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14 Devious Tactics for Getting More Comments on Your Blog Posts

by Jon Morrow

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You have a lot to be proud of, you know.

Most folks who start a blog quit within a few weeks, their dreams of fame and glory crushed by a cold and uncaring world who doesn’t give a damn what they think.

But you?

You hung in there. You kept writing. You’re even managing to get a little bit of traffic.

And you’re pleased with your progress. Rightfully so.

The only problem:

You’re not getting many comments.

Sometimes a post collects one or two. Sometimes none. Occasionally, you strike a nerve and get a handful of readers to say something.

But never dozens or hundreds of comments like some of the big blogs.

Granted, you’re probably not getting anywhere close to the traffic they are, but you can’t help wondering…

Are you doing something wrong?

Is there some trick you’re missing?

And most importantly, what can you do to get more comments?

Well, let’s see if we can help you out.

The Three-Part Formula for Getting More Comments

The first step to getting more comments is to understand how they work.

Here’s the formula:

Traffic + Engagement + Emotion = Bunches of Comments

The first part is obvious. The number of comments you receive is at least somewhat dependent on how much traffic you’re getting, so if you want more comments, get more traffic.

But what about engagement and emotion? How do those work?

Well, engagement is all about how much of the reader’s attention you have. If they’re just skimming your post, not really reading or digesting what you’re talking about, then you’re not going to get many comments.

It’s also about the length of time you can maintain that attention. To get visitors to comment, you have to convince them to read most if not all of the post.

Makes sense, right?

Well, the third part of the formula is the surprising one: emotion. Most bloggers are so busy trying to tell a story or make a point or pass along valuable information they totally forget to engage readers on an emotional level.

And that’s a huge mistake. If you look at posts that receive hundreds of comments, all of them provoke some sort of emotional response.

Maybe the post is inspiring. Maybe it’s a tearjerker. Maybe it’s so brutally honest it upsets people.

The point is, it makes them feel something, and what do we do when we’re overcome with emotion? We comment. Our emotions compel us.

It’s not just emotion or any one part of the formula that gets readers to react, though. It’s only by putting all three together, by compounding their effects, that you get dozens or even hundreds of comments on a single post.

So then the question becomes…

How?

It’s well and good to theorize about how blog comments work, but what are some specific steps you can take to start getting more of them right now?

Let’s talk about that next…

14 Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog Posts

Here are some strategies you can start using immediately to boost your comment count. I’ve used them both on my own blog and the blogs of my clients, creating dozens of posts that have crossed the 100 comment threshold, so I know they work:

1. Get visitors to subscribe. Many readers won’t comment the first time they visit your blog. They need to get to know you first. To give them a chance, get them to subscribe to your blog by offering them an incentive like a free report, video, or webinar. Over time, the dividends are enormous, not only in additional comments but also in traffic and revenue.

2. Emphasize email over RSS. On average, the engagement of subscribers to your email list is about four times higher than subscribers to your RSS feed. More engagement means more comments, so emphasize email and make that RSS button a little harder to find.

3. Publish less often. The more often you publish, the less comments your posts will receive (on average). For one, the number of new comments a post receives drops dramatically when it’s pushed off the front page, but also, readers tend to get overwhelmed when you’re publishing a lot of content. By publishing less often, say once a week, you can actually increase your engagement, and therefore, your comments.

4. Email your unopens. If you email your subscribers a post, and they don’t read it, they must not be interested, right? Wrong. They may have overlooked it, been too busy to read it, or failed to receive it because of some technical glitch. So, here’s what to do: use an email service provider like AWeber that tracks who opens your emails, and email the post again to subscribers who don’t open it. You’ll get more traffic, and as a result, more comments.

5. Ask for links. Did you know not all traffic is created equal? When you get a link from an authority in your niche, the visitors are much more likely to comment than visitors who stumble across you on search engines or social sharing sites. So ask for links. Just hit them up on Facebook or Twitter and explain how the post will help their audience. Don’t be pushy. Offer it as a resource. You’ll be surprised how often they link to you.

