The post 10 Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog appeared first on ProBlogger.
Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
Only 1 in 100 readers comment on your blog
Jakob Nielsen's research once showed that 90% of users in the Internet community are spies (without help reading or watching), while only 9% contribute "a little" and 1% actively.
Only 1% of your blog users actively participate in your blog?
And the rest (at best) just random participants?
This research is a bit outdated and not just for blogs, so the actual number may be higher or lower than this and will definitely vary from site to site, but I'm sure the general principles still apply...
Most readers leave the blog without leaving a comment or contributing anything.
Some bloggers like it too much and turn off the comments. Learn more about enabling or disabling comments here, and the pros and cons of commenting on blogs here.
But comments and interaction are the first steps to building a community around your blog, and I think they are very important.
When it comes to comments, there are several ways to increase engagement and engagement on your blog:
10 ways to increase the number of comments on your blog
1. Invite comments
I've noticed that when I specifically invite comments, people leave more times than when I don't. This puzzles me in part because most of my readers know they can leave comments on any post, but I think the call to comment is a reaction. Also keep in mind that new readers who are new to blogging may not always know about comments or how to use them - inviting them to participate in a well-designed, user-friendly comment system helps them do just that.
2. Ask questions
Including a specific question in a post definitely helps to get more comments. If I include a question in my headline, I find it a very effective way to get a response from my readers if I ask them a question from the very first moment of a post.
For example, here are nine types of questions to ask your Facebook page to get more feedback.
3. Be open
If you have everything to say on a topic, there is less chance for others to comment because you will be discussing what you have added. While you don't want to leave anything out on purpose, open stand writing is an art that enables readers to become experts.
4. Interact with other comments
If you don't want to use your comment section, why should your readers? When someone leaves a comment, interact with them. This becomes more difficult as your blog grows, but is especially important in the early days of your blog because it shows readers that their comments are valued, creates an interactive culture, and makes other readers feel that your comment section is an active place. . . . What do you value as a blogger? As the comment section gets more active, you may feel the need to be a little less active as readers start answering questions and building communities, but don't let your comment branches be completely ignored.
Whether you enjoy fighting or interacting is an important aspect of blogging, so here are 12 ways to become a more engaged and accessible blogger.
5. Setting boundaries
I noticed that shortly after my comment section rules were applied (with comment policy) the number of comments increased quite a bit. I don't know if it's just a coincidence or if the reader knows what is acceptable and what is not. It's just a theory, but I think a well-managed, moderated, spam-free and inappropriate comments section is what readers are interested in. Personally, I don't mind people disagreeing with each other in comments, but when I feel like something is getting out of hand and getting too personal, I often go out and try to clean things up (I rarely delete - spam comments). I've seen people respond to it, and as a result, the feedback industry as a whole has been constructive.
6. Be humble
Readers respond better to posts that point out weaknesses, failures, and gaps in your knowledge rather than posts that make you think you know everything there is to know about a topic. People are drawn to being humble and responding more to posts written in a tone of someone who might take their comments seriously.
7. Be nice
Kindness is associated with humility. There are times, as a blogger, that you do something wrong with your post. Perhaps spelling or grammar could be the focus of your discussion or some other aspect of your blog. When someone leaves a comment pointing out your mistakes, it is very easy to respond harshly and defensively. We've all seen the flames that can happen. This isn't easy: A nimble approach to commenting where you admit you're wrong and the other person is right can eliminate spies and make them feel more confident leaving a comment.
8. Be Controversial (?)
I put a question mark next because it doesn't always work (and I personally avoid it as much as possible lately) - but there's no such thing as arguments to get people to comment on your blog. Of course, dissent has other consequences, one of which is the risk of alienating the less active members of your readers.
9. "Gifts" Comments
There are many ways to recognize and "rate" good comments, from including "good comments" to making them stand out in other posts you write. It not only highlights the attraction of readers who benefit from your comments but also encourages other readers to use the comments section properly.
10. Simplify comments
I leave many comments every week on many blogs, but there is one situation where I rarely leave comments, even if the posts are worth it, and that is blogs that require you to log in before commenting. Maybe I'm lazy (not really possible) or maybe there's something inside of me that worries me about giving out my personal information, but when I see a comment section that requires registration, I always (95% or more) leave the blog. Without leaving comments I want to make. While I fully understand the temptation to request registrations for comments (in most cases to combat spam), there is something inside of me that refuses to participate in this comment section. Signing up is an obstacle you put in front of your readers, and some will want to jump in, but some won't (same goes for other comment sharing requirements that go beyond the basics). Make the comments section as simple and easy to use as possible.
What do you think? How do you increase the number of comments on your blog (that had to be asked)?
See also “My 4 Blogging Pillars - Creating Courses for the Community” to increase interaction with readers and unlock community potential.
This article was first published on October 12, 2006 and updated on September 22, 2022.
The post 10 Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog appeared first on ProBlogger.