In the last blog post, I discussed how to help build readership by commenting on other blogs. Now the overabundance of spam comments out there may make some bloggers feel like giving up on comments entirely. After all, it would seem that an easy way to solve the problem would just be to turn off the comment section and let your blog be about you and your voice.
Don’t do that. Comments from others can be a sign to new readers that people take an interest in your blog. And if you happen to say something that really interests them and that they’d like to comment on, you want to provide them with the opportunity. Here’s the point that some bloggers miss – blogging isn’t just about your voice. It’s about starting a conversation and allowing others to join in. Even if they just comment to say how much they loved (or hated) the blog post.
I see some basic mistakes out there that discourage me from leaving comments on blogs. A common one that seems to pop up on blogs using blogger is the need for me to leave some sort of personal data behind, like my Google id and email. Look, we probably don’t know each other that well. I might want to say “well done” without giving you my personal information. I’ve left blogs that required me to enter an ID or register and sign up to follow the blog. Make it easy for me to leave a quick comment and perhaps just my name and you’ll get more comments. There are tools out there that will let you filter comments if they include excessive linking or specific phrases. Even tools that let you approve all comments that show. Make use of them, but use them wisely.
Of course, another simple task that we bloggers often forget to do is to ask people for comments. I know I’m guilty of it. Now, you might not need to ask on every signal post, but try to aim for every third post or so. This will let readers see that you do really welcome and appreciate their comments, and they may comment on other posts as well.
So, here’s my question for you, what does the “no comment” default setting say at the bottom of your blog post? Does it still say “no comments” or have you changed it to something more personal? Let me know!
Mine just says “no comments.” should I change that?
Yes, I’d recommend changing it to something more positive sounding. You could customize it for your blog and your style or even use something simple like “Leave me a comment.” Make it look more inviting for your readers!