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How to Get More Comments on Your Blog Posts
Comments and replies to blog posts serve a variety of important purposes. They generate engagement, they’re a vital reputation management tool and they can even contribute to your SEO profile.
But what can you do to encourage people to comment on your blog posts? You can’t force people to comment (and buying comments is a terrible idea), so which are the most effective methods for encouraging more comments?
- Publish content that encourages conversation
First and foremost, you need to focus on the kind of content that sparks debate and generates conversation. This means carefully considering current topics of importance within your niche, and using them to your advantage. If you can successfully prompt an emotional response from the reader, they’re almost guaranteed to share their thoughts. Ask questions, raise divisive points and even refer to topics that may be controversial, inviting those who read your posts to join the conversation.
- Start the conversation yourself
Buying fake comments is almost always counterproductive. But this doesn’t mean you can’t start the conversation yourself by asking your friends, family members and colleagues to comment on your posts from time to time. Conversation breeds conversation, which means that comments encourage comments. Blog posts that already have plenty of comments attached to them are exponentially more attractive than those with no comments at all. If you can get the ball rolling yourself in a semi-organic way, why not do just that?
- Respond to every comment
Unanswered comments are demotivating and uninspiring in the extreme. Where comments go unanswered, it gives the impression that the publisher neither reads them nor cares about them. In which case, why bother commenting? By contrast, publishers that respond to every comment without exception demonstrate the kind of engagement that encourages participation. If you know the publisher is going to read your comment, value your input and reply, you’re instinctively more likely to join the debate.
- Simplify the process of commenting
Under no circumstances should you ever make your readers jump through hoops to leave comments on your blog. Ideally, anyone wishing to do so should be able to type in their comment immediately after reading the post and submit it at the touch of a button. If they need to enter a bunch of personal details, provide their e-mail address or (worst of all) sign up for an account, chances are they won’t bother. Nor is it necessary to go to such extremes, just as long as you are appropriately moderating the comments you receive before they are published.
- Host polls
Last but not least, hosting polls is a tried, tested and trusted approach to boosting engagement. Hosting a poll is a little like asking a closed question, wherein you don’t give the recipient a great deal of scope. You simply ask a question and provide a handful of options/answers to choose from. Polls can be surprisingly engaging as it’s always fascinating to see whether other people feel the same way as you. And when the poll is complete and the result published, it makes a fantastic conversation starter to generate further debate.