Outsource Blog Comment Tasks – Blog Better with a Virtual Assistant: Tip #6

November 17, 2010 By 21 Comments

(Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes)

Benefit: Timely, on-topic comments increase reader engagement on your blog.

Problem: When you have a blog that receives a high number of comments, dealing with spam and off-topic comments can be time-consuming.

Blog Better with a Virtual Assistant: Tip #6

How a Virtual Assistant can help:

  1. Set up a schedule with your Virtual Assistant so that she frequently logs into your WordPress dashboard to review comments captured by Askimet. With your desired guidelines she can remove legit comments caught there.
  2. If you have guidelines for commenting (e.g. links within comments, etc.) have her review comments that are pending approval and have her make any necessary changes prior to approving the comment.
  3. If you often find that a simple “Thank You” reply is all that is needed you can have her reply to comments left. For comments or questions that require more in-depth answers you can have her leave those comments as pending approval and notify you, via email, that there are comments that require your attention.

Why: Often a simple “Thank You” reply is all that is needed for the comments that are left on your blog, yet that takes time. When a commenter gets caught in your spam queue, your Virtual Assistant can email them a note as well, so that they can take action on their end. That’s a nice touch, and your audience will appreciate your consideration.

How long does it take you to handle all of your commenting chores? Or is this a “champagne problem” you’re looking forward to having in the future?

Michelle Mangen is owner of Your Virtual Assistant in Venice, Florida, providing virtual assistance to small business owners who realize their time is better spent on high value, high ROI tasks. Visit Michelle at Your Virtual Assistant.
Filed Under: Blogging business Tagged With: , , , , , ,

CommentLuv Sales Page Linking: Yes or no, what do you think?

July 3, 2010 By 27 Comments

(Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes)

CommentLuv plugin for WordPress is interesting for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the growing CommentLuv subculture. It’s changing some of the rules.

Here’s something interesting I’ve observed from commenting around Blogistan:

  • If you put a sales link in your URL, you’re liable to be treated as a spammer.
  • But if you put your sales link in your CommentLuv feed, that’s ok with some people. At least it’s ok with the people that do it.

NOTE: This is an observation. It’s not an indictment.

I have a sales blog post of some sort (about) every two weeks, so I usually have something sales-y in my RSS feed, and CommentLuv picks it up.

But, personally, I tend to NOT display a sales link on other people’s sites. Not in the URL, not in CommentLuv display. That is, I surely have done it once in a while, but it’s not something I’m comfortable with, so I avoid it.

(For what it’s worth, I usually promote staff or people who have guest posted before I promote any of my own articles.)

So: “You betcha, sales link in CommentLuv!” Or, “No way Jose!”

What’s your call?

Oh yeah, one more thing… we’re going to have a polite discussion here. If you feel yourself getting wildly emotional over something anyone writes, just chill the eff out, mkay?

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , ,
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