Are people more tired and stressed these days? Responding to blog posts requires energy.

I do not know if there has been an overall increase in fatigue and stress lately or not.

But this is a difficult world we live in. All of us have our own challenges.

You make a good point --- I still think that without a heap of comments blogs are better than newsletters for the simple reason that they are there when the reader (customer) wants to read them; where as newsletters are pushed upon a reader (customer) at any point. Oh...and blogs are much easier to find through search than a newsletter. I do wonder why so many people are commenting little or none...let me know if you come up with the answer!

I think that people move their focus and interest from time to time. As some depart, some will arrive. Conversations may falter but they won't die.

Although I've been reading for months, I'm just gearing up with things to say as I've always been a little shy about commenting. I write them and delete them because I think what I wrote sounds silly. This one almost bit the dust, too.

Neil,
Yep, life goes on. Blogging is hard work for both reader and writer. It takes time. And commenting or responding to comments adds more time.

Jenni,
I hear you. Newsletters are pushed; blogs are pulled. From a marketing POV, pull is always better.

Beth,
Good for you. Nothing you say is silly and certainly not the comment above. Opinions are valued, so don't be shy.

Beth,

I agree with Lewis, comments are encouraged. You have just contributed something very important to this conversation.

You have brought to light that part of what is happening is people read but are a bit shy about commenting. Comment more! You have already offered a valuable insight.

Lewis, here's a different angle, tell me if you agree. I think some people are starting to realize like Las Vegas, what goes on the Internet, stays on the Internet. Things aren't erasable.

With that in mind, I often find that I don't comment unless I have something at least mildly interesting to say. There are times when I would like to add to the discussion, but I am mindful that my comments will essentially "live forever" on the Internet.

If comments had an "expiration date" for example, I think you'd find many more people interested in participating.

Ebb and Flow... I see the activity on various blogs change on a regular basis. All I can attribute the cycle to is the interest of my (the) readers.

I know, when I'm working on a particular project, I review the social media that pertains to that project... The generalists may have a different result, but they may also suffer from lack of focus.

It's a good question, Lewis. I don't think the conversation has died. Maybe it's just moved to another room.

Paul,
I think your analysis is right on. Our words live forever. But because I believe in and practice authenticity in everything I and my business say and do, that doesn't worry me. Some may not like the way I think, but it is better they know that before becoming my client. Besides that, before all this social media I wrote four books and hundreds of published articles. They are more difficult to find, but they are out there. I have never concerned myself with either the positive or the negative impact of my words. Without them, I would have nothing to offer. Therefore, nothing to hide here.

Andrew,
You raise an interesting point. I've noticed two things: first, if you look at my last two posts and Ted's most recent post here, there are lots of comments. Other posts not so much, although I am sure I just offended someone. I only use those as examples because they happened in the past two days. Why are they getting comments while others aren't? What is the special ingredient?

At my blog, except for a post about my uncle, the comments are declining, and I am seeing that at other blogs I read, as well. Why? I read mostly marketing and communications blogs, so they are focused. I should also add that my readership remains constant between 100 and 150 a day. So if readership is constant but commenting is down, what is the message readers are sending?

Lewis, when I started to post comments to your blog, at the Daily Fix and others I was focus on the blogging activity and the marketing topics. Today I'm in three social networks (Linkedin, Facebook, Smallworld), follow a website for the restaurant, working its blog and, time to time, on my blog. I joined several groups in Facebook. I just saved myself from Twitter. And I suppose so it is for many of us. We then become more time pressed, more selective in what we read and in what we comment. It's not a problem of quality of posts but of their relevance for each of us. When you say that marketing and communication are focused you are half right. The other half is that communication and marketing are becoming a wider sea, day by day.

I wonder if the use of newsreaders is growing. I read this blog (and all others) through a newsreader so I don't see the comments.

I rarely (1%?) click through to read the comments. Maybe that's a habit I should get into.

G,
I hear you. In these early stages of social media our attention is being divided by all the new and neat attractions. That may change as we learn what we want and what we don't want in our daily lives.

Mark,
Good point. I gave up on readers because I want to be part of the conversation, not a reader only. But that's just me.

Oops! I didn't give up on readers, I live for you. I gave up on newsreaders.

I find the same thing happening on my blog. I have a solid base of readers, but unless they feel strongly about something they seem not to comment.

