May 12, 2008
How to Encourage Comments on Your Blog
Filed under: Blogging Tips -- Jennifer Slegg @ 11:35amWhen you have a lot of readers commenting on your blog entries, it encourages people to subscribe since they see not only are you blogging great content, but also enough other people are reading it and making their own comments that it must be good. So it makes sense to do everything you can to encourage people to comment on your blog, even when your blog is brand new with low readership. Here are things you can do it make sure you make your blog as comment-friendly as possible.
Don’t require registration
Whether it is just the registration option included in Wordpress or a third-party option like TypePad, requiring registration will drop your comments down significantly. Simply entering a name, email address and URL is quick and easy and will encourage spontaneous comments. But if people even bother to register – and most of them won’t – having to wait for confirmation emails will significantly reduce the chance that those remaining potential commenters will follow through and post a comment.
Avoid capchas
Don’t require people to type in a capcha to submit their blog comment… and at the very most require them to answer a simple question that doesn’t involve squinting to read sideways letters with random colored lines running through them. Instead, think something like “What is 2+2″ or “What color is the sky?†If you use spam protection such as Akismet, you shouldn’t have many problems with spam at all.
Don’t moderate comments
You don’t need to automatically approve every comment, but consider automatically approve comments from those who have a previously approved comment, especially if you aren’t sitting there to babysit your blog. This will help keep comments flowing, especially if it might take a day or two to approve all the comments, leaving others to wonder why no one is commenting and why you aren’t approving their comments.
Reply to comments
When you reply to other’s comments on your own blog, this can also result in those initial commenters to respond back to your own comment. This not only ups your comment count on each post, but it also helps to encourage others to jump in as well, especially when they see you in there too. Install the comment plugin which will allow you to easily respond to each comment right in your control panel, rather than having to view each post individually to make your response.
Encourage comments at the end of each post
Ask a question about the post, whether it is for additional tips (â€What other things to you do to…?â€) or what others would do in the same situation (â€How would you have handled it?â€) to encourage people to comment.
Offer RSS comments
Make it easy for readers to follow comments made on your blog. This makes it easy to follow replies that others have made on comments they might have left on your blog, or just get further insight on your blog post by reading other’s comments.
Highlight top commenters
Use a plugin that shows off those with the most comments. You will need to watch for people making multiple “me too†comments to boost their comment count. And you will want to have it set to reset all the blog counts every week or two, otherwise new visitors might not think they have a chance to make the list if you have had your list running for the past six months and the top ten people on your list have 300+ comments each. Do make sure you keep this plugin updated, as there have been a few bugs in some of these plugins.
Especially if your blog is new or tends to get few, if any, comments, this can really help you get your comment count up and encourage new people to comment as well as to show new visitors that your blog is active.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Encouraging comments on your blog……
Jennifer Slegg at ScriptFire has some excellent tips for encouraging commenting on your blog. Besides the obvious, having good content.
She offers some examples of what to do to encourage it.
When you have a lot of readers commenting on your blog…
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Encouraging comments on your blog……
Jennifer Slegg at ScriptFire has some excellent tips for encouraging commenting on your blog. Besides the obvious, having good content.
She offers some examples of what to do to encourage it.
When you have a lot of readers commenting on your blog…
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Encouraging comments on your blog……
Jennifer Slegg at ScriptFire has some excellent tips for encouraging commenting on your blog. Besides the obvious, having good content.
She offers some examples of what to do to encourage it.
When you have a lot of readers commenting on your blog…
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Encouraging comments on your blog……
Jennifer Slegg at ScriptFire has some excellent tips for encouraging commenting on your blog. Besides the obvious, having good content.
She offers some examples of what to do to encourage it.
When you have a lot of readers commenting on your blog…
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Encouraging comments on your blog……
Jennifer Slegg at ScriptFire has some excellent tips for encouraging commenting on your blog. Besides the obvious, having good content.
She offers some examples of what to do to encourage it.
When you have a lot of readers commenting on your blog…
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Encouraging comments on your blog……
Jennifer Slegg at ScriptFire has some excellent tips for encouraging commenting on your blog. Besides the obvious, having good content.
She offers some examples of what to do to encourage it.
When you have a lot of readers commenting on your blog…
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
[...] Here are things you can do it make sure you make your blog as comment-friendly as possible. -=SOURCE=- Technorati Tags: bloggers, blogging, [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
[...] Here are things you can do it make sure you make your blog as comment-friendly as possible. -=SOURCE=- Technorati Tags: bloggers, blogging, [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
[...] Here are things you can do it make sure you make your blog as comment-friendly as possible. -=SOURCE=- Technorati Tags: bloggers, blogging, [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
[...] Here are things you can do it make sure you make your blog as comment-friendly as possible. -=SOURCE=- Technorati Tags: bloggers, blogging, [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
[...] Here are things you can do it make sure you make your blog as comment-friendly as possible. -=SOURCE=- Technorati Tags: bloggers, blogging, [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
[...] Here are things you can do it make sure you make your blog as comment-friendly as possible. -=SOURCE=- Technorati Tags: bloggers, blogging, [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
[...] tagged bloggingOwn a Wordpress blog? Make monetization easier with the WP Affiliate Pro plugin. How to Encourage Comments on Your Blog saved by 6 others propelman22 bookmarked on 05/12/08 | [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
[...] tagged bloggingOwn a Wordpress blog? Make monetization easier with the WP Affiliate Pro plugin. How to Encourage Comments on Your Blog saved by 6 others propelman22 bookmarked on 05/12/08 | [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
[...] tagged bloggingOwn a Wordpress blog? Make monetization easier with the WP Affiliate Pro plugin. How to Encourage Comments on Your Blog saved by 6 others propelman22 bookmarked on 05/12/08 | [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
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May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
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May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
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May 14th, 2008 at 1:41 am
I particularly like the idea of hi-lighting top commentators… Does anyone know how you can do this on Typepad other than using/adding it under a Typelist?
May 17th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
One way to encourage more comments is to try to find out ways to keep your visitors at you blog as long as possible. Install plugins like Popular Posts, Related Posts to help provide call of action to them. Provide something unique like a 30-second promotional video clip.
Work From Home Business Blog
May 18th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Awesome advice! I am just getting into the benefits of commenting and allowing others to comment. Thanks!
-Linda
May 24th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Very effective and simple steps, thank you very much
July 8th, 2008 at 1:36 am
good luck,
May 2nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
When you pointed out that encouraging blog comments is an easy way to get comments flowing I was a little shocked. Hounding your viewers to leave a comment isn’t the right way of coming about it. Letting your readers make their own decisions and opinions on whether they want to comment on a particular post is key to success.
August 1st, 2009 at 10:36 am
Hi
Thanks for your advice regarding getting more folks involved with your blogs and getting more folks to post there comments and feedback this can only be a good thing. So I will be trying some things that you have mentioned. Thanks for the tips
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Some excellent information. With every one in such a hurry nowday’s it’s not so easy tempting people to comment on blogs, others should read this and take notice.
August 4th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
“Highlight top commenters — Use a plugin that shows off those with the most comments.”
Isn’t there some kind of exploit now with that plugin?
August 13th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
The really important part is to have good content that someone will be interested in reading. That will attract informed readers, and good comments.