Why I'm leaving 300 blog comments in 30 days.

Last week I set myself a challenge to leave 300 blog comments in 30 days.  #300in30days

Why would I inflict such a thing on myself? I hear you, and my aching elbow, ask. Well ... read on ...

As any unpaid blogger will tell you, after they've carefully plotted, drafted, written out, edited, taken photographs to illustrate, scheduled and then promoted a new blog post, receiving a comment on it really does help them feel it all might have been worth it. 

Well, that's what any honest blogger will tell you.

There may be those who profess to really not care about the number of comments they receive, that they do it all for the self-expression or the connection with others.

But I'd guess that unless they've actually removed the comment facility on their blog [thus proving they don't want/need comments] then those bloggers are either:

• [a] getting so many comments that they can be safely confident enough to know they are reaching their audience as they hope to;
• OR [b] they're lying. 
• [Or maybe they're masochistic and they just enjoy the feeling of being ignored...]

So, I'll be the first to admit that, when my posts don't receive many comments which is actually the general rule [none of my posts this year reached 20 comments and the average is just a handful per post], I feel it. 

• I feel like I'm wasting my time;
• I feel like whatever it is I enjoy blogging about just isn't hitting the mark with readers;
• I feel silly for spending so much time blogging if no one hears it;
• I feel it's a good job I enjoy writing my posts and documenting my life in this way. Otherwise there'd be no reason for me to do it. I'd be long gone.

But, hang on hang on ... this is not intended to be a pity party!  

For a start I appreciate every one of those handful of comments. They're a wonderful handful.

• They're a handful from the kinds of hands that put down everything else to type out a greeting to me from far and wide.
• Hands that are warm, friendly and steadying.
• Hands which, were my comments section the 'real' world, would be pulling a chair out for me to sit, and passing me a cuppa. 
• Hands that would wave to me from across the road, from out of a window, from above a crowd. 
• Hands that would cover their faces when I made an awful joke.
• Hands that would draw me into a hug when I needed one.

Quality will always win out over quantity but, in order for my writing [and my shop] to succeed, and in order for my network to stay alive  - I need to make a conscious effort to keep those relationships going AND meet new bloggers. 

And I know there are many good reasons I don't receive lots of blog comments ... for example ...

1. As well as a blog, I also run a Facebook page and a Twitter account where I chat with people on a wider scale than I do here. And social media makes it so easy to leave comments and chat. Easier than via blogs. 
2. I'm moving away from focusing on sharing craft projects here, so it's possible that much of my old blogger network has moved away from me as I have moved away from craft-blogging. AND ...
3. I admit that I am not the world's most dedicated blog-commenter myself. So I don't expect to receive something that I don't always give. [Stop sniggering at the back there!].

In short ... don't worry about me ... I'll get by; I'm not letting this get out of proportion. I'm just stating facts. And feeling a little bit exposed in the process ... but I feel it's worth talking about.

But rather than merely bemoan my current situation:

• Partly because self-pity never won friends or influenced people ...
• And partly because it's tricky to leave blog comments in the dark ...

I decided to act in the spirit of an old proverb: to light a candle rather than cursing the darkness.

And challenging myself to leave 300 blog comments in 30 days is my candle of choice.

Between now and October 17th, as I'm leaving my comments on old blogs and new, I'm hoping that somewhere amid the 300 ...

• I'll connect with a few new-to-me bloggers.
• I might find new readers who appreciate my blogging style.
• I'll put out so much positive blogging charm ... that some of it might find its way back to me one day.
• I might make someone's day.
• I'll find new inspiration, new aspirations, new friendships. 
• I'll come face to face with some of those serendipities I very much treasure but which you can never plan for! 

I'm keeping track of all the blogs - old and new - I visit during the challenge and will no doubt share some of my experience, reflections and statistics as I move along.

AND HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP ME AND/OR JOIN IN:

[1]Just join in!!

• Set yourself a 30 day period [any time you like]; 
• Start commenting and counting up your comments;
• Use the hashtag  #300in30days on Facebook/Twitter [I'm not yet on Instagram] to share your experiences. 

[2]Suggest a blog for me to read.

• Let me know who you enjoy reading.
• I thought 300 comments would be easy - just 10 a day. But ... it turns out it's trickier than it seems - especially if I want to leave genuine, engaged, comments each time.
• So help me, and anyone else reading, by linking me up to new content in a comment [!] or via social media.  #300in30days 
• You're welcome to self-promote, or pimp a good friend or family member's blog. [I'm not against some light nepotism or cronyism!] 

[3]Share with me where/how you find new blogs.

• For example I've recently discovered some hashtags [eg. #30plusblogs] that I can use to find bloggers I would never normally discover.
• Where do you go when you need a shot of something fresh and new?
• What are your techniques for uncovering blogging treasures? 

And finally ... 

[4]Keep me going!

• Cheer me on, share my posts on social media, leave me a comment!
• Slide cups of tea into my peripheral vision while I sit here typing, typing, typing comments.
• Knit me a support bandage to prevent RSI!  ;-)

-------------------------------------------

Over to you dear blog reader, maybe you'd like to ...

• share your own feelings on how blog comments make you feel;
• share thoughts on why people might not leave comments; 
• chat about anything comment-related;
• and leave me those links! 

See you here soon or at the #300in30days hashtag sooner.

Julie