Written on October 12th, 2006 at 01:10 am by Darren Rowse
10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog
Only 1 out of every 100 Readers Comment on your Blog
Below I’ll outline 10 ways you can increase the participation rate in the comments section on your blog.
Jakob Nielsen’s latest study finds that 90% of online community users are lurkers (read or observe without contributing) with only 9% of users contributing ‘a little’ and 1% actively contributing.
So 1% of your blog’s users are actively engaging with your blog and the rest are at best occasional contributers.
The study isn’t just on blogging so the actual numbers could be more or less than these and would no doubt vary from site to site anyway - but the principle is true. The vast majority of readers leave a blog without leaving a comment or contributing to it in any way (and some bloggers like it like this and switch comments off - read more on whether to have comments on or off here and the up and downsides of comments on blogs here).
To some extent this is just the way it is and we probably need to just get used to it - however when it comes to comments there are some ways to encourage more interactivity on your blog:
10 Ways to Increase Comment Numbers on Your Blog
1. Invite Comments - I notice that when I specifically invite comments that people leave them in higher numbers than when I don’t. To some degree this confuses me as most of my readers know that they can leave comments on any post - but I guess inviting a comment triggers a response to some extent. Also keep in mind that new readers that are unfamiliar with blogging don’t always know about comments or how to use them - invitations to participate in well laid out and easy to use comments systems are good for helping them participate.
2. Ask Questions - Including specific questions in posts definitely helps get higher numbers of comments. I find that when I include questions in my headings that it is a particularly effective way of getting a response from readers as you set a question in their mind from the first moments of your post.
3. Be Open Ended - If you say everything there is to say on a topic you’re less likely to get others adding their opinions because you’ll have covered what they might have added. While you don’t want to purposely leave too many things unsaid there is an art to writing open ended posts that leaves room for your readers to be experts also.
4. Interact with comments left - If you’re not willing to use your own comments section why would your readers? If someone leaves a comment interact with them. This gets harder as your blog grows but it’s particularly important in the early days of your blog as it shows your readers that their comments are valued, it creates a culture of interactivity and gives the impression to other readers that your comments section is an active place that you as the blogger value. As the activity in your comments section grows you may find you need to be slightly less active in it as readers will start to take over on answering questions and creating community - however don’t completely ignore your comment threads.
5. Set Boundaries - I noticed that shortly after I set the rules for my comments section (with a comments policy) that my comment numbers jumped up a little. I’m not sure if it was just a coincidence or whether readers responded to knowing what was and wasn’t acceptable. It’s just a theory but I think a well managed and moderated comments section that is free of spam and that deals with well with people stepping out of line is an attractive thing to readers. I personally don’t mind people expressing different opinions to one another in comments but when I sense things are getting a little out of hand and too personal I often step in to attempt to bring some order to the situation (I rarely delete non spam comments). I find that people have responded to this and that comment threads generally stay constructive as a result.
6. Be humble - I find that readers respond very well to posts that show your own weaknesses, failings and the gaps in your own knowledge rather than those posts where you come across as knowing everything there is to know on a topic. People are attracted to humility and are more likely to respond to it than a post written in a tone of someone who might harshly respond to their comments.
7. Be gracious - Related to humility is grace. There are times where you as the blogger will get something wrong in your posts. It might be spelling or grammar, it could be the crux of your argument or some other aspect of your blogging. When a someone leaves a comment that shows your failing it’s very easy to respond harshly in a defensive manner. We’ve all seen the flaming that can ensue. While it’s not easy - a graceful approach to comments where you admit where you are wrong and others is right can bring out the lurkers and make them feel a little safer in leaving comments.
8. Be controversial? - I put a question mark after this one because it doesn’t always work (and I personally avoid it as much as I can these days) - but there’s nothing like controversy to get people commenting on your blog. Of course with controversy comes other consequences - one of which is the risk of putting off less vocal members of your readership.
9. ‘Reward’ Comments - There are many ways of acknowledging and ‘rewarding’ good comments that range from simply including a ‘good comment’ remark through to highlighting them in other posts that you write. Drawing attention to your readers who use comments well affirms them but also draws attention of other readers to good use of your comments section.
10. Make it Easy to Comment - I leave a lot of comments on a lot of blogs each week - but there is one situation where I rarely leave a comment - even if the post deserves it - blogs that require me to login before making a comment. Maybe I’m lazy (actually there’s no maybe about it) or maybe there’s something inside me that worries about giving out my personal details - but when I see a comments section that requires registration I almost always (95% or more of the time) leave the blog without leaving the comment that I want to make. While I totally understand the temptation to require registration for comments (combatting spam in most cases) something inside me resists participating in such comments sections. Registration is a hurdle you put in front of your readers that some will be willing to leap but that others will balk at (the same is often said about other comments section requirements that go beyond the basics). Keep your comments section as simple and as easy to use as possible.
So - what do you think? How have you increased the levels of comments on your blog (had to ask)?
Find this Post Helpful? - Digg it here
Also - check out our Blogging for Beginners Series for more blog tips and ProBlogger the Book for a comprehensive guide to improving your blog and deriving an income from it.
542 Responses to “10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog”
revan
October 12th, 2006 1:17 am
Thanks for an idea, buy imho main problem content :((
hdw
October 12th, 2006 1:20 am
Nice post. All very good points. There are a few sites that I’ve registered at in order to comment, but they are few and far between.
