Heidi Cohen wrote a thoughtful, tip-oriented post today in honor of Stephen Covey, one of the most incredible business writers of our time with his popular book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Heidi featured each habit from the late Mr. Covey’s book and then provided an actionable blogging tip alongside.
Here’s Habit 5 along with Heidi’s blogging tip taken exactly from her blog that appears in my mail box:
This Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Start by taking the time to truly listen to others before jumping in to get your point across. Consider what the individual is trying to say, not how your experience relates to the incident at hand. Hear what the person is saying to be respectful and caring. Actionable Blogging Tip: At their heart, many blogs are started to communicate an individual’s perspective on an important issue to him or her. Yet, as its readership increases, the blog’s “ownership” is transferred to its community. This requires bloggers to listen more carefully to the issues upon which their readers are focused and to contribute useful content on those topics. This is best accomplished through the use of blog comments.
This tip got me thinking more than the others she offered – “Yet, as its readership increases, the blogs ‘ownership’ is transferred to its community.”
Has this happened to you as a blogger; does your community control or influence topics you write about based on comments?
Here’s where I’m stuck about this…on a few occasions I’ve been able to glean a follow-up blog post from comments; however, the comments squarely originated in a post I created with my thoughts driving the community to think more provocatively about an issue.
I wish the comment section would drive topics; then, I’d not need to think about what to write on each week. I’m wondering, too, if Heidi gleans topics from her community because she writes such amazing content always relevant and full of teachable tips? This likely works for her type of blog where she is such an expert and knows the content she writes begets questions from her community that thusly drives her to dive a bit deeper into the topic.
So, Soulati-‘TUDE! community, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you glean topics from the comment section of your blog? Does your community ask for actual topics for you to cover, or do you take inspiration from a comment and then write about it?
Jayne — Thank you for reading and thinking about my posts. I truly believe that a blog is owned by its community as is any other form of social media. To answer your question, I have been inspired to write articles based on the comments on my blog. Don’t overlook the fact that you use comments on other people’s blogs. Happy marketing, Heidi Cohen
@HeidiCohen Hey, Heidi! Thanks for coming over; we’re all getting inspiration from one another whether we expect to, or not! Love your content always. ~Jayme
That has definitely happened with me – where blog comments have inspired posts, sometimes several, and I love it when it does. But I don’t think the comments are all that should drive the posts – some of my most-commented/shared posts are ones that did not come “from” anywhere else. I think like everything else, what ends up being workable is a bit of this and a bit of that.
@Shonali A little of this and a little of that! You’re so right and thanks for coming by to say so, Friend! Hope your new gig is exactly perfect for you, too.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing @Shonali new gig what??? sounds like I need to catch up on WUL
@jennwhinnem @Shonali Well, I kinda think you’ve been living under a rock, Jenn. Did you know Shonali is now half a person, too? That’s big news!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing How am I half a person?! @jennwhinnem LOL, yes, you do!
@Shonali @jennwhinnem LOL; you’ve lost so much weight, and I bet Jenn didn’t know that!!!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Oh, *that* way half a person. I like that! @jennwhinnem did you miss that too? 😉
@Shonali @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Okay I looked through WUL and could not find anything about career or family changes. You realize I CANNOT guess about something like this! Too many possible blunders. Help a clueless glassesless girl out!
@jennwhinnem @Shonali I’m gonna help a girl out; that’s HAGO! Shonali is a big wig; I mean HUGE wig at MS&L in DC now. I think for maybe five months?
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing @Shonali Egg on MY face. I’m sorry I missed that, Shonali. Please let me extend my belated congratulations! Now I understand your health reform post (in which you offered no political leanings, I feel it of import to say) better. You rock!
https://soulati.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/drumming.jpg
@jennwhinnem @Shonali You kill me, Jenn.
@Shonali @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Actually I didn’t, incredibly. I know you’ve been posting too about exercising. Now I sound like a stalker! Thanks a lot @Shonali !
