I love reading as many blog comments as humanly possible.
But reading blog comments does not put food on the table.
Publishing blog posts and guest posts puts food on the table.
Both tasks feel fun, freeing and fulfilling. I am all about injecting fun, generous energy into my blogging work because how you feel determines your results.
Unfortunately, bloggers seem to miss a blog commenting tipping point: eventually you need to stop reading every word of every comment to reach the next stage of blogging growth. Eventually, you need to let go secondary actions to focus exclusively on profit-building, leveraging actions that help you become a full time blogger.
Fear of Loss
Bloggers fear losing readers, followers, traffic and profits sometimes. Focused on loss, these bloggers pride themselves on reading every comment of every blog post. This becomes physically impossible if you want to scale effectively as a pro blogger. Darren Rowse and John Chow do not read all comments. Nor does Zac Johnson. Millionaire icons let go this attachment long ago to do what matters most: being bloggers who write and publish blog posts and guest posts.
Even if you genuinely love reading every comment on your blog you need to see what you do from fear of loss or from abundance. I have known a few super talented, focused bloggers who cannot seem to make enough money to go full time. Virtually all of these bloggers spent too much time and energy on non-essential business tasks – social media, reading and responding to all comments, etc – and not enough time on essential business tasks, like writing and publishing blog posts and guest posts.
Content Drives the Web
Content drives the web. Businesses pay a pretty penny to populate sites with content. The Huffington Post sold for $350 million because HP had an army of writers who published dizzying amounts of content. Content makes it all happen.
Devote most of your attention and energy to writing and publishing content. Be generous, genuine and helpful in creating content. Be persistent, patient and prolific.
If you struggle to drive traffic and profits, spend less time reading and responding to comments and more time writing and publishing fresh, easy to read, helpful content through blog posts and guest posts.
Honor the Tipping Point
I had to stop reading all comments and responding to all comments a while ago because I reached a tipping point. Iconic bloggers reach this tipping point well before earning tens of millions of dollars.
You need to let go non essential activities to make room for essential blogging activities. Honor your blog commenting tipping point. Give your attention and energy to what matters most with your blogging business.
Study Top Bloggers
I can guarantee you; most top bloggers had to release on reading all comments and responding to all comments before making it big. As I get clearer, I use my time effectively and efficiently. I spend zero time on non-essential tasks and all my time on essential tasks. Time is at a premium for me.
As for commentors who feel upset that you do not read all comments, this has nothing to do with you and all to do with them. Carry an intent to draw in readers who love your content and follow you religiously. Most simply love reading your content and sharing their thoughts. A few wish to develop bonds with fellow bloggers through comment chats but as you scale, it becomes impossible to keep these chats going because your blogging role changes.
Simple law of life, to seeing greater and greater blogging success.