Written on December 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 am by Darren Rowse

7 Questions to Ask On Your Blog to Get More Reader Engagement

Have you ever been ‘talked at’ instead of had someone ‘talk with’ you in a real life conversation? It doesn’t feel good to have someone talk AT you.

It leaves you feeling like you might as well not have been there at all.

Blogs can be like that and in this post we explore the power of asking questions on your blog and I share 7 types of questions you can ask to increase reader engagement.

The 7 questions are:

What Do you Think?
How Do you Feel?
What Will You Do?
What is Your Opinion?
What is Your Story?
What is Your Experience or Example?
What Have you Been Working On?

Of course there are plenty of other types of questions – what type do you ask and how do you find people respond?

Note: you can get the full sized version of this video at YouTube here.

What next?

438 Responses to “7 Questions to Ask On Your Blog to Get More Reader Engagement” - Add Yours

Andrew @ webuildyourblog.com

December 2nd, 2009 1:00 am

What is Your Experience or Example? is the most comment one I use and then say “please share in the comments below”. At the moment that seems to be working as my comments are growing.

I do like “What is Your Story?”.

Excellent, as ever, Darren.

Andrew
Dean Saliba

December 2nd, 2009 1:02 am

I always try to end with a question to encourage the reader to comment.
David Hopkins

December 2nd, 2009 1:11 am

Ask for your reader experience is a good way to encourage participation.

The best way is to, if appropriate, tailor the post to encourage a reaction (positive or negative) will always get a response.

David.
Cheryl from thatgirlisfunny

December 2nd, 2009 1:12 am

Hi Darren,
Generally, I’ll end each post with a wrap-up including an open-ended question that requires some thought and engages someone to be specific in their response. Here’s an example from yesterday’s Guest Post on my blog ThatGirlisFunny.com

“Bravo Marcelle! Thank you for sharing your thoughts so candidly. We want to hear from everyone else! What are your thoughts on aging and letting yourself out of the “age box”? ”

Asking specific questions, helps with catching clever spammers who leave brief, chatty comments that aren’t specific and could apply to any post. They get instantly deleted.
Neena

December 2nd, 2009 1:12 am

It is so hard to engage a reader for more than a few minutes – there are so many “pulls” on a person’s time. This is a nice list of questions to hopefully spark a conversation.
Marinka

December 2nd, 2009 1:13 am

I noticed that I get the most comments when I post something relatable and ask for readers’ input. Like this recent post, where I asked readers if they switch hands for their fork after they finished cutting the meat.

http://www.motherhoodinnyc.com/2009/11/happy-thanksgiving-your-manners-suck.html
Casey Watkins

December 2nd, 2009 1:18 am

I normally try to encourage them to post a comment. I need to try and ask more questions.
Dan Smith

December 2nd, 2009 1:29 am

I liked all of your questions, and I will incorporate more and more in the future. Most of the time, I ask a variation of “How did it work out for you if you’ve tried this?” but that is a bit wordy, so should give some of yours a try.
Lorna

December 2nd, 2009 1:34 am

Extremely helpful, thanks. Will use.
Samantha

December 2nd, 2009 1:36 am

Hi guys

Questions are good way to let your readers interact with your posts or give their opinion. I usually place the question at the end of my post for them to make their response. I seldom place it at the beginning for an introduction and let my reader give their point of view with the question I place at the beginning.

Kind Regards

Sam
X
Wolfgang

December 2nd, 2009 1:46 am

Yes, very helpful.
I haven’t asked yet that much, because my blog ist still very young and I am afraid of asking, but nobody answers … :-)
But you are right, sooner or later one must ask to get interaction.
Ms. Freeman

December 2nd, 2009 1:50 am

One of the most powerul ways to keep a conversation going is to use Open-Ended Questions. I use them all the time.

The thing is one can ask questions all day long the hard part is to get the questions answered.
Mr. I

December 2nd, 2009 1:54 am

Asking about experiences/stories is the best way to get readers interacting. I noticed this when I made a poll first time on blog.

The seven questions are good way to start and I am sure many bloggers will find these helpful.
David Walker

December 2nd, 2009 2:06 am

“What type do you ask and how do you find people respond?” is a good one, Darren.
I find just having a comments section with “Please leave any questions and comments” doesn’t work much except when I use such a question: “Tell us what you’re thinking?” this pulls the reader into the discussion and they feel they really need to have their say.
I like questions on blogs that ask for readers’ experiences and their versions of doing things, or how they fixed a particular problem. I always end up contributing ;)
Vishal Sanjay

December 2nd, 2009 2:26 am

Truly this is a good post and it will definitely help beginners increase their user engagement, but i truly don’t think it is so useful for advanced bloggers. You may have to use different ways.
Under$1000PerMonth

December 2nd, 2009 2:43 am

I love ending with a question, especially if it is a topic I don’t know a ton about. I often get great ideas for posts from comments. There is a real difference between wanting the readers to think you care about their thoughts and actually caring about their thoughts. Readers can often tell.
Bruce Barber

December 2nd, 2009 2:54 am

Hi Darren,

I really like what you’re saying. Coincidentally, I asked a question of my readers this very morning!

http://bit.ly/5QjVj8

Cheers,

Bruce
Cirodin

December 2nd, 2009 2:56 am

I’m glad I discovered Darren Rowse before I launched my own blog. Writing about shoes may not seem like rocket science, but there’s no reason not to follow a great advice like this. Thanks!
ElizOF

December 2nd, 2009 3:08 am

Thank you Darren. I don’t know where you find the time to cover so much fantastic information for us — You’re the best!
I ask these questions and more on my blog and sometimes get feedback…
As a fairly new blogger (1 year to date hooray!) with a pretty exciting yet demanding job, I write a weekly blog which works well for my work-life-family balance. I have noticed that since I made the commitment to blog on a regular basis (31 Day Challenge gave me that push) rather than intermittently, my traffic has increased but my comments have been sporadic.
Honestly, I am just darn grateful to have a blog which has opened doors to meeting many amazing people online. I am in this for the long haul and have tried many free and a few paid options for blog growth/exposure.
I have also done some research to see what some top bloggers feedback looked like in their first year and I will say I am in good company… It’s all good and we can only get better.
My advice will be to keep asking the questions, networking, increasing content, learning with Darren and other pros, sharing views and plugging away at your blog and the rest will follow.
Have a great week all!
Cheers,
Eliz
Joe Smith

December 2nd, 2009 3:25 am

Did you notice that all of Darren’s examples include the word “you”, but not one uses the word “I”? People like to read material that thewy can relate to – especially if it affects them. This is especially true if you are looking for feedback.

Live. Love. Laugh. Learn. Leave a Legacy.
Erica Mueller

December 2nd, 2009 3:46 am

I too am learning to ask questions. Recently when sharing about a new editorial calender for Wordpress users, I asked how this would save them time, and if they’d use it. I had people who don’t even use Wordpress answering the question and then pining that there wasn’t something similar for their blog platforms. :-)

Getting people involved has always been hard for me, seeing as how most of my posts are informational. I’m trying to loosen up a bit and bring more of myself to the content to help the readers feel connected, then ask them questions like you’ve described!
Jennifer Woodard

December 2nd, 2009 4:02 am

Thanks for the post, I have been looking for ways to get my readers more engaged. I will use some of the tips and see if my engagement improves.

Jenn
Lucifer@Blog Contests

December 2nd, 2009 4:24 am

Btw You Urself asking this question “what type do you ask and how do you find people respond?” so u can see the respond ;)

To Get Response you need to Have a Blog With Good Number of readers(traffic) nd this can work well as time passes nd ur experience as a blogger increases :)
Joshua Black

December 2nd, 2009 4:50 am

Brilliant post. I’m going to start using these questions immediately. It’s critical for your readers to get engaged and I have had trouble hearing back from them. I get frequent comments through email, but not back at the blog. This will help a lot. Just a little grease to spark the conversation. I can see how this will start something.
Jannie Funster

December 2nd, 2009 5:04 am

This reminds me to make my questions open-ended. Excellent list.

And I find when I share a little story, people like relating anecdotes from their similar experiences. As in, “Anything like that ever happen to you?”
Chase Brumfield

December 2nd, 2009 5:37 am

I agree with this… honestly what are we doing as bloggers if we’re not building relationships. Granted, some people are in it for the money, but providing quality content is all about sharing and being shared with. Its not a one sided game.
David Knapp

December 2nd, 2009 5:55 am

Sometimes I just inform people at the end of the posts that comments and reactions are welcomed but I am going to start implementing some of your suggestions.

Great post, thank you.
Justine Smith

December 2nd, 2009 6:03 am

That’s some great advice Darren. I was imaging you, the problogger guru sitting there listening to that guy talk and talk and I felt so sorry for you! Doesn’t he know who you are haha.

I’ve done a few things lately that got some good responses. One: I created a how-to video and then asked people to post a link once they took the advice. It was great to see people applying my ideas into their own shop.

Another thing was to poll people on what sort of information they want to see more of on my blog or via an e-book. I wholesale jewelry full time and so I assumed most people would be interested in that, but instead they wanted to know how to advertise so that gave me some great direction for blog content and e-book outlines.

Thanks for the great video!
~
Living with Balls

December 2nd, 2009 6:22 am

I always try to ask these type of questions at the end of the post. I think it helps to encourage comments.
Tomas Stonkus

December 2nd, 2009 7:05 am

Dear Mr.Rowse:

I agree that I should ask questions to engage my readers more, but where and when exactly would I ask those questions?

I guess I am struggling with that issue. Some of the more typical ideas that people have mentioned are asking a question at the end of the article, including a question in comments?

Is it even beneficial to do for a blog in it’s initial stages? If somebody could help me out with those questions it would be great.

Best,
Tomas
Andee Sellman, One Sherpa

December 2nd, 2009 7:08 am

Thanks for the great list of questions.
I’m reading a book called Inbound Marketing at the moment and they suggest asking questions but they don’t give a list as helpful or extensive as yours.
I know that to date I’ve not asked enough questions at the end of my blog posts and therefore have not generated anything like the comment traffic which I think would be really helpful.
Thanks for the reminder to get on and do it!!
Steve

December 2nd, 2009 7:49 am

Darren,

Great thoughts. One question I found recently to ask that produces a lot of engagement is: “Who wants an invitation to Google Wave, and why?”

Some type of giveaway, tied to responsiveness to a question always helps. Even if it’s only for bragging rights, not a tangible product.

Thanks.
Health Mind Spirit News

December 2nd, 2009 9:33 am

Nice tip about reader engagement,

My experience has been if I talk AT PEOPLE, you turn them off,

If you talk WITH PEOPLE, there is a far greater chance of them listening, as you already pointed out.

I find it sets the tone of the article too,
Parth

December 2nd, 2009 9:38 am

Hey Darren,

Looks like your youtube videos aren’t working either. Do you think we should just wait it out, or is this a major problem? Something wrong with youtube and wordpress?
jaruwan

December 2nd, 2009 9:43 am

Its very useful blog,i read some articles and like this.I think other blogger like too.
John (Human3rror)

December 2nd, 2009 10:37 am

Wow, thanks for the great read! It was worth clicking through the GooReader.

;)
Harmonica Notes

December 2nd, 2009 10:37 am

I have traffic and a few comments. I have people signing up for my news letter but I can’t get people to comment on my site. I have asked for opinions and such but I only get the occasional technical question. I will make a what’s your story post but I can’t figure out, aside from that how to get people commenting.
David Turnbull

December 2nd, 2009 10:55 am

I prefer to use my blog as a learning experience for myself, so I’ll often stick with questions like “What are some ways you do [some activity relevant to the article]?”

Works well. :)
Vivek

December 2nd, 2009 10:59 am

Great one. At my blog i will ask more questions when i write something technical and on blogging and most of the time i receive comments and their opinions and it helps me to write more so that i will make permanent readers.
Mike Pedersen

December 2nd, 2009 11:04 am

Great reminders to keep your readers engaged and participating in the conversation. I have not been doing this, but will do so, ASAP. Thanks for the nudge :)
nike air max 90

December 2nd, 2009 12:39 pm

i just write my feelings on mine. i think that’s why i dont have many visitors. SO why cannot i find my recent comment for this post?
fat mum slim

December 2nd, 2009 12:56 pm

This is a great point {or points} and one that I am going to look into further.

I’d love if you would expand on this topic too.

I ask questions at the end of posts, but it’s hit and miss. I know I have the traffic, but I would a little more comment love. Some days I’ll get lots, and other not so much.

I think people love to leave comments on topics they’re passionate about – whether it be current affairs, or even just their favourite sandwich.

One blog that asks really great questions is http://www.notquitenigella.com The posts are structured really well, and then the questions are never obvious… but always intriguing. I wish I could work the way she does. She gets truckloads of comments and has a great little community.

I think a commenting structure like http://www.mamamia.com.au has works well too. It’s very interactive.

Anyways I’ve gone off track and onto a whole different topic.
Broderick Durisseau

December 2nd, 2009 1:10 pm

I like this. It speaks towards the aspect of communication and community building instead of just shoving info at a reader. This kind of reminds me of the earlier post on here, Why Nobody Cares About Your Blog. That article irritated me, but I think it helped.
Jay Yanuaria

December 2nd, 2009 1:24 pm

Asking questions is a good way to encourage comments and discussions.

