First, a confession. To be honest, this post was originally titled “9 Things Bloggers Do That Annoy Me”. But since I’m learning to be gentle, I thought I’d make the title a bit more positive. So consider these some simple tips from a friend! Though I’m a relatively new blogger, I read lots of blogs and have thought about the way I respond as a reader to what I see before me. Here are some blogger habits I’ve noticed that can be a hindrance to more readers and comments. Let’s help each other be better bloggers!
1) White backgrounds with tiny gray font. I know that visually this color scheme is demure and beautiful. But I can’t read it. Gray font makes me squint and after about 10 minutes my head starts to hurt. Same goes for bright pink font. Or anything neon.
2) Too many images that clearly aren’t yours. Perhaps it’s Unsplash or Google or Polyvore, but I want to see images taken from YOUR daily life! Plus, the assumption I make when visiting a blog is that all of the work, unless otherwise linked, is the blogger’s original effort. And no need for a super fancy camera; I took the images for this post on my iPhone 4, so you can do it too!
3) Stats that don’t add up. Friends, if you list your stats (for ad purposes, for example), make sure the numbers add up. You just can’t average 12,000 views a month and 1,000 a day. It doesn’t work. If one’s a high and one’s an average, please say so!
4) Chek yer speling and gramer. Please. The occasional missing apostrophe or mismatched subject/verb is not a big deal. But when a whole post is littered with errors, it starts to get distracting.
5) Turn off comment verification. I am tired of proving I’m not a robot; furthermore, I sometimes fail to decipher the squiggly letters (probably because I was reading some tiny gray font). If you’re worried about spam, try installing Disqus! The switch was a bit tough for me but I’m glad I took the plunge.
6) Promotional comments and “follow me back.” Have you ever gotten a comment that says:
Nice post!
Follow me on Bloglovin, Twitter, Facebook, RSS, YouTube, G+!
Giveaway TODAY! Enter it ASAP!!! xoxoxoxox
Yeah, not so “nice.” I actually don’t mind it when people drop their links in the comments– in fact, I tend to click over to their blog! But when your promotional text is longer than your actual comment on my content, then it’s no longer a comment. It’s annoying.
7) Bad language. No, I’m not a child and don’t have sheltered ears. But because the majority of good writing and good blog posts do not have cuss words, it’s just jarring to see one. You can feel strongly about something but say so eloquently; and I’ll be more inclined to keep reading.
8) The pointless rant. These are rants that don’t help anyone. They’re not the occasional opening up, or the confession, or the insightful perspective, or the advice humbly given. These are rants that don’t invite others in, that sulk in the corner and huff and puff about blowing your house down. No, thank you.
9) Ad-ridden blogs. I understand that ads are a great way to make some money off of your blog. But there’s a point at which they become intrusive (cue darkened screen and “like” button), and I have trouble reading the content that you actually want me to read. One popular blogger who balances her ads well is Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere. In my opinion, her ads are not intrusive.
Now it’s your turn! Tell me what advice you have for bloggers who want to improve. What bothers you and how can it be remedied? I would love to know!
That is so great Brandy!! And I think *some* grey fonts are fine, but the really really small ones hurt my eyes 😉 And thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it!
So I’m just now stumbling across this! Doing some blog reno this month am trying to get others perspective! Many of these definitely annoy me!
My blog designer set up my fonts and had never heard the bit about grey fonts on a white background! That will be changed soon! Thanks for the tip! I always love getting caught up on your site!
Thanks Ellie!! I really appreciate you stopping by! And you are not alone when it comes to typing errors 😉
This was so great! I have to admit I am sometimes guilty of number 4 (3am blogging sessions don’t help) but I am still totally on board with you, especially number 8!
xXEllieXx
elliesstuffs.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you Anastasia! You know, I’ve run into fewer of those types of comments lately (thank goodness). But when I do see them it remains a huge turnoff… shameless self promotion without even appearing to care about the content there is not a good way to start a relationship!