I think that this can be attributed to the fact that many readers visit this blog to obtain marketing advice and insight. They take all your points and advice into consideration, but maybe don't feel comfortable enough with the subject matter to express their own views.

Lewis,

Thanks for a provocative post.

Beth and Neil's observations are right on the money. I recently attended the MYOB design conference. A lot of my peers came up to me and acknowledged they regularly read my posts and enjoy them on the Daily Fix site; yet most of them do not join the conversation by commenting. I have to conclude they just may be shy about commenting.

Andrew also made a good point that there will always be an ebb and flow to blogs as readers move around the Internet. Lastly, Paul hit on another good point. Some people might shy away from posting something they know will live on and on. But as you point out, Lewis, if those comments are authentic to the person posting them, they should not worry about that.

Hi, I also find it very hard to understand why some posts attract comments, while equally well read posts do not. Though I have found that in the context of my blog, topics touching on social media are more likely to attract comments than basic "how to" posts.

Just as the previous posters note, I've had verbal feedback from people who read the blog that they feel they don't have anything of genuine value to add and that they might look silly in the eyes of other readers.

I personally think that is a real shame, for as you rightly point out, blogging is about the conversation. Though I understand the concern, as still feel a cringe of foolishness in case my own comments are moronic!

Perhaps we can be doing more to encourage and reassure shy commenters? For example by always ensuring we thank and respond to commenters (just as you do).

I think the quality of comments is something to look at as well. If you get 100 comments, and they all say "I agree..." or "Great post..." where is the conversation? As I look through your blog and the others that you mention, I see actual contributions to conversation.

I once had a coach that awarded good effort with a shirt. On the back of that shirt, it said, "We still care about quality... By Dave"

I think that said a lot. Post all you want, but make it a quality effort. Otherwise you're not doing yourself justice and the readers will know it.

I really identify with Beth's comments above... I usually read a post and think that I have a witty/thoughtful/useful comment or reply, and then I read the other comments... and I feel like perhaps what I was going to say has already been said in a better way by many of the other readers.

Or, I simply feel silly and move on in my reading.

I can only speak for myself... I've been extremely b-u-s-y lately. It's been tough enough to write compelling articles, let alone my trademark lengthy comments.

Through some precursory usability testing I've recently performed on a social networking site, I can tell you that some people are reluctant to comment if a conversation isn't already taking place.

Many people hate to be first.

A good question here, Lewis, and look at all the response it's garnered so far.

I've been somewhat absent from the blogosphere the past few weeks, since I've been (thankfully) very busy with work. When I began blogging several months ago, I felt a pressure to check every blog on my blogroll every day and post comments to many of them, along with putting new posts on my own blog 4 - 6 times/week.

I've learned that I don't have to be out there constantly. If I'm absent from commenting, my friends online will understand. And I'd rather post 3 times a week, as long as my posts have some meaning and hopefully some interest to readers. I'd rather be silent for a couple of days than post drivel just for the sake of posting.

I've found that to be the sentiment of many others I've spoken with about this.

So I don't think it's that the novelty has worn off or that fewer people are participating. People jump in when they feel they have something worthwhile to say. We can leave the idle chatter for Facebook or Twitter.

Geez. These comments are fantastic. Great conversation. I am blessed to learn so much from each of you.

Now here's what I am really blessed by: Today, I warily posted "Does A Gender Gap Separate Us in Social Media?" (http://lgbusinesssolutions.typepad.com/solutions_to_grow_your_bu/2007/11/does-a-gender-g.html). I say warily because the last time I tackled the subject, a heated conversation ensued. But here's the point: I wondered why women seem to comment on women's posts and men on men's posts, often exclusively.

I especially thank every single woman for commenting here. Communications should be gender blind, and maybe my "Gender" post has more to do with my style of writing at my blog than what seems to be women reading women and men reading men.

Good stuff. I understand that social media is a conversation because anyone is now empowered with a voice that can be broadcast at large...as efficiently as most other media.

They can post.

They can comment.

They can read.

Or none of the above.

With, what, 100+million blogs, social network frenzy hitting BtoB (talking OpenForum not Facebook) and major media tapping blogs for feedback, I don't think the conversation has died.

