How To Get More Comments On Your Blog
How To Get More Comments On Your Blog
In search of blog comments? No need to be told how important comments are to a successful blog. But the question is, “How do you get more of them?” If you want more feedback on your blog posts, consider these 31 strategies.
Some of these ideas are ones that I've implemented frequently in my own weblogs. I learned about others by reading the posts of other bloggers. (Please be aware that I do not necessarily support all approaches. What's best for you is up to you to decide.
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Do not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in; most bloggers avoid doing so out of moral cowardice. Spend some time writing down your thoughts on a topic you care about. Get on this as soon as possible. (It's preferable to iron out any kinks when your audience is smaller.) People who read your blog are very interested in seeing if you lose your temper in the discussion thread. It's inevitable the first few times. It's just part of the job.)
Attack Someone
If you have a bone to pick with someone, write it! You should be able to tell the difference between a blatant attack and a post that encourages positive change in someone else's actions or beliefs. There will be many discussions about both, but the first may result in legal action. (I use the word “attack” here because it is almost guaranteed that any reader will interpret a post containing a person's name as an attack, even if the post is more about an idea than a specific person. Consider the consequences of your actions.
Praise Someone
You can expect some praise for your good character if you make a post along the lines of “I want you to check out this person and here's why.” (You may be sharing information about a person because you care about them, but there are many less obvious ways to show your affection that are often more appreciated. Feel free to share content designed to raise awareness of your own brand, but always remember to connect with the people who mean the most to you in an authentic way.
Connect With Others
Adding a few links to your posts doesn't take much effort, and most blog platforms will inform the linked-to sites automatically. To impress your readers, research the sites you plan to link to and incorporate keywords from those sites into your links.
This is a fantastic method of getting the attention of larger sites whose owners understand the value of search engine optimization. (Recognize that comments you receive from popular blogs you link to are likely to be brief and unhelpful. They're just responding to your links by tagging you.
vanish away Most bloggers update too frequently. When they begin to receive feedback regularly, they decide to increase their posting frequency from once per week to twice per week and eventually to once per day. Take a break if you've been bombarding your readers with too much information recently.
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Take a break of a week or two and then return with an in-depth article. They'd love to have you back. Building a thriving community through the infrequent, well-considered posting is preferable to the alternative, which is spewing garbage into an RSS feed. Don't worry; the web won't collapse if you take a break from posting.
Do not accept guest posts unless you are an expert editor with a large network of willing writers who trust your judgment. Stop worrying about guest posting until that statement is no longer true, and start working on content that explains your own ideas. (To experience the community high of guest posting, consider exchanging drafts of an article for comments and edits from a trusted colleague before publishing it on your own blog.)
Encourage Guest Blogging
If you know of someone with a large social media following but doesn't regularly publish blog posts, ask them if they would be interested in contributing one to your site. They'll be so pumped about making a blog post that they'll encourage everyone they know to check it out and leave a comment. (Quality is less important than quantity. You're just taking advantage of the attention a brand-new blog receives after the “first post,” except you're redirecting it to your own blog. Snazzy!)
If you only ever share written posts online, try creating a video or a cartoon to drive home your point instead. We want to see your best Photoshopped cat-zebra mashups, so show us what you've got! Please don't start your video with “well, I wanted to talk to you about…. today” if you're going to do one. Don't hesitate to dive headfirst into your subject and really shine.
Take away the option to retweet, as some have argued that this discourages discussion. Having a single response option will increase the likelihood that your readers will use it. (This strategy is effective only if your content is exceptional and you're trying to snag readers who are on the fence about commenting).
Use Helpful Spam To Your Advantage
Tools like Disqus, Chat Catcher, and Twitback, scrape content from multiple services and shove it into your comment section. Get rid of the clutter and show your readers that you're serious about engaging with them rather than just hoping for a positive response from anyone. (If your readers feel their opinions matter to you, they are more likely to return to your blog and participate in multiple discussions.)
Many friendly spam-gathering plug-ins can pull social media reactions into your comment thread if you're looking to increase comment counts and not the quality of the discussion. (If you subscribe to the “more is better” school of thought, this is the most effective strategy for increasing your comment count.)
Improve the Twitter-blog-Twitter-visitor cycle by installing a Retweet (RT) button, as suggested if you choose to implement that recommendation. Each tweet counts as a “comment,” so tweet away!
Get People's Feedback
Send out requests for feedback via email, plead for likes on social media, or offer to make explicit videos for Twitter in exchange for feedback. Do you recall when you first published an article online and begged your friends to read it and provide feedback?
