Comments are something all bloggers love. Unfortunately, many new blogs receive very few real comments. New bloggers must plan to draw traffic to their blog, encourage comments, and keep the conversation going.
How to Draw Traffic
If your blog has no readers you will not receive comments. Posting great articles to your blog is not enough. You have to draw traffic to your site. There are a few ways to do this:
1. Comment on other blogs. Most blogs allow you to link back to your site when you comment. Some use ‘pingbacks’ or ‘comment love’ to link to posts on your blog when your posts mention their content.
Blog readers follow these links. Popular blogs may have large readerships, but your comment is in danger of becoming lost in the noise. Smaller blogs guarantee your comment gets seen, but have fewer readers. You must find a balance between the two.
2. Comment on your blog. One comment increases the chance of getting another comment, even if the first one is from yourself. Be sure to add something significant to your original entry, or it will look like you're talking to yourself.
3. Invite people to comment. Sending an email invitation can be one of the most effective ways to start a conversation. Invite other bloggers in your niche, or invite your friends and family. Take care to invite people who add to the conversation.
How to Encourage Comments
If you have some traffic, yet no one replies to your posts, you may need to improve your content.
1. Write better posts. Look over everything you've written. Identify the areas that need improvement, and keep these areas in mind when you write your next post. This is where spelling and grammar are important.
2. Provoke controversy. Write about topics that stimulate conversation, such as religion, politics, and entertainment. Present a strong opinion. Others with strong opinions will reply to argue or agree. Be prepared for negative responses, and don’t do anything that might damage your reputation.
3. Ask questions. You can solicit opinions or ask for solutions to a problem at the end of each article. You can even ask what readers would like to see next on a specific topic.
How to Keep the Conversation Going
First comments can be hard to come by, but once readers comment a few times, they will likely continue to comment and develop a sense of community. They come to feel like your space is also their space. Help readers make commenting a habit.
1. Follow up on comments. It shows your readers that you care about them. Responding to their questions tells them you are working on their behalf. This builds not only participation, but loyalty.
2. Introduce those who comment on your blog to each other. Use e-mail, forums, the comment area of your blog, and even the posts themselves to introduce readers to one another. Make sure your most active participants receive special recognition.
3. Give something away. Bookmarks, ebooks, software, services, gadgets -- if you're giving it away people will comment. Contests are especially effective because they give winners a sense they’ve earned the prize.
Each one of these steps is simple to execute, and most don’t require much time. Putting them into practice will generate many comments for new blogs.
James A Woods - James A Woods began critiquing fiction at Writers On the Net in early 1999. The e-mail list there allowed him to hone his critical skills ...