My posts are referenced in other posts...sometimes they add or inspire others. Just because they don't comment doesn't mean they're not holding those convos, ya know? As for me, I read a lot of the information but usually focus on a few deep convos at the time. And, sometimes it's a convo with 3 comments that I get more from than one with 20 comments.

Lewis and all:

I read somewhere that there are now over 100 million ex-bloggers. Ex. As in, 'no longer blogging bloggers.'

I recall hearing that the world's most popular blog is a Chinese actress who talks about playing with her kitten. She has 100 million readers.

And let's face it -- the most popular video on iTunes is "I Want to be a Rock Star," which pretty much sums up self-publishing, social media, blogging, and a lot of other things. What used to be elitist is now available to the vulgate (meaning us).

Maybe it's overload. I just purged my RSS of blogs I just don't read often enough and added a few new ones. I'll purge it all again in a few months.

There's a lot of 'stuff' out there, and not all of it is of particularly high quality. You either find the content riveting enough to keep reading or you are personally engaged in the discussion with someone you care about. If neither apply, you purge.

Fewer posts are OK, as long as they're better posts. Same goes for comments, in my book.

CK,
I don't understand how if no one comments that doesn't mean there isn't a conversation? I'm missing your point, which I'm sure is a good one but not getting through my thick skull.

Stephen,
I agree. But in my mind the posts I read, including yours, are high-quality. Yet, I yearn for a conversation around the writer's point. Again, without comments, it's just an article. And if enough blogs become a source for articles in instead of a source for conversation (i.e., commenting), they lose the social aspect and become only newsletters, magazines, etc. Am I wrong?

comments get boring when they get into arguments and that happens a lot on many blogs. as soon as people start talking about the finer nuances of other people's comments, i'm gone. i bet i'm not the only one who feels that way.

B.L.
I suspect you are right and that lots of people feel that way. But doesn't that happen seldomly and then mostly to get clarification. Perhaps some of us, and I can be guilty of this, are too direct and should nuance our questions to be more sensitive to other's feelings.

Lew: Sometimes when I post I might receive only a few comments...but then I find that the post inspired another post (by another blogger) and the convo continues in that fashion.So the convo hasn't died, it's just continued elsewhere.

Other times I find that a convo that might only have 1 or 2 comments brings me more value than one that has 25 comments...so while a "small" conversation per se, it makes a big difference in my learning curve. So the convo hasn't died.

And while many read, but don't comment, they're learning from the convo (be "they" a company or an individual) and they're taking that knowledge and input on product prefs/etc. and referring others. So on that count the convo hasn't died.

Lewis -- Great post here! I've been meaning to comment all day.. which pretty much tells you how my day and commenting goes...

These are all great points. For me, two things are at play:

1. I'm spreading my "conversing" across many more platforms that, say, a year ago... on Facebook itself as well as member "walls," on FB groups, on Twitter, etc. Today, I spent about a half-hour conversing with David Armano, Mindblob, Roger Van Oech, and others on David's "always in beta" webcam/chat site. In other words, blogs are competing with other platforms... which in my mind is fine. It's all conversation.

2. Increasingly, I'm reading a lot of blogs via feeds... so (like others said here), I'm not necessarily going to the blog site itself.

Overall, it's a change in how I'm consuming... but I'm consuming and feeding back nevertheless.

Lewis I believe the drop in comments is due to a couple of problems the first being over abundance. Social media has and will continue to do one thing. Create more and more information to add to the glut. How much can one person read or look at? Since this is a new thing people who are interested enough to comment are probably the same ones who are trying to experience as much of social media as they can while it is new. The result is that they don’t have time to write thoughtful responses to every post. This will pass.

The second issue is boredom. When I first joined Marketing Profs I was very active in answering questions and responding to blogs. I have found that after a year I am getting pretty bored because the questions are repeated time after time. I mean, how many requests for tag lines, when no background info is provided, does it take to bore you? Just this morning there were 8 questions in the non-urgent area. Four were for names and tags.

How many business name requests do you have to read before you are bored and how many incepted business name suggestions can anyone endure. Of course, I am over reacting, but that is the point. Sometimes we need stimulation and a good old give and take or the presentation of provocative concepts. Lewis, you often make posts that get the juice rolling, but how many citizen marketers are going to be able to match your years of experience?