Now that you have acquaintances who understand what a blog is for, it functions splendidly! (It is effective, by the way. A close friend had emailed me earlier, wanting feedback on an article she had recently written that dealt with a topic close to my heart. True or false? I participated enthusiastically!)
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Don't shut down discussion on every single post you make. Simply on a few of them. Close comments on the blurbs and silly pieces if you're having trouble keeping interaction levels high, and let your readers know, especially when you'd like their input. (Be wary of locking comments if you call yourself a “social media blogger. You'll get called anti-social and have wet cybertowelettes thrown at you.
Do Not Ignore Comments
If you have to choose between responding to comments on your own blog and leaving comments on another blog, pick your own blog. A person who struggles to hold a conversation in their home is not likely to communicate successfully with strangers.
Replying to comments on your own blog shows your readers that you read what they have to say and value their opinion. Naturally, that will result in more feedback and more frequent visits. (Don't take “celebrities,” especially on social media, as role models for civility when leaving feedback. They have better things to do.
Don't let your enthusiasm go to waste by writing a novel-length comment every time you get worked up while reading someone else's blog and feel compelled to share your thoughts.
Write a post on your own blog inspired by the comment and include a link to it there. When a conversation is “extended” in this way, it typically results in more comments from all parties. (If a commenter links to your article in an attempt at self-promotion, you can make amends by including a link back to the original motivational post.)
You can get a lot of attention by writing about death; popular topics include the end of blogging, Twitter, social media, advertising, traditional media, and celebrity. Because death occupies most people's minds regularly, any post that gives readers pause to reflect on the subject would likely do well. (It's not a good idea to publish an article expressing a desire for a specific person's death.)
Just start writing about whatever inspires you in life. Not only will you have fun doing it, but your readers will likely sense your delight and join in the revelry in the article's comments. (If you have been writing a lot about death, try bringing some life to the cemetery.)
Besides death, failure, and drowning, what other things scare you enough to put pen to paper and write about? All humans experience some degree of fear, though the degree varies depending on the object of that fear. Please be honest with your readers and admit if you have a morbid fear of choking on celery.
Even though most people won't be able to relate to your specific phobia, you'll probably find a level of connection you wouldn't get from writing about your strengths. (People tend to react positively to articles that depict peril for the writer. Enjoy the feedback, but don't be afraid to take a chance.
Do Not Be Afraid To Share Your Defeats On Paper
Reading about somebody's spectacular fall from grace is always entertaining, especially if you know that everyone involved is safe and sound now. The title “What I learned from burning down my own house” will generate discussion. (If accompanied by a report on the forthcoming activities.)
Use The F-Word Frequently
Shock and awe is a common strategies for bloggers who struggle to create engaging posts. Inadequate writing can often be made up for by using profanity and strange twists of logic to keep readers engaged and guessing. Readers who find your writing repulsive are encouraged to share their thoughts, as are those who find it hilarious. Lots of feedback! (I don't use this strategy, but I've noticed many bloggers do.)
Buying comments or offering them as entry into a contest with a great prize is a surefire way to increase engagement. Get people to comment on something thought-provoking if you want them to give up something of value in exchange for your freebies. (Contrary to the schwag hag unrest, I believe that freebies have the potential to be used for the greater good of a blog-based community.)
Start A Comment Cluster
Bloggers who regularly comment on each other's posts make great comment cluster members. Clusters of comments emerge organically over time but can also be cultivated through deliberate effort.
You can begin with as few as one blogger and gradually add more until you have a sizable group of at least ten to fifteen. (This strategy is effective only if your collective of bloggers updates at the same rate. (Otherwise, one blogger will “get” more than the other, and relations will sour.
Introduce the concept of “trading comments” on your blog, wherein you'd be willing to leave a comment on any article selected by a reader who comments on your site.
Posts are typically made because of genuine curiosity or the desire to show appreciation. It's effective to increase comments by acknowledging the reciprocity and taking the initiative to leverage it. (Be prepared to read some strange material and leave comments on blogs you otherwise would not visit.)
The blogging community is reflective enough to happily clamber all over your article if you've found something useful or have an idea about blogging. The outcomes of writing blogs and non-writing blogs often mirror one another.
Article writing and online publication are highly variable fields; therefore, your unique take on things is almost guaranteed to attract readers. (There's no need to go out of your way to assist or provide deep insight. Just be honest about what you're seeing, and your audience will respond.
It's unlikely that you'll find a regular Twitter user who doesn't have at least a few thoughts to share about the service, the company, and the community that is on Twitter. Comments from Twitterati are guaranteed if you write an article about Twitter that less than 100 bloggers have written about already. (If you go overboard, your audience will laugh at you.)
