10 Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog
This post is a stop along Tanya Peterson’s Blog Tour 2010. Tanya is the blogger behind Blogelina, where she writes about blogging your way to success. Be sure to check out all the other stops along the tour and enter to win $100 to use in improving your own blog!
Are you looking for ways to increase your readers’ interaction on your blog? A big part of the blogging experience is being able to connect with others. Here are a few tips to help you encourage your readers to start commenting:
Utilize the Top Commenters Plugin to give credit to readers who are actively commenting. Post a list your top commenters in your sidebar or footer and give them credit for taking the time to be active members of your blog’s community. You appreciate them taking the time to comment so share the love and let others see how great your readers are!
Reward your commenters. Consider creating an occasional post to highlight the insightful comments you’ve received on your blog over a period of time. Give credit to the comment authors – who doesn’t like to be recognized for having insight? Hold contests and give away prizes for best comment, most frequent comments, etc.
Become a Do-Follow blog. Letting your readers know that a comment on your blog will help their SEO will encourage them to start leaving comments. A “do follow” blog allows search engine spiders to follow the links in their comments, thus giving valuable backlinks to the comment author’s site.
Create your own Blogging Clan. Build a small community (5-10 bloggers) in which you can support each other’s blogging efforts. Commit to leaving comments on each other’s posts, participating in each other’s events, and linking to each other’s blogs as much as possible.
Comment on other blogs. With how busy the blogosphere is becoming these days, this trick must be done carefully. You want to be sure that you’re adding value with your comments. Don’t just write “great job” comments and leave it at that. Share something of value or ask a question to let the blog author and his or her readers know you’re serious about the subject, too.
Link to other blogs in your post. Let them know you’re siting their work, and chances are, they’ll stop by and leave a comment on your post, too.
Extend your comments. When you find a post on another blog that you feel the need to write a long comment about, don’t. Instead, write your response as a post and publish it on your own blog. Then link to your response in the comments of the original post and see if you can keep the conversation going.
Be personal. Readers react to real-life, personal struggles and victories. Make sure you’re not coming across as someone who has it all together. Let your readers know that you’re still learning, too – and that you do want to learn more, even if it might be about seeing things from a different perspective. People love to share their expertise so encourage them to do so!
Keep your posts short. Readers are so busy these days – there’s not a lot of time to spend on any one task. Don’t take up all the time readers have at your site by having them read long, in-depth posts. Write short enough posts that people still have enough time to leave a comment before they need to move onto the next thing.
Ask a question at the end of each post. Ask your readers to share their experience related to your topic. Ask them what they have learned. Ask them to share additional insights. For example, I am listing 10 ways to get more comments on a blog and will now end this post by asking if anyone knows of other ways that work, too.
What about you? Have you found some helpful ways to increase your blog’s comments? Let’s keep the list of tips going in the comments here!
I had never thought of “extending my comment” by writing it up as a post on my own blog. What an excellent idea! A comment for them, probably a comment for me, and a new post. It’s a winning situation for everyone! 🙂
It’s funny, sometimes I get a lot (for me) comments, and sometimes nothing. I guess it all boils down to which posts intrigue, excite or involve my readers. Trying to figure out exactly what that is can be tricky…
Some nive points covered.
Im not sure however about you point of making posts nice and short. Sometimes (most in my case) detail and depth is required to get the message across 🙂
One of the absolute best blogger interactions I had, occurred completely off of the internet. When I wrote this post http://waytenmom.blogspot.com/2009/12/please-do-not-disturb-accessories.html back in December 2009, a reader encouraged me to share it with the employees at the store I mentioned. Of course they would have no reason to read my blog usually. I took a copy to the store. The staff member on duty was so excited – it was her birthday and she said a blog that was complimentary to her store was “the best gift.” She and I ended up being friends, people she knew commented on the post AND the post was reprinted in the store’s employee newsletter! I suppose the point is that sometimes “paper” backups are part of the strategy as well!
I find myself at difficulties on having more comments on my blogs but i guess this tips will surely help me. Thanks for the great info.
Thanks for this. As soon as I read the point about being personal it struck a chord with me – I definitely don’t have it all together but that doesn’t always come across in my blog. I thought of a question I was about to ask in a parenting forum and instead turned it into a blog post! http://tiny.cc/APsleep I am looking forward to seeing if I get more comments with this type of post!
I know something but I see content update review for you. Thank
I’d have to give blessing with you on this. Which is not something I typically do! I love reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment.
I agree much with rewarding and giving credits to your commenters. It will keep the conversation or interaction going. Also, a link to their site would show gratitude and strengthen bond by creating a mutually beneficial relationship
I love the….be personal so much. I can’t stand all the EGOs in Blogging and Social Media these days. Lets not forget…we all think we are all great at what we do…each in our own way and own right.