Social media will stay around because it is easy to do and there will be gems in the sludge, but like all things like this, the cream will eventually rise to the top.

Lewis I believe the drop in comments is due to a couple of problems the first being over abundance. Social media has and will continue to do one thing. Create more and more information to add to the glut. How much can one person read or look at? Since this is a new thing people who are interested enough to comment are probably the same ones who are trying to experience as much of social media as they can while it is new. The result is that they don’t have time to write thoughtful responses to every post. This will pass.

The second issue is boredom. When I first joined Marketing Profs I was very active in answering questions and responding to blogs. I have found that after a year I am getting pretty bored because the questions are repeated time after time. I mean, how many requests for tag lines, when no background info is provided, does it take to bore you? Just this morning there were 8 questions in the non-urgent area. Four were for names and tags.

How many business name requests do you have to read before you are bored and how many incepted business name suggestions can anyone endure. Of course, I am over reacting, but that is the point. Sometimes we need stimulation and a good old give and take or the presentation of provocative concepts. Lewis, you often make posts that get the juice rolling, but how many citizen marketers are going to be able to match your years of experience?

Social media will stay around because it is easy to do and there will be gems in the sludge, but like all things like this, the cream will eventually rise to the top.

Harry, speaking of boredom, I do think the forum has to some how reduce or filter out the requests for taglines, etc.

It is getting out of hand. Some sort of message needs to be prsented to people when they try to post. Something like:

"The focus of this forum is on helping people solve business problems. However, to limit the scope of the forum, we ask that you please do not ask tag line or business name questions here."

I just did the wording off the cuff so I am sure it could be done better. But I 100% agree with you, Harry. The tag line questions in particular are just outright irritating both in their content and their sheer volume.

We could get more involvement and more real discussion if there was a rule against these sort of questions and more discussion of *other* business problems. To me, cutting the tag lines, etc., would make the forum 10 times more interesting.

This should be enforced too. Some sort of moderator should go in periodically and outright delete tag line questions.

Thanks all. Yes, we are being overloaded with platforms competing for our attention. Although I have a presence at Facebook et al, I participate primary at blogs because they hold the best opportunity to start a conversation.

And I get bored too, and responding to comments is hard work, but if we post and someone comments or sends an e-mail because they are too shy to comment in public, I think we owe it to the readers to respond.

At the end of the day, social media is like everything else in business. We need to prioritize and focus on those tools that provide the most benefit to both our business and our customers (readers).

To use David's phrases: That's my 2 cents.

Thanks to everyone who engaged in this conversation. Now that's what I'm talking about.

As a blogger I think it's my responsibility to create compelling content to start a discussion, and to get people to be interested in following me regularly enough so that they are there when it's right for them to comment.

To many bloggers that I've seen write for the search engines, not for the community.

Also, sometimes I realize that some posts will generate comments, others won't... but there is still value in communicating something.

I wonder how many comments you would get if you moved off of this website and onto your own?

Jason,
I agree. It is about content. Nearly all the contributors here have our own blogs. Our audiences are smaller but our blogs are noticed by readers and get quite a lot of feedback, via comments, Twitter and e-mail. You should check some of the contributors' blogs out. Good stuff.

Great conversation you started Lewis.

One more thing to throw in the mix: a lot of it is seasonal. Summer gets lots of comments because work is slower.

But this is a busy season for lots of people, trying to get everything done before Jan 1.

Hi Lewis

YEAH!!!!!!!!!! I wrote a blogpost several months ago at http://richardatDELL .blogspot.com saying blogging was in seth godin's dip as everyone went off chasing shiny new balls. Still the best conversations are on blogs, not twitter or facebook or anywhere else. Hear hear for this post!!!

Hi, Lewis. Seems that this post and ensuing discussion is anecdotal proof that if there's a good topic with an opportunity to join the discussion, they will come.

Happy Friday, LG -

I have found myself busier than ever. There is always a new social networking site to join, a new blog to read... This means that I don't focus all my time commenting on one blog, my valuable time commenting is spread over a lot more blogs. This will only get worse as more and more blogs and social networks come on the scene. I think what you are witnessing is the thinning out of conversation, not the end of it.

Thinning out or consolidation.

I suspect we'll see the equivalent of online networks or magazines- sites that bring what's deemed "the best" of content together in one place.