Short posts are better than long ones because the average blog reader only has 3-5 minutes to spare. A 300-word article can be read, and a brief response can be written in that time. Master the art of condensing a lot of information into a brief space, and you'll be rewarded with comments from satisfied readers.
Try Something New
If you can find a way to shock your audience, they will never fail to share their thoughts. That's impossible! Engage them in a debate by requesting that they refute your claims or show you why you're wrong. (Most readers will gladly disagree with you if they feel safe doing so.) Watch the number of debates rise when you invite them to disagree with you.
Do Some Announcing
Weddings, funerals, weight loss, and parties all fall into this category. There are two reasons why announcements generate so many comments. First, they tend to be concise and direct. There is no need for the reader to ponder the proper response for a long time. (If you make it simple for your readers to contribute, they probably will.)
The best way to get more comments than you know what to do with is to write about things that interest you. Use the social media sites you prefer to share with others, and don't worry if not many people comment on each article you write. Reality isn't fair, the internet is rife with strange people, and it's highly likely that the article you consider to be your best will be one of your least-read pieces. (This rings true for me.)
Some of these ideas may seem mundane and familiar to you. But I'm crossing my fingers that some fresh ideas in here give you some inspiration for getting your readers more involved. You can take the interesting parts and experiment with them on your blog later. Investigate your options and settle on one that serves you well. A blog can't last long or keep readers interested unless the blogger enjoys writing it. To your success!
Making A Comment Will Get You Noticed
Perhaps you're interested in attracting the attention of a specific blogger. This is especially important if your goal is to have a post published as a guest article on their website or to have one of your products reviewed by them. When doing this, how do you go about it?
Then you “social stalk” them, I guess. What you're hearing isn't nearly as terrible as it seems. You need to commit to reading their blog regularly and leaving thoughtful comments on their entries.
The blogger will take note of you if you regularly leave insightful, valuable, and relevant comments. Even more so if they come to count on you to provide thoughtful feedback on their articles.
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Relationships Are Strengthened Through Commenting
In continuation of the previous section, one advantage of leaving comments on the blogs of others is that it allows you to initiate a professional relationship with the blog's author.
Reading a blogger's posts to learn more about them and engaging with them to build rapport is a key part of social stalking.
As part of this, you'll need to leave useful comments to both the author and the audience. Don't be shy about offering help and advice when asked for it. This will bring positive attention to you and the cause you support.
Comments Increase Site Visits
Including a link to your blog within your comments will not increase your readership. You don't want to be associated with spammers, who act in this manner.
Your worth as a blogger will be displayed by your excellent, well-written comments full of value and relevant opinions. If your writing is compelling, other readers may want to learn more about you and your blog by clicking on your name.
Your blog can be linked to via the URL you provide when you fill out your profile information. And rather than sending people to your blog's main page, sharing the link to an applicable post could generate more clicks and readers.
Comments Spark New Ideas
If you want your comment to be taken seriously, you need to put in some effort and write more than the standard “Nice post!” many commenters seem to think is sufficient.
Create a salutation, at least three sentences outlining your main point, and a final paragraph to wrap things up. You can get the ideas you need for what to write about by reading the post over again, this time more attentively.
However, excessive word count is just as bad as insufficient. If you need to ramble on for a while, perhaps a more appropriate outlet would be a blog post with a summary posted here. Keep in mind that you are a visitor to the blog and should not make the blogger feel unwelcome by leaving a lengthy comment.
By Commenting, You Can Receive Feedback
It's always thrilling to see new comments on your blog. The fact that people have taken the time to read your posts and provide feedback shows how much they value your contributions.
Inviting comments on each post will keep the conversation going. Not only will their comments reassure you that you're on the right track with your writing, but they may also inspire you to try new things.
Blog commenting has many advantages, including providing constructive criticism to other bloggers. They will be very appreciative of anything you can do to assist them.
Conclusion
I trust you found this quick but helpful primer on encouraging blog comments to be of use. Some of you may be waiting for a clever coda with a call to action to share your thoughts in the comments section below…
In that case, you are correct.
I'm looking forward to reading your feedback in the comment section below. That's all, thank you and see you again soon.
I trust you enjoyed this article on How To Get More Comments On Your Blog. Would you please stay tuned for more articles to come?
Take care!
JeannetteZ
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Your Opinion Is Important To Me
Thoughts? Ideas? Questions? I would love to hear from you. Please leave me your questions, experiences, remarks, and suggestions on How To Get More Comments On Your Blog in the comments below. You can also contact me by email at Jeannette@WorkFromAnywhereInTheWorld.com.
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