YES – I so agree about the promotional comments. If you’re going to plug yourself at the end, which I think is totally fine, at least make your comment thoughtful or insightful. Great post <3
Haha yup, when the self-promotion is all you can see, then there’s just no respect for our actual blog content. It feels like comments are just used as free advertising…
Thanks so much for stopping by Miriam! 🙂
Omg I totally agree with #6. I love when people comment theirs links, because I love browsing and discovering new blogs, but if you just comment your link and tell me to look at it then it annoys me because It makes me feel like they don’t care about what I’ve wrote my post about, that they are only just trying to get more viewers. Not cool!
DiscoverMe
That’s also happened to me! 🙂
Thank you, Sheryl! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Ads are so distracting indeed, and sometimes I even forget why I went to a certain site because I’m so busy trying to figure out how to close out of the ads! Haha!
Love this list. I also have a difficult time with blogs that not only have too many ads but have too much of everything going on. It makes it difficult to know where I am supposed to focus my attention – and sometimes that is very, very short!
Thanks Ade!! So glad you found it helpful 🙂 I really appreciate you stopping by!
Thanks for making this post!
I really think it would help me to improve my behavior and make people join my blogger too.
Have a good day!
http://www.aderomania.blogspot.com.es
Haha thank you, friend! And with comment verification– it’s definitely not just you. After a doing a few of those I start getting nauseated!
Thank you Jen! Yes– I love that word, “recycled.” It’s so true! Original content is always the best, and when it comes to that, definitely quantity over quality. Thanks so much for reading, Jen!
I loved that you changed the title 😉 And I definitely agree with a lot of these, you make some really good points here.
#5 is, well… let’s just say I get the word verification on the fifth try, which is frustrating and annoying. I mean, is it just me? Sometimes they look impossible, like, I have no idea what that is! Disqus is definitely slowly taking over and excelling 🙂
Haha Natalie thanks so much for responding, I’m glad this is helpful 🙂 I think we can be a bit too critical at times, but it’s always helpful to think about what you like/don’t like when you read other blogs! And yes, the follow-for-follow thing is really not worth your time; some people will even follow you to get you to follow them back, and then unfollow! Rude! Thanks so much for stopping by, Natalie 🙂
Thanks Brooke! I totally agree that leaving a link is a good way to keep in touch, and a chance for bloggers to keep up with their readers 🙂 I enjoy clicking on links to. Thanks so much for stopping by, friend!
Yes, haha! I have a hard time replying to promotional comments as well– I never know what to say, really!
Love your advice! Totally agree with #2. I like to browse other blogs for original inspiration, not stuff that’s recycled from others. Great tips girly!
xo Jen
Skirt The Rules
As a new blogger, this is pretty helpful. I don’t quite know the norms yet, so I have to admit I have done a few of these myself (changing my gray font now haha). One thing that really annoys me is “follow me and I’ll follow you?”, so basically they aren’t following me for my content, just to get another follower on their page.
-Natalie
SprinkledwithPearls.blogspot.com
This is such a great post and I loved reading everyone’s comments too. So many great points. I know it can be hard to keep up with comments but for me to comment on a blog, it means I am following them and comment them often, so I truly value the ladies that take the time to come back and visit me! I also really like it when links are added to a comment so I can go back and visit them, it ensures I will get to know the people who follow my blog!
Brooke
http://www.pumpsandpushups.com
These are all so true! I try to reply to all comments, but whenever I get a promotional comment I don’t even bother replying. Saves me some time at least, ha ha.
http://www.closet-fashionista.com
Haha thanks Mariel! And yes, we can’t take our blogs too seriously 🙂
Hah thanks Erin!! 🙂
Yes exactly! Those with both verification and moderation just make you feel like there’s way too much security… I definitely prefer moderation to those tiny letters though, less work for me 😉
Haha I forgot about the auto play songs– indeed, those are AWFUL! Especially when there’s no clear way to make it stop. I usually end up muting my computer haha. Thanks for stopping by, friend!