6. Revive the archives. As a blogger, it’s all too easy to constantly be focused on the next post and forget about the great posts you wrote weeks, months, or years in the past. But it’s a mistake. Most of your audience won’t have read those posts, and so linking to them will not only help your readers, but it will get those old posts more comments as well. My recommendation: try linking to one old post per day on Twitter and Facebook, and set up an autoresponder sequence to send your best posts to new subscribers as well.

7. Write with more passion. When I write, I like to imagine the reader is sitting at their computer, half-asleep, and my job is to wake them up and get them energized. To do that, I get myself energized, and then I write with so much passion and energy they can feel it. It rubs off. If you believe passionately in what you’re talking about, it’s like connecting jumper cables from yourself to the reader and then revving your engine. You’ll wake them up and get them to comment.

8. Assault the norm. Controversy is probably the most reliable tool for getting people to comment, but you have to use it in the right way, or you’ll offend your readers. Here’s how to do it right: assault the norm. Find the commonly held belief in your niche that’s actually a myth or flat out wrong, and tell people why you disagree with it. You don’t have to be aggressive or try to provoke an argument. The more thoughtful the post is, the better it will do. For an example to model, click here.

9. Tell a tearjerker. You want a surefire method for getting people to comment? Well, here you go: make them cry. Tell a story that’s so sad, inspiring, or downright upsetting that it brings readers to tears. A good rule of thumb: if you tear up just thinking about it, it probably has a shot. The only problems with this method is you do have to be a good storyteller to make it work, and most of us don’t have more than a handful of tearjerker stories, so you can’t depend on them all the time.

10. Attack a common enemy. Politicians use this one all the time. The idea is simple: identify a person, company, or culture your audience hates, and then let them have it. Write a good old-fashioned rant. If you do it right, you’ll be a hero, because you’ll be giving voice to the anger and frustration your audience feels but can’t express. Not only will you get “I’m so glad you said this” comments, but you’ll strengthen your bond with your audience, transforming readers into converts who will hang on your every powerful word.

11. Give a pep talk. This one is my favorite, and here’s why: the disease that cripples people and holds them back isn’t so much a lack of knowledge as a lack of confidence. They simply don’t believe in themselves. You can give them all the greatest information in the world, but they’ll either gloss over it or quickly forget, because their internal response to everything you say is, “I could never do that.” The solution? Be the one person in their life who truly believes in them, and end your posts with a pep talk about how they can do it. You’ll get more “thank you” comments than you’ve ever seen in your life.

12. Respond to the comments you do get. You may not realize this, but many of your commenters are expecting a response, and I’m not just referring to the ones who ask questions. They might elaborate on one of your points, tell a story from their own life, or simply thank you for the post, none of which obviously need a response. But respond anyway. They’ll be excited to get a response from you, and it’ll encourage them to comment more in the future. (Admittedly, this is an area where I could do better.)

13. Ask a question that’s easy to answer. The favorite closing paragraph of lazy bloggers is some variation of “What did I miss? Leave it in the comments.” And almost always, the close falls flat. Here’s why: it requires people to think too hard. Finding an example or a point you missed requires substantial thought, and if they’re not already super engaged, most people decide it’s not worth the effort. The solution is to ask questions like “What frustrates you?” or “What’s your favorite tool for such and such?” Those types of questions require almost no thought to answer, and so they get a lot of comments.

14. Resort to bribery. If all else fails, bribe them. Give away free products, consultations, feedback, the new iPad — pretty much whatever your audience desires. By getting people to comment, you employ the Law of Consistency, which means if people do something once, they’re much more likely to do it again. Commenting also makes readers feel more a part of your community, and they’re more likely to stick around, tell their friends, and buy your products and services. So, sometimes it’s worth giving them a little incentive to get off their butts and comment.

Is it really worth all that effort?

After reading all this, you might be thinking…

“Damn, I never knew getting comments was so much work. Is it really worth all that effort?”

