We all want ’em.
It’s lonely without ’em.
In this long overdue post, I’d like to explain some of the things I keep in mind while building content to make sure people can, will and want to join in with comments.
Introduction
I’ll be the first to admit I’m surprised I’ve been over on LinkedIn lately. I am surprised because the initial concept of a place where people get to brag about their new jobs and life changes, and even EMAIL us about it, totally disgust me. 1000%.
But the blogging potential over there is, as Lorraine showed me, powerful.
And strolling the professional network last week I found a thread explaining how one valiant blogger had commented on 76 blogs and only 5 returned the favor!
Commenting the way Google wants takes work. It’s draining. And this person had conducted an experiment that was not only draining, but an awesome favor for the blogosphere. When it went rather unnoticed, I can understand why she was upset.
So I wanted to explain what I think went wrong, and how to fix it. From a Dear Blogger perspective.
None of this is particularly new or exciting, and it’s not stuff I use everyday, but it is stuff I think about each time I publish a post, each time I launch a blog and now each time I release a new video.
Hopefully this helps our community and many others around the web escape this lonely situation more in the future.
So, why don’t we grab a coffee and jump on in?
Why people don’t reciprocate comments
The first thing we have to understand is that blogging and the web in general is a consumer-preference-driven environment. We go where we want and we do as we please and despite the hours of blood, sweat, and tears very little around here is guaranteed.
That said, here are a few guesses to account for her lack of comments:
- People are busy
You see a comment, smile at it, but cannot muster up the free time or free thought to respond. No harm here. - People are selfish
You see a comment and think you’re a bit better than the person because they wrote on your blog, and not the other way around. Not okay. Ever seen this? - People don’t always read comments
You have a blog that gets so many comments you can’t read them all. I see this effect all the time on high-profile blogs like SPI and PB and it’s really just a result of the author already being off creating their next piece of content. No harm here, either.
The sad (and obvious) thing is that if we write an epic piece of work, then often we actually do want comments! It’s a way of validation and shows people care. But I cannot stress enough the fact that we don’t just get comments because great writing does NOT equal great comments or comments at all.
What we can do to fix this
In my opinion, it’s more about the tiny nuances within your blog and your image as a blogger.
You of course do need to be writing good content consistently, but it’s the good content PLUS these little tweaks which will, over time, actually lead to comments.
So here’s a whole alphabet list of strategies I think about (and maybe you do, too) when the comments are low:
a. Over-exaggerate the importance of your issues
As I said above, a lot of people are busy and simply don’t have the time to care about certain things on blogs. So why not do what the media does all the time and over-hype your issues a bit? Use more powerful verbs and adjectives. Put them up top. It’s a little trick good writers everywhere use to grab attention, even when the issue is mundane.
b. Make sure your title is compelling
If you have a gripping story about some event that happened while you were at the beach, don’t call your post “my weekend at the beach” or “beach day” or something like that. I see this problem all the time, folks write a great post then sort of walk over the finish line with a casual title. Finish strong!
c. Put the good stuff first
Sure you should save your best morsels of content for the end of a post to get someone reading all the way thru. But they’ve got to know it exists! I can’t tell you how many times I “read” one of my friend’s posts, but am really just reading the intro to get their stance, then jumping to the comments to argue with them 🙂
d. Close comments
I wrote a while back about how closing blog comments can focus the discussion where you want and convince any on-the-fence stragglers to join in. It’s a proven method.
e. Be an expert who takes a stance
Instead of just another person chiming in with ideas.
f. Ask tough questions in your conclusion
Or, better yet, sprinkle tough, relevant questions throughout your article so by the time your reader gets to the very end their ideas are just bursting out of their head.
g. Ask questions of your commenters
Along the same lines, responding with a question instead of a “Thanks for stopping by!” will always lead to more of a discussion.
h. Keep your articles ranking well in organic search
This is easier said than done, but this blog for example has a few blog posts like this one that consistently rank well in search. Even though these posts aren’t on the homepage for the community to see them, they get the most new arrivals via organic search and the amount of comments only compounds on itself over time,in an overwhelmingly positive way.
