Interacting with your blog readers is a lot like interacting with someone face to face. Whatever you say usually accounts for some value in a conversation. If you say things and promise to do things, you will be deemed untrustworthy person if you do not follow up on the things you said or promised. Same is the case with blogs; though many people do not realize it, blogs are headed in a direction where your blog will represent you more than your resume.

In order to appreciate other people, like your readers, you should fulfill the promises and act on the things you say in order to make sure you do the things that you tell others. Otherwise, you will be disappointing others by not doing the things that others expect you to do because of your promises.

Here is a list of 3 important things to fulfill, or 3 promises you should always keep when it comes to interacting with others:

3 ways to fulfill the promises you make to your blog readers:

1. Answer and follow up on comments and e-mails

   Answer all e-mails that you have not yet answered. Also, reply to comments that you promise to address, because someone may be waiting for your response. Follow up on both e-mails and comments if you tell someone you would, even if you do it after a long time. If you tell your readers that they can contact you, you are making a type of a promise that you are available for communication. Make sure you respond to readers when they communicate with you.

   As long as you do not delay responses and follow-ups intentionally, your responses and follow-ups should do more good than harm since you can let your readers know that you forgot to communicate, or that something else caused you to delay your response or follow-up.

2. Finish unfinished posts

   If you tell your readers that you will post more about something, or if you start a series and never finish it, take some time to tie up those lose ends. If you post randomly, try not to tell your readers that you will post something specific in the future unless you actually have a plan of when and how you will post that something. I have started several things on my blog in the past that I have left unfinished; they are like lose ends on a blog that need to be tied. Why? Because I started some blog things so readers can expect something, and by not following up on those things, I have been keeping, or have kept, some readers waiting and not followed up on what I stated I would do.

3. Perform the blog related tasks you promise to your readers

   If you told your readers that you will follow their advice about something, do what you told your readers or at least explain the current status on the situation. Similarly, if you tell readers that you will change something on your site, like changing a layout based on reader suggestions, do perform the change, or at least let your readers know why you changed your mind. Avoid keeping your readers in the dark, because if you promise to act on someones’ suggestion, you are actually telling them that you find their suggestion useful. Not following up on their suggestion, after stating otherwise, may make you a liar, someone who simply says things to please people without doing things, or someone who forgets a lot.

These three things should be considered important when it comes to keeping promises that you make. If you write on your blog, e-mail, text message or instant message that you will do something, you are basically promising to do something. Try to remember that fulfilling your promises late is better than never fulfilling a promise, the same way replying to an e-mail late is better than not responding at all.

The concept of a promise is strange: it is as if without a promise, we are allowed to not take things seriously. Instead of depending on the concept and mentality of a promise, try to say things you actually plan on doing, and try to do things that you have actually said. That is the best way to appreciate your readers, by showing that you know how to follow-up on and keep your promises.

What is your view on this? Can you think of a few more ways to fulfill promises or things you commit to, or things you tell your readers? Thank you for reading.

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