In a word:

YES!

As I just mentioned, getting people to comment creates engagement, and it can actually help them succeed. By getting them off their butts, you’re not just boosting your comment count. You’re changing lives.

Comments are also good for your motivation.

If you’re writing and writing and writing, but no one ever comments, it’s easy to feel like you’re dumping your work into a big black hole. You can give up, not because your work isn’t good, but because no one is telling you it’s good.

The opposite is also true.

If you get dozens of comments on every post you publish, all of them thanking you and cheering you on, it’s really easy to stay motivated to keep writing. You can tell your work is touching people.

Whenever I get a little down, one my favorite things to do is go back to posts like this one and read the comments. Honestly, it makes me cry every time. Not because I’m a crybaby, not because I lack self-confidence, but because we all need to be reminded of how much other people treasure us.

Really, that’s what comments are.

They’re a hug from your best friend. They’re a pat on the back from your coach. They’re the standing ovation at the end of the speech.

And you know what?

You totally deserve it

The world is full of self-proclaimed experts offering to help in exchange for a hefty fee, but here you are, giving away your most valuable insights for free. The least you can ask for is a little bit of feedback.

But you can’t leave it to chance.

If you want more comments, you have to get more traffic. If you want more comments, you have to engage your readers. If you want more comments, you have to touch people’s emotions.

The good news?

After reading this post, you’re equipped with everything you need to do it.

So get to work.

Map out your strategy.

Write a post that makes your readers fall in love with you.

And then hang on.

Because those comments are coming, baby. In a freaking flood.

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Jon Morrow

Jon Morrow has asked repeatedly to be called “His Royal Awesomeness” but no one listens to him. So, he settles for CEO of Smart Blogger.

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Written by Jon Morrow

Jon Morrow has asked repeatedly to be called “His Royal Awesomeness” but no one listens to him. So, he settles for CEO of Smart Blogger.

119 thoughts on “14 Devious Tactics for Getting More Comments on Your Blog Posts”

  1. Jon you’re right about RSS vs. email. Didn’t noticed the new post in my Google Reader today, but sure did notice the email!

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  2. 8. Assault the norm – great tip here. A wonderful example is Derek over at Social Triggers post on “How Content is NOT king.” By flipping the script you can gain some great reactions.

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  3. Thank you for all the emails and advice for helping me get more insight on writing. I’m going to starting my journalism courses in April with Kaplan University. Wish me luck once again Mr. Morrow thank you.

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  4. Another way I’ve noticed that you get draw more traffic to your own blog and possibly increase your comment count is to be the first commenter on a popular blog like CopyBlogger. I’m not talking about saying, “nice post” or “thanks for the tips.” I’m talking about something that continues the story or conversation because whenever I’ve done this on blogs, I usually always get a response from someone whether that be another commenter or the blog owner. I prefer to add to the conversation. I notice too many people are concerned about having the first comment on a popular blog that they write a one line response that adds no value whatsoever. To me that sends off a warning signal – did they really read the post? Or are they just rehashing their comment based off the post title? By contributing your own well thought out comments with feeling and emotion on a popular blog, you have more chances of having those comments come back to your own! (especially if you have the chance to be the first commenter- don’t waste this opportunity with a pointless response.)

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  5. Awesome post (I’m commenting because you successfully did a few of the things you talked about, haha, so it works!).

    I’m one of those people who gave up a few weeks into having a blog, but I *plan* to have one in the future. When I do, I’ll return to this list.

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  6. Some great ideas here Jon, thanks. Currently I respond to every single comment, and the only disadvantage I can think of if (when!) my traffic grows is that’ll be more difficult.

    I very often close with a question, and what I really love to see is when my readers interact with each other in the comments – that really makes it feel like a community and makes ME feel more engaged as well.

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  7. These are great points Jon. I like #11 Give a pep talk. Not only will that be good for the visitors to the blog, but it is great for the bloggers mindset too!

