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How to get readers to comment on your posts
< A guide to commenting on blogs | Commenting | 5 ways to boost reader interaction on your site >
You've just written a great post, and people are starting to read it. But they're not commenting - why not? This post looks at what you can do to encourage comments on your posts.Plan your posts.
Having a general idea of how a post will be structured before you start writing it can help you to write better, more well-rounded posts.You should have a beginning, middle and end in mind. How will you draw a reader into the post at the start? How will you keep them reading? How will you write a conclusion that stimulates some replies?
The better your posts, the more likely it is that readers will comment!
Leave no stone unturned?
One thing about writing to generate comments is that if you're too thorough, there may not be much left for readers to say in reply. This doesn't mean you should aim for shallow content, but you might want to leave a few points up in the air.Many sites publish content on the same subjects, the difference being the author's point of view. If you feel strongly about something, put your case forward. But if you don't have an opinion either way, you could just put forward a couple of theories and ask the reader to give their thoughts.
Ask questions.
There's a balance to find here. Raising too many questions in your posts can bewilder your reader, so try to keep that to a minimum. I've found that raising comments at the end of a post under a "what do you think?" heading can work wonders.Know your audience.
I think that getting comments has a lot to do with whether your readers can relate to your posts. Here, I look at lots of different topics under the "blogging and website tips" banner, but I do so without being condescending or using unnecessary jargon.People don't simply comment if they know the topic in hand. They comment if you can make an impact on them with what you say. At first you'll need to find a formula that works, but when you find it, do a lot of it! No need to change what works well, right?
It helps to write posts that are focused on relevant to your niche - on-topic posts are much more valuable to your readers than off-topic posts.
Have a read of one of my previous posts, What do your readers think?, for more on this subject.
What do you think?
Can you relate to any of these points?What do you do to stimulate a discussion?
If you're commenting now, what made you comment?
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Comments on How to get readers to comment on your posts
I have mixed luck with comments and stimulating discussions. I am sure it is to do with my eclectic material, my sarcasm, humour and lack of a niche, other than me. Often readers wonder if I am serious or not. As you know everyone likes comments, good or bad. I am not alone. Interesting topic, but I doubt if I will change anything to seek more comments.
I just think that if you write consistently in a niche, you are more likely to have consistent return readers and therefore over time, they are more likely to comment because the are interested, engaged, less shy.....
I also note you asked about willingness to comment. My pet peeve is the barriers put up by some blog owners to commenting. I never understood that. I have never had moderation or verifications. I notice that you have login. My comment on that is that I had to search around to find out where to login. Not too difficult, but a small hurdle. Worth it to miss out on annoying verification.
Edited: March 21, 2008 04:44
I like the way you ask a couple of questions at the end of your posts Ben - inviting readers to add their "2c" worth.
@ Colin - I find commenting on blogspot blogs a lot more time consuming than other blog platforms. My computer (even using firefox) just takes so long to open the comment window.
I also think that 1. Responding to people's comments shows that they're valued and encourages them to comment again (as I know you've covered before) and 2. Engaging in the comments section of other blogs are essential for stimulating conversation on your own blog.
Britt - welcome, and thanks for the comment. :)
Colin - I agree with Lightening about commenting on Blogspot, mainly because it opens a separate window. Even viewing the comments requires a separate window on most Blogspot blogs.
I agree about writing consistently, but how do you get the initial interest? It may help to use some of these tips on a blog that gets very few comments, whereas established sites may find they get comments without having to use the tips.
Moderation or verification serves an important purpose - it stops spam. Nothing is perfect, but any site with even a small amount of traffic needs protection against spam. I will see if I can find a more prominent location for the Login link. Glad you discovered that you can bypass verification by logging in. I think it's a good balance because you can still comment without logging in, but you have to fill in the verification string.
Lightening - the questions do seem to work well. :) Replying to comments is essential too, but I wanted to focus on how to get the comments before looking at how to get more.
Thanks for the comments. :)
Edited: March 21, 2008 13:36
Can really relate to your post, Ben.
What I experienced was the more my readers can relate to a particular post the more comments it generated.
And sometimes I could--more or less--foresee whether a post creates a buzz or not. :-)
Marcus - thanks for the comment. I agree with that. It's definitely a case for writing good quality, relevant posts!
Well, let me be the first to comment on a blog post about how to get comments. Actually Ben, thanks for this. I was just thinking the other day that I could do with a way to get readers involved and commenting on my posts. This is a great article.