If only because we just don't have time to read it all.

Beth you made a good point... I feel the same way too. thinking that i might have to say wil sound silly.
Neil: I don't think that people is tired about blogs it is just that now we have so many options thanks to the internet that it is just difficult to participate in all.

Manuel, to clarify, I meant that perhaps life is more stressful and people are more tired these days. I was not suggesting they were specifically tired of blogs per se. It was just speculation on my part.

The conversation lives! Love you guys and gals. Thanks for your participation.

(Coming late to this...) I currently pilot four blogs, but my main one (Blork Blog) has been running since late 2000. That's almost seven years!

In that time, the number of visitors and comments have ebbed and flowed, somewhat predictably (always more in winter, less in summer), but my biggest and most sustained drop in participation started last spring. That's pretty much when Facebook really broke into the mainstream.

In the other comments here, people have mentioned how many social media outlets are competing for our attention (with more coming online every day it seems), and I really think that's at the root of the situation – and I really think that Facebook is at the root of the phenomenon.

My Blork Blog is a personal blog, but I try to make it interesting to anyone who has an interest in food, reading, photography, etc. Still, it's quite diffused. I have readers from all over the world, and used to average 6-10 comments per post (some would have only a couple, some would have 25, tc.) That was before Facebook, when participatory social media was primarily about blogs. (Let's face it, MySpace is for ADD kids, and few people spend much time on Linked In.)

But when I see how much time my friends now spend on Facebook, I'm amazed! It seems like they spend hours per day on silly applications, combing through "groups," posting on each other's "walls," etc. It's dead obvious why there's not much time, energy, or attention left for blogs.

I'm not ready to state unequivocally that this is a problem – it's just the evolution of social media. People who just want to amuse themselves (and that, it seems, is most people) will play with Facebook because it is rich and entertaining and requires almost no effort. People who want more substance to their interactions will continue to read, write, and comment on blogs. In other words, perhaps Facebook has simply pulled away the ones who were only half there in the first place.

Ed,

Very insightful post.

Yes, our attention is divided as many have noted, but most people still only have 4 or 5 key places they visit regularly. So, if this is a blog that I frequent and that is meaningful to me, the proliferation of media won't change whether I interact with it.

Newsreaders are a factor too, but obviously it didn't hurt this post. Why? Because you posed a question that many of us have thought about from time to time and have developed opinions on, or have identified patterns that we see emerging. Your post demanded an answer, and if you wanted to learn something, you had to click through to see the other comments, so even if read in a reader, people will still come to the site, and maybe add their own comment.

For me, this is simple. The more thought I put into the original post, and the more I challenge readers to think, the more they comment. The more the topic requires me to read the comments to understand the trend or learn something, the more likely I am to comment. I think if people are joining the conversation less, it's because bloggers get tired of that effort to engage and solicit input. It's always been easier to say what you think, and not care what anyone else thinks, so I chalk the biggest part of it up to the blogger and what they've posted.

Have you compared the comments during different times of the year?
I think that people's mentalities have something to do with commenting. I also think that there is a bit of psychology involved in social media. I think some people, generally speaking, don't feel "listened to". I think that they use blogs, etc to express their views and how they feel because the "real" people in their life don't listen or validate their opinions. Maybe people aren't getting the same satisfaction from commenting that they once had. Maybe they think "who cares what I think".

Kristina,

Why do people think "who cares what I think?" I personally love to listen to what people have to say both in person and through blogs.

I don't doubt that what you say is true, I just don't quite understand it.

In the sea of minds opinions are overfished. You need the right lure for the game. The title Bad Marketing arroused the appetite. The day is far from over, but it takes a clever fisherman to land the big attentions.

Hi, I'm a new blogger but I believe that it is such a visual world out there that folks read and forget to write. They don't write letters, they write emails, send photos, maybe ecards but...the fear of having the wrong lure or not knowing how to untangle the fishing line if you cast into the branches instead of deep waters can make writing what you think a scary venture, especially with the volatile market we have at the moment. As a blind person, I'm verbal, I write and now...here I am to urge the conversation forward so it doesn't become a life-threatening illness. If the conversation dies, the deaf rule.

Agreed, Jo. Well said.

By the way, one of my best friends is blind but that has not stopped him at all. He is a law professor at the University of Virginia.

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