Once you start a blog, the next step is making sure your audience will respond to you and opening the channel for conversation to take place. The only way to it is by making sure that what you write inspires them to comment on your blog and express their ideas, knowledge and most of all allow them to express their VOICE!
Active commenting is one of the first signs that a blog has some real life – with it comes more readers, more prospects, more referrals, more joint ventures… more sales… more money! So make sure you are putting it into place and that it would work for you, not against you.
Solo-Entrepreneurs and small business owners can easily take advantage of this tool now that so many people know what it is and know how to interact, but . . . you can do a few things to stimulate this interaction and draw more conversation.
1) Ask and You Shall Receive – The easiest way to get more comments is by simply asking for it. You have no idea how many people just don’t dare to comment just because they are operating from their old childhood fear of – what if what I write is “stupid”. Let your readers know that you wish to get their comments – whatever it is.
Sometimes just creating a post and inviting your readers to add comments can be just what you need to get them flowing. Commenting is a habit that you need to help build in your readership. Especially with women, asking them and explaining why it is important for you to hear their voice, would make a huge difference in the volume of comments that you will get.
2) Questions and Opinions – Invite your readers to express their opinions. Ask them what they think of something or what they have done that works or how they have addressed a particularly challenging situation. Don’t try to know everything, give them the space to show what they know. That makes your life easy – you don’t need to have all the answers.
3) Engage Yourself in the Conversation – When readers comment you have to let them know that you are there to listen to them. You can encourage additional conversation by responding and showing that comments are welcome – even if the comment calls something you said into question. I’ve noticed that each time that I respond to a comment on the blog I get that person to be much more involved in future blogs AND others are encouraged to participate in the conversation.
4) Show Yourself – No matter what your blog topic is readers would like to know that you are a human being. Your readers want to know who you are as a person. It’s okay to let them into your world and hear your personal thoughts. Only you can determine how far to go with this, but I know that your readers will connect the more they know your story.
5) Don’t be Afraid to Rock the Boat – I remember one of the first blogs I ever written (long time ago back in 2002!), after I published it we got a huge wave of reactions of people who did not like what I wrote. My partner was furious at me for creating such an article. He was afraid that those people would unsubscribe. What happened was the total opposite – those people became our most advocate readers.
You don’t have to be an extremist, but sometimes stirring up a little controversy and expressing ideas, which are outside the box, would get people responding and commenting to you, which would allow you to get the conversation rolling.
Now I’m curious….
What’s your hottest tip for encouraging blog comments?
Share with us in, the comment box below, your tips in encouraging your readers to comment?