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  8. I never realized why I follow you so emphatically until now – ALL OF YOUR POSTS TOUCH ME ON AN EMOTIONAL LEVEL! I know what your saying is true.

    I think that may be what has been lacking from my writing… I try to play it too safe.

    Johnny B Truant mentioned why he started using his pen name because of that reason and it freed him to let his “true voice” start shining through in his work.

    This may have been just what I need to break out of my shell. Thank you once again Jon. This is why you made my list of most influential people in my life I wrote last week http://coachcomeback.com/27-coaches-you-must-know/

    I just hope you truly know the impact you have on your readers and how using only your words – YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE LIVES!

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  9. This is a great article to print out and put beside the computer! I implement a few of these tips regularly, but not all of them, plus, there’s new stuff here I’ve never thought of — awesome! 🙂

    I LOVE the advice to “give a pep talk,” especially since it’s in my nature to tell folks what’s so great about them — I do this “in real life” alot, and some on my blog as well, and I love the idea that doing what comes naturally could potentially get me more blog comments.

    One thing I’ve found that works well, as you mention, is writing with emotion, or tackling a somewhat controversial topic. I did both of these things once or twice on a previous blog, and it sure did seem to get more traction than other content.

    It doesn’t require spilling your guts about your deepest, darkest secrets to write with emotion, but it can be challenging to put your most vulnerable self out there, which is what “writing with emotion” has meant for me. Recently I answered Danielle LaPorte’s “Burning Question” on my blog, which is not the kind of content I usually write there, and it felt a little bit like walking naked through a grocery store! 🙂

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  10. Well, I’m totally off the charts for this post because I never add blog comments to my sites.. I know.. I know!

    BUT, if I ever do, it would be to include CommentLuv.. or at the very least dofollow links. Reason being, whenever I stumble upon a quality CommentLuv and/or dofollow blog I always bookmark it to return to regularly for commenting.

    dee 🙂

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  11. This post rocks … I did nt cry … But I was definitely engaged … So here’s my comment … I am now awaiting a response … Any ole time will do … After this little gem … Your comments should be in the hundreds!

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  12. I struggle with this so much, so thank you! Thoughts about what to expect for comments for travel blogs? It’s not an exchange of ideas… so far the posts are: I can’t want to go there, I went there, too and you did a great job of writing about it.

    I ask questions about favorite adventures, surprises on the road, quirky discoveries, etc, but crickets. Thanks!

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  13. Your subheading said “11 Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog Posts” and then you gave 14 ways. Perhaps surpassing your readers’ expectations is another strategy? Great post!

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  14. “The favorite closing paragraph of lazy bloggers is some variation of “What did I miss? Leave it in the comments.”

    I am so guilty of this – not because I’m lazy, but because I always feel like there’s something I left out and it’s staring me right in the face!

    Just yesterday I wrote a post called “Green Chili, Cow Bell and a Lesson in Crowd Psychology” which is about as personal as I’ve gotten with a blog post — ever. It is so hard to open up on my own blog. Wonder why that is?

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  15. Funny, I wrote a post with almost the exact same title (“7 ideas you can steal”, but otherwise the same) and it garnered zero comments.

    Oh the irony!

    Thanks for your take on it, Jon. good stuff, as usual.

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  16. Great post! I recently started a new blog aimed at helping people improve their photography, and will try utilize some of your tips. I hadn’t thought about a couple approaches that you suggested here.

    Would you say, however, that getting comments is important to a blog or website’s success? Or is it visitor numbers? Both?

    I’m having a hard time qualifying how well my blog is doing.

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  17. Thank you for offering your valuable insights on a regular basis, John. I’ve bookmarked several of your posts, and refer to them periodically. You’ve helpd me gain a stronger grasp of the mechanics of blogging. Keep up the good work.

