I got to thinking (I excel at that now and again) that while I reply to comments, I never do to likes.  And it dawned on me yesterday, hmmmm, am I being rude by not doing so?

So-o, I decided to ask the great oracle—known as Google—should you respond to likes?  Read some interesting opinions.

Some folks say you don’t need to do a thing; others say it’s nice to say “thank you” for the like because that individual not only took the time to read your post, but found it entertaining, helpful, and/or interesting.  I totally get, and appreciate, that.  Courtesy is a very good thing.

On the flip side, some believe that if you regularly say “thank you” or “thank you for liking me”, or something equally pithy, it does tend to sound mechanical or insincere.  I confess, the odd time I’ve typed this in a response, I’ve pondered that: i.e. am I sounding genuine, because I’m certainly not saying overly much?  But, as an FYI, my thanks has always come from the heart (so maybe I shouldn’t worry so much).

Given most of us want to increase our followers/platform, encouraging and nurturing a relationship or rapport is a must.  Thanking someone for his or her like is a bona fide place to start.  And this need not be to promote business—i.e. you’re hoping to [eventually] sell a product or service.  It could simply be to maintain an on-line “friendship”.  I’ve met a few bloggers I regularly support because I truly, truly like them; they’re personable, write well, and have noteworthy or fun info and thoughts to share.

Maybe you take that “thank you” to another level—thank your “liker” and pose a question (about your post, them, or whatever you believe might be appropriate).  Time is an issue for many of us, and for those that have a lot of followers, engaging every “liker” in an on-line dialog may not always be possible . . . but, you know, it’s not impossible either.  Food for thought.

In “fond farewell” (re today’s post), for those of you who’ve liked me . . .

I’m extending a great big heartfelt THANK YOU!  You truly do make my day.

Author: tylerus

I'm primarily a writer of fiction and blog posts, and a sometimes editor and proofreader of books, manuals, and film/television scripts. Fact-checking and researching, organizing and coordinating are skills and joys (I enjoy playing detective and developing structure). My fiction audience: lovers of female-sleuth mysteries. My genres of preference: mysteries (needless to say), women’s fiction, informative and helpful “affirmative” non-fiction. So-o, here I am, staring up a new blog for aspiring and established e-Book writers. The plan: to share the (long) journey of getting to this stage, and share "learnings" and "teachings". There's a lot I hope to accomplish with this blog, but it may be a while before that happens as there's a lot on the ol' plate - taking care of Mom, working full-time, and attempting to get another book in the Triple Threat Investigation Agency series written (never mind blog postings and other writing projects). It's very challenging and it's all good. As I like to say: teeny focused baby steps are just as effective as long forceful strides. It may take a little longer, but we will get there. View all posts by tylerus