I usually use “How about you?”.

You just provided good addition in my list..

Thanks.

Do you have statistics in those 7 to know what works best?
Kang Asep

December 2nd, 2009 1:24 pm

Great question…those are the basic questions to build our purposes in blogging, our commitment, our strength, weakness, etc
The Emotion Machine

December 2nd, 2009 1:37 pm

Darren, you always have the best advice for us upcoming and struggling bloggers! We really appreciate it – thank you!
magnesium

December 2nd, 2009 3:16 pm

I have not been keeping up with my blog, been so busy. But I am also working on more of a site than a blog at the moment. I wrote down your tips, I think I can implement that into the site as well. Allow visitors not only to see my work, but have a way for them to share their thoughts, feelings and their own work if they wish.

Always looking for that new way of interactivity for the viewer. I’ve been told add to a game section, which I might!
motorolafans

December 2nd, 2009 3:20 pm

Asking about experiences/stories is the best way to get readers interacting. I noticed this when I made a poll first time on blog.

The seven questions are good way to start and I am sure many bloggers will find these helpful.
The Coaster Critic

December 2nd, 2009 4:00 pm

About a year ago I started adding a short “What’s Your Take?” invite to the bottom of every post I write. Blogs are still kind of new in my corner of the Web so I think it helped my readers understand that blogs should include two-way communication. Great post Darren!
free online adventure games

December 2nd, 2009 6:30 pm

Hi Darren,

Out of the 7 questions you provided, whats your favorite? My favorite would probably the “What is your opinion?” and “What do you think?”.
Pallav

December 2nd, 2009 7:23 pm

Hey Darren

This article is extremely motivating. Blogging is an art for me. There is so much to learn and deliver through blogging. I am an avid reader of Problogger. This blog simply speaks my mind. What’s your story? :)

Thanks!
JonGibbs

December 2nd, 2009 11:17 pm

Great post. Thanks for sharing :)

I nearly always end my posts with “How about you?” followed by a more specific question, based on whatever the entry’s about.
work at home

December 2nd, 2009 11:23 pm

I am trying to provide legitimate work at home information through my blog. I ask them if they are getting some nice work at home information through my blog?
Rob

December 2nd, 2009 11:48 pm

Hi Darren, i have a question off topic.

I see your ads recently all around where i am surfing.

Did you do these placements with Google content network and can you write a post about it?

Really would love to know how to place my ads and if i need a permission to place my ads on someones website etc?

That would be an awesome post
thx Rob
John Paul Aguiar

December 2nd, 2009 11:58 pm

Write as if you are having a conversation with someone across the table.

Do that and let your personality thru and your readers will come back for more.
RhondaL

December 3rd, 2009 12:53 am

I have closed posts by asking questions, but those questions tend to hang there out in the following silence, all lonely and look, well, clunky.

My readers tend to be passive. They like to entertained and to learn new things, but they don’t want to expend any energy to participate.

I do get responses — via RTs, FB comments and emails. I’m aware that some of my readers don’t understand how comments work. I’ve also had readers email me to ask if my links are “safe” to click on.

The thing is, I still love my readers. They “get” what I’m trying to do and appreciate it. I send them a little horsey vacation straight to their Inbox.I know they don’t have a lot of free time to play on the Internet.

After all, my audience tends to be busy women who love horses. If they have horses, their horses take up major chunks of time. If they don’t tend equines, my readers have jobs and families to tend. I also have lots of child readers. The comment, “My daughter wants to live on your blog” shows up in my mailbox from time to time.
waqas

December 3rd, 2009 12:54 am

Really Nice Work ROB
Thanks
Lynette Young

December 3rd, 2009 1:08 am

I once wrote for a blog who didn’t want to admit they were a blog, and asked me not to pose questions in my column because they didn’t want responses back from readers. I suppose they wanted to be a newspaper…

They are no longer in business.
Brian

December 3rd, 2009 1:25 am

Great Video… Thank You….

What do you want?
What are your expectations?
What excites YOU?
What causes you to get out of bed?

Best, Brian-
Andy NairaBrain

December 3rd, 2009 1:34 am

Never thought of this before. Thanks Darren for this post
George Angus

December 3rd, 2009 1:56 am

Hi Darren,

I always ask a question or two at the end of a post. I’ve used most from your list in the past, but I’d have to go back and see which ones generated the most response.

George
Lain

December 3rd, 2009 2:17 am

I’ve started ending every one of my posts with an invitation for readers to share their thoughts. So few people actually LISTEN these days (either online or face to face) that I think people appreciate my asking their opinions. I also try to answer all comments, so they know I actually heard them. (I may have to abandon this practice as my blog grows, but for now I’m sticking with it!).
Manon - The Passive Income Queen

December 3rd, 2009 2:23 am

Questions…questions & questions? Well I am totally guilty of never considering the involvement of my readers. This was extremely insightful, I will implement and learn.
Michael Holmes

December 3rd, 2009 2:27 am

I always ask the conventional: “What do you think?”

Sometimes I get an answer sometimes I don’t…but what do I do? Keep writing.
Gabe | freebloghelp.com

December 3rd, 2009 2:27 am

I ask questions at the end of nearly every post.

Although I have many years’ experience on my topics, I’m always humble enough to ask for my readers’ opinions. Often times, I don’t have them figured out as well as I think!
The Daily Ridiculous

December 3rd, 2009 3:27 am

Hi Darren,

Thanks for all of the pointers on your website. I had many issues with Google Ads amongst other things and your website gave me a lot of pointers to successful blogging.

Thanks!
http://www.dailyridiculous.com
Tyler Ford

December 3rd, 2009 4:04 am

At the end of most of our blog post I always ask a question based on what the post it about.

I ask them “What do they think” about a certain topic within the post.
Nathan Pope

December 3rd, 2009 5:08 am

I love when I get reader comments on any blog post I make.

To help with starting my blog community, I have just installed a plugin on my new blog that allows people to subscribe to posts so that they can receive notifications whenever someone posts a comment. Hopefully this encourages some healthy dialogue!
William

December 3rd, 2009 5:27 am

I’m pretty new to blogging, and I haven’t had much success with comments yet. I think I need to focus more on creating valuable content and increasing my number of readers.

Does anyone know a statistic on # of commenters vs. # of subscribers? Lots of people will read but not make the effort to post a comment.
Andre Johns - Hobby2Wealth

December 3rd, 2009 6:12 am

Great post Darren! Typically, I don’t ask questions in my blog entries. I’d just write an informative and educational post for my readers and call it a day. Now, I realize this approach was flawed. Since reading your post above, I’ve been applying this technique and hope to see more user interaction in the near future.

Thanks again,

Andre
Deborah

December 3rd, 2009 8:09 am

Thanks for the post. A partial reply at http://bit.ly/6pVt1n
Matt Morris

December 3rd, 2009 8:40 am

I had a ton of GREAT responses by posting an email someone sent me saying they thought I was going against God by teaching people how to become successful and how it was somehow against biblical principles. I asked my readers what their opinion was of her email and what they thought of my response to her. You can see it on my blog if you’re interested.

So now I’m thinking I need to find more negative emails to post. :)

I just read your 31 Days to a Better Blog – great stuff and I took pages of notes of things to implement – much thanks!
Urzay Gelsomino

December 3rd, 2009 10:24 am

It is a great strategy to get the readers to interact. I have read these types of tips in other places but have not implemented them. But with the comments left on this page makes it more convincing that readers WILL interact.
Cheers for the Info!
Urzay G
Wesley

December 3rd, 2009 12:22 pm

Great article! Blogging is important and engaging content will give better reader responses. Thanks!
Fatin Pauzi

December 3rd, 2009 3:20 pm

Thanks. I always experience ‘mental block’ while writing article in my blog. Those questions would overcome it. Thanks again.
Sabuj

December 3rd, 2009 3:23 pm

Hey mates, I think this idea can be used in real life very effectively when you are talking to someone – to make him/her lively in the conversation. And the boys who want to chat with girls for a long time can also use this trick. Cheers !
qualitypoint

December 3rd, 2009 7:49 pm

Nice Post.Web 2.0 encourage conversations.Discussions are retain & encourage the visitors in any blog.
Reza@Blogging Guide

December 3rd, 2009 9:13 pm

Thanks for the article, but I can’t watch the video due the connection problem. Internet connection is one the factors that make us a succesful blogger and I have problem with that!
Emilio

December 3rd, 2009 9:20 pm

So easy, so effective, and so overlooked.

Thanks!
David Morson

December 3rd, 2009 9:33 pm

I already knew of some of these tips before but I had not implemented them but after reading thyis article I will try my best to implements all of these strategies. These must be really helpful.
my healthy

December 3rd, 2009 11:20 pm

the question will make the atmosphere more lively and interesting, two-way communication occurs, would be very beneficial to both parties
Los Angeles Website Marketing

December 3rd, 2009 11:20 pm

Its a good strategy to attract more visitors to your site and this can also help to generate feedback from visitors to the blog, as their comments or feedback are very useful to us. Visitors comments and feedback are the valuable source of improvement to the professionals.
Mladen

December 3rd, 2009 11:43 pm

Your post has been more than helpful. I just started a blog and I’m not getting any traffic at all. Can you help me out?

Thanks
Mladen
Deepak @ BusinessAttitude.com

December 4th, 2009 12:36 am

I always try to end with a question to encourage the reader to comment. It is a great strategy to get the readers to interact.
Benjamin Hur

December 4th, 2009 12:45 am

It’s the simple things that we often forget or take for granted. This is something I use constantly when copy-writing for clients or myself.

How else can we expect interaction on any level if we don’t engage our audience?

Don’tcha think?

XD
Rob Birgfeld

December 4th, 2009 2:31 am

It’s hard to remember to open discussion when writing a post, so often times it appears to be a “bolt-on” that doesn’t fit with the tone of the content. One thing that I’d like to give a shot is commenting on my own post with another thought– one that specifically calls on the readers to share. Kind of a jumpstart that also suggests that I, the author, am here and ready to be part of the conversation.
sockyee

December 4th, 2009 2:34 am

Great! Some comments to add.
Any idea to help me improve and make it better?
Would it help if I have made it the other way round?
nadineblogs

December 4th, 2009 6:23 am

As usual…great post Darren. I hadn’t thought alot about the fact that I do ask questions and done it purposefully…but I actually do ask people to report back on if the information has been helpful and to offer any and all feedback. I will need to get more specific with my questions after reading and listening to this post.

Zig Ziglar said it best in his book “how to win friends and influence people” when he explained that everyone’s favorite subject is themselves. I will need to do a better job of putting this to work in my own blog. Thanks!
Bernice

December 4th, 2009 6:38 am

Great stuff! In my opinion Peter Korchnak (writes Sustainable Marketing Blog) is one of the best at applying this very thing. He ends each post with some kind of “ask” that engages me to at least reflect on what I’ve just read. Here’s his latest: http://bit.ly/8CZYX2
Eric

December 4th, 2009 9:14 am

Very good topic here. I myself forget a lot of times to ask readers what their opinion is or what they think about what they just read. It’s very important as you’re building a relationship with them and allowing them to interact with not only you but with others on your blog as well.

Communication is great. After all, how do you build traffic to your blog in the first place? Marketing and communication about it, right? You can find my latest article which I actually did not ask any questions on, at blog.bluepop13.com.
Louisa

December 4th, 2009 9:22 am

Great video! Questions also allow the readers to think of their own similar situation and not just mindlessly read your blog.

Managed 8 question in my last post on my weight loss blog ;)
Ebooks blog

December 4th, 2009 10:21 am

Hmmm, never thought about that… It definitely sounds logical… Putting great texts and contents now seems so inadequate when I read this…
Peter

December 4th, 2009 10:39 am

Hey Darren,

This is Peter from New York – I’ve actually tried the question strategy on a few posts on my blog. There are few responses so far. However, all future posts on my blog will now include some sort of question towards the end.

You’re right on point Darren. When you ask questions in your posts, you’re actually engaging your readers – That’s what it’s all about – Keep up the good work.
Hopefully, I get a chance to guest post on your blog in the near future.
Mixhunt

December 4th, 2009 1:55 pm

Great post. Thanks for sharing :)
steve

December 4th, 2009 4:49 pm

thanks for the tips and also for the google adsense tips the comments were closed for that page
Sarge | beginnerblogger.com

December 4th, 2009 5:24 pm

Wow I really relate to this. I’m a person that will ask people perhaps too many questions than talk about myself or answer questions in too much detail. I think it’s because I don’t like being in the spotlight for too long.

I know many people that can just talk about themselves and don’t ask me questions back and I sort of wish they would as I would like to share more about myself, but I won’t unless people ask me. And you can ask me anything, I love answering questions, I even like being drilled questions but I don’t voluntarily go out of my way to say something about myself often at all.

It almost gets to a point where people don’t know much about me because they don’t ask. I’m more of an ‘action man’ and let my actions speak louder than words ;)

So having said that – yes – asking questions in your blogs I think will generate more interaction with your readers which I think is one of the greatest things about blogging – user engagement!

Love videos like this Darren, you should do them more often :)

Sarge | BeginnerBlogger.com
Suby

December 5th, 2009 12:00 am

just starting out and wanted to say thanks for the tips, hopefully they will be very beneficial to myself
Steve

December 5th, 2009 12:58 am

Hi Darren,

Just got your Newsletter and filled in your survey which is why I’m here. I guess now that I think about it, I don’t ask as many questions as I would like – this video was definitely an eye-opener.