These are awesome tips! I am guilty of some of these lol. I am hoping people give grace and if they like you they will read anyway, grammar and all:)
Haha, couldn’t agree more with all of these! 🙂
xo Erin
http://www.winkandatwirl.com
Great post, Daisy. I agree with your points. I use Disqus and while it can take some time to load and makes it confusing for readers who think they have to sign up for something, I’ve been very happy with it. It’s so confusing when I have to do type in letters to show I’m not a robot and I don’t always get it right, and some blogs have that AND comment approval so I don’t even know if my comment actually got posted lol.
I agree with all your points, and some of them just seem so obvious, you need a blog that people can read and interact with sans difficulty!
And while it’s less of a big deal currently, I still happen upon a blog with an auto play music player or ad. The worst.
http://www.iamchiconthecheap.com
Glad you found it helpful, Serli! Yeah, I think these tips are things we can offer each other as we read lots of blogs and respond as readers:) Yes, you can turn off comment verification; if you’re afraid of spam, you can either opt to moderate comments (read them before they’re published) or try using Disqus!
Yes!!! I think we’ve all come to a consensus that we are not robots and a better system needs to be employed! Thank you so much for stopping by 🙂
Thank you Borka! I really appreciate you stopping by 🙂
Thanks Bijee! And you’re right– the content needs to come first before any of the other bells and whistles matter! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Thanks for posting this! As a new blogger, it’s good to know what things to avoid, and I’m happy to say that I haven’t fallen prey to any of these! But I have to double check on the comment verification thing, I didn’t know it’s a setting I could change (figured it was automatic), thanks for that!
xo, Serli
http://www.lesoleilchic.blogspot.com
Totally agree about the comment verification – that’s one of my biggest pet peeves!
Fabulous dear! great tips!
kisses from Miami,
Borka
http://www.chicfashionworld.com
Haha don’t worry Sarah! There’s no need to be perfect all the time… blogging is a journey and we’re all learning along the way. 😉 And I’ve enjoyed your blog so 🙂
I’m totally with you on the comments and the ads! I like great content, something that makes me think, or feel, but preferably both. I hate when i read a post and can’t even think of s comment to put.
Right! I really appreciate you stopping by Sienna! 🙂
Lol thank you Neive!! I try… 😉
Exactly! And the likelihood is that people eventually unfollow all the blogs they don’t actually like to read, and then it was just a pointless temporary trade. I am totally with you. Thanks so much for stopping by Carolyn 🙂
Lol thank you Joi! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Thanks friend! Yeah– the follow-for-follow thing needs to go away; and I also don’t love it when people say, “I just followed you, follow me back?” Almost as if now you “owe” them a follow. It feels disingenuous! Thanks so much for stopping by Maggie 🙂
Haha gotcha. And nope, I haven’t but I should try it some time!! It’ll probably be a hilarious experience 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by, Corinne!
Thank you Rachel!! Yes– I strongly suggest Disqus 🙂 And if you’re still worried about randos commenting on your blog, you can always enable comment moderation– meaning you read and approve before the comment show up 🙂
YES that’s a good one, Rachel! It’s annoying; I run into that issue with squarespace sometimes, since I have wordpress and with blogger I end up using a google account. But I agree; name and url are simple and should be an option! (that said, people have to have a disqus account in order to comment here, but it does help with spam ;))
I agree with lots of these… but now I’m paranoid that I’m such a failure! AH! Must go reevaluate my life 😛
– Sarah 🙂
http://www.thecrownbijoux.blogspot.com
definitely agree about pointless rants!
http://www.rosecolorglass.com
Thank you Emily!! Yes, ads are really quite annoying, and I hate having to x-out tons of ads before I can actually read someone’s content. Thanks for stopping by, friend!
Haha thanks Paula. And I wouldn’t say *hate* but definitely things that can easily be changed for everyone’s benefit. But it’s true, I do get frustrated easily. Glad you found it helpful though 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks so much Hannah! I’m glad you found it interesting and hopefully helpful 🙂 I appreciate you stopping by, friend!
That’s so great that your husband can help you! My husband definitely gives me some tips (and takes photos of me) too 😉 As for folks without handy husbands/wives/friends, I tell them to keep it as simple as possible. You’re right– visuals can quickly get messy! Thanks for stopping by, friend!