@jennwhinnem LOL, well, I’d rather have you as a stalker than some other people. 😉 @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing @jennwhinnem @Shonali Blogs help you know more on the others and you improve your status friends and mostly English I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA
Hey Jayme,
I think many times community members may be afraid to push the envelope and say what they truly feel in the comments section. When members are truly open to providing rich feedback and thought provoking questions / statements, great value can be contrived from the experience. However, based on my experience and this may be a reflection of the communities I follow, the greatest content comes from personal experience! Thoughts?Thanks
@geoffreiner
@GeoffReiner Hi, Geoff! As you’re pretty newish here (or maybe you’ve been a lurker awhile! 😉 ], this community usually sticks out its necks in comments as we’ve cultivated a warm and friendly environ that is safe.
No one gets blasted; well, maybe they get teased rdopping (tee hee!) but it’s all in the name of love — for real.
That said, when I am new in a community, I tend to keep it on the up and up without too much banter skew; that way, I develop the professional first dabbed with the zany personality that is typical me.
What I so love about this community is the length of comments and the insightful responses. When I look at others’ blogs and see the one-line gests more frequently, I often think there’s beauty in quality.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing rdopping
haha I can promise you I haven’t been lurking for too long! And I totally appreciate a community that is willing to stick their necks out there AND a community that fosters that safety that you mentioned (as I feel like the teasing is almost inevitable!!)
In that case, I can certainly see how thought provoking comments would drive content and provide an inspiration for many members in the community as we are all content providers. Thanks again 😉
@GeoffReiner rdopping Yes, yes. ALL content provide!
@GeoffReiner Jayme has one of the few blogs where I’m really honest!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing THAT’s what you call it, huh? 🙂
Now that I am here I will say that I have used some of the comments to enhance future posts but since I am just getting out into the community more I can see how the benefits of other ideas brought to you through comments being fodder for upcoming content. It would work especially well if you had a specifi niche.
I love to ask questions in the comments to see if another train of thought or direction is viable. I really do value the comments as sometimes they let you see the error of your ways. Right @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing ?
@rdopping Oh, yes, Sir! You’re quite right, she said in all her British primrose style.
Questions do provoke more insight and these also can lead to more blog fodder. I like what geoffreiner says above — “we’re all content providers!”
Indeed.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing @rdopping
Absolutely!!!
How do you think I came up with my post about glass blowing. 😉
The readers at my blog have given me ideas for posts on many occasions, but most of the time I come up with my own stuff, be it business or personal.
@TheJackB You? I would agree your inspiration is endless, except when it’s not.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing It is still endless. Time is my biggest challenge.
I don’t recall ever writing a new blog post based on the community’s comments, Jayme, but I definitely get inspired by comments on other people’s blogs!
As a matter of fact, that’s a great way to grow a community. If the reply you’re formulating would be of interest to your own audience, AND fits with your brand, write that reply in the form of a blog post instead, including an excerpt, and link it back to the original writer’s post. Then head back to the original blog post and leave a short but valuable comment there, with mention of the longer post back on your own website “for anyone interested.”
Etiquette: I would never do this on the blog of a competitor, even a friendly competitor. I know others do, but I feel slimy doing so!
Next, Tweet the original writer and let him or her know about the post you wrote in reply, and thank them for the inspiration!
@New England Multimedia I recall using many blog comments as original blog posts the next day which kind of became series. I wanted to capture the comments in a post so they wouldn’t be so obscure.
We’ve always had such lengthy and in-depth comments in this community, and so many of them are worthy of a post. I know @johnAkerson comes to mind; his comment was about 400 words!
I’ve had this happen on my blog – particularly on Facebook posts. I like what New England Multimedia said below about going back and updating the previous blog with the link. Too often times bloggers forget to do that.