Besides giving readers ‘permission’ to share their experience I think this approach to blogging also provides me with an opportunity to learn more about my readers (so I can be the listener as opposed to the speaker like in the story you shared).

Insightful video – thanks Darren,

Steve
scheng1

December 5th, 2009 1:03 am

haha, that reminds me of a bad supervisor at my former workplace. Everyone hates her because she always says, “please justify”.
If I were to ask readers to “justify”, my blog would become the most hated blog in the world.
spatt

December 5th, 2009 1:09 am

thanks for sharing this Darren.. :)
abrablog

December 5th, 2009 4:29 am

I always do that. Ask people. Ask readers. And, i got the answer. Hehe..
Verna

December 5th, 2009 7:56 am

Darren thank you for the tips. Still at that stage where this information is absolutely helpful.
Blazing Articles - Submit your unique articles free

December 5th, 2009 8:41 am

People love reading but above all they like to engage and be able to voice their own opinions and have them matter. Adding polls and other activity to your blog will greatly increase your readers and the times they come back.
Eric

December 5th, 2009 10:27 am

Really, when it comes down to it you should ask these kinds of questions regarding anything in life, including blogging. I look at it as a common thing that should just be done because it just works. It may not be the only thing that will get someone’s attention but it should always be there.

Practising these kinds of things will always go further when you blog, I think. It’s just about being nice too. When someone knows you care about their thoughts and opinions and that you would like them to share with you what they think, well, they are more likely to do just that.
Jeff McAleer @amfwonline.com

December 5th, 2009 6:42 pm

What a great reminder of why many of us start blogging in the first place – community! I think sometimes, those of us who’ve maintained a blog for a while, get so juiced about getting our latest ideas or thoughts out into the ether we forget many of our readers have wonderful ideas and opinions as well that they’d love to share if only we’d ask.

Isn’t it a lot more stimulating to play catch with someone else rather than just bouncing the ball against a wall? I agree with Steve’s comment above that we really should take advantage of the opportunity to listen to our readers rather than always be “the talker”.
Dwayne

December 5th, 2009 8:50 pm

I used to blog and the like, thinking those questions DID help me get recurring visitors and increase my adsense earnings..
I used to visit http://cashzine.info a lot, they have some good articles you might learn from.
Mio Navman M305

December 5th, 2009 9:04 pm

The questions suggested in this post are very good.Keeping them in mind the writer can surely improve the engagement of readers.
Carmen

December 6th, 2009 5:21 am

This is a great idea.
Parka

December 6th, 2009 6:35 am

Nice. I intensely dislike being “talked at”. This is a much more conversational way of doing things and, therefore, naturally engaging. Sometimes the simplest things are the ones most overlooked..
Jason Ulsrud

December 6th, 2009 9:09 am

Great post. Always something I have struggled with in my young blogging career.

I just started a new blog today and I’m totally stoked about the journey the readers and I are going to go on.

My post on Monday is sharing a song I just came across and I’m asking my readers to share some of the music they like. Of course I don’t have the readership yet to really benefit like I would like but I have to start somewhere. Right?

Check out my new blog and let me know what you think, and as always, GREAT INFORMATION…
James C

December 6th, 2009 2:04 pm

Thank you for talk about this. Great blog post and great you address this. I was studying your blog posting.
Paramendra Bhagat

December 6th, 2009 4:07 pm

I need to incorporate these.
Ching Ya

December 6th, 2009 7:03 pm

Usually I’ll leave it with ‘What’s your take in this?’. I find to leave a question is far more effective then ending the post with a full stop. Most of the readers who read through my post will have an idea what to respond; I tend to keep the same method going. Always let your readers think about what they’ve just read.

@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
Tom Kadwill

December 6th, 2009 9:46 pm

Great advice.
I will be implementing this on my company’s blog!
Norb Vonnegut

December 7th, 2009 2:25 am

Darren,

How about ending the article with a cliffhanger rather than a question? Something at the end of an anecdote like:

You’ll never guess what happened next.

Here’s my example: http://acrimoney.com/2009/12/06/top-ten-types-stockbrokers-3/

Norb
Madison WI real estate

December 7th, 2009 5:46 am

What a terrific post! What kinds of questions do I ask readers of my blog? Quite simply, not many. I’m more accustomed to telling (demanding?) that my readers comment as opposed to asking them what they think or what changes, if any, they might make in their life after learning some piece of information they read on my blog. As a result, I’ve been getting lots of complimentary comments but not much constructive feedback or anecdotal information. All that’s about to change though, thanks to this very informative post. Well put and much appreciated! It’s amazing how something so seemingly obvious almost completely escaped my attention!
touchus.org

December 7th, 2009 11:48 am

To Get Response you need to Have a Blog With Good Number of readers(traffic) nd this can work well as time passes nd ur experience as a blogger increases :)
Sanjay Chowdhury@psp-dl.blogspot.com

December 7th, 2009 12:29 pm

Hmmm…Good thought…Asking a question so that the readers can reply….Thx
Ellen Weber

December 7th, 2009 12:52 pm

Terrific post and great reminder, Darren. I like to ask two-footed questions where one foot steps into content or facts and the other foots steps into on personal interest or experience.

Perhaps if this talker at the party had been asked good questions by more people, he’d not have talked incessantly at you! Parker Palmer speaks of the fact that in the flurry of our world few people speak and feel heard. You gave him a question and he could not stop “speaking” to reciprocate.

Here are 2 footed questions he might have asked you back to extend the conversation:

1. If you were to advise others about top social media growth, what would you tell them based on your experiences?

2. What are the keys to keeping a blog alive and growing, that have worked best for you?

3. Why are you moving in the direction you’re headed at the moment, and what obstacles do you expect to meet?

Just a few examples of two-footed questions to add to the wonderful ideas already here. Your post reminds me to ask them more often and with finer care:-)
Tim McCaffrey

December 7th, 2009 3:51 pm

A blog is usually seen as an avenue where people can get their message out. However, we see blogs becoming more of a social network of ideas, thoughts, and plan being developed. I will use this approach when writing my own blog. I have only used the type of question in my blogs a few times.

I have always heard it is good to have friends who disagree with you.
Kristi Daniels

December 7th, 2009 6:40 pm

I just wrote my latest blog entry inspired by this post.

I asked all 7 questions.

Thanks for the great idea!
Keller Carpet Cleaning Rick

December 7th, 2009 11:37 pm

Why didn’t I think of that? Ask a question to get answers
laptop battery

December 8th, 2009 1:13 am

It is so hard to engage a reader for more than a few minutes – there are so many “pulls” on a person’s time. This is a nice list of questions to hopefully spark a conversation.
Goji

December 8th, 2009 4:03 am

Sometimes I just inform people at the end of the posts that comments and reactions are welcomed but I am going to start implementing some of your suggestions.

Great post, thank you.
Blommi

December 8th, 2009 5:25 am

I will make a point of ending a couple posts with a question soon. I know this is a great way to increase comments, but it always seems to slip my mind when I’m writing my posts. Thanks for the motivation :)
ForexPhil

December 8th, 2009 7:57 am

How true ! I know someone just like this and whereas it’s good to see someone else feeling good by talking (and talking…!!) you kind of wish you hadn’t asked the question after a while. I’ll certainly add more room for my reader feedback. Great post. Thanks.

ForexPhil
eCommerce Software

December 8th, 2009 11:37 am

I think webpronews has a great tactic of posting a one-liner asking the reader their experience of if they have something to say along the story which really gives that sense that their opinion is wanted.
scarlett

December 9th, 2009 12:16 am

I really like what you’re saying.thanks.
Automotive Mecca

December 9th, 2009 8:35 am

Your are my inspiration, mate, I have started my blog 1 month ago and I take into account all your tips! At the moment I really struggle with lack of comments, but fingers cross. hope one day, I’ll manage to achieve at least 1/10 of what you have done;)
Eugene Carpet Cleaning

December 9th, 2009 3:42 pm

The interaction of the article writer in the comments is really valuable also. Thanks for the great tips
ambrose

December 9th, 2009 4:54 pm

I don’t know if this is really a good idea or not. Every time I see a question at the end of a blog post I just feel that the whole post is fake, and if I had spotted the question before I would not even bother to read it.

Different people have different reactions, I suppose.
Mike

December 10th, 2009 3:14 am

Darren,

Questions are one of the things I tell my self to do, that I know to do, but don’t always do. I love the quote:

“To know and not to do is not yet to know.”

The post linked to my name does use a couple of questions. A statement and then the question “Why?” And another question about how to weed out bad ideas and thoughts and instead cultivate a good one.

Many of my posts have no questions but you are right. Questions engage the reader more and will actually help them see the point of your post.

Thanks,
Mike
Tara Thralls

December 10th, 2009 8:35 am

Hi Darren ~

Thanks so much for the great video. I really like your delivery style – you are calm, logical and somehow, comforting.

I ask my readers questions, but my blog is pretty new, and I haven’t had anyone answer any of them yet! But I’m not discouraged, I realize it takes time to direct people to one’s blog, and in the meantime I’ll just keep posting, so there’ll be something there for visitors to read, if they do find me.

Now that I know that it’s a good thing to ask questions of my readers, I will make a conscious effort to do so more often, thank you.

It’s hard to describe the questions I ask my readers, as they are usually at the end of a post I’ve just made, and unless you read the entire post, the question, by itself, does not have the same meaning.

Here’s a post I made that asks a question of my readers at the end:

Things I Wonder About: I have a question for you, Jon Stewart: http://bit.ly/jon-quest
Tara Thralls

December 10th, 2009 9:02 am

Oopy, my bad! Can you hold that last post? It’s the ONLY one that has EVER had a comment, honestly!!! Now I feel so dumb!!

Anyway, if it’s not too late, and it hasn’t been approved yet, could I give you a link to a different post that doesn’t have any comments?

So sorry, I am SUCH a newbie!!
krissy knox

December 10th, 2009 9:58 am

Darren, great post!

I usually ask:
How do you feel about this?
What have you recently learned about this topic and do you believe it applies to you?
What may this information cause you to do in the future?
Has this information helped you any?

Unfortunately, I don’t ask enough questions, I believe, and perhaps not the right ones. Thanks for the great suggestions!

krissy knox :)
Connect with me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/iamkrissy
Barb Cameron

December 10th, 2009 12:26 pm

this completely helped me out with my approach to blogging. Thanks
Sean

December 10th, 2009 3:58 pm

I like this best:
“What Do you Think?”
Well that’s probably because my site’s a thinking site and my readers have to be thinkers, otherwise it’d be pointless to go and read my blogs.
RK

December 10th, 2009 6:14 pm

The question list is cool to start the conversation. Cool.. I really like the things you mentioned. Thanks!
SEO Blog

December 10th, 2009 6:18 pm

Good post! Blogs are a great way to interact with your readers and also a great way to get a discussion going. Thanks for sharing!
VICTOR OJ

December 11th, 2009 2:41 am

thanks a million for the post. now i would really get to work and see that my readers are engaged and glued to my post.

once more big oops.
relaxmood

December 11th, 2009 3:05 am

Questions are good, it gets real people to post their opinions and see how people think and feel about a particular topic. Great way for interactive discussion. Thanks for mentioning and teaching so much.
Chris @ YourNetBiz

December 11th, 2009 3:34 am

Some great points. Especially in the posts about using ‘you’ and not ‘I’. People on the whole are selfish, and like to know what it is in it for them. No one like’s the person at the party who is just ‘me’ ‘me’ ‘me’ … Got some videos outstanding to create at the moment and definitely going to be using some of the tips above. Planning on having one video transition between me and my colleague half way around the world, but look as if we’re chatting to each other and an audience.