Jane
October 12th, 2006 1:22 am
Thank you Darren, this is an excellent list. I’m new to all this but want to setup my first blog soon so I intend on printing this out and adding it to my boxfile.
Don Yuan
October 12th, 2006 1:22 am
Nice one Darren! But I’m sure you left an important one out.
#11 “Leave comments on other blogs and others will do the same for you.”
Well, there are certain techniques like “rewarding comments” which I won’t be able to use I guess because I’m on blogger but I think I’m gonna try all the other techniques out!
Marek
October 12th, 2006 1:29 am
Good post!
I am promoting my blogs through participatation in different discussion forums and, unfortunately, most comments or responses I am getting on these boards, not directly in my blog posts …
brem
October 12th, 2006 1:34 am
I’m personally not too much into coercing people to do things, but I must admit it’s nice to have more comments. I don’t actively try to get more, except when I want to know something specific. In that case, I use one of your tips, I ask a question, and recently, this has worked out pretty well. When I didn’t get as much traffic though, it wasn’t very successful.
I’m a serial-commenter. It’s probably because I have an opinion on everything and that I think people care. Or simply because I’m a compusilve freak.
In any case, I try to make sense, to add to the debate, and the side effect of it is that people come and visit my blog back from where I left the comments.
Maybe a more obvious “comment” button would help getting more comments?
I notice that most links to “add comment” are usually buried within other links. Not that other links aren’t important, but I guess if one really wants to put the emphasis on comments, the visual impact of that link should be enhanced.
just some random thoughts…
brem
dolphin278
October 12th, 2006 2:08 am
Totally useless. Even a kid can make such list.
Kanwal
October 12th, 2006 2:19 am
Awesome list Darren. I have been waiting on opening up my comments section till I got enough visitors coming to my site. Now that at about 1000 visitors a week, I think it might be time to open it to the community.
Thanks
Kanwal
Sharepoint BUZZ
http://www.sharepointbuzz.com
Link Share 11 October 2006
October 12th, 2006 2:45 am
[…] Darren Rowse has written on 10 techniques to get more comments on your blog, he makes some interesting points. He also notes something which I must say I have to agree with "there is one situation where I rarely leave a comment - even if the post deserves it - blogs that require me to login before making a comment". This is an excellent point, and is something I never understood, its probably an anti spam thing, but still there is very few people who will leave a comment when they have to register, check their e-mail, verify their account, and finally make their comment…. […]
Gdog
October 12th, 2006 2:55 am
Interesting…should I try those tips?
Grayson De Ritis
October 12th, 2006 3:06 am
Interesting statistics! I was actually thinking about comments last night and this morning (particularly, how to utilize the feature to promote increased interaction). Thanks for the tips, mate.
Tony
October 12th, 2006 3:14 am
For a brand new person this is a great list. (Especially since there are so many new bloggers coming online daily) I’m just past the brand new stage and into the “knowing enough to be dangerous phase” lol.
I believe it’s good “basic” fundamentals list to go by and I’ll be adding a few of the points because I’m not currently. I doubt a “kid” could put together such a list as dolphin278 suggested. Maybe he’s just attempting to be “controversial? lol
darrenh
October 12th, 2006 3:20 am
It can feel lonely out there blogging and not having anyone comment or answer back — even if you know folks are visiting. I always think of comments like applause, even if they are negative. At least it’s feedback.
Jason Clegg
October 12th, 2006 3:38 am
Comments do help sites flourish, especially where blogs are concerned. Yet, I have to wonder how much they actually are necessary. I have to wonder if site forums will soon replace comments completely as we’re already seeing with a handful of sites.
Nevertheless, these are great suggestions!
Curt
October 12th, 2006 4:02 am
Even asking for comments I see the same commentors post all the time — this is on my established blog. On a newer blog I’m getting the odd comment here and there but I think a lot of that has to do with the lack of traffic/acknowledgement that it’s there.
I think the traffic has everything to do with the comments, the content helps as well but if you have nobody visiting the comments will be low. It also depends on how well your audience relates to the subject matter. By blog that receives comments is a general blog, people are able to comment on different topics as they understand it, my Mac blog however has low comments (it’s the new one) but I think it’s moreso because the reader base isn’t there yet — or the content, possibly a combination of both.
Michael Webster
October 12th, 2006 4:07 am
Wouldn’t it also be nice to be able to subscribe by email or rss to the comments? It is one of the things I usually look for when deciding whether to comment or not. Usually.
evolvor media » Blog Archive » Getting Comments on Your Blog
October 12th, 2006 4:17 am
[…] header-style from me very soon. Oct 11, 2006 2:17 pm under General, Blog Definition, you can trackback from your ownsite […]
bongobelly.com | web/dev, For the rest of us. » Blog Archive » 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog
October 12th, 2006 5:07 am
[…] Problogger gives some thoughts and advice on interaction with your readers. http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/10/12/10-techniques-to-get-more-comments-on-your-blog/ […]
The Positivity Blog
October 12th, 2006 6:29 am
Wow, when I was lurking I didn´t think I was in such a big majority. I like advice number 5. When posting a bit on different messageboards a couple a years ago I always liked the ones that where moderated hard with strict boundries. The discussion became so much more focused and fun.
Sheila Scarborough
October 12th, 2006 7:07 am
Hi Darren, thanks for this. I wish that my blog posts had more comments but really, the family travel topic is not terribly controversial so I guess people don’t get worked up enough to leave their thoughts. I do try to ask for input and follow your advice above; will just keep at it. It’s good to know that statistically there are simply a lot of folks who do not comment.
