How Do I Get People to Comment on My Blog?

Your blog offers your readers a chance to interact with you. If they find a blog post of yours especially interesting, they can leave a comment. Being able to comment and, better yet, getting a response to a comment builds trust with your blog and with your company. That trust is critical for converting that person to a paying customer. When you post on your blog, you need to have the goal of getting comments. You can’t just post “Steve’s Thought of the Day” and expect people to take the bait. You need to blog about topics people actually care about. Here are six ways to get people to engage with you on your blog:

1. Offer a clear point of view. People don't want to read something vague or boring. You want to present your p.o.v. and stand behind it. At the end of the piece, ask your readers what they think on the subject. People who agree with you will encourage you with positive comments. If you have written your p.o.v. with a tactful hand, you will get thoughtful comments from those that oppose your view.

2. Ask a question. This is probably the simplest technique out there. The last line of your blog post should include a question that you want readers to answer. You can ask their opinion on a particular topic. You can ask them to share their experience in doing a particular task. You can even ask them to post questions that you can answer in the blog.

3. Always respond to comments. Even a short comment like "Love your blog" should get a response thanking that person for the support. If you don't respond to comments, why should your audience comment in the first place? By not responding you are ignoring potential and existing customers. That is a big mistake.

4. Congratulate someone. Being able to publicly congratulate someone on your blog shows your humanity. It might be praising your best employee. It might be congratulating a client on a recent event. It might be congratulating the new CEO of a competitor.

5. Mix up your blog post content. If you post only text posts, pop in a video or audio file once in a while. It will shake up your blog readers and get some excitement generated. You will likely get some praise for an informative piece.

6. Be human. Part of building trust with your blog audience is showing that you are more than words on a page. Share your hopes for the next year. Share your unease with certain changes going on in your industry. Share your joy at reaching a milestone. All of this will get people reading and wanting to be part of the discussion.
   

What else can I do to get people to comment on my blog?

Make it easy for people to comment. Encourage it and ask their opinions on what you wrote. If you have a hard time coming up with blog topics, surf the web and see what other people in your industry are talking about. If there is something in the news you are knowledgeable about, write a blog stating your opinion. For example, if you are an internet marketing and have intellectual thoughts about Google Glass, write a blog about it! But remember, blog about what you know. Dangle the chum out there and see what happens. After a while, analyze your results. See what’s working and what’s not. Then, scrub your content marketing strategy accordingly.

Questions and Final Thoughts?

What are you currently blogging about? What gets your readers ticking?