Following some of Darren’s advice will hopefully get the ‘reader’ interaction we are looking for.
John LoFranco

December 11th, 2009 8:06 am

A better question: have quality input when responding to a blog. Trying to provide a conversation with the audience of your blog is essential to keep/have an audience. But a good conversation needs mutual interaction between both parties. Responses such as “Great post!” or “Right on.” provide no meaningful interaction between writer and reader. It might make the writer feel good, but there is no quality engagement. That is just a yes-man agreeing to anything you post, a real conversation with readers should be more intellectual.
Tranque @ MyInternetBusiness

December 11th, 2009 1:14 pm

Such a great post Darren! Apparently The Internet is filled with people who seem to think that by hiding behind their anonymous “screen name” they can forgo accepted social norms. I’m guessing that more than a few of the die-hard Internet “geeks” are as awkward in real life as they come across Online, but I’m always amazed when people show up on the Social Sites — Face Book, etc and do the most socially inept stuff! lol!!! They seem to forget that all of us on the “other end” reading are actually real people too. Your post reminds us that we’re actually all in a “conversation” here Online — or could potentially be if so many people Online didn’t act like your “friend” at the party.
Asking questions is about TRULY caring what others think and feel.
ambrose

December 11th, 2009 1:40 pm

Why would both “Great post!” and “Right on.” provide “no meaningful interaction” and just a “yes-man agreeing”? Although I disagree with the view that blog posts should ask questions, I strongly disagree that these two are the same. You can say “Great post!” is not meaningful, but “Right on.” does mean the commenter agrees with the poster, which is a meaningful interaction; at least you know the commenter is not disagreeing. You might be fuzzy and want to know if the commenter is agreeing with all points or just some specific points, but the comment itself is not what a “yes-man” type of interaction!
Free Articles

December 12th, 2009 1:35 am

Thanks a lot. This was helpful.
Lisa Berley

December 12th, 2009 7:47 am

Thanks Darren,
will use your advice… Starting right NOW!
Please let me know how I can improve my blog.
Lisa (Mama Lisha)
themisfit

December 12th, 2009 11:26 am

thanks darren these are great questions to ask.
Christmas present

December 12th, 2009 11:52 am

thanks
the words you said are very helpful!
UGG

December 12th, 2009 11:55 am

maybe next time i have some question for you!
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astaga.com lifestyle on the net

December 12th, 2009 1:24 pm

It’s very true that you have almost 100%control over a business if the product that you are selling, it’s yours. Clearly, you know where you want your product to be seen, how you want it to be known, you know all the details..and it’s really better for you to have the control.
laptop battery

December 12th, 2009 3:07 pm

Thanks for the tips. I think I will add a little more about my expertise on my about page.
batteries

December 12th, 2009 3:08 pm

The question list is cool to start the conversation. Cool.. I really like the things you mentioned. Thanks!
Chanelle

December 12th, 2009 10:23 pm

Thanks for the tips. I use the ‘ask a qustion’ technique to prompt people to write their opinions.
Orlando Williams

December 13th, 2009 3:33 am

.. And this post is exemplary somewhat of the message being preached. Interactivity is always a good way to engage and lots of people like to debate so you can even ask more direct questions, just hope it doesn’t turn out into a blog-war ;)
Pet Society Help

December 13th, 2009 1:12 pm

Great way to get the audience to comment. Sometimes I’d rather use a simple question than a poll.
Randy

December 14th, 2009 12:01 am

I love asking questions throughout my posts to engage the reader more. I want my blog to be more like having a conversation than reading a book, sadly many blogs never really do this and get boring quickly.

Hopefully I can get some readers so they’ll actually comment back haha.
tv links

December 14th, 2009 6:33 am

sweet thanks for this. will deffo implement this.
Scott

December 14th, 2009 1:17 pm

Wow very true everytime I read your content it makes me think “Wow that is a good idea!” haha love it

Scott,19 CA
lauren

December 14th, 2009 1:18 pm

this is all very helpful. I just started my blog and am afraid to ask qusetions because I am afraid no one will answer, and I don’t know what questions to ask.
Anyone have any suggestions for me?

http://www.laurenruthie.blogspot.com
Allan

December 14th, 2009 1:33 pm

This is really helpful. I always throw questions out and it kinda works.
Rocky | R O C K O N O V A.COM

December 14th, 2009 3:47 pm

these are really thoughtful questions and ones that will definitely make a difference. cant wait to try em out!
reactorr.com

December 14th, 2009 5:17 pm

or “what would you do different?”
oceania321

December 14th, 2009 7:48 pm

i`ve just creat a blog and want to promoted it and enrich the content, hope it will runs well.
oceania321

December 14th, 2009 7:49 pm

PS : this is my site`s URL : http://oceania4u.blog.com
SEO PIrate

December 14th, 2009 9:08 pm

I always make sure that i want to know other peoples opinions on the subject im talking about. That way it leaves it open for comments.
moliva

December 14th, 2009 10:01 pm

or “what would you do different?” ;)
biber hapı

December 14th, 2009 10:04 pm

“”
Great way to get the audience to comment. Sometimes I’d rather use a simple question than a poll.
“”
Daniel Mortiz

December 14th, 2009 10:16 pm

My blog is 3 mos old and so far I’m finding ways of how to improve it and drive tons of traffic to it. I managed to earn from my blog through things I learn from other blogs. http://bucksfreeonline.blogspot.com/
money24seven

December 15th, 2009 12:17 am

Hi Darren readers posters one n’all – Jay Abraham – gave me a great tip a while ago that has always kept me on the right track – here you go –

Do You Know How? -What We Do Is!

Cheers Darren – great blog space you D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y know how

Phillip Skinner
free online adventure games

December 15th, 2009 5:02 am

Having your audience participating in your blog or forum posting can be very interesting. I love reading their comments and suggestions because I always find myself gaining more knowledge by doing so. My habit is I will try to have an open-ended question in my posting as this will encourage interaction.
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December 15th, 2009 5:23 am

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sat

December 15th, 2009 6:25 am

This is really a nice website..i will keep getting into it..
abrablog

December 15th, 2009 6:49 am

hoho..i hope my blog will get more reader. More loyal reader.
Adam Bertram

December 15th, 2009 12:43 pm

I use open ended questions all the time at the end also. I’ve found that if you do that, some will comment but most will still not. Perhaps I should offer a free ebook or something…
David Morson

December 15th, 2009 8:59 pm

These 7 Questions are enough for a person to determine on how he has to blog and on what topic. An overview of how to start a business blogging, Great job Darren.
Daniel Mortiz

December 16th, 2009 12:34 am

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Parent

December 16th, 2009 1:05 am

People are just to lazy. On one with my pages some topics have thousand of views and couple comments. What’s count is a content and how unique your site is.
Wakas Mir

December 16th, 2009 2:07 am

Nice tips and as always it does help to ask the readers to do something. A call to action is very important :)
Kaw

December 16th, 2009 8:55 am

Thanks for this little tip, I like these kind of posts (lenght).
brand clothing

December 16th, 2009 3:19 pm

Having your audience participating in your blog or forum posting can be very interesting. I love reading their comments and suggestions because I always find myself gaining more knowledge by doing so.
Mio Navman M305

December 16th, 2009 6:18 pm

Great article. I always believe good work always get good response and you did a great job here that is the reason you got such interesting response and comments..
Rainier

December 16th, 2009 8:40 pm

Thank you for sharing on how to get more comments and response for a blog from readers.
losangelescarrental

December 17th, 2009 3:12 am

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Paul Swaney

December 17th, 2009 9:18 am

I went back in my last few posts, and did a find on “?” I only used the powerful question mark once and that was in a quote that I was using…not exactly a call to action.

It’s a good idea, and I’ll try it to see if I elicit a better response…Thanks
Michelle (What's Cooking)

December 19th, 2009 4:45 am

Great post. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Today I wrote a post introducing a new idea for my blog. I write about cooking with kids, and would love for my readers to write in with stories and photos of their experiences cooking with their own kids. I am going to invite people to share in a topic called What’s Cooking with YOUR kids?

It is my hope that these posts will make people feel like they are a part of a larger community – those of us with kids all have kitchen adventures at one time or another. It would be fantastic for us to share and hear about their trials/tribulations AND successes. After all, kids who cook are better eaters – so it is worth it to give it a try :-)
Rhonda

December 19th, 2009 2:06 pm

This site has a lot of good tips and information. i have lately been thinking about how to get people to leave more comments on my site. i am going to incorporate more questions, for sure! Thanks for the good info!
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December 21st, 2009 7:57 am

these are really thoughtful questions and ones that will definitely make a difference. cant wait to try em out!
Thanks a lot…
Courier

December 21st, 2009 10:19 am

I look forward to having a live and truly interactive experience on my blog. One perhaps where posters can speak to me within a VR environment.
Gabe | freebloghelp.com

December 22nd, 2009 1:46 am

Asking questions at the end of an article is a simple call to action that engages users.

Rather than having a set of canned questions, the ones I use are usually very specific to the article. I typically try to use open-ended questions as well.
Dropship Products

December 22nd, 2009 6:44 pm

Asking for opinions from the reader improves interaction. Audience participation is important. Your blogs are a great read.
Mack

December 22nd, 2009 8:44 pm

Really useful ideas for blogger, this is the reader’s point of view and what they actually want to read from your blog is very important thing, but I never tried to understand them profoundly

Cheap Old Cars Blog
learningquranonline

December 23rd, 2009 12:30 am

the video is cool and really resourceful also and got many ides from it some of them i was applying and some of them i will be applying and see how they work and hope they put a positive effect on my blog
Amanda

December 23rd, 2009 2:53 am

In any writing I do I ask questions like those, questions to really get the reader going and make them mad or make them happy and just want to respond. Like you said, this does tend to engage the reader a lot more.
Ms. Freeman

December 23rd, 2009 7:15 am

I am asking these questions, but I find I still have quite a few lurkers. They show up nearly everyday but don’t leave a comment. Sort of creepy actually..LOL :)
marvin

December 23rd, 2009 9:12 am

I am starting to use this strategy. thanks!
Duplicate File Remover

December 23rd, 2009 7:30 pm

I always start as a story that maybe have nothing to do with the topic and end with answer questions from the audience.
G.N.R.S.U

December 25th, 2009 12:27 am

look forward to having a live and truly interactive experience on my blog
Josue Latortue

December 25th, 2009 11:17 am

You give really Good Advice Darren!! Keep up the Good Work!!!
Vincent, from PlasticPilot.net

December 26th, 2009 1:41 am

I have a small tradition at plasticpilot.net… Since September 2008, I make a monthly Readers Poll, a post in which I do nothing else than ask the readers a direct question. Some are very specific, some are funny (like their best aviation joke), but the last one, this December, was the most successful one…

I simply asked “Who are you ?”

Some readers dropped a single line, few paragraphs, describing their full flying experience. This helps to stay connected with my readership and I’m sometimes surprised by the results.
Tom Nunamaker

December 26th, 2009 4:27 am

What topic does anyone like to talk about the most?

Yourself!

I’ve started many conversations with complete strangers while standing in line at the grocery store! I use simple open ended questions like:

- “how long have you lived in this area”? (I’m near a US military base in Germany so people move a lot)
- “Are you ready for ___ holiday?”
- Comments about the weather, etc
- How busy the store is or isn’t

Anything to get them to speak. Once they do, I ask more questions based on what they say (that’s obviously on their mind). It’s amazing how quickly people open up to you if you show interest in THEM, not YOU. The less I talk and the more I listen, the more engaged the other person is.

There’s an old saying:

You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that ratio!

Obviously with a blog, we’re speaking a lot, but we need to listen and ask these types of open ended questions.

Why not ask your readers to be a guest poster or give a telephone or video interview, testimonials etc. :)

Good post Daren.. really stirs up passion in us readers!

Tom Nunamaker
http://www.option911.com
Michael F.

December 26th, 2009 3:34 pm

The blog was definitely fantastic! Lots of good information and inspiration, both of which we all need!
Gerald M.

December 26th, 2009 3:34 pm

I laud the worthy report you essay in your post. I will bookmark your blog and have my children check up here regularly. I am rather sure they will determine a lots of new stuff here than anybody else!
M.A. Romero

December 27th, 2009 3:32 pm

Darren I’ve read posts from many affiliate peddlers who claim that some of their best income comes from their ugliest sites.

They believe in desperation visitors click to get out and that is a sale.

Question, why do your videos have half of your head chopped off at the top and the play button over your mouth looking like a gagged Guantanamo prisoner almost complete with goggles – only the ear muffs are missing?

Is this some special strategy as per the ugly site dictum? And no, it does not work for me – I am NOT clicking on the video ;o)
Stretch Mark Mama

December 27th, 2009 8:02 pm

Excellent video post, as usual.

I generally try to ask one specific question at the end of my blog posts. Though I might consider asking simpler ones throughout.

I had to laugh at your “what do you feel” question, as I have never ever, never ever never ever never ever, used that on my blog. In 4+ years. If that doesn’t peg me as a strong melancholy-choleric, I don’t know what does. *laughing* But I’ll have to shock my readers one of these days by asking them what they feel (“feel”) and I’ll be fully prepared to get an 8,000-word comment from my mom. Soaked with tears.
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Vietnam Tours

December 28th, 2009 1:51 am

It is a very nice post!
Thanks a lot!
earnword

December 28th, 2009 8:39 am

yup. i always do that. :D
oceania321

December 28th, 2009 11:46 am

thanks this is what i want
Christina

December 28th, 2009 2:31 pm

Excellent idea. Very helpful..thanks for sharing.
brand clothing

December 28th, 2009 5:40 pm

I generally try to ask one specific question at the end of my blog posts.
Beck

December 28th, 2009 6:52 pm

I have used some of the lines you listed. However, it seems that people respond more when you use a bit of provocation. I prefer a positive provocation, but sometimes a negative one does a bang as well. Thanks for the post.
Kiltex

December 28th, 2009 9:22 pm

Now I’ve learned something :)
haber53

December 29th, 2009 4:04 am

Though I might consider asking simpler ones throughout.
computer tips

December 29th, 2009 4:17 am

Its a great way to get reader opinion. I have created my own simple blog “Computer Zone”. I’ll try to use above advice.
Thanks
http://computer-edu.blogspot.com/
Nature Sounds

December 29th, 2009 11:59 am

This type of information is so helpful. It is GREATLY appreciated. Thank you!
brand clothing

December 29th, 2009 6:10 pm

might consider asking simpler ones throughout.
Pregnancy Miracle

December 29th, 2009 10:23 pm

I’m kinda ashamed to say that I have not thought about this before! But a great idea and I will definitely impose this on my new websites.