Agree on the dislike of login requirements (Blogger and Gridskipper come to my mind.) I do not want to get accounts there just to be able to comment when there are other sites that are less hassle.
Dennis Ray Nestor Jr.
October 12th, 2006 7:29 am
Thank you very much for your ideas on getting people to post comments on our site/blog. Do you think there can be some technical or usability reasons why people do not leave comments as well?
Michael G. Richard
October 12th, 2006 7:31 am
Well, I *have* to leave a comment in this thread..
Layal
October 12th, 2006 7:53 am
thanks :)
David Turnbull
October 12th, 2006 8:16 am
I couldn’t resist commenting.
Steve Remington
October 12th, 2006 8:20 am
Yea, these are all great ideas, thanks Darren.
I think it is simply setting a precedence for it and people will normally take your lead. If you don’t ever reply then I think it is harder to reply in the future. If you begin dialogue within the comments section then you have set a precendence for it.
I know some people who own blogs who do reply to comments but leave that closed as well. Even within the comments section you need to leave it open ended. People will reply to their own blogs like this:
“Yea if you see I did mention that”
Some people like to just rehash with you. So if people would be less offensive about what others post and open it up like this:
“Hi there Fred, thanks for the comment… I sort of agree with you, how come you feel this way?”
When they come back to read they will be more apt to respond because they now have an invitation to add more. :D
Darren good post!
fajar
October 12th, 2006 8:34 am
Good post.
But how to prevent comment spamming?
TECHNOSIGHT » 95-5-0.1
October 12th, 2006 8:40 am
[…] Nielsen provides some direction about overcoming “participation inequality”. But the presupposition is that the best you can do is lessen it - you can’t avoid it altogether. He provides some helpful hints to encourage more participation, as does ProBlogger Darren Rowse. […]
jhay
October 12th, 2006 8:50 am
The humbleness-in-posts tip is a good one. Unless your readers have PhDs or other letters (besides RIP) after their name, they wouldn’t add anything new to the post save for some praises which again might not elicit some good comments from other readers.
Lesly
October 12th, 2006 9:29 am
This is a great list of tips, Darren, so thank you. I have had more comments on my blog lately but don’t really know why. But it would seem that I am gradually getting a circle of regular readers/commenters who I also read/comment on! Whether there is more to it than that i don’t know.
Sometimes I get comments from ‘out of nowhere’ and from quite unexpected sources … and I love that.
I nearly always respond … either with another comment or a visit to the commenter’s site. I figure if people are nice enough to leave a comment then they deserve some sort of recongnition.
AJAX Allows For Comments On Specific Parts of Posts In WordPress » Socialitis
October 12th, 2006 10:08 am
[…] I ran across this amazing post by Jack Slocum that offers up a unique commenting system, based on AJAX, with which you can comment on specific portions of a given post rather than on the entire post itself. Now as one of the blogging big boys mentions, most people that come to your blog or forum won’t offer anything in the form of a comment, post, submission, etc., so I wonder if AJAX and/or a system like this one will have any impact on contribution rates. […]
Vincent McBurney
October 12th, 2006 10:10 am
I think that blogs are not quite a community and have much lower participation rates. The 90-9-1 is probably based on forums and groups. Blogs comments and wiki contributions are lower.
There is one type I would add to that list, the Water Cooler post. It’s an entry on a topic that everyone is talking about “around the water cooler” at work, that attracts 100s more comments than the average post. The passing of Steve Irwin, controversy about the Pope, IT off shoring, a headbutt in the World Cup. It may be off topic but everyone has an opinion on it.
Leon
October 12th, 2006 10:28 am
Excellent post Darren. I like these posts most of all, practical information that all bloggers can use. Hopefully I can use these to draw out some lurkers.
James bright
October 12th, 2006 10:34 am
This post is very true. I enjoyed reading it.
Comments on my blog became very less when I changed to my new blog. Now, I think I have to be bit more careful.
Hanlon
October 12th, 2006 11:01 am
One more: not requiring people to go to another page to comment. It’s why blogs with HaloScan tend to have oodles of comments. You can get the little comment popup and still surf away while commenting.
Over on mine I’m working on a fully inline commenting system and I did notice that when you were FORCED to open up the post’s individual page in order to do any commenting, people were less apt to do it.
Dotty
October 12th, 2006 1:00 pm
Up until now no visiter leave any comments on my blog, I guess with your article, sure will help. Let me try it out tonight with some great content. Thanks.
Get Comments on Your Blog | My Secret Side Biz
October 12th, 2006 1:18 pm
[…] Problogger Comment Tips […]
Dawn
October 12th, 2006 1:20 pm
Thanks for the tips! I have A LOT of lurkers on my site and I’ve been trying to figure out better ways to get them to be more interactive with the site. I’m going to try some of your suggestions. Thanks again!
-Dawn
http://www.steptalk.org
Step Talk - Where Stepparents Come to Vent
Jason
October 12th, 2006 1:22 pm
#11: Write a post about leaving comments
RJ
October 12th, 2006 1:25 pm
Good points…I would note that as someone who really doesn’t comment to blogs much (in fact, this may be my first post), I don’t think the term “lurker” is very flattering to a non-posting reader. It’s not your fault in the least, but perhaps the blogosphere could come up with a better, non-creepy name for the 90% of us that enjoy reading the content.
