5 Ways to Encourage Participation on Your Blog
By now you must agree that a blog is an important part of your business. It is the best way to reach a large group of people, providing them with news, information, and valuable resources all the while building a rapport with your regular readers. Some sites have such loyal followers that they don’t feel they can start the day without dropping by their favorite blog while they drink their morning coffee.
The most successful blogs, however, are not just read. They encourage participation from their readers who leave comments, take polls, and spread the word about them. When someone takes the time to leave a comment on your blog, they are much more likely to come back again to check on the responses. They immediately feel a connection to your site that will build into a sense of community the more they engage you (the blogger) and other readers.
So how can you encourage people to take the extra 30 seconds needed to leave a comment on your blog? Here are five ways:
1. Just Ask
That’s right. Just ask your readers a question and then tell them they can post their responses in the comments section. A simple request like, “What are your favorite…?” promotes fast, easy responses giving everyone a chance to put their two cents in. Your readers may feel shy about piping in unless you explicitly invite them to be part of the dialogue, so you should regularly do so at the end of your posts.
2. Hold a Contest
I’m not advocating bribing people for comments, but let’s face it: nothing inspires participation like the chance to win something. Heck, even a $20 gift card or a copy of a book on the subject of your blog will make your readers stop and leave a comment. Invite them to leave their thoughts on a specific topic and let them know you’ll choose a random winner from among the commentators. If you do this, however, make sure you have a specific end date for the contest and that you immediately follow through and send the winner his or her prize.
3. Make It Easy
All blogs have several tools for keeping themselves secure. You obviously don’t want to attract spammers, but you also don’t want to make people jump through hoops just to leave a simple comment. Streamline the process so that they only have to enter the bare minimum of information to have post their comment.
Also, it is highly recommended that you allow for ‘anonymous’ comments. Some people will be much more likely to participate in a dialogue (especially on a controversial subject) if they don’t have to reveal their real identity.
4. Keep a “Top Commentators” List
Many blogging platforms already have code made for a Top Commentators widget. You can install them in just a few seconds to give your readers a chance at ‘internet fame’ by seeing their name at the top of your list. If people are investing their time and energy into your blog, this is a great way to acknowledge them and let everyone know who is involved with the dialogue on your site.
5. Have Simple but Enforceable Commenting Guidelines
If you want to encourage thoughtful, intelligent discussion on your blog, you must have a set of guidelines. Not that you want to make things complicated with a bunch of rules and regulations; but setting out some ground rules for participation will make everyone feel more comfortable. Simply stating that you do not accept SPAM, abusive comments, or comments that incite hate or violence will suffice. You don’t want to risk running off or offending your loyal readers because one or two weirdos with nothing better to do decide to show up and decide to provoke a fight.
These are all very simple ways to encourage participation on your blog. You can also offer polls (www.vizu.com) and spend time commenting on other people’s blogs to build online relationships. The key is getting regular visitors to your blog—people who you can count on to build a steady stream of traffic. Once they feel ‘invested’ in your site, they will be more likely to come back again and again; and will refer others to your site, too.
What are some of your suggestions and strategies that have worked for you on your blog?
It is very important to have participation in your blog. It is how you get people to come back to it :). Great post.
A tip that has helped me on my blog is using twitter, digg, and forums that talk about my niche to promote it.
Then I get people who are directly interested in what I am posting and people that want to learn more.
That is a great post about blog participation. Do check out my recently launched love blog at Cupid Blogger Dot Com
Unique content is also something that will attract people to come back to the site. Unique content creates buzz and people will remember you for it.
Please let me know if you need anything. I figured that the fastest way to learn how to go about things is to be available to people.
All the Best!
Regards,
Erwin Chua
Winning To Win With Erwin Chua - Internet Marketing Advice
http://winning2win.com
@Erwin Chua you have right. I agree with you about unique content. That is something that we all want. Something from what we will learn
Till
I find that when I write content that connects with me, it also connects with others - and they leave comments.
Asking is great too! I sometimes just simply post a question on my blog and it usually attracts a good amount of comments.
Excellent content here and a nice writing style too - keep up the great work!
Some good advice here, but use the contest suggestion with a bit of caution, If _I_ read _your_ blog I read it because of what you have to say and what you have to offer. I don’t go there to win some prize. Here’s what i wrote a few months ago on the subject:
… … A few months back I unsubscribed from John Chow and Shoemoney becuase because they were running a contest like this and every post, hour after hour was nothing but ’sign up with me, sign up with me’ … it is as if they didn’t want the folks who had already become readers. I ha dbeen with both of them for ages, in John’s case from his very early days with his own blog … and all he seemed to want was more and more curiousity seekers looking for some kind of prize.
A thought to roll around anyway … getting people to sign up is one thing, getting them to stick is a different task….
Since I wrote that I also unsubbed from another well known blogger whom I had been with since the very beginning becuase daya after day it was just a big ballyho about a contest he was running. Nothing of interst to me at all.
If you want nothing but new subscribers, fine … but you may be throwing away your long-term faithful readers just to try to impress yourself with your Feedburner numbers. Strike a balance.
This post is great! I love it when I learn something new. Check out my last couple of posts on http://startupprofessionals.blogspot.com to see if I’m getting it.
I think you also need to be consistent in your writings. If you aren’t consistent then you will not be able to build up your audience.
@ Jeffery Louis: Yes, forums and other social networking tools are a strong way to build your following and readership. Very important point. Thanks.
@Cupid blogger, thanks for the comment and checked out your blog. Looking good!
I didnt see blogtrepreneur.com in your blogroll =0)
@Erwin, Yes fresh, helpful and innovative content is truly one of the major factors in keeping your readers coming back for more. This is what we are trying to deliver each day here at Blogtrepreneur! Thanks for the comment and thought!
Beauty Salon, Thanks for the post! Check back often with Blogtrepreneur as we try and equip our readers with the tools we feel are needed in the business world we currently live in!
Standout Blogger: I agree, speaking from the heart and delivering a message that you feel is on your readers minds, will definitely help get the creative minds thinking!
Findniches: Thanks for the comment and check back often!
Dave Starr: Too much of anything does seem to get a bit tedious, I agree! So, if you are going to use the contest concept, make it a good one and just sprinkle it on, once in a while to ensure a big impact! Thanks for the insight!
Martin: Glad you enjoyed the post and even happier that you learned from it. Thats what these posts are all about! Keep up the good work on your blog!
Nicholas: Yes, consistency and uniformity make a big difference. Stick with your niche. If it is a bowling blog, try not to write too many posts on Ping Pong! =0) Good point!
@Nicolas James.I agree with you about consistent. And I think that is one of key factors to build up audience.That and constant making new post.
Till
Great post. Blog that has no dialog between poster and visitors is not a blog. For every blogger is most important to build community and relationship with his visitors, as that is one of the best results that can prove his hard work.
Good point. In my personal blog, the average number of comments per post is one of the key metrics I monitor.
Commenters are loyal and are more likely to spread the word…
In my experience, I suggest NOT asking questions (at least not at the very beginning). Write from your passion, knowledge and experience comments will start coming in and they’ll be spontaneous.