@tracysestili Hi, Tracy! That’s a great reminder. I also welcome people to add links in comments to their blogs or posts or something so we can all find material easier. That said, care to introduce this community to your blog? I’d love to come visit! Thanks for sharing!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Hi Jayme, my blog is https://socialstrand.com/blog and I write daily tips and tricks on social media in 6th grade English. (at least I try). 🙂
@tracysestili Love the blog, Tracy! Thanks for sharing the url!
It happened to me once and I totally loved it when it did. It actually makes it easier to come up with the next post and yes, when I am running out of ideas or too busy to think of something interesting, it is a life – saver!
@Hajra Sometimes you can do a round-up from comments, like an opinion poll? Maybe take a bunch of what he said and she said and round them up with your opinion on top.
Hi Jayme – I always get ideas from community comments; sometimes I’m writing a reply, other times I’m reading thoughtful comments that spark and ideas.
There’s lots of gold in comments!
@Mark_Harai And silver and bronze!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Indeed… all of those pretty metal colors
: )
I definitely get blog post ideas on comments – but not always from my own blog! But yes, I do sometimes get blog posts out of my own comments…but more often, they come from clients, prospects and people I talk to on social media.
I think this all comes back to a question you posed awhile back – who are you writing for? For me, I write for my clients and prospects. That’s why they’re more basic in nature and might not attract as many of my peers or lots of comments. I often find that there are people who read my blog, but never comment. I hear from them later or I’ll get an email or question in person about something I wrote. I often write in response to questions I get.
@lauraclick I love that you have a goal and you’re sticking with it, Laura. Not many bloggers do that well. You know your audience, and that’s the first step in blogging success.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Why thanks, friend. That meas a lot coming from you. 🙂
one of my most popular posts came from a comment. A friend was discussing how twitter chats were useful in supporting her writing. She mentioned two or three and realized she knew a lot more about the writing communities than I did. So I asked to interview her and she agreed. It still draws traffic and comments.
I think we can read comments and recognize the experts in our community. I like getting the chance to put a spotlight on them. Especially if they haven’t had the before.
@susansilver Great way to develop and maintain a strong community, too, Susan. I’m always hunting in comments for something more to add. Part of what I do, too, is to point out someone’s url or what they said in a fresh comment so everyone is sure to see it who is following comments.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I appreciate that. I have been able to follow all the posts you inspired from your bucket list post. It is catching fire. I like seeing everyone’s list.
Of all the news I love the president who is to be there, not there. How do we draw roadmaps I have no idea. Can some one help? Oh Oh I smell a rat White House Press Secretary Jay Carney faced pressure to explain Monday why President Obama has made no public plans to meet one on one with world leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Asked repeatedly at the briefing about the president’s plans, Carney said that Obama likely would run into foreign leaders at a reception Monday evening and continues to stay in contact with them. He urged Americans to tune in to the president’s U.N. speech on Tuesday. “The president’s obviously got a busy schedule. He has a busy schedule all the time,” Carney said at one point. But Carney did not appear to give a direct answer when asked why Obama was able to fit in 13 one-on-one meetings on the side-lines of last year’s summit and none this year. Obama instead was letting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton handle the meetings this year while he and first lady Michelle Obama were sitting down Monday for a taping of ABC’s “The View” — sparking criticism that he was putting the election campaign above such issues as Iran’s quest for nuclear capability and the violent, deadly protests in the Middle East and North Africa. It is still possible that Obama could schedule a last-minute meeting, but none so far have been announced. Carney stressed that, amid the violent unrest in the Middle East, Obama recently has had phone conversations with the leaders of Egypt, Libya, Yemen and other nations. I thank you Firozali A.Mulla THIS MAY BE FROM USA paper but the gist is felt
@famulla OK…interesting comment. I may let it slide once, but probably not again.
Yes they do. Comments involve readers and motivate writers. They ar like clapping for publishers. So if someone visits a site, they must write their feedback.