Steven
October 12th, 2006 1:31 pm
Hi Darren,
Yes I agree, engaging readers to be active participants is a challenge, but certainly a rewarding one. Over the years of blogging I’ve basically fallen upon most of those you’ve outlined above.
Two points I would add.
1. Reward your readers with new, original and timely content so that they feel their investment in your site is worth it.
2. In extension to your first point, I created a special post type (tag) called Talkback, which posed a topic of discussion to actively encouraged people to debate the subject matter. I introduced each post saying it was a talkback session, and please comment on what you felt about the post content. I found that this was more effective than simply asking for comments because readers quickly identified these posts, and left comments because they wanted to support the site, and they knew others would do so also, thus reading their comments.
darksama
October 12th, 2006 1:31 pm
You’ve compiled a pretty good list here. I’ve used a couple of these tips my self when I know there are certain readers just to get a comment conversation out of them. Unfortunately, I think the biggest problem with some blogs is not really the fact that people are not leaving comments, it’s really just that there aren’t enough people visiting the blog. You need to have a pretty high number of visitors per day, even 50 is pretty high if you think about it, to get a pretty decent number of comments per day.
Dave Davis
October 12th, 2006 1:36 pm
Thanks for the tips. Making it easy for users to comment and asking questions are the most effective I have found.
ie: Have I missed any?
Jason
October 12th, 2006 1:37 pm
I definitely think making it easy to comment (eg, not requiring registration, and requiring as little information as possible) is most important.
Neil
October 12th, 2006 1:39 pm
Thanks for the list. Good points to think about.
I would like to get one specific visitor of my blog to post a comment. She/he is from the distant north of Canada, and visits at least once a week. I’m curious to know who it is, and what life is like in the far north… Should I just post an entry saying like this?: “Hey, whoever you are up there, please leave a comment so I know who you are! Thanks for visiting!” I have so few repeat visitors, it would be nice to know who they are. =)
Colby
October 12th, 2006 1:40 pm
YES! I AM 1 IN A 100!!!!!!
Great tips!!!
Comment?
Lofton316
October 12th, 2006 1:46 pm
These are good tips!!! But some people are just to lazy to comment!
brant
October 12th, 2006 1:47 pm
Im only commenting to skew your data that 1 out of 100 comment. Wait, I could be the 1 out of 100 person. Oh dear. :(
Hah, but i do agree about having to log in to comment. Its un needed. A good coder/blog app can get by without it.
Bitcloud
October 12th, 2006 1:53 pm
Hey great suggestions, thanks!
It can be difficult to pursuade people to comment. It’s partly about building up a sense of community, but at the same time when the community reaches some critical mass it seems that people can sometimes be intimidated, or feel like they are enchroaching on someone elses turf…
Blog community dynamics are a strange science!
j4s0n
October 12th, 2006 1:57 pm
Good! And for that I’ll give you a comment! I’ll get back here and comment again if the Techniques work.
Easypctips
October 12th, 2006 1:58 pm
#11. Write a post about people not commenting on posts.
Some good advice here, will incorporate some of them into my blog.
My site deals with how-to guides for new users, so if 1% of all lurkers, leave comments, then the percentage of newbies leaving comments must be absolutely miniscule. I’ve not had one comment on any of my posts so far despite getting a reasonable amount of traffic…
Greg
October 12th, 2006 2:02 pm
All good points. I think that Blogs are fighting an uphill battle when compared to boards however. Boards tend to be designed with multiple ‘original’ contributors in mind, most blogs have only the blog owner creating ‘original’ content, and everyone else following on with comments afterwards. My experience with this is that the blog is driven by whatever passions the owner has, and starts to look an awful lot like navel gazing after a short while. Inviting guest bloggers to contribute is a good way to escape this trap.
One of the best points you made is rewarding commenters. If they have a blog of their own, take the time to go over there, read it, and add a comment of your own. We’re in the initial stages of creating new kinds of communities, interactions are part of the process.
Finally, boundaries are probably a very good idea. I’m a moderator at a large board, which has clear boundaries, warns violaters, and in egregious cases expels them. I haven’t the experience with any blog I own needing it, but my sense is that this is a good idea.
Gdog
October 12th, 2006 2:02 pm
You’ve been “dugg”…hence all these comments!
Justin
October 12th, 2006 2:03 pm
oh cool, this information is really useful and definately is comment worthy! hehe. I’ll see if I can try to use some of this information for my own blog.
Thanks!
Brandon
October 12th, 2006 2:09 pm
Looks like your question thing at the end of the post worked. Also not having to sign in is nice too. Good job. Nice list. Thanks.
Chris Abraham - Because the Medium is the Message
October 12th, 2006 2:11 pm
99% of your Blog’s Readers are Lurkers - How to Get them to Comment…
“10 techniques for getting the silent majority of your blog’s readers to leave a comment.” This is true. For every one comment in an online community, there are 99 folks just reading.read more | digg story……
Donald
October 12th, 2006 2:15 pm
This’s me commenting.
DesiPundit » Archives » Get More Comments on Your Blog
October 12th, 2006 2:15 pm
[…] ProBlogger gives you 10 techniques to get more comments on your blog. […]
Kimberly Kay
October 12th, 2006 2:27 pm
1. I think you need to conversational. Some people still stick up formal long posts that are informative, but are written in such a didatic manner that I think people dont bother posting.
