except for a handful. Same with people. I need to get comfy with them and then I can talk a mile a min 🙂
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February 19, 2014 at 9:29 pm
I do believe it has a lot to do with personality – I know a few people here on WordPress who struggle with their introversion. I’m glad you feel comfortable commenting here! Thanks, KG. 😀
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February 19, 2014 at 6:58 pm
Perhaps I’d be more on the “newb” side of things 🙂 I don’t really have much discussion going on on my blog quite yet, but even so, this post inspired me to go change up my prompt a bit! So thank you, and thank you for encouraging discussion!
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February 19, 2014 at 9:22 pm
Wonderful! It took me a while to really start getting comments as well, but the more you encourage it, the more it will pick up. Thanks so much for commenting! 😀
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February 19, 2014 at 6:44 pm
Hi, Linda! I’ve got only a few hearty commenters on my site and wish I got more comments. I figure maybe people are scared of what I may say back! More comments probably come with time. On the other hand, I am trying to leave more comments but I am so far behind on reading blogs that I tend to just whip through. Commenting on WordPress is not intimidating to me, because most bloggers respond in a spirited way.
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February 19, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Hey, Dylan! Long time no see! It’s true, most bloggers are very friendly. I’ve come to count on that. It did take a while to get there though. I do find that the more I comment on others’ blogs the more they visit mine. It gets attention. 😀
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February 19, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Maybe because I’m Irish I have no problem commenting. Can’t shut me up, even when I was a newbie. Although those blogs where lots of the commentors seemed to know each other put me off a bit.
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February 19, 2014 at 9:13 pm
Me too! I was intimidated for about ten minutes on the blogs that had few comments already. I think there must be a trick to making everyone feel at home. I’ve actually been thinking about changing my comment prompt for a while – just couldn’t come up with the right feel for it, you know?
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February 19, 2014 at 5:52 pm
Splash! I hesitated at first but then I just kind of got over my fear of commenting and I bet some people wish I hadn’t 😆
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February 19, 2014 at 9:07 pm
Haha! I love your comments, Bradley. Keep ’em coming. 🙂
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February 19, 2014 at 5:46 pm
I always try to answer a comment, even if it’s just with a thank you or a 🙂 . It is very time consuming, but I try to read as many blogs as possible, and make a comment if I can. I don’t read reblogs. I don’t see the point of them. It often seems to ne that the bloggers are trying to collect likes by posting other people’s work. 😦
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February 19, 2014 at 8:45 pm
I agree in cases when a blog is nothing but re-blogs. It seems a little lazy in fact – then again I haven’t put much thought into why anyone does such a thing. Maybe there’s a benefit I haven’t been able to see. I re-blog once in a while, but not for myself. If I do it, it’s so my followers notice something they wouldn’t otherwise.
As you say, commenting back is important. I give up on commenting on blogs where I’m not sure my own comment is seen.
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February 19, 2014 at 5:44 pm
I didn’t hesitate I jumped right in *sploosh* Nice welcome for those who might be reluctant.
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February 19, 2014 at 8:40 pm
Thanks, John. 🙂 I took a chance as well and it paid off. 😀
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February 19, 2014 at 8:49 pm
Water was a little cold
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February 19, 2014 at 9:15 pm
Always is until you get used to it. 😉
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February 19, 2014 at 5:38 pm
i just try to reply to everyone who comments and get to know them a bit and comment on their blog as well. try to establish a connection over time )
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February 19, 2014 at 8:39 pm
Visiting people who comment on your blog and following them, if you’re interested, is a great way to keep the connection going. 🙂
Thanks for commenting 😀
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February 19, 2014 at 5:22 pm
I’m not sure. I didn’t fully understand. And then I tried to go brazenly. I want to get to know you people. Except those with like 30k followers. Because they have caves. And trolls live in caves.
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February 19, 2014 at 5:27 pm
Oooh, careful. OM might be watching. 😉 Exceptions to every rule, right?
How long have you been here so far?
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February 19, 2014 at 5:33 pm
A year was mid January. My gf at the time helped me and was encouraging me to really get my writing going. I wrote one post before she dumped me 😛 So the posts after that first one got a little dark.
OM I’m okay with. The trolls have a pretty large target. Guy I just started following, I wrote something basically saying I agree with you, and I got flamed ten different ways. They weren’t even coherent, it was just “You’re a horrible human being” type accusations. I have much to learn about this place they call the internet 😦
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February 19, 2014 at 5:35 pm
Wow, seriously? I hope I don’t run into him.
So you’ve been here about two weeks longer than I have. Cool. 😀
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February 19, 2014 at 5:38 pm
And your good looks have made you wildly more popular. Maybe I should go through with that surgery 😛 At some point I really do need to start reaching out more to make my platform more notable and worth noting.
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February 19, 2014 at 5:50 pm
What do you mean surgery? You’re gorgeous just the way you are!
It depends why you’re here on WP… is it to promote your upcoming release? If so, you do need to work on getting some attention.
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February 19, 2014 at 5:53 pm
Women attract better 😉 I’m just kidding, though. And yes. To promote. So I need to haul @$$. But I’ll do that after I get this out the door.
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February 19, 2014 at 9:10 pm
You might want to start with a cover reveal before your launch and blog tour once it comes out. Jes’ sayin’. 🙂
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February 19, 2014 at 5:16 pm
Sometimes I just ask for comments.
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February 19, 2014 at 5:21 pm
That works! 😀
Thanks for the comment, Vince!
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February 19, 2014 at 5:16 pm
I try to reply to all comments and visit their blogs to connect more. I don’t get a lot of “new” traffic anymore but that’s OK too. 🙂
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February 19, 2014 at 5:20 pm
Replying to comments is a definite must. I don’t always get to them right away, but I think I manage to get to all of them eventually. It really is all about the connection, and what better way to connect than to talk, right? 😀
Thanks for the comment!
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