Innovative Ways to Increase Comments on Your Blog
The number of comments on your blog indicates the level of interaction your blog has with its audience. According to Jakob Nielsen, 90% of online community users are lurkers (read or observe without contributing) with about 9% of users contributing ‘a little’ and 1% contributing actively. 1% of your blog’s users actively engaging with your blog and the rest are occasional contributors.
Do you want to increase the number of comments on your blog? You can increase the participation levels on your blog by following the ways listed below:
Ensure easy comment options: Does your blog require a login to comment? Registration is a hurdle, which users are unwilling to deal with. Yes, it sure does combat spam messages but try to keep your comments section simple and easy to use.
Questions which evoke response: Include specific questions in your blog posts and you are assured higher comments. Try to set a question in the reader’s mind from the first moments of your post itself.
Interact with comments on your blog: If someone leaves a comment on your blog, ensure that you interact with them. It is understandable that this could get harder as your blog grows but try to devote sometime during the day to show your readers that their comments are valued. Over time, you will notice that loyal visitors will answer questions and create a community too!
‘Reward’ Comments: You can choose a host of options to acknowledge the comments on your blog. From a simple ‘good comment’ remark to awarding the best comments on your blog, you can use a number of options. For instance, a Jamaican based resort that regularly updates its blog ran a contest: "Looking to visit Jamaica? Enter to WIN a $100 Visa Cash Card to spend on your trip!!"
Quick tips to increase comments on your blog:
- Allow users to edit comments
- Check and delete spam comments regularly
- Don’t use captchas for comment forms
- Try not to moderate comments
- Try not to force registration for comments