How to Get People to Leave Comments on a Blog

One of the pros of having a blog is the ability to grow an interactive community. Blogging is typical less formal in nature and lends itself well to conversation. If you write in a way that encourages other to participate with your blog and leave comments about your posts, you will have a more compelling, energetic blog. Below are tips on how to encourage readers to leave comments about your blog posts.

Instructions

1. Encourage people to leave comments. This may seem unnecessary, but it is an important and often overlooked step. Readers are more likely to leave comments when they are asked to.

2. Leave room for discussion. Try not to say everything there is to say about a particlular topic. Leave room for comments and people will be more likely to give their opinion.

3. Respond to comments that people leave. If you don't comment in your own blog, why should others? Responding to reader comments shows readers that you are paying attention and valuing what they have to say.

4. Ask the readers questions in your posts. Many people will be willing to answer a direct question as opposed to leaving a less structured comment.

5. Admit that you don't know everything. People are willing to reach out and help when you admit that you are lost or confused about a topic.

6. Write controversial posts. There is nothing like a bit of controversy to get people riled up and leaving comments on your blog.

7. Highlight interesting comments on your blog. Draw attention to the readers who take the time to make informative, thoughtful comments.

Tips & Warnings

• It is your blog and, therefore, your responsibility to set up rules and boundaries. It is always best to set up the rules early to prevent problems rather than trying to fix problems after they occur.

• Be aware that if you write controversial posts, you will be more likely to get comments. You just may not like what some of the comments say! Writing about controversial topics makes you open to verbal attack.

• Readers will typically follow your lead when leaving comments. If your posts are angry, disrespectful rants, their commetns are likely to follow suit.

Resources

• Create your own blog