2. If you are a new blogger, you need to give comment love. As I write this, I have not myself in engaged in this practice as much as I would like, becuase I get easily distracted. But comment on the people who comment on you.
links for 2006-10-12 « Sanjeev.NET
October 12th, 2006 2:28 pm
[…] 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (tags: blogging articles lists 2do) […]
nunyabizness
October 12th, 2006 2:30 pm
RE: #10 - Even requiring an email address puts people off. Not everyone knows to use the disposable email sites. Despite your intentions, people generally don’t want more useless (despite how useful you THINK it’ll be) messages in their respective Inboxes whether you send it or no. JMTC.
Kyle » Blog Archive » 99% of your Blog’s Readers are Lurkers - How to Get them to Comment
October 12th, 2006 2:32 pm
[…] 10 techniques for getting the silent majority of your blog’s readers to leave a commentread more | digg story […]
dave
October 12th, 2006 2:39 pm
no comment.
noname
October 12th, 2006 2:47 pm
How about this for the “Only” reason
people don’t want to have to fill out information to leave a comment.
How do you get more comments on your blog?
October 12th, 2006 2:47 pm
[…] How do you get comments? Darren Rowse on ProBlogger suggests that less than 1% of all readers will ever comment. How to get more comments? Darren suggests 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog. All are well worth following but I’d add another strategy. […]
David B.
October 12th, 2006 2:52 pm
I absolutely HATE having to register to leave a comment. There’s nothing more annoying than when I go to leave a comment and find out that I have to register first. As soon as I see that, I leave the site. Anyhow, excellent article Darren.
Bob
October 12th, 2006 2:55 pm
For some reason, I feel inspired to leave a comment?
Michael
October 12th, 2006 2:57 pm
Some handy tips thanks. I look at the stats of my web site each day (which are not that bad) and I would say less than 3% of visitors leave comments. I am always thinking of new ways to get more comments so some of the things you said make sense and I will no doubt try them out.
PS: love your work.
Da Commentah
October 12th, 2006 2:57 pm
Do comments make you happy?
sandeep
October 12th, 2006 3:06 pm
It seems like that a Contest have begin to leave a comment.
So this is my entry.
Coopz
October 12th, 2006 3:16 pm
To leave a comment, or not leave a comment, that is the question.
I choose not to leave a comment.
Shiva
October 12th, 2006 3:31 pm
Darren,you made me put in my first comment on a blog !!! Its a great start.
Greg
October 12th, 2006 3:36 pm
Good post, I just started a blog and took my time implementing a nice comment system with some scriptaculous animations and some ajax immediately posting to the comments. I was wondering if people would notice the link to leave a post as the actual controls come up on an overlay, but I think from now on I’ll remind people of this ability in my blog post detail as to convince more to comment. Please check it out.
arthur
October 12th, 2006 3:45 pm
thanks for this list. although i find nothing new in this topic, it serves as a great reminder and tip
Buggly
October 12th, 2006 3:47 pm
What benefit do you think there is in getting comments?
90% of people are dumber than monkeys why would you want to hear what they think?
Darren
October 12th, 2006 4:03 pm
Usually I just don’t have the time, or do not notice the comments. I think if comments were a larger part of the blog then I would comment more. It j.st seems that it isn’t worth it to comment.
virens
October 12th, 2006 4:11 pm
Great post! Some of this tips I use intuitively, so there are some comments in my blog. But some of them I didn`t knew. Thanks a lot!
hmm
October 12th, 2006 4:14 pm
this page has too many comments
Geoff Young
October 12th, 2006 4:15 pm
Good points, Darren. Of the ones you list, I’ve found #2, 4, 6, and 7 to be most effective. Humility and graciousness go a long way toward inviting comments and, beyond that, opening genuine communication.
Good stuff. Thanks again…
ironic
October 12th, 2006 4:26 pm
I totally agree that having to register…or giving a name/email to leave a comment is a hurdle…
拼凑Jeff » 如何吸引comments
October 12th, 2006 4:30 pm
[…] 今天看到这个文章，其实自己也没有很在意到底comment有多少，虽然还是多多益善。不过这篇文章倒是道出了一些蛮实际的方法，也蛮值得效法的。比如说这个 4. Interact with comments left - If you’re not willing to use your own comments section why would your readers? If someone leaves a comment interact with them. This gets harder as your blog grows but it’s particularly important in the early days of your blog as it shows your readers that their comments are valued, it creates a culture of interactivity and gives the impression to other readers that your comments section is an active place that you as the blogger value. As the activity in your comments section grows you may find you need to be slightly less active in it as readers will start to take over on answering questions and creating community - however don’t completely ignore your comment threads. […]
Millions Livio
October 12th, 2006 4:31 pm
I agree with all of your points, more people should pay attention to the details if they want results.
If your an artist or a writer you may enjoy my site at TheBluePanda.com
Jonsd
October 12th, 2006 4:33 pm
well, here is my comment…are u happy?
The China Expat
October 12th, 2006 4:36 pm
Aiyaa! Look at all these comments. My problem is not enough traffic + too many posts, which means very few comments.
Along with the navel gazing, that is.
Bob
October 12th, 2006 4:39 pm
Well I commented so poo on you this site stinks.
nel animo
October 12th, 2006 4:41 pm
Thanks for all the tips you recommended. This is very helpful.