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  18. You are right on the money, Jon! In fact, the top posts of my blog fall into the emotional plea/ tearjerker/ twisting-your-arm-doesnt-it-hurt/can-you-believe-this-old-lady-has-done-this-young-thang-successfully categories that you highlighted. But you left out the one type of incentive that also works….even more dastardly than bribery… and that is manipulation a la “do this for me and I’ll give you a backrub/ freshen up your nail polish/ listen to your diatribe/ otherwise scratch your back,” reciprocity. That works, too. Maybe not as legit as other comments, but it does make the world go ’round!

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  19. Re: “When I write, I like to imagine the reader is sitting at their computer, half-asleep, and my job is to wake them up and get them energized. To do that, I get myself energized, and then I write with so much passion and energy they can feel it.”

    I like that. Same process when I’m on a phone call, I get up and pace around because it brings up my energy level and that energy level transfers to the person on the other end of the line. Same thing with writing. You can read/feel the person’s energy level – it comes out in their words.

    I also like your tip about emailing your un-opens. I’m using Aweber’s RSS to Email feature. I must be missing something, because I couldn’t find the list of un-opens to track (maybe I’m just tired and looking in the wrong place)…

    Reply
  20. Thank you for these wonderful tips and reminders.

    I began posting less frequently. When I began blogging four years ago, I was told to blog every day or three times per week. This was a challenge. I now blog twice a week, but have thought about blogging twice or three times per month.

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  21. Thanks Jon. Sense you are talking about comments, guess i better not run off without making one. That could shot the crap out of my reputation. LOL

    Anyway this is a great post like always and I just read a book review about “The Go Giver” and what you are saying fits right in. Give and you shall receive. You do this all the time.

    Many thanks to you for all the great information you feed us. You are one of a kind.
    Blessings to you always,
    Debbie

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  22. Hey, this is very helpful. The take away for me is to link to past posts and put them out there again in some way. As you say, new subscribers have probably not seen them.

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  23. TeHe – I like no.14 “Resort to Bribery” – I’ve just tried that and got my first ever comments that are not from family and friends!

    I’ll concentrate on shaping up the questions approach next I think…..

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  24. hey I have instinctively tried a couple of these without realiing it (debunking a commonly-held myth) but I’ll be sure to try the pep-talk one.

    Cheers for the great post. Love it as always.

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  25. Jon, you’re the master of getting the attention of readers and bonding with them on an emotional level. Who wouldn’t want to see you pull back the curtain and reveal strategies that have led to hundreds of comments on your posts published on Copyblogger and other sites.

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  26. I agree, lots of great information here Jon and I see a couple that are new to me so I’m going to give them a try. I do think post frequency needs to be based on the audience and tested. I’ve found 3 posts a week works well for me. I read a lot of blogs as well, and I find that I adjust to the blogger’s schedule IF the material is worth the read. For example – I don’t subscribe to Seth Godin because he posts so freqently, but I do visit his blog weekly and invest the time to catch up with all of his posts for that week. Thanks!

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  27. For some reason, Michael Jackson’s song “The Way You Make Me Feel” is now running through my head. 🙂 Think I will make that my mnemonic so that when I sit down to write, it will remind me of this post. Thanks!

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  28. Thank you so much for this post. It’s just what I needed to read because my blog suffers from lack of comments.

    I’ve been blogging for just under a year now and there were times when I felt like throwing the towel in, but I strongly believe that ‘winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win’ so I hung in there.

    I’ll be using your tips. Thanks again.

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  29. Love these! I recently started emailing my list and found it to be a massive boost to engagement. Now I’m moving to posting 2x a week (as opposed to weekly) and am thinking it’s best to keep the weekly email still (just highlighting both posts). Would love any thoughts you have on this…

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  30. What do you think about sending a brief thank you via email to people commenting for the first time? I received this short note from the good people at Launch While Working, ” Thank you for your comment at Launch While Working. . . Be sure to come back soon.”

    I felt very special and now have a closer bond to them than I did before.

    I know that personally responding to each comment is better. Nonetheless, if you’re short on time, it seems like a good way to deepen the connection.

    There were some very unique insights in this post. Gracias!

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  31. Great tips Jon. I realize that I am posting too often, so I