Haha this is wonderful! And I like that you put positive spin on it!
Neive xo
theaussieosborns.blogspot.com
LOL Amy you had me laughing! And you’re right, we should (kindly) give each other feedback and help each other and our readers enjoy blogging more 😉 And I agree, Disqus did hide my old comments (looked into it, can’t transfer them over) but I’m glad I switched anyway. I want people to not have to jump through a thousand hoops just to say something to me!
Thanks Laura! I really appreciate you stopping by 🙂
Haha! Yeah, I try not to be a grammar Nazi, but when I have to read a sentence 3 times to figure out what’s being said, then there’s a bit of a problem 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by Kelly!
Thanks, friend! Glad to hear you found them useful:)
Haha thanks Marielle for appreciating my attempts at being nice about this, the truth is sometimes I get so tired and irritated I wonder why I even bother to read certain blogs! And yes– obstructive ads are the worst, where I have to be careful with my mouse and find the “close” button or my computer starts making weird noises and telling me all about x product.
Haha yes exactly! I like people who use their own photos; when photos are clearly editorial selections from magazines, I lose interest. If I wanted to see those, I’d probably pick up a magazine 😉 And YES comment verification wastes SO much of my time. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Alison! 🙂
Thank you so much Anne! Yes, those two things will have me blind before the end of my blog life 😉
Thank you Shannon! And yes, I definitely like it when people leave their links in a tasteful, non-overwhelming way. Oh, and I’ve also noticed people who probably just copy/paste the same comment onto everyone’s blog! Which totally defeats the purpose of building an engaging readership and actually appreciating someone’s work! Haha thanks so much for your comment Shannon, I love how we see eye-to-eye on so much of this 🙂
Exactly!! Oh that’s really good, Megan– people need to know that their readers are having trouble. I’m glad you let them know!:)
I know, right?? Some promos are so long and they make me not want to check out that person’s blog at all. Where as a tasteful link is just fine! And yes, iphones are pretty sweet for photos if you can’t invest in a camera. Thanks for sharing, Carmen!
Haha thanks Taylor!! Yeah, let’s definitely keep in touch. I’m following along with all your amazing Italy posts 🙂
Thank you mark!
promotional comments are always funny – what is the point of following a thousand people just to get followers back? I don’t want to scheme my way into a readership – if you produce quality content, people will want to read. definitely can relate to your tips 😉
http://heyprettything.com
Thanks so much Layla! And that’s exactly right– blogs are best when the experience is not clouded with little things that keep us from good content and dialogue. Thanks so much for stopping by Layla!
Oh, YES. I agree. I’ve read some blogs for a while expecting “real” content to eventually show up and then it doesn’t… and it continues to be polyvore after polyvore. There can be only so many wish lists, right? I like seeing people happy with something they already own! Thanks so much for sharing, Kiki 🙂
Absolutely! Pretty much anything that keeps good content and dialogue from shining through is a big no-no in my book 🙂 We can figure it out together, thanks for stopping by Joanna!
Thanks, Jessica!! I hope one day we can all get rid of it!
Thanks, friend! And it’s so exciting that you’re heading into full-time blogging:) And yeah, I’m tempted to just close out every time I see comment verification. But there’s no way to know before you click comment… UGH! haha
Haha thanks Ashley, I love the solidarity. And yes, comment verification is no fun– I think I’m going to be blind after a while 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by Ashley!
AMEN! haha couldn’t agree more
http://thejoifullife.com/
I know right?! I understand that people do struggle with spam. Some spam filters are also way too critical, and some of my substantive comments have been marked as spam. I still think Disqus is best, and you can use comment moderation if you’re really concerned. Thank you so much for commenting, Sarah!
hahaha thank you!!! I hate when you have to prove you aren’t a robot. Make is stop!! yay for disqus. Also, I hate when people say follow me and I’ll follow you back. Why don’t you just follow me in the first place?! It’s annoying! Preach it, sister.
Maggie
http://www.PolishedClosets.com
I like cussing in blog posts. I think it’s funny and has it’s place. I’m not saying drop the f bomb everywhere – but I think when used properly and in context, it can be awesomeeeeee!!!!