This is nel from http://www.animomedia.com
Dion
October 12th, 2006 5:21 pm
This is a great list! Well done.
I have fiund some of these suggestins to be true fir both my blog, and the blogs of others.
Keep uo the great work!
digitaldion Strong Artificial Intelligence, gadgets, theology, and Vespa!
99% of your Blog’s Readers are Lurkers - How to Get them to Comment « Digged Stories
October 12th, 2006 5:31 pm
[…] read more | digg story […]
Raju
October 12th, 2006 7:26 pm
Thnaks , interesting points.
Best of Best Freeware
DilTech Solutions
http://www.diltech.in
Mi 1er Blog - » Solo rondan tu blog sin dejar comentarios?
October 12th, 2006 8:37 pm
[…] Estos puntos son basados en el post 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog de Problogger […]
The Inveterate Observer » Blog Archive » 99% of your Blog’s Readers are Lurkers - How to Get them to Comment
October 12th, 2006 8:55 pm
[…] 10 techniques for getting the silent majority of your blog’s readers to leave a commentread more | digg story […]
Darren
October 12th, 2006 9:12 pm
After writing a post like that, I can’t to anything but comment!
Darren
October 12th, 2006 9:14 pm
Oh, and I just noticed we have the same first name.
There aren’t many of us, that’s for sure.
JFB
October 12th, 2006 9:29 pm
I’d love to have more comments to my posts and I actually invite everyone to comment. I only ask questions on my blog… This is my “concept”.
But I have hardly a few comments so far.
So my question here is simple : is there a way to avoid asking for the email before posting comments (i am on Wordpress) ?
I think that like registration, it can keep some people from dropping me a line.
I don’t see the use of the email request by the way. Is there any reason it is required ? .
planner
October 12th, 2006 9:56 pm
are comments really that big a deal?
Darren Rowse
October 12th, 2006 10:05 pm
Thanks to everyone for your comments - there’s so many (this post got to the top of Digg and Delicious) it’s hard to know where to start.
A recurring them here (and in the Digg comments) was ‘what’s so good about comments’ or ‘why would you want more comments’?
I’ve previously written a post on the upside and downside of comments (link above in the article and here which might help answer that question.
My perspective is that comments are not the be all or end all. On some blogs I think it’s even legit to not have them at all (depending upon the goals of the blog).
However on most blogs comments are a good thing and are one measure of how people are interacting with your blog. I love comments on my blogs because they are where a lot of the real action happens and where the real learning happens. I know on my blogs that I always have limited knowledge on my topics and that it’s my readers who teach me so much - as a result comments are something that I value highly.
Just me
October 12th, 2006 10:16 pm
The number one reason that people don’t comment is because they just can’t easily give a comment, they have to set up an account ,login in ,give a real e-mail address, etc. I wouldn’t have made this comment if I had to do these things..
99% of your Blog’s Readers are Lurkers - How to Get them to Comment at innerangst.net
October 12th, 2006 10:31 pm
[…] read more | digg story Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: . […]
Steve Remington
October 12th, 2006 10:46 pm
97 comments.. wow! :D
Casey Fulton
October 12th, 2006 10:55 pm
Well, it made me comment, so you must be doing something right…
Dweebo
October 12th, 2006 11:03 pm
OMG, i didn’t have to register to leave a comment….wtf OMG LOLz0rz….amazing stuff bro.. Thx
christopher
October 12th, 2006 11:10 pm
i’m just commenting to get the 100th =) hehe
Jaymoon
October 12th, 2006 11:35 pm
Well you got me to comment… Good article.
Blogtips » Blog Archive » 10 Möglichkeiten mehr Kommentare zu bekommen
October 12th, 2006 11:37 pm
[…] Darren hat einen interessanten Artikel in seinem problogger Blog verfaßt in dem er verschiedene Wege aufzeigt wie man Besucher ermuntern kann mehr Kommentare abzugeben. Dies ist natürlich nur hilfreich wenn man die Kommentarfunktion aktiviert hat. Vielleicht habt ihr euch schon mal die Frage gestellt warum manche Blogs verdammt viele Kommentare haben und andere wenige bzw. überhaupt keine. […]
Problogger on How to Get More Comments at FreshBlogger
October 12th, 2006 11:40 pm
[…] I posted recently on the subject of leaving comments on posts and now Problogger has come out with a very timely post on the same topic: 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog. He mentions many of the same ideas I’ve heard before and some of which I’ve tried. […]
www.best-practice-business.de/blog » 10 Tipps, mehr Kommentare im Blog zu erhalten
October 12th, 2006 11:47 pm
[…] Wie kann man es jetzt schaffen, dass man als Blogger mit den Lesern einen Dialog führen kann und die Zahl der Kommentare deutlich wächst? Der ProBlogger hat sich darüber seine Gedanken gemacht und aufgrund seiner eigenen Erfahrungen und Erfolge zehn Tipps dazu veröffentlicht: […]
Akula
October 13th, 2006 12:06 am
I think you may have forgot the number one technique to get comments………..ALLOW COMMENT SPAM.