BTW did you know that these questions are also known as the 1 husband and the 6 wives? That stands for the 1 How and 6 Whats

* What Do you Think?
* How Do you Feel?
* What Will You Do?
* What is Your Opinion?
* What is Your Story?
* What is Your Experience or Example?
* What Have you Been Working On?
web designer india

December 29th, 2009 11:01 pm

It is so hard to engage a reader for more than a few minutes.
Holidays And Cash Online

December 30th, 2009 9:47 am

Great article and useful information.

I just read another of your articles on page rank. Thank you for sharing all your information and giving really good tips.

Back to building more content and not worrying about page rank!

Julie
laptop battery

December 31st, 2009 3:05 am

I generally try to ask one specific question at the end of my blog posts. Though I might consider asking simpler ones throughout.
AGUNG

December 31st, 2009 3:55 am

It’s not easy to make our unique viewer come to our site.

Workout Routine
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Ahmed

January 1st, 2010 2:40 am

Each time I visit your blog I learn a new thing, a new tips that could help me in my blogging story,,,

thanks for sharing, and happy new year ;)

regards,
Ahmed Saidawi
CMMW

January 1st, 2010 4:22 am

Thanks for a great post as usual, Darren.
It has certainly given me food for thought. I have just added a short question on my last post, as a tester.
I will most certainly use the power of asking questions in future posts.
Luke Spencer

January 1st, 2010 11:20 am

Hey, this is a great blog…I am really interested in how to make this blogging thing work. This blog is short, simple, and it has more meaning than most any that I read… Thank you

Asking questions I definitely something I would like to work into my writing.

Luke
SesliChat

January 2nd, 2010 3:58 am

It is so hard to engage a reader for more than a few minutes
Celebrity-server

January 2nd, 2010 7:43 am

I think its a great way engage with your audience especially when you’re just starting out and trying to build traffic.
Frank Heymans

January 3rd, 2010 7:30 am

Hi Darren, I watched your video-blog-post and it inspired me to create a page for my website on industrial automation, which also functions as my blog. I have asked my visitors to post their “industrial automation project stories”, or in other words “what have you been working on?”.
If I receive posts with stories from different industries this will create more credibility for my website. And it will also enhance the experience of my visitors, they can read entertaining stories. Thank you for the great idea!
Keith Davis

January 3rd, 2010 8:15 pm

Hi Darren
Your question “Have you ever been ‘talked at’ instead of had someone ‘talk with’ you ” says it all.

When people deliver a speech or presentation they have to make sure that they don’t talk at the audience… they have to create a bond with the audience by asking questions etc – they have to talk with the audience.

Not thought that we should apply the same idea to blogging – thanks for making the connection.
Patrick Wooley

January 4th, 2010 1:53 am

Excellent video. Engaging your readers and asking what they think about your posts is a great way to get them commenting back. People want to offer their experiences and share and many bloggers only talk at you, and not to you. Thanks for the insight. Take care. Patrick
TnFlash

January 4th, 2010 4:34 am

Excellent Article! I’m going to try these ideas on my next post!
SEO basics

January 4th, 2010 1:58 pm

This article and all the comments have given me some good ideas. Thanks and Happy New Year.
Betty

January 4th, 2010 2:30 pm

This is very interesting. Especially the part about asking the question. I have started doing that. All 7 tips are vital for a blog. Thanks for sharing. I will be incorporating this into my future blogs. I have only been blogging a few months, but I know that I love it.
ANWC

January 4th, 2010 11:32 pm

I love your blogs, and i have followed all your tips. Even my blog is in my own language, its pagerank is now much better than before. Thanks for all the brilliant ideas.
Sam Ben-David

January 5th, 2010 7:31 am

Great post mate.

I dont do this enough and definitely will start now.

I always trust your view’s!

Thanks for this.

Sam
Eriman

January 5th, 2010 11:31 am

Great Advice, been looking for different ways to increase comments on my site, will be making some changes right away. Thanks again!
Katie

January 5th, 2010 6:24 pm

I basically ask :

# What is Your Opinion?
# What is Your Experience or Example?

These seems to be more precise and engaging.
Landing Page Studio

January 5th, 2010 11:28 pm

If you have a good idea of your readers and their views, then playing Devil’s advocate and deliberately including an opposing view which you know they disagree with is a very effective way to inspire them to comment.

And of course, by seeing what your readers’ comments are, it’s a great way to get further insights into their core beliefs.
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January 6th, 2010 4:25 am

And of course, by seeing what your readers’ comments are, it’s a great way to get further insights into their core beliefs.,,,,,
abercrombie

January 6th, 2010 1:30 pm

i’ve asked all the seven question and find out that i’ve a lot more work to do before i can attract more readers. abercrombieandfitch
Akshay

January 7th, 2010 1:14 am

Now i m definitely gonna this kind of questions..
it surely helps to keep readers coming back..

Thanks Darren
Best Hosting for Wordpress

January 7th, 2010 8:48 am

You’re particularly good at the reader engagement thing, so thanks–these are great.
Anthony

January 7th, 2010 10:12 am

I’ll be trying to add these questions, or a variation, to all my post for now on. When watching the video I was reminded of so many instances where I was in the same situation. One question leads to a person talking and talking. For a blog I think thats a great formula for success.

Anthony V. Gibby
GibbyDevelopments.com
I’m on Twitter Also
Get paid just for using Twitter
gjperera

January 7th, 2010 11:41 am

I tend to ask my readers to simply comment below if they have something to add or know of a better way to do what I just described. Like all things anything involving a computer can be done in many ways…this tends to engage readers although most of the comments I get are folks experiencing problems and asking for help. Great list though.
Flexsteel Leather Furniture

January 8th, 2010 2:57 am

This is really perfect for a new blog we are making. Some of the posts we were asking people for responses but they weren’t really following through. Thanks for the great advice!
iWoodpecker

January 8th, 2010 6:45 am

Truth is always simple :)
Ryan Conlon

January 8th, 2010 7:41 pm

Just started a Blog and This was a great post. thanks
Naveen

January 9th, 2010 3:39 am

Very nice post… this is the trick how you can make readers come back to your blog again and again!
saad @ live soccer

January 9th, 2010 11:16 am

i am going through same period now , already exhausted with only 1 month of blogging and getting only 200 visitors a day , i wont stop though will work on it and lets see what the out will be..thanks for post problogger.
Kathy Shell@cards-art

January 9th, 2010 7:04 pm

I am learning so much from your web site. Thanks :-)
Sam

January 10th, 2010 1:50 am

Very helpful, well be using these sorts of questions and see how it goes.
p90x workout

January 10th, 2010 5:04 am

Great!
I can try a variation of those questions along with some of mine. I do notice its effectiveness on certain blogs.
Roxanne

January 11th, 2010 10:02 am

I’ve never actually given thought to asking questions for reader engagement before. I usually use a question much more like statements.

I understand how it can be helpful now. It’s something i plan on testing out on my own blog with the next article I write. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Gary

January 11th, 2010 4:10 pm

Great simple ideas there.

Often the simple ideas are the ones that work.

Thanks for the tips.

Regards,

Gary
http://www.proceduremanualtemplate.com
Kevin Chong Kok Sing

January 11th, 2010 9:02 pm

It is a very nice article.Thanks a lot for sharing .
WRG SItes

January 12th, 2010 3:00 am

simple, direct and effective, very good! Thank you.
Beat Maker for Mac

January 12th, 2010 12:00 pm

These days, along with the dramatic development in comoputer technology, more entertainment is brought for people at home.
Now, with some software, people can even make beats and mix music by themselves, and easily grow into professional beat-maker. If you are serious about becoming a successful music maker, and looking to put your work onto the tube, it is important to start out right.
Beat Maker for Mac

January 12th, 2010 12:05 pm

Content is the most important thing to attract readers. So always ask yourself if your content is of high quality, and if it is getting improved all the time. Always ask yourself if the website is updated regularly enough and is the topics this week, or this month interesting enough.
vlad2k

January 13th, 2010 10:56 am

Agree with Beat Maker for Mac, content – 4 readers, optimized content for SE ;)
Mario Games Online

January 13th, 2010 1:20 pm

I do agree with Beat Maker about content is the most important thing but there are many other factors that you’ll need to consider .
1. You should daily update your website / blog content and track repeated visitors that they will come visit again .
2. Clean Design and very simple template that most visitors will find it easy to navigate.
4. Fast loading pages is very important too .
3. Create your page search engine friendly . This is the most important thing that most search engines find your site and index it the right way .Use clear file names in your title .
Tony M

January 13th, 2010 1:46 pm

Ending with a statement is like slamming the door in someones face. It doesn’t leave them with the ability to respond most of the time.

One thing I am also working on is being authoritive and direct with my blogging. A good way to get comments is to piss some people off (in a good way).
Phillip Gibb

January 13th, 2010 5:57 pm

great questions for sure. reader engagement realises it’s full reality when readers answer and pose questions in a meaningful way. But they don’t have to, they can browse away with the thought “I’ll think about it and come back later” but they don’t, they loose out, the blog looses out and more than that everyone looses out.

how do you show the value of the commenter whether they add just 2 words or a dissertation? hmmm
Roy Weissman

January 14th, 2010 8:03 am

Excellent point! Its basically imagine you are on stage in front of an audience and no one is paying attention…what do you do? Ask them questions! What do comedians do…they involve the audience to improve reaction and to use the audience feedback to refine their act in real time.

Everyone wants to know that someone cares about them and this article reinforces that. Further your readers become part of your blog…kind of like joining your family. So welcome your readers into your house and start by asking what do you think?
vectorism

January 14th, 2010 11:02 am

yes.. interactive with readers / visitors is a very good point to attract traffic.. to keep them come back & subscribe indeed.. creativity of question should based on the topic of the blog..
GraggAdvertising

January 14th, 2010 4:14 pm

You know I usually ask readers questions when I make comments on blog posts, never thought much about how often I do this and now I am realizing after reading this post that I should have been asking my blog readers questions. Oh well, live and learn.
jacqueline

January 14th, 2010 4:29 pm

I think I should try asking questions. The problem is that I am afraid I’ll get no answer. But if I don’t try it, I will not find out. Love your blog.
Christina

January 14th, 2010 8:11 pm

Very true, usually what caught my attention in posting a comment to a certain is an open-ended question and really good advice.
Aaron Cross

January 15th, 2010 4:03 am

This ‘thought’ came in perfect time… I was struggling with a post on my blog: was just missing something… you know?

Questions where a great Idea!

It would be cool to see a few of these “methods” actually at work. (examples in blog posts)
James@SL9000

January 15th, 2010 7:54 am

I’ve found that, on a number of my blogs, the ‘What is your opinion’ question gets better results when it’s reworded to a phrase such as ‘Can you think of a better way to do it?’ or even throwing down a little challenge such as ‘If you think we’re wrong, let us know.’ Works a treat especially on review type blogs and sites.
Michele Price

January 15th, 2010 9:59 am

Questions has always been a fabulous tool in my business. Between the fact that doing interviews makes “Giving Good Questions” critical for the results…it also helps my clients collapse their limiting beliefs with their minds set.

Now, it took watching your video to realize as much as I am great with questions I am not leveraging them in my blog, well DUH!

Thanks for the kick in the pants to DO better with what I have, giggle
James Howard

January 15th, 2010 10:27 pm

Wow, this is something that I have not thought about doing before.

The fact that you ended the post with a question and it made me want to leave a comment is proof that it is something that I need to be doing.

Thanks,

James
Chris Peterson

January 15th, 2010 10:34 pm

Ask question to reader is the powerful marketing tool to engage reader to long time on website. Always we should ask to the reader about their reaction on the topic.
pazar53

January 16th, 2010 2:32 am

Ask them questions! What do comedians do…they involve the audience to improve reaction and to use the audience feedback to refine their act in real time….
Anderson

January 16th, 2010 9:04 am

Cool, I enjoyed the reading.
Rakeback

January 16th, 2010 2:34 pm

Thanks for the article. A nice follow up to the blog you did last year regarding tips to make sure your mom isn’t your only blog reader. thanks as always for the insight into successful blogging!
Adam

January 16th, 2010 7:35 pm

My favorite part of having a site is looking at some of the crazy posts that the public places on my site. Thanks for the ideas.
Ravi

January 17th, 2010 2:06 am

Again a fair post. Thanks

http://unitechblog.com/
Christoph - "The Money System" Owner

January 17th, 2010 4:14 am

Darren,

First things first, once again a fantastic and “engaging” post even if rather brief.

I have a question regarding video marketing. It is very much related to increasing reader engagement.

Is there any particular format you should follow or any tips you have too boost the success of video marketing. My main aim is firstly to provide information similar to the posts on my site but naturally the bonus is they will be able to listen to my info while surfing the web else where.

I aim to make the engage with my site at various points in the commentary but generally I want it to be of use even if they cant physically see my site in front of them.

If you were wondering my site is predominantly focused on providing resources for people trying to promote their website and such. As this is such a competative market I thought adding video marketing would certinatly add a bit more uniquness to my site.

Anyway as I said I would really appreciate some tips / advice on this before starting. If you are aware of a quality post that I can use please share.

Thanks again keep up the great work!
san

January 17th, 2010 8:03 am

Thanks, pretty interesting and good to know. i have few blogs and all are movie linking site nothing else. i m not a good writer just for fun.

only thing is want is focus and passion. thats wat i believe to achieve anything.

