Are you chasing genuine connections or just craving fleeting clicks and views?
Picture this: You’ve just poured your soul into a piece, carefully crafting each sentence like a jeweler setting precious stones. Your phone buzzes with a notification. Heart racing, you open it, expecting thoughtful engagement, only to find:
“Great post! Check out my latest story about [insert literally anything here]!”
Let’s talk about this digital equivalent of standing outside a store with a “PLEASE BUY MY STUFF” sign.
The Art of Not Being That Person
Here’s what happens in the shadowy corners of comment sections: Writers, hungry for views, drop their links like bird droppings on a freshly washed car. They’re playing a numbers game, but it’s about as sophisticated as using a sledgehammer to open a jar of pickles.
These drive-by commenters aren’t readers — they’re door-to-door salespeople who don’t even bother to check if anyone’s home. They don’t care if your piece was about your grandmother’s last breath or your cat’s first hiccup. They just want clicks.
Why This Is Actually Worse Than Being Ignored
Every time you drop a “Read my stuff!” comment without engaging with the original piece, you’re not just being desperate — you’re being disrespectful. You’re essentially saying, “I don’t care what you wrote, but please care about what I wrote!”
It’s like going to a dinner party, not tasting the food, and trying to sell everyone your homemade energy drinks. Nobody likes that person. Don’t be that person.
The Secret Sauce of Real Engagement
Want to know what actually works? Here’s the recipe:
- Read the damn piece. Actually read it.
- Feel something about it.
- Share that feeling in the comments.
- Repeat.
That’s it. No tricks, no shortcuts, no “follow-for-follow” pyramid schemes.
Building a Real Following (Without Feeling Like a Used Car Salesman)
Good writing is like good wine — it needs time to breathe, and people need time to discover it. Your audience will grow organically when you:
- Leave comments that show you engaged with the piece
- Contribute to discussions without ulterior motives
- Remember you’re a writer, not a street hawker with a megaphone
Building a genuine readership is like growing a garden, not setting up a lemonade stand. It takes time, patience, and genuine care. Your words should be seeds you plant, not pamphlets you scatter.
A Challenge to Writers Everywhere
Let’s make a pact: No more “check out my page” comments. No more link-dropping drive-bys. No more treating the comment section like it’s a marketplace for attention.
Instead, let’s be readers first. Let’s engage genuinely. Let’s remember that behind every piece is a person who, like us, just wants their words to matter.
Because here’s the truth: Real readers can smell desperation from a mile away. And nothing says “desperate” quite like turning every comment section into your personal classified ad.
Your words deserve better than that. And so do your potential readers.
Remember: You’re a writer, not a door-to-door salesperson. Act like one.