I let a stand idle for about three months with no comment spam filter. I recently ressercted it and had over 25,000 comments waiting my approval. In fact so many comments it WP locked up before fully populating the entire list so I can delete all at one time.
john
October 13th, 2006 12:45 am
Hmm… so you have to be nice to those that leave comments? No wonder I only have one person that leaves comments.. or it could be the fact that I only have a handful of regular visitors
thanks for the advice
10 Techniques for More Comments by Blogging Pro
October 13th, 2006 1:16 am
[…] Darren Rowse knows that bloggers want communication, that is why most of us start blogs. We may think comments are not important, but we like our work, our effort to be validated in some way, even if it does nothing more than start an argument, as that is some form of conversation and so he has taken it upon himself to list ten techniques that you can use to get people to comment more on your blogs. […]
crimemastergogo
October 13th, 2006 1:25 am
Hey, Darren
Thanks a lot man, and honestly, This is the first comment I’m leaving on any blog post
Really useful post
jlo7719
October 13th, 2006 3:28 am
Let me guess…. Most comments you’ve ever recieved on a post. and guess what else? first time I’m commenting on a “blog”. No registration helps alot.
Adrienne
October 13th, 2006 4:42 am
Great tips! I’m going to start putting a few of these into action NOW!!!
Cheers!
Acting Class in Los Angeles
October 13th, 2006 5:26 am
Love the article!
quarks
October 13th, 2006 6:34 am
good points, and you have everyone leaving comments ;)
Another thing to do would be to reward regular commentors, if a commentor is a regular and is polite, you can offer to link to them or have a post every week/month/year (depending on how frequent you blog) that thanks all users that commented (and you would post the users name in the post so:
Thanks to all the commentors of week #2 (oct 5-oct 10)
User#1
User#2
User#3
User#4
Jay
October 13th, 2006 8:02 am
I was one of your lurkers, so I thought this would be a good post to comment on first. :) Thanks for the list!
Kailani
October 13th, 2006 8:25 am
In regards to #4 Interact with Comments, in your opinion, is it better to respond to comments via your blog or by personally emailing them?
Ryan Carter
October 13th, 2006 8:35 am
This is a good list for all of us to remember when blogging. I find it hard to garner comments, and feel that it’s okay to be wrong and still maintain credibility. Thanks for this post, I love your blog, so keep up the great writing.
rick
October 13th, 2006 9:27 am
Nice job! Like many others, I am just getting started. The tips you provided are most useful.Thanks.
~rick
ourr » links for 2006-10-12
October 13th, 2006 9:29 am
[…] 99% of your Blog’s Readers are Lurkers - How to Get them to Comment (tags: blog seo) […]
its about time» Blog Archive » links for 2006-10-12
October 13th, 2006 10:19 am
[…] 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (tags: blog blogging BLOGS business collaboration comments howto design read Marketing networking social web list lists) […]
What to Do When Your Idea Sucks | Copyblogger
October 13th, 2006 10:53 am
[…] As Darren pointed out this week, only about 1% of your audience routinely participates in the comments. When you hit one out of the park, participation rises. […]
Help Me Improve Posting Style or Voice | Art Of Money
October 13th, 2006 11:14 am
[…] This section was also partially inspired by Problogger’s post about getting more comments on your blog. […]
Shawn B
October 13th, 2006 2:39 pm
Hey Darren,
Here’s my contribution to your growing commented post.
Cheers,
Shawn
Mike
October 13th, 2006 3:13 pm
worked for me…I commented!
Sweet..but
October 13th, 2006 4:57 pm
I think one that definately invites me is having a picture… well i guess it keeps me on page for me to leave a comment :)
Singapore Mall
October 13th, 2006 5:08 pm
Where should I leave the comment
(Error : Please leave the mail)
http://mynamitha.blogspot.com
Ismael Valladolid Torres
October 13th, 2006 5:35 pm
This post shows 126 comments where your FeedBurner speaks about more than 9000 readers… This makes an 1,4%.
So, definitely you’re making a good job encouraging people to comment in your blog, 0,4% more than usual!! :)
A very interesting point of view nevertheless.
Tom
October 13th, 2006 5:35 pm
Thanks for the advice. Will put it to work.
Tom
villiam
October 13th, 2006 6:04 pm
How to encourage useful comments and get rid off the idiots?
Hello world! « on the road to self-discovery
October 13th, 2006 6:38 pm
[…] 4. Need to find out how to get more people to leave comments? - and more than just "Good post"? These ten methods help Joe-Schmo to get return-readers and persuade those lurkers (ahem people like me ahem) to get involved. […]
Falls
October 13th, 2006 7:03 pm
Good read … headline catchy … good points, some of which I have learned along the way as well (humility, grace, layoff the controversial stuff). Will share with my colleagues at work as we begin blogging from a corporate perspective.
Thanks!
cyber
October 13th, 2006 9:48 pm
It’s because the comments are on the bottom. People read the blog but the comments are not a big part of it (or rather, the comments doesn’t affect the article too much so readers don’t bother to comment anymore).
If the comments are made visible after a few scrolls, then they could be noticed.
Scott
October 13th, 2006 9:49 pm
Darren,
Number 6 is what attracted me to you 15 months ago. You came across as a decent “person” first. That helped to establish rapport and trust.
I couldn’t agree more with this post.
Kris Beldin’s Two Cents Blog » Blog Archive » links for 2006-10-13
October 13th, 2006 10:22 pm
[…] 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (tags: comments howto blogs) […]
Jaap
October 13th, 2006 10:54 pm
I will use your advice from now on.