Hindi online movies http://www.desionlinemovies.net

Rgds,
LarryK12309

January 17th, 2010 9:08 am

So, how many people ran back to their latest post to see if there was a question they could add?
JAlonso

January 17th, 2010 1:58 pm

“What do you?” “What would you do?” “What is your opinion?” are the ones I use most frequently.
JAlonso

January 17th, 2010 2:01 pm

“What do you think?” “What would you do?” and “What is your opinion?’ are the ones I use most frequently.
Pick Up Girls

January 17th, 2010 7:05 pm

This is an awesome post because I’m actually struggling to get people to subscribe to my feed and come back more and more often. I figure I’ll try a couple of these suggestions and hopefully readership increases and is retained as well.
thanks
CorMOM

January 18th, 2010 3:34 pm

I prefer to read and ask content related questions. Especially finding out if something worked for them or advice.
sord87

January 18th, 2010 4:05 pm

Thank you very much.It was a very good advice and very good tips on how to engage user to our blogs.I have tried so many ways and the result is almost the same,no ads click.Your approach is quite helpful in blogs.Adsense has been part of me within these 2 years.However I just wonder how to make those user bookmark our site if everyone depends on post.What I mean is content is King,but how do we know our content is collecting impression.To come out with question along with the post is much better.Anyway thanks for the video.
Jahangir Alam

January 19th, 2010 1:45 am

Great post. Thanks for sharing the 7 questions which I think is very useful to get readers attracted more to the blogs or websites. Like your great thinking…

Keep coming.

Jay
FreeFromAntics

January 19th, 2010 4:55 am

I have just started blogging but I already have done just this. Asking questions is usually in each blog, though not always, because I would love to know what other people think. Though I have yet to have anyone actually answer me so I wouldn’t know if this method works.

Other peoples stories are what I am looking for in 1 aspect of my blog, but until readers find me or I find a way to find them my comments are all empty.
Promotional Products

January 19th, 2010 7:15 am

Darren,

I think your list is perfect. Everyone who blogs wants to connect with their readers and I think that these questions cut right to the core of who the reader is, what they are thinking, and how they are understanding your blog.
Chembrain

January 19th, 2010 9:15 am

I like what you’re trying to get at, engaging your visitors in a friendly manner. Making engagement a bit more like real life asking people questions and writing like you’re talking to a person. It adds a bit more personality to your writing. I also find talking like you do in real life helps.
CorMom

January 19th, 2010 12:41 pm

FreeFromAntics, my “sort of previous blog” now redone had the same problem. I think a lot of people scroll through blogs looking for particular information and once received, close the window and move on. Others surf the net to numb their brain (instead of drinking) So they are not interested in actually interacting with people at that moment. I think that getting people to post is a underestimated talent. Although I hope I am wrong. I hope it is a skill anyone can learn. I am not a particularly talented person.
Christian

January 20th, 2010 1:39 am

Lol! :D

How could you be all such stupid? :D

Do you really think you get a more visited blog if you follow his clues? :D Never.. The only reason why he is so successful is that enough people are stupid enough to push him :D

Write quality, unique content and your blog will also raise up in the olymp of blogs.. Shame on you guys, invest the time you read here in content for youre blog ;) Darren also write on his blog and DO NOT spent the half day on visiting another one ;)

But really funny how stupid people can be :D :D

Best regards

Christian
Doug (horse care)

January 20th, 2010 4:05 am

It is also great to summarize the results and provide them to the readers. People love not only to be able to present their view but also to interact with and see the views of other people with similar experiences. This is one of the reasons polls are so popular. This expands the questions into a 3-way forum: the blog writer’s view, the individual reader’s view and the broader public’s view.
Darren Rowse

January 20th, 2010 3:26 pm

Hi Christian – don’t you think that part of writing quality content is also about engaging with your readers? I completely agree that quality content is the foundation of successful blogging but building community, involving readers etc also helps to keep people coming back too!
ambrose

January 20th, 2010 3:34 pm

no, i don’t think artificially engaging with your readers with artificial questions is the same level as writing engaging content. engaging your users is not the same as your posts being engaging. as i wrote earlier, i am usually turned OFF by artificial questions.

i think facebook’s recent changes serve as a good proof of this. their new “news feed” is essentially based on the assumption that “engaging with your readers” is the same thing as “your content is engaging”. but do you think facebook’s “news feed” is really what you want to read? or do you still need to go to live feed to pick out what you want? almost 100% of the time it’s the latter for me.
Mr. hættetrøje

January 20th, 2010 8:10 pm

Great tips, very usefull. Always good to take the time and think ;-)
thanks
Pharmacist Programs

January 21st, 2010 2:48 pm

I don’t like anyone talking “at me”. It is most annoying. The sad part about the “at you” communication is that never really does the reader a whole lot of good…..kinda like looking at a state website or something…
P90X

January 21st, 2010 8:35 pm

It will be interesting to do some research on some of the top keywords out there and find out what kind of blogs can be created for them.
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January 22nd, 2010 3:39 am

It is also great to summarize the results and provide them to the readers. People love not only to be able to present their view but also to interact with and see the views of other people with similar experiences. This is one of the reasons polls are so popular. This expands the questions into a 3-way forum: the blog writer’s view, the individual reader’s view and the broader public’s view.
Wendy Dashwood-Quick

January 22nd, 2010 7:09 am

Thanks for this Darren, as someone fairly new to blogging this is really useful as it’s another piece in the blogging puzzle, which has puzzled me for a while. Can’t wait to start asking questions on my blog. Marvellous

Cheers
Wendy
Rick Straight Talk

January 22nd, 2010 8:41 am

Aren’t these the same questions to ask on a first date?

Hmm along with What religion are you, Where do your parents live, etc.
Scott

January 22nd, 2010 11:12 am

Very interesting I’m going to tie some of the information into my website. Cheers!

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January 22nd, 2010 6:40 pm

This is true.and most of us are willing to share our answers on the web because of invisible from real life.What is more, I think we can add some investigation chart or little game to get them engage.What do you think?
Mike

January 22nd, 2010 8:33 pm

Thanks for sharing the 7 questions which I think is very useful to get readers attracted more to the blogs or websites.

Keep going.
Smoked ribs mom

January 23rd, 2010 9:19 am

This is a major problem that I’ve had on my site. I only get about 100 to 200 visitors per day to my bbq recipe site but nobody ever comments or submits their recipes. My question is this: how do you engage the reader into participating when there is no dialogue or there is now way to tell what the mindset of the viewer is?
Blog Your Passion

January 24th, 2010 3:15 am

I just want to add that people in blogland generally feed off of raw honesty and they want to see that you have the guts to be authentic. Many readers live repressed lives and reach out to community for someone who’s willing to share the deepest parts of the hidden soul…and most of that stuff is the ugly stuff…l

Like:
Overpaid celeb resentment
Infidelity
Political Outrage/Politics

When you show that you have guts that is honestly one of the ways you gain a following…Q&A works but you’ve got to be authentic…not empty….
jkcoo

January 24th, 2010 3:43 pm

great post
Your sharing is very kindly
And I learn a lot
thanks
yourblogadvertisingsite

January 24th, 2010 9:28 pm

That is a nice trick to ask a question. I use that in my article writing aswelw. Certainly keeps them wanting more!
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January 25th, 2010 3:52 pm

Extremely helpful, thanks. Will use it in the practice when necessary.
Elvin

January 25th, 2010 5:55 pm

Hi, Darren

What a K.I.S.S. post :)

Thanks for the tips.
I’ll try to improve my blog post from now onwards.

I’m on Twitter
http://twitter.com/ElvinTiong
Sai

January 25th, 2010 8:29 pm

Hi Darren

You say something and made me more understand it easily than the past.

Something between the line on your talk and show me how to grow and groom it, I think I got many ideas from this post, thank you and thank you very much.
All Recipes

January 26th, 2010 6:52 am

As usual .. One of those ‘goldmine” video post and lots of great tips :)

Thanks
Ev.
somepalli

January 26th, 2010 7:04 am

Good post,

Really some points can help me a lot, thanks darren
Lara Serbin

January 26th, 2010 7:34 am

I have a blog about my design and sewing primarily. I would love to engage my readers more. Last post I asked if anybody knew what this flimsy, gauzy material was called. It did send in more comment. Still don’t know what the fabric is called though. Great post! http://lara-serbin.blogspot.com/
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January 26th, 2010 10:13 am

I sometimes like to finish with a debatable opinion or quote to finish, and that normally generates a good few comments. Good video btw.
Frontdesk SEO

January 26th, 2010 12:30 pm

@ Tony: I’ve started many conversations with complete strangers while standing in line at the grocery store! I use simple open ended questions like:

- “how long have you lived in this area”?
- “Are you ready for ___ holiday?”
- Comments about the weather, etc
- How busy the store is or isn’t

Anything to get them to speak. Once they do, I ask more questions based on what they say (that’s obviously on their mind). It’s amazing how quickly people open up to you if you show interest in them… not you. The less I talk and the more I listen, the more engaged the other person is.

There’s an old saying: You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that ratio!
hokya

January 26th, 2010 12:43 pm

nice pooling then
Online Auction

January 26th, 2010 5:10 pm

HI

These questions are really good and we can get some good information to these questions.
Ryan Parent - Wedding Photographers Ottawa

January 26th, 2010 5:19 pm

Great points! This post has helped a lot! Thanks!
Phillip Gibb

January 26th, 2010 7:10 pm

I try to ask those questions – obviously different depending on the topic and the style of the post. But they doing seem to work very well. Asking the right question does not mean more engagement.
The first hurdle is to ’solicit’ a reader’s attention to your blog – a frikken big hurdle if you ask me. Then you need to hook them into the post all the way to the point where you ask the question and they are thinking – ‘Hey, that’s what I was going to ask’
Niche Finder

January 27th, 2010 5:58 am

I have been using this tech. in my articles and it has been working great. thanks for the common sense info!
Juan Luis de Mateo

January 27th, 2010 6:13 am

Suprisingly, worked for me!
David

January 27th, 2010 8:51 am

Gives me alot to think about.
Rhandell Mitchell

January 27th, 2010 4:19 pm

This was a very interesting post. I have been doing everything in my power to figure out how to drive more traffic to my blog. I’ve been struggling tremendously on just figuring out how to get it all set up. I have been studying night and day reading other blogs and articles and so on looking for tips to increase readers on my blog… I am going to start implementing this strategy yesterday!
Tashia Mana

January 27th, 2010 5:32 pm

It has more than seven answers but above all is the design of the Blog and your pics as well.
peryue

January 27th, 2010 6:39 pm

My lover
When I was young ,I watched a film called《Top Gun》 by accident. Ah, I was crazy about Tom Cruise. He is the first idol who I worshiped. I left a deep impression on Tom Cruise’s military uniform and his cool image. That time, lots of boys and girls were infatuated with him. I simply can’t control myself to love him. I always think him whenever and wherever I was. Then I was ten.
What was wrong with me? His cool style appears in my mind. He wore army uniform。.Especially, he was too cool with the sunglass. Besides, I find out that his sunglass was different from others. It was designed simply and elegantly. How excellent it is! I image that what wrong with my wearing sunglass was。Later，Coincidentally，when I went to travel ,I came across a man with sunglass who looks like my idol. what ‘s more, the color of their sunglass was same. To my surprise, the two sunglasses were renowned to the world. It wasRay-Ban. I can’t wait to buy Ray-Ban!
Marie Leonard

January 28th, 2010 8:32 am

There’s no doubt that a good writing style will get you the comments you need. But important to all that is also, like you say, how you engage the reader to participate.

It’s obvious I still have a lot to learn. But I’m always open to learning from the pros.
Tara

January 28th, 2010 12:37 pm

This is good information and keeping the blog open with questions is an excellent way to engage readers. Questions spark interest and allow readers to give their opinion
abercrombie online store

January 28th, 2010 4:01 pm

Most of us are willing to share our answers on the web because of invisible from real life.What is more, I think we can add some investigation chart or little game to get them engage.What do you think?
Bhandari Group

January 28th, 2010 6:55 pm

A great way to engage readers. It is so hard to engage a reader for more than a few minutes – there are so many “pulls” on a person’s time. This is a nice list of questions to hopefully spark a conversation. Questions spark interest and allow readers to give their opinion. Great post.
Jon E

January 28th, 2010 11:53 pm

I think your whole blog in general is the best advice that I have ever got! It strikes me as astonishingly honest and I am suprised that you give it away freely as so many that I have seen dont – keep it up!
http://www.makebigmoneyonline.net/
Wally Casuga

January 29th, 2010 1:15 am

Which is true, I have once read a book of guerilla….. which tackles all about the strategies in blogging that behind all of the optimization, behind choosing the best keyword, behind back links, the most important at the end is the content. because it is not the link that the visitors want. The visitors wants the content. very good post

wallyibong.blogspot.com/
David M

January 29th, 2010 6:28 am

bohzo (hello)

I do not even have a comment section, from what i have read on your site it sounds important, have a great day and thanks for sharing.
SEO Web Design by David

January 29th, 2010 10:05 am

I feel nothing is more annoying than being “talked at” like Darren said… I feel a blog is supposed to engage 2 or more people to discuss a topic and when you get lectured to… you feel like you are listening to a “know it all” or your college professor…
Houston Librarian

January 29th, 2010 1:43 pm

If only there were someone there on my blog to ask these questions to
Wally

January 29th, 2010 2:29 pm

This is indeed my dream today. To make my blog popular and be viewed by the world. how can i do that? to follow your advices.

