How to Get Comments on Your Blog

Hundreds of blog posts have been written about how to get people to comment on your blog.  In today’s social media happy world, often it is easier for people to click a button, share the post on their social media pages (retweet it, share it on LinkedIn or Facebook) and comment on it there.  Having comments on your blog is not an imperative – a blog without comments may have been shared on Twitter hundreds of times and only the blog owner (and Google Analytics) knows how many times it was viewed in its original form.

But, if you want comments on your blog posts, here are a few ways you can do it:

  • Be thoughtful but not too thoughtful.  If you’ve covered ALL the bases, there isn’t anything left for your audience to add.
  • Ask a question at the end of the post.
  • Be controversial and thought-provoking – this should go without saying.
  • Ask for comments.  Send an email directly to the people who should comment on your blog. Say, “I know this is a subject area you are interested in and we’d love your perspective.” Tell them what you would like them to say.  “Could you add a story from your personal experience? It would be so helpful.”
  • Respond to each comment – and not with a half-hearted “Thanks for your comment!” either.  Add some more value, build out the information more, refer them elsewhere for more information, ask them another question, acknowledge their comment and comment on it.
  • Use a blog post on your site to extend the conversation on another blog.  Find a blog post that you want to comment on.  Write your comment as a blog post on your site (with a link of course). Then place a comment with a link to your comment on the original post. Often you will find the comments come back to you.
  • Be part of a comment network.  Identify others in your area and comment regularly on their blog.  Grateful bloggers should comment on your site in return.
  • “Beg” for comments on Facebook and Twitter.
  • “Pay” for comments – prizes, swag, and giveaways for comments.

 

Questions for you to consider:

  • Do you think blogs without comments are somehow less valuable than blogs with comments? Or give the perception of being less authoritative?
  • Do you comment on blogs that interest you? Or comment from social media?  (If neither, I guess I’ll never know!)
  • If you have a blog and have decided that comments are important to you, what tactics do you use to get comments? How much time have you invested in it?)