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?