Tutorial: How to get more comments on your blog!

This is a common question I see while browsing some of my regular forums. What’s the deal with comments, my blog is up, the content is good, but I’m getting zilch!? I’ve been there. It’s disheartening to pour so much work into something and then get no ‘approval’ or ‘response’. Everyone wants to know that their hard work is being appreciated and recognized.

Well good news, it may not be your fault that no-one is commenting on your blog. A lot of the times, its the content that drives whether or not comments are made. If your blog is about teaching or something or just showing facts or what-not, people will be less inclined to comment. If your blog is something influential, controversial and personal (asking reader’s or enticing responses), you will more likely get comments. Hopefully that makes sense.

The bad news, it could also be your fault that people aren’t leaving comments. Let’s go through some mistakes bloggers make to see what should be fixed.

Maybe it’s better to not have comments at all in the beginning.

A practice I suggest for newer blogs who are struggling getting comments is to simply edit your template to not show how many comments are posted for each post. This does not mean disabling comments, leave them on, just edit out the part where it shows how many comments are posted.

This way, users can still comment, but it won’t show how many comments there are necessarily. You can do this until you begin to get a steady stream of comments and then go back to showing comments. No one wants to see a blog with 0 comments on each post, its kind of a sad thing .

Comment on other blogs, you’ll get comments back.

This is an almost full proof way of getting comments. Network yourself, reach out to the community. I say it time and time again, probably because it works. It’s not guaranteed that other people will comment back, but for the most part, people are helpful. It also gives it a more personal feel and allows for interaction between webmasters.

Your comment system is slow, complicated, and too much work for the average internet user.

God have I seen this about twenty times now. Probably one of the most frustrating features on some blogs are for users having to sign up to comment. Stay away from this tactic. You want your readers to be able to fill in at most 3-4 boxes and be able to post their feelings.

Make sure your comment system is designed well, smoothly and that it works. Test it yourself to see if you would leave a comment.

Interact with your readers, don’t be afraid to answer comments.

When I see authors replying to comments, it shows a personal feel, that the author really cares. It makes me want to comment. Interact with your readers. Don’t be shy!

Incentive.

One simple word. Want comments? Give reader’s some incentive. I’ve recently started a sidebar promoting the people who commented the most by giving them a linkback. This way, more people would want to comment to get their site up on that list!

Hope that helps! If you have any additional suggestions, feel free to comment . Also, if you enjoyed this post, please Subscribe to our RSS feed.

 

Good to read and to begin with

 

Don't agree
Comment on other blogs, you’ll get comments back.

but Incentives are best way to increase comments
may be you want to read my thoughts on How To Increase Your Blog Comments

 

Well, I'd have to tell you. I comment on alot of other blogger's blogs that are within my niche and about 80% of them comment back.

I'd say its good enough to write about.

 

This is a great post for newbies. Although comments are important, they are often times hard to get early on in the life of your blog. Simply put, stick with posting new content and comments will follow in no time at all!

 

Thanks for the encouraging words KeywordsandCopy

 

I agree with comment and you'll get a comment back, though I work on building relationships.

The other way I find building comments is to encourage discussion. Finish your blog on a question, give them a chance to contribute. You're sure to get more than "great post" in your comments.

 

Totally agree with you rhyswynne.

 

Now, i learned something thing... Thanks for the post, very helpful indeed!

 

No problem, great to have good feedback .

 

If you have a regular flow of visitors, good idea. If you don't have that many you might not find this strategey working for you. Just make sure the numbers are there to support an answer in your comments.

The 1 tip that I can give about comments is instead of removing your "No Comment" link on your posts, change the text to "Comment Now". This does not really indicate that there are no comments and also ask your reader to make a comment!

 

Very well written. Thanks for sharing

 

I've also seen that it holds true - to a degree - that the more you get out and particpate on others' blogs, the more likely you are to get comments on your own. But it certainly isn't always an equitable "1 for 1" kinda exchange.

I've also been making much more of an effort to end posts with questions to try to prompt responses from my readers.

There's been a slight increase in feedback from the readers of our blog, but the number of comments is still kinda disappointing...

 

Those are all great pieces of advice, but still getting people to leave sensible comments on your blog requires a lot of effort even when following of the things mentioned. I would say that another important thing is to gain people's trust providing interesting and controversial, yet truthful, content that would induce people to think and share their thoughts.

 

When I started my 'I will Comment on your Blog for Free thread' lots of people replied back and commented on my blog in return, which was very useful for me Since the thread is still going on, I get several visitors to my blog in return after leaving comments on their blogs.

 

nice article, mate!

 

Did you mention using plug-ins such as Subscribe to Comments?
Increases returning visitors rate and the number of comments..

 

Adding top commentator plugins is also one of the best part to get more comments.

I dont agree with showing 0 comments for new blogs.

 

combine this w/ a do follow plugin and you will surely have a surge in blog comments

 

No actual novelty, good post for newbies though. I would also like to add a tip:
if you run wordpress install a do-follow plugin, it will make people comment more often for link juice. Be careful for spam though.