i. Write long-form content because it shows you care
Lots of times readers reward clear hard work with a comment.
j. Offer rewards
You could let folks know that one comment on the day a post goes live will receive a $10 gift card to Amazon, or something like that.
k. Name your community
Give folks a sense of belonging, and keep reminding them they belong. For example, we’re the Blogging Answers Community, a group of up and coming writers…you get the picture 🙂
l. Display the comment count
Huge, huge, huge! If you see 249 comments on a post your more likely to read it than if you don’t see a count at all, right? Even if you’re just getting started, displaying comment count is a huge plus, especially if folks can click on it to reach the discussion area.
m. Display the comment count creatively
Along these lines, go into your WordPress files and the change the lingo to something gripping and enticing. Let me know if I can help with this.
n. Be sassy in your own comments
…because who really wants to say “thanks!” and “you’re welcome!” all the time?
o. Reference actual events that people care about
This shows the reader you’re not just pulling topics out of the air to write about.
p. Mix up first person and second person
A good balance of what you think and what someone else thinks, and the emotions you’re feeling, makes for a more rich post and hopefully rich discussion.
q. Don’t EVER tell someone they are wrong
…because it just looks bad. Instead, if there’s an opinion you disagree with, ask why they hold that belief. Let others chime in, too, then sit back and watch your comment count soar.
r. Be casual, as if you’re longtime buddies
This one took me a while to figure out, but if you can establish the type of vibe where readers can comment as if you’re longtime friends, without all the formalities, you’ll really reduce the friction that can prevent someone from leaving a comment. It’s all about your own tone, even when or if you hire an editor to help you!
s. Read other comments on other blogs
…so you don’t get accused of living under a rock.
t. Use headers that follow from the title
This helps folks track your points and arrive at the comments feeling like they weren’t yanked in 100 directions along the way.
u. Don’t say everything on your mind
I know there’s a lot up there, so save it for the comments.
v. Don’t change the entire post
I’ve been guilty of changing a post, a comment, an email you name it. But you don’t want to confuse readers, especially if they liked the first go around.
w. Be downright silly
…because it’s a blog, not some CIA document.
x. Reference past discussions
This old trick will show that the discussion is already flowing.
y. Be regular and predictable with your blogging
Yes, being predictable can make you boring, but it can also let folks know when you’ll be around. If a person doesn’t visit your blog, how are they going to comment? Imagine if your favorite sitcom was on at different times each night – how often would you watch it??
z. Make sure people CAN comment
Simply checking a box to let people comment, or installing a plugin like Disqus or Facebook comments, can be a major improvement in your discussion. You’ve got to not only give people the right options for inserting their comments but make it as easy as possible for them to do so.
And lastly…ask yourself if you actually do want comments, and why. If you don’t, and just want a private blog, you can do still great things.
More for us 😉
So what went wrong in the experiment?
I think this blogger messed up in that she assumed writing the comments, just like writing a great piece of content, was all that was needed to get a comment on her blog.
Instead, it’s just the first step (but a necessary step).
Countless bloggers suffer in this way, because they don’t ask, hint at, or encourage the discussion. They let momentum die. They assume the wrong things about human nature (we’re all actually pretty selfish).
Given this, it actually is kind of cool that 5 bloggers responded, out of free will. Think about how low conversion rates ALWAYS are, and you can appreciate when how awesome it is when something does go right in blogging.
So in the end, I hope doing a few of the things above will help get more comments today and tomorrow, but also help you get to the point where comments can flow in naturally without running out to 100 other blogs to start your own discussion.
Are you struggling with blog comments?
I know a lot of DBC (Dear Blogger Community) members are starting new niche sites and sites of different types and having varying success getting the discussion flowing.
That, and a post about comments would definitely be incomplete without some hard hitting comments from the very folks like me who think about this stuff all the time.
So I ask…
Do you need help? Are you an expert?
Take a quick moment to tell us, and hopefully we can all join in.