Sep | 25 | 2007

Hungry for Comments?

Posted by Jimmy as Blog Tutorial, Tips, Writing

I have to admit it, receiving notification e-mails telling me that someone has posted comments in my blog still excites me. This is particularly true when I have posted something that I especially like and can’t wait to hear what other people think about it.

The reality is, however, this: not all blogs have a wide readership and even if they do, not all readers have the initiative to post their comments regarding the posts. If your problem is the former one, check out the numerous posts in this blog about increasing your readership. As for the latter, I can help you out with that. Here are a couple of tips to satisfy your hunger for comments.

Take a Stand…
…and keep it, too. I honestly have this tendency to play it safe sometimes. I feel that I should be open minded and acknowledge that different people have different takes on issues. As a result I tend to come across as swaying from one side to the other. This is the perfect way NOT to get comments. If you want to get people’s reactions, take a stand and build on that principle. Whether people agree or disagree with you, you are likely to get comments on your posts.

End with a Question
This is perhaps one of my favorite ways to end blog posts. Throwing questions back at the readers is one way of eliciting information from them. Asking them “What do you think?” is an open invitation for them to share their thoughts on your post. Of course, the more specific the question is, the better responses you will get.

How about you, do you have any foolproof tricks that generate comments? Share them with the rest of us!

Comments (6)

6 Responses

Guru
27|Sep|2007

First trick. Comment. Yes lots of people expect to get comments but do not comment on other blogs. If you want your blog to get noticed then promote yourself by commenting (not spamming) on other people’s blog. Oh and make sure you sound smart too!
Jimmy
30|Sep|2007

I totally agree with that – give and take. I don’t know about the last part though. Do you really have to sound smart?
Tips to keep Readers Glued by Blog Tutorials
05|Oct|2007

[...] like reading Jimmy’s Post on Hungry for Comments, I am also addicted to reading comments may it be good or bad left by my readers. It gives me a [...]
Guru
05|Oct|2007

It’s not a requirement but if you want to boost your online rep then sounding smart is the way to go. Of course that will depend entirely on the rep you’re trying to build. If commenting on personal blogs smart i think empathy matters more than smartness. Again it all depends on the image you want to cultivate.
How to Deal with Negative Comments by Blog Tutorials
10|Oct|2007

[...] here it comes, the addiction of receiving comments on our blogs, we’re hungry for comments, we encourage readers to comment on our blog posts. But what would you do, and what would you feel [...]
» Blog Marketing: Comments Not a Trivial Matter Global Business Programs: Business Talk
25|Oct|2007

[...] Just as you wouldn’t hesitate to ask a question in an offline conversation, do not hesitate to ask your readers for an opinion “Asking them “What do you think?” is an open invitation for them to share their thoughts on your post. Of course, the more specific the question is, the better responses you will get.” (source) [...]

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