If you think trying to read the word verification is hard, have you tried the audio versions? I’m pretty sure it’s aliens.
Corinne x
http://www.skinnedcartree.com
Great list, thanks for sharing! I had my blog open whilst reading so I could check to see if I missed any. I do have the comment verification, though I wish I didn’t. Sadly I was having many problems with spam, and spam blockers were not helping. I don’t think mine’s too bad, though, as you don’t have to make out what the words say, you just have to copy text from one box and paste it into another. I shall try out Disqus, thanks for the recommendation!
Off the top of my head, one thing I dislike is when you comment and there’s not a name/url option and you have to log in with something else. It’s not too problematic to me though, when there’s a twitter option. It’s more difficult on blogger, but on Disqus it seems to be okay.
Great thoughts! I agree with the ad situation. I hate feeling like I am being bombarded with ad’s all the time! Thanks for sharing.
20somethingfashion.blogspot.com
hahah I love how you turned your ‘what I hate about you guys’ post in to something positive. I tent to nag more than I should so this is a great lesson for me too 🙂
XO http://www.modellingmonday.blogspot.com
Wonderful post! I always, always love seeing posts like this pop up into my feed. 🙂
dance a real
This is a great list. I simply don’t think I would be blogging without the help of my husband who is a graphic designer (photoshop is his second language.) When the visuals get real messy I have a hard time focusing on the written content.
Awesome reminders! I couldn’t agree more! 🙂
I think as bloggers we need to be SO aware of the things that we enjoy seeing in blogs that we read, as we write…and to remember the things that annoy us so that we don’t in turn annoy our readers!
I am with you on the bad language for sure! And comment verification- HATE IT! It’s gets SO old. Disqus is such a good switch!
Oh and follow me on BLOGLOVIN, TWITTER- Just kidding! 🙂
Great tips!! I agree with you on all of these
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
Ohh, the grammar tip!
I definitely agree with you on all of these! 🙂
Lyndsay I agree. I don’t mind it when people drop their links because it’s easier than clicking on their profile to find their blogs, and that’s why I do it! But you’re exactly right– too much publicity info can quickly become ridiculous. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Lyndsay!
Exactly, Zelle! I want to follow someone because I want to follow them and am interested in their content, and not– as you said– just be a “blog stat”. The most important thing here is to build real relationships with followers, and trading follows doesn’t really work in the long-run. Thanks so much for reading this, glad to hear from someone who agrees :))
Lauren you had me LAUGHING out loud (I feel like when I write lol it doesn’t mean that anymore…hmm) at “maybe I’m a robot??” because I’ve definitely felt nearly dehumanized when trying to comment. And I totally feel you on the sponsored content, and I strongly agree. Whenever I visit a new blog and the first 3 posts I see are clearly sponsored, I admit I don’t look any further. Sponsored content needs to be done tastefully and intermittently, and even then I don’t enjoy them that much. It’s a challenge! And me too– I love reading people’s opinions on blogging, because we are all shapers of this new industry!
Love your tips! Very useful and helpful for me! Thanks!
http://fashionstargate.blogspot.sk/
Hey Charity!! I strongly encourage installing Disqus asap. The reason why it was hard for me was because something wasn’t compatible with my WP theme, so my old comments (the wordpress ones) are now forever hidden. I can still see them in my admin dashboard, but it looks like there were no comments on any posts and I can’t keep track of discussions as well. I know that some people have had their old comments successfully transfer to Disqus, but the nested comments became regular comments. So my advice is definitely to take the plunge sooner rather than later so you don’t lose anything! And it’s free, so why not?:) And the installation was easy! Hope that makes sense:)
Oh, I loathe the gray/light-colored font. And ads really annoy me. I really hate going to a site and having to X out things immediately. But the worst is when you read for a couple seconds and some “Follow me on Facebook!” box pops up. Haha, I love how you made this post more positive 🙂
Amen, sista! I feel you on ALL of these, but especially the annoying use of other people’s photos. My favorite blogs are the ones that are most, if not entirely, personal. And please, a PSA needs to come out about turning off comment verification. Nobody got time for that! 😉 Thanks for sharing. Xo, Alison
http://www.simplyfairbyalisonjeanine.com
Love this!! I hate the comment verification…half the time it’s hard to decipher. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves. So frustrating. As for colored fonts…I can not see the pale colored ones. Not a great idea in my opinion!