Jaap
MarketingBlog.eu - How to stimulate blog comments
October 13th, 2006 11:15 pm
[…] to Get More Comments on Your Blog’ will help me Permalink • Leave a comment • Trackback (0) • Googleit! […]
ronnknee
October 13th, 2006 11:24 pm
Here’s a comment. Great advice =) Thanks
soulsoup » » Conversations in your blog : How to e-learning blog, elearning blog, knowledge management, e-learning strategy, learning experience design, usability
October 13th, 2006 11:38 pm
[…] I seriously can use these advise (only if I get little more time ) 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog from problogger.com […]
Bob
October 14th, 2006 1:16 am
Thank you for the advice. I’ve found #4 to be effective.
James
October 14th, 2006 2:58 am
A comments policy is something I am missing. A few months ago, I had to ask a semi-regular commenter to refrain from personally attacking other commenters. The case was very mild, but I thought worth a polite mention. He took it the wrong way and hasn’t been back. Perhaps a clearly written policy could have avoided the situation from the start.
Keith
October 14th, 2006 3:56 am
You sure produce a great example to demonstrate on ways to get people to comment, as what I can see from the result of your blog site. Good work!
TechMount » Archive » Daily Friction #167
October 14th, 2006 4:33 am
[…] 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog. […]
Writing Home » Blog Archive » links for 2006-10-13
October 14th, 2006 8:18 am
[…] 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (tags: blogging collaboration comments) […]
No Comment
October 14th, 2006 6:09 pm
Sounds familiar?
Negonation Blog » Blog Archive » Aprendiendo a bloguear
October 14th, 2006 9:02 pm
[…] 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog con los comentarios de Enrique Dans. […]
Eddie
October 14th, 2006 9:41 pm
outstanding post! great advice, will take on board!
Max
October 14th, 2006 10:45 pm
I usually never leave comments on blogs,
but you persuaded me!
Bruno Ribeiro
October 15th, 2006 2:15 am
Well, I don’t know if that’s going to work for me, but definitely worked for you! :)
Excellent post!
Want to Draw More Comments to Your Blog?? » Personal Insights on Web 2.0, Blogging, and Business
October 15th, 2006 2:34 am
[…] If so- check these 10 techniques to get more comments on your blog. […]
links for 2006-10-15 « Zero influence
October 15th, 2006 10:39 am
[…] 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog Only 1 out of every 100 readers of this post are likely to interact with it by leaving a comment… (tags: blogging blog blogs marketing design) Posted by zeroinfluencer Filed in del.icio.us links […]
This weeks top 10 ” del.icio.us ” links.. at Peety-Passion.com
October 15th, 2006 3:47 pm
[…] 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog […]
Change your thoughts » Blog Archive » Some great posts to get you through the day
October 15th, 2006 6:21 pm
[…] 10 techniques to get more comments on your blog by Darren Rowse – This is an issue I am trying to address and this post from Darren is addresses how we can get more comments. […]
Ben
October 16th, 2006 9:52 am
I would asume that this can be used as any any form of an online community? I am having a lot of trouble getting my forum of the ground. The site has been running since may, and i only have 20 registered users on my forum. That would have been fine, but they register, make a few posts then never come back. My aim is to have the forum self sustaining. If I get busy with work and dont get time to go on my forum i dont want the forum to die. WIll give all of this a try
Thank You!
Now lets see if you adhere to point 4.)
binoculars
October 16th, 2006 11:58 am
Great tips Darren. Thanks.
adria
October 16th, 2006 12:04 pm
Great post, I found myself nodding my head as I went through each point. I would like to mention cocomment, a firefox addon that automatically tracks all your comments left on different blogs and organizes them onto one page. I just recently started using it, and I think it makes commenting more of a conversation than a “hit and run.” Before using cocomment I would be much more likely to leave a comment, then forget to go back and check to see if anyone had replied.
Jordan the Shoe Blogger
October 16th, 2006 12:30 pm
Best way to get comments from readers is to announce that you died. They will send all sorts of condolences. After that, announce that you actually lied and are alive. You should get many comments also.
Darren Rowse
October 16th, 2006 2:47 pm
Ben - yep - have already left a comment although this post has so many comments on it its difficult to interact with :-) You’re right though - a lot of this could be applied to other forms of online community (eg forums).
STE7130 - Steffen Siegrists Weblog aus Mühlacker » Blog Archive » Links vom 17-10-2006 :
October 17th, 2006 10:35 am
[…] 2 - problogger.net - 10 Techniques to Get More Comments 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (tags: technique inspiration blogs web2.0 community advertising) […]
STE7130 - Steffen Siegrists Weblog aus Mühlacker » Blog Archive » Links vom 17-10-2006 :
October 17th, 2006 10:35 am
[…] 2 - problogger.net - 10 Techniques to Get More Comments 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (tags: technique inspiration blogs web2.0 community advertising) […]
Blogging for money. | Blogise
October 17th, 2006 6:39 pm
[…] Highlights: Blogging for Dollars Blog Juice Calculator Books for Bloggers 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog […]
Library Views 圖書館觀點 :: 10 個讓你的 Blog 可以獲得更多迴響的技巧 :: October :: 2006
October 17th, 2006 10:15 pm
[…] ProBlogger 在上週提出了 “10個讓 Blog 可以獲得更多迴響的技巧” 之後，立刻獲得廣大的迴響，底下便摘錄這 10 個技巧。 […]
Mital
October 18th, 2006 8:04 am
thanks for the great info Darren.
fireyy blog » Blog Archive » 增加blog留言(评论)的技巧
October 18th, 2006 5:20 pm
[…] 来自 problogger […]