Actually I have read the e-book in one of the most popular bloggers here in the philippines and it helps me a lot. I was just thinking then that blogging is just making money, But i was wrong. It is all about passion at the end,

That even everyday, you are searching for the best keyword, it is still best to go back from your real intention. To share to the world your thoughts.

http://wallyibong.blogspot.com/
james brown

January 29th, 2010 4:55 pm

hi darren, actually i’m a new one for blogging word. but, after i read some your tutorial, i find a good way how to build a blog. i think we need hard work and should be creative. i’m trying to get a good way.

Truly this is a good post and it will definitely help beginners increase their user engagement, but i truly don’t think it is so useful for advanced bloggers. You may have to use different ways.
Jason

January 29th, 2010 5:04 pm

Thanks for the great tip. I’ve always struggled to get readers to participate on my blog I’m going to implement these and see what happens.
thanks again
Brad

January 29th, 2010 10:16 pm

Thanks for the tips, until now I have been focusing on teaching and have overlooked this extremely important piece of the puzzle. This info has made me look at things from a completely different prospective.

Cheers: Brad
Troy

January 29th, 2010 10:32 pm

Thank you for sharing this info. I to have spent some time struggling with some of this stuff. I found your post and info to be very helpful. Thank you.
Parenting

January 30th, 2010 8:12 pm

From the 7 questions, I am pretty sure few would have been asked by every popular blogger but all 7? well, I am not very sure. However, I for once am sure to make sure that I will asking all the 7 questions.

Thanks.
leavesnbloom

January 31st, 2010 3:02 am

This is a very useful post plus some of the comments are good also. I’ve started to ask some questions – tho few still answer the question directly but I will keep at it. I think its a good way to encourage conversation.
The Bible Post

January 31st, 2010 7:25 am

I used to allow comments on all of my posts until I began to experience a problem with spammers. Now I only allow them on certain posts.

With that said, one very effective way to get people to leave comments has to do with posting an image and asking people to share their thoughts on what they see in it. You can ask questions like: What does this remind you of, if anything at all? Have you had an experience that relates to what you see in this picture?

Note: it is best to use images that are inspiring and uplifting for this. You can even put an encouraging quote above them.

Perhaps this idea will help some of your readers.
Kirk Taylor

January 31st, 2010 5:22 pm

Great post, I built my following by asking questions on Twitter, and kind of fell out of doing that. I need to focus more on going back to that process to engage more people.

I will also make sure that I begin asking questions in my posts. Thanks for your video.

I would like to know if people enjoy reading my content and what I could do to make it more informative.

Thanks again
flypig

February 1st, 2010 6:10 pm

i also think It is very hard to engage a visitor for more than a few minutes,most of them seems have no interested in my information or just another something.
raihan

February 2nd, 2010 12:48 am

Excellent tips. I think engaging readers is best way to get traffic. I also want to know what are free traffic sources for newbies.
Remy

February 2nd, 2010 9:34 pm

hello there ~_^
i’m on a same page like flypig. Hard to ‘earn’ a visitors to my blog nowadays. Maybe it’s my content or my template or my bad grammar(english)…
however, i’ll try to use your tips , and start asking question… make it more like a conversation style…

happy blogging… have a great day
barkod

February 3rd, 2010 3:21 am

.What is more, I think we can add some investigation chart or little game to get them engage.
GlennH

February 4th, 2010 6:38 am

Thanks. Just starting out devoloping a member site and I am documenting the process in an open blog at startawordpressblog.com. I did not think about asking questions to encourage participation and, most of all, help.
rustin watson

February 4th, 2010 10:50 am

I appreciate that. I am a first timer with owning a domain. I am beginning to have lots of troubles getting this thing how I want it. I will take your advice, thanx.
Philippine Outsourcing

February 4th, 2010 7:13 pm

That was an excellent questions to start a very unique and catchy kind of blog post. It is just up to your creativity on how you will present it, right? Thanks for sharing this.
Philippine Outsourcing

February 4th, 2010 7:13 pm

Those are excellent questions to start a very unique and catchy kind of blog post. It is just up to your creativity on how you will present it, right? Thanks for sharing this.
Jesica abad

February 5th, 2010 12:46 am

Thank you for the information… I will ry to implement this as I had to block comments on my blog because all of them were spam… maybe like this I can get real comments :)
HFB Advertising Agency

February 5th, 2010 4:10 am

We leave our blogs short, to the point and add new entries every week with useful information. It’s so over saturated out there. Short and sweet. That’s what we like. :)
Prebena Tools

February 5th, 2010 8:31 am

I really enjoyed this – be great to see more people commenting on my blog
The Constant Complainer

February 5th, 2010 9:45 am

I actually heard someone say one time, “A blog is not for opinions.” I wanted to laugh this person out of the room.

Great post. I feel like readers engage on my site, so I know I’m doing that right. I just need to work on building my audience!
エアマックス

February 5th, 2010 11:37 am

Thank you for the information… I will ry to implement this as I had to block comments on my blog because all of them were spam… maybe like this I can get real comments
ナイキ air force

February 5th, 2010 11:38 am

I did not think about asking questions to encourage participation and, most of all, help
John

February 5th, 2010 2:10 pm

do you have any other advice on how site owners can find out more about what their viewers want to see, like maybe what questions to ask in polls?
sascha

February 5th, 2010 10:47 pm

Brilliant post. I’m going to start using these questions immediately. It’s critical for your readers to get engaged and I have had trouble hearing back from them. I get frequent comments through email, but not back at the blog. This will help a lot. Just a little grease to spark the conversation. I can see how this will start something
Paige

February 6th, 2010 9:33 am

Great tips for engaging readers. I have tried asking for participation in the past, but without much luck. I’ll definitely put these to test.
sord87

February 6th, 2010 3:06 pm

LOL! John,if everyone knows what to ask in any blog as a poll their blog would be rank as a the best blog ever exist on earth.no one could possibly answer that,you yourself can answer that!
A poll is just another item to attract readers not more than that!No one knows what will happen to everyone blog but to raise ranking the blog expert can do that!
Kiesha @ Highly Favored

February 7th, 2010 4:06 am

If I’ve created a list of some sort or if I have a post that offers tips, I tend to ask people “Are there any points I’ve forgotten? Or is there anything I’ve left out?
Like I did in this post:

http://highlyfavored.affiliateshelpdesk.com/2010/02/03/a-christians-guide-to-social-media-interactions/

While it seems to spark a lot of comments, people don’t always exactly answer the question – I don’t really care if they answer it or not – I’m just glad when they interact and respond. This is a wonderful tip – I definitely need to try to do this a lot more.

I don’t like talking AT people, yet I’m sure I’m guilty more times than not.
Bicep Dumbbell Curl

February 7th, 2010 10:32 am

hi darren, actually i’m a no novice to the blogging world. but, after i read some your tutorial, i find a good way how to build a blog. i think we need hard work and should be creative. i’m trying to get a great way.

Truly this is a good post and it will definitely help beginners increase their user engagement, but i truly don’t think it is so useful for advanced bloggers. Thank you for the blog post and i hope to keep watching you darren.
web design kolkata

February 7th, 2010 5:26 pm

The 7 questions are good. I shall try to engage in such practice in my site : http://www.freelancing-on-net.com

Also can you cover a topic like “a controversial blog post”
Erdal

February 7th, 2010 9:59 pm

i use these questions in Turkish for my site. Especially, What is your opinion?
how world news

February 7th, 2010 11:54 pm

Great post – helpful to all bloggers like me
Gregg Zban

February 8th, 2010 11:06 am

Very powerful technique. One thing we teach in sales is to always ask more questions. Also, after writing an article og back through and make sure you have more “you’s” “your” than “I” and “we”.
Jon Porter

February 8th, 2010 4:02 pm

Asking questions is a great technique. I think it can be strengthened by asking followup questions to the responses received to the blog post. Sometimes, these discussions will provoke ideas for a whole new post, or even an idea for a whole new blog. When you get good at this technique, you can make and sell blogs and make a bit of money on the side.
Your-Vitamins

February 8th, 2010 4:33 pm

Thanks for the great advice. I am in the process of creating a new blog and this was helpful. Thank you!
dale@at-home-ways-to-make-money

February 8th, 2010 11:27 pm

I am fairly new to blogging IM in general, and I must admit I never thought about treating your reader like they were their talking with you.

I guess it makes sense, I mean who wants to be talked at, and blogs that I have written in the past tend to be kind of “preachy”

So from now on I will definitely take on board what you are saying..

Thanks V much for the info
Gseo

February 9th, 2010 2:11 am

I feel very much stressed when i want to work on blog, I don’t know how to attract the bloggers and make my self a brand but when i read the posts like these make me inspired to work on them but i m unable to make it for long term … Could u suggest me how to keep the track and make it more successfull ?

Sri
audio recording school

February 9th, 2010 8:43 am

Neat stuff:D will come back again soon:D
easygreenscreensoftware

February 9th, 2010 9:00 am

I noticed in the comments that many people end their posts with a question. I hadn’t really thought of that, but it does seem like an idea that would add some engagement and get the blog reader more involved.
affordable business website

February 9th, 2010 9:11 am

I still forget to ask readers questions. Thanks for the reminder. Quizes are another great way to get them involved.
rakeback poker video blogger

February 9th, 2010 3:08 pm

Good post,

Asking questions is something I haven’t taken into consideration before on my poker blog but It’s an aspect of my posts I’ll definitely be in a rush to start using.

Thanks for the tip!
prashant

February 9th, 2010 10:56 pm

I think I might write a blog post about that possibility. Thanks for the posting

bookmarking demon
Candela

February 9th, 2010 11:40 pm

Darren,

I just found your blog with this post and I think is fantastic. Congratulations.

To me Blog is synonym of conversations and just like in 3D life there are people that just listen to themselves, which it is an option, of course.

I particualrly enjoy conversations and although I am new as a blogger one of my goals was to make others participate, even let myself follow this arising conversations to become issues for new posts.

Right now we are making a collective game based on an experiment of surrealism and it didn’t come out from a single person, and I am happy about it. That’s my story, or I should say: our story.

Sorry if my English sounds weird, I haven’t practised it for long.
Congratulations from Spain.
bigjobsboard

February 10th, 2010 12:08 pm

well, i think the most effective question for reader engagement is “what is your opinion?”. Yeah, that’s it. The more opinions they have the better. And the more people contradicting in others’ opinion, the better! LOL
LearningHow

February 12th, 2010 9:07 am

Thanks Darren for a great video. It certainly backs up my theory that people today just want to be heard and how powerful blogging could be. Consequently, I have just learnt (am learning!) WP so still have a long way to go.

It’s strange, isn’t it? We have the most powerful ever ability to communicate with each other for perhaps the first time in history and yet so many of us have communication problems/uncertainties or insecurity problems…

Do you people think this behaviour could be partly blamed on our Education systems or is it more to do with TV and/or working parents?

“Curioser and curiosier” as Jan in Cyberland ponders the problem.
Catherine

February 12th, 2010 3:19 pm

Hi,

I have never come across such a post. This is definetly useful for bloggers. I got answers to many of the questions I had in my mind. :)
Pico RG

February 13th, 2010 8:40 am

It is a very interesting topic, hopefully you will get more users into it.
Article Writing Philip DeMassa

February 13th, 2010 10:57 am

Well of course it depends on the context of the conversation. The most common and useful if you cant think of something to say is to ask, “what do you think?”
Everyone likes to share their opinion and usually it is interesting to hear what people think…usually. I just don’t like when people act in a fake way.
When Bloggers make comments like “thanks for the info” or “nice tip”, it seems to rub me the wrong way. This is like talking at you in a Blogging kind of way.
regina

February 13th, 2010 2:22 pm

Great post! I used to post questions then I had a blog sabbatical due to family issues and now I can’t seem to find readers. I’m back to square one!
Adam

February 15th, 2010 12:12 am

Hi Darren

A great video that caused me to rethink how to end my posts.

One last thing, since it’s meant to be a weekly video post, what calendar are you basing a weeks length on. :)

Thanks
Adam
Hannah Harper

February 15th, 2010 12:58 am

I usually end mines with What is you opinion or Have you ever experience this.
Mohamed Adam Jr

February 15th, 2010 1:05 am

I always try to ask these type of questions at the end of the post. I think it helps to encourage comments.

Mohamed,
blog: Free MLM Success Tips
Povesti de Coaching cu Coach Ioan

February 15th, 2010 7:47 am

Thank you for reminding me to engage my readers. ;-)
Lori

February 15th, 2010 10:47 am

Great video! I’m very new to blogging, but to answer your question, I’ll probaby end with what I end with in my e-mails and that is usually…Thoughts? or Your thoughts?