Another great post, Daisy! I totally agree with the spam/promotional comments. I like when a blogger leaves their link because I do always try to visit blogs where the author took the time to comment on mine, but if it has any mention of a “follow for follow” I am not going to click through…sorry. Another pet peeve that I have and have noticed a few times is when bloggers comment the exact same thing on multiple blogs….please put a little meaning and thought into it!
Shannon
Clothes & Quotes
UGH number 5. I am so sick of typing those dang codes in. and number 1…i even commented today on someone’s blog and i barely could read their font (so i nicely suggested another font).
The comments one is too real. I say if your promo is longer than your comment, DON’T COMMENT. I use my iPhone 5s & it’s not a fancy Nikon but it works great! :] // itsCarmen.com ☼ ☯
So agree! With that said, your blog is very tasteful and I appreciate it. Excited to read more!!
http://www.taylormcunningham.com
great post! thanks for sharing these snazzy tips!
Lovely tips – I agree, there’s so many little things that you can do to really make your blog look better and as simple as the touches are it really does make a difference….a blog should be a fun place to share your opinion and network with other bloggers! 🙂
Layla xx
http://www.sprinklesofstyle.co.uk
Fantastic post. I’d have to say my biggest blogging pet peeve is when someone constantly uses photos that clearly aren’t theirs. To me it says, “I really wanted to blog today, but had nothing to write about. So here’s my fall wish list.” Some of them I find interesting, others not so much.
Thanks for sharing this, Daisy. I’m new to blogging and figuring it out as I go. Tons of ads are a pet peeve of mine, and also comment verification.
lovejoanna.com
I agree with you, comment verification is really annoying!
NEW POST on http://whattostyle.blogspot.com/
xoxo,
Jess
Great advice, Daisy! I will keep this in mind as I journey into full-time blogging. When I visit a website that requires comment verification, I never go back. I want to participate in dialogue that is hassle free.
http://lovecompassionatelee.squarespace.com/
I feel you girl. I feel you. All of it!
Comment verification is sooooo annoying- yes, this is a pet peeve of mine!
-Ashley
http://lestylorouge.com
I HATE comment verification. I went through tons of different spam protection products to find one that would actually work and didn’t require verification. I can’t stand it. I agree, I can never actually read the stupid letters. I really don’t see why they have to be a scrunched up and weird. It’s unnecessary.
Sarah
Midwest Darling
I was just talking about how annoying the comment verification process is yesterday. I can NEVER read those things but everyone seems to have them. Glad it’s not just me. I tend to leave a link when I leave comments because I actually like it when people leave them for me. It makes it easier to find you, and new blogs to read of course! But I’m with you on leaving every last bit of publicity info you can, that’s just ridiculous.
This is such a great post! I received a comment (one of many) yesterday, that said something to the effect of “If you follow me, be sure to let me know so I can follow you back!” I want people to visit my blog because they love my content, not because they want me to be a stat on their own blog! And amen to the robot thing — I promise I’m a real human! xo!
Comment verification is the worst… and half the time I can’t even make out what the capcha is asking me to type. (Maybe I’m a robot???) Another thing that bloggers could do better is to balance promotional vs. personal content better. I’ve noticed once blogs get bigger, some of them swing too far into the land of promotional posts. Like you said, I understand that bloggers want to make money–I certainly would if I could. But, if a blog just becomes a promotional post/giveaway machine, that’s when I stop reading.
I enjoyed this post though! Always fun to read blogposts about blogging.
Great post! So I have thought about installing Disqus but just haven’t took the plunge. I don’t like having to prove I’m not a robot as well…maybe I will take your advice and take it off for now. Is installing Disqus a real challenge Daisy?
charity