Thanks for the great tips!
web design company

February 16th, 2010 5:05 pm

Very nice question, and I think this could be possible to make a little traffic to a blog.
Mike

February 16th, 2010 8:41 pm

I agreed! I think the main purpose of Blog is to gain more traffic to engage people on your discussion and point of view.
Deana Goldasich

February 17th, 2010 2:16 am

Great post! Got me thinking of new ways to approach questions on my blog. I absolutely agree with your point about “asking” people for their opinions. Hadn’t occurred to me…but you’re right! We need to give permission to speak up!
ebay selling tips

February 17th, 2010 4:25 am

Thanks for these great tips, I have this problem with trying to get people to interact, I mostly get spam. I will try out these tips and see how it goes. All I want is someone to comment on my article and not give some random BS answer about where to get the best hosting.
payday loan lender

February 17th, 2010 4:52 am

* How does that make you feel?
* Do you have a relevant example of this happening?
* What will you do, in light of this?
* What is your opinion?
* Do you think that’s a good idea?
Peter

February 17th, 2010 5:58 am

I have long been sold on the power of asking questions in teaching and in engaging an audience. As a blog post reader, however, I must add that in my experience, some posts seem to draw out my desire to comment and some do not, whether the post explicitly asks for comment or not.

In my case, my desire to comment may be motivated by whatever pushes my emotional buttons. Some posts are controversial or on account of some personal anecdote or experience, I am itching to write a comment.

In other cases I may want to comment, but I am simply don’t know enough about the subject to offer much. Or the post may be excellent, but of such a nature as not to draw out a desire for comment–perhaps the post is merely factual or emotionally even-keel or is perceived as having the final word (closure). OK, I’m fishing a little for my own reasons, but trying to be honest about it too.

Today, I even decided not to write a comment because although I had wanted to offer something relevant to the post, what I had wanted to contribute did not address the specific question. Too specific a question can stifle comment. And in other settings, I have been asked questions that were too general or obscure or ambiguous for me to know what the questioner wanted.

Thew questions you propose in the above post seem relatively specific, but open-ended.

Of course, another reason I comment–let’s be frank–is in hopes of getting relevant and substantive backlinks. In other words, people may comment because they respect and trust the blog or author … or otherwise have ulterior motive for offering comment.

Explicit requests for comment may push some over the edge, but they are only one tool in the arsenal for garnering comment.
MarshallMiddle

February 17th, 2010 12:37 pm

What is the best time to post to get the most responses?
CBSE Sample Papers

February 18th, 2010 7:05 pm

I have same question…what is the best time to get quick responses…?
Janice Clark

February 18th, 2010 8:26 pm

Hi Darren, thank you for this post, it really helped me a lot.
I was thinking of starting my own blog and i didn’t know a thing about how to keep my potential readers engaged.

Lucky i saw this article, now i know what to do. thanks again.
Kenny

February 19th, 2010 5:45 am

Enjoyed your article. Asking questions like the ones you listed are good ways to get comments.
One of your earlier comments asked how to get people to leave comments on their blog. I just read a guest post in the SEO section on ProBlogger by Danny Wong (who is in the shirt business) about why commenting on blog posts was not a good way to get backlinks. The actual text concluded that commenting on blog posts is still an OK way to get backlinks but the title of his post stirred the readers’ interest, and got comments (not as many as this post, but it’s another way to get comments). :)
Thank you for sharing.
Mike G.

February 19th, 2010 8:50 am

I’ve been reading problogger.net and johnchow.com almost everyday since 2 weeks ago and if it wasn’t for them, I would not have started my own website. I just want to say thanks.
David Hall

February 19th, 2010 1:22 pm

This is all so true…the internet today is all about your readers/customers. No one wants to read your blog if you’re only going to be talking about yourself. It’s important to gear all of your actions towards readers/customers and make them your prime focus..what’s going on with them, what do they want, what do they need..etc.
Belinda

February 19th, 2010 7:37 pm

I think you’re completely right with the need to ask questions and how to phrase them to get a direct response.

By doing this you’re inviting both the more forward visitors and the more shy visitors to participate and show the diversity of your audience.

It’s especially important making articles assessible to everyone by talking with people rather than at – no one likes being spoken to, whether that’s online or offline.

Have you found there are some topics that get more comments than others or is it more based on how the article is written and the question asked for participation?

All the best,
Belinda
اگهی رایگان در سایت 1000نیاز

February 19th, 2010 9:50 pm

Thank you for reminding me to engage my readers
Samantha Milner

February 20th, 2010 4:51 am

Hi guys

I love the idea of ending it on a question though when i do my email inbox fills up rather quickly but it is worth it.

Its also a great way for my blog readers to chat between themselves and make friends.

kind regards

sam
X
Nataly

February 20th, 2010 2:24 pm

I am new to blogging. My approach has been to ask what people think. How does X make you feel?

I will let you know how well this works for me… Once I get some traffic ;-)
ice9web

February 20th, 2010 6:36 pm

Some of my blog posts have questions at the end but not all.. thanks for this idea, I will keep this in mind that questions are really worth it for engagements in readers thoughts (^_^)

mostly I used: What do you think? and what is your opinion?
Xeross

February 20th, 2010 9:04 pm

I usually just tell them if they have anything to share they should leave a comment, but asking a question might be more effective.
nancy lendved

February 21st, 2010 2:29 am

Hi Darren –

Should I be embarrassed to admit that I said “thanks!” out loud to my screen at the close of your video? Very engaging…
Here it is in writing as well: “Thanks!”

Nancy
Suwat Po

February 21st, 2010 1:44 pm

Thanks for good post. I also try to find the way to have people come my blog again and again. This post is really useful.
Ange Gothi

February 21st, 2010 9:02 pm

Really good questions that really need to be thought

Cheers
VISION

February 21st, 2010 10:45 pm

this video is really reaaly interesiting and I like it very much, some time I feel this thing that when we have little thing It really give much more thing for the betterment of our life and for peoples. thanks
Appur

February 23rd, 2010 12:35 pm

Interesting information. I will always try to end my blogs with a question
Robin Ong

February 24th, 2010 1:19 am

A blogger need also to achieve certain credentials before these questions can ignite certain fiery responses.
Michelle Salater

February 24th, 2010 2:14 am

Great post Darren! I’m a big supporter of making blogs interactive, two-way conversations, and this is such a simple, logical way to do that–people love to talk about themselves in person to person conversations, so why wouldn’t they want to talk about themselves on our blogs? I frequently end my posts with a “calls to action.” This technique has been very effective, and I think that by incorporating questions that elicit readers’ personal stories and experiences into my concluding “call to action” I will evoke an ever stronger response!
Justin

February 24th, 2010 3:39 am

Great post! I will definitely start using some of these!
George

February 24th, 2010 8:33 am

Darren, you did exactly what Dale Carnegie says to do in How to Win Friends and Influence People at that party. I do it all the time. I ask people what they do (wind them up) and let them rattle off. I do however get suprised when they do not recipricate and ask what I do.

But on that note, if I don’t start making more money from my blog, I might actually start geting embarrassed if they do ask that question. :-)
CrisisMaven

February 25th, 2010 2:31 pm

Indeed, how can you expect a reaction if you don’t elicit one? Thanks for the nifty little question list as a reminder.
articlesshare

February 25th, 2010 6:08 pm

For a new blogger..it’s the first need is to get his/her works popular. And he/she wants people to read and give comments. Also he/she has lots of questions..answered by professionals and the type I am taking about they are looking is here..
Andrew@ Equator Scotland

February 25th, 2010 9:55 pm

Great post as per ususal Darren – as someone who maintains numerous blogs on a range of topics i can honestly say that there isn’t one standout question that can be used to illict a reaction from your readers, ultimately it all comes down to the quality (or lack thereof!) of the conent within your post.
Dave

February 26th, 2010 7:58 am

Really helpful post, and very interesting. Its almost as if you should think of the blog as a party where you are meeting new people. Asking questions is not only the best way to engage people, but to get people to like you. Everyone loves to talk about themselves (especially bloggers), so inviting them to do so makes you seem friendly. Very smart. Thanks a lot.
Rupert Mattie

February 26th, 2010 8:39 am

Many thanks for making the effort to put this interesting info together. I am going to certainly bookmark your website to revisit again. Keep up the really good work. By the way, your RSS feed won’t operate in my browser (google chrome) just how can I repair it?
Diyet

February 26th, 2010 9:27 am

hank you for reminding me to engage my readers
Carol

February 26th, 2010 10:59 am

Your my confirmation I’m on the right track. I asked similiar questions on my newest post last night.
http://intentionalconsciousparenting.blogspot.com/
I’d really like to learn how you added all your links to follow your blog. That’s great!
I’ve only been seriously blogging for a few months now and i’m loving it.
Seferm

February 26th, 2010 10:59 pm

Daren is great with his tips. In fact, I bought and read his book “ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income”.

For the question, I ask readers, ‘What do you think or feel after reading this post?’
Abercrombie Milano

February 27th, 2010 5:00 am

Darren, you did exactly what Dale Carnegie says to do in How to Win Friends and Influence People at that party. I do it all the time. I ask people what they do (wind them up) and let them rattle off. I do however get suprised when they do not recipricate and ask what I do.
abercrombie italia

February 27th, 2010 5:00 am

Some of my blog posts have questions at the end but not all.. thanks for this idea, I will keep this in mind that questions are really worth it for engagements in readers thoughts (^_^)

mostly I used: What do you think? and what is your opinion?
Alex

February 27th, 2010 9:15 am

I always try to end with a question to encourage the reader to comment.
Sarah

February 27th, 2010 4:19 pm

I only just started “really” reading your blog, and I love it. I feel smarter every time I read a post. :) Your expertise will hopefully help me build a successful blog. Keep up the good work… oh, and I can’t wait to start asking my readers questions!
Paid Directories

February 27th, 2010 8:13 pm

Wow darren great advice. Getting an audience that is involed it worth more. Having a smalled involed audience like alex jones can bring alot of money, and attention.
John

February 27th, 2010 11:12 pm

This post really helped me, i added a question immediately to the end of my post. I have actually only been blogging for about a week, so i am just a beginner, but i am very much enjoying it.
If you wanna check it out, and tell me what i could improve, i will be highly grateful.
Thanks
http://jgblogging.com/
Keith Davis

February 28th, 2010 6:35 am

Asking questions at the end of your post is a great way to get comments, but here is a little something to get extra comments.

In one of the comments on my blog, a lady commented on the post and finished by saying that her brother now lived in England.
I thanked her for her comment and asked “where abouts in England does your brother live?”

I wasn’t trying to get another comment, but having read this post, I realised that this would lead to a response.

Not something you can do with every comment, but worth bearing in mind!
turbosol

February 28th, 2010 9:52 am

Ask them questions! What do comedians do…they involve the audience to improve reaction and to use the audience feedback to refine their act in real time…
Charita Willilams

February 28th, 2010 8:16 pm

I just can’t believe that so many people post spam on sites especially personal blogs just for the sake of some link juice. I need to stay alert 24/24 even with fancy pluggins like spam killer… I dont want to imagine what would happen to my work if I didn’t had the minimum ammount of protection.
Dr Anthony

March 1st, 2010 2:52 am

These 7 questions are really came to mind. I hope it is right place to learn and share the information. I will be very pleased if I can answer any of query.
new movies coming soon

March 1st, 2010 7:19 am

I am not much of a guy who thinks in so deeply about web design but I think your post had some valid points in it. Like designers are forced to design stuff within the limited code available and not go beyond it, their innovation is somewhat limited but still I think Web Design won’t die! I agree that Amazon and other some big sites won’t have a blog but now a days it’s very important to have some sort of option available so people can quickly communicate their thoughts. I think Amazon if wants to shift it to that, they can get a customized CMS for themselves.
Samm

March 1st, 2010 7:38 am

Darren, thanks for your thoughts and advice. As a direct result of this post, I’m off to re-edit my most recent blog post http://sammiam.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/skin/ by asking a question or two. I may even get brave and invite feedback by posting a link to the DPS forum! Cheers Samm
Justice | Get Rich

March 1st, 2010 12:13 pm

What is Your Opinion? What do you think? These are two common questions I like to asked my readers in order to get them involve in the blog conversion post.

Wow, I got another host of question from you today that I would start using from now onward. That’s great…
Peter

March 1st, 2010 7:05 pm

Thanks! The guidance and tips are very much appreciated. It’s difficult to get direction when starting off as a blogger but this is helpful!
Tyrone

March 1st, 2010 8:23 pm

Hi Darren,

Being “talked about” has always been giving ways to be able to build posts into “discussions” – this increases your capability to be viewed by more people because more and more could react and this will be continuous! Additionally, you should as well participate with them by threading into their conversations.

Yes, I do believe that asking them “What do you think?” can always open up their ideas and reactions. Also, asking their experiences can always be effective at the end of any post as they will not only react on the topic but will also relate it to their real-life activities which adds interests as possible just similar to “What’s your story?”

Thanks!

Comments will be closed off on this post 90 days after it is published. Apologies to those this impacts but it's a regrettable and temporary measure to combat a growing comment spam problem. See our most recent posts where you can comment here.

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Written on December 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 am by Darren Rowse

7 Questions to Ask On Your Blog to Get More Reader Engagement

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Written on December 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 am by Darren Rowse

7 Questions to Ask On Your Blog to Get More Reader Engagement

What next?

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Learn how to earn more using your blog

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438 Responses to “7 Questions to Ask On Your Blog to Get More Reader Engagement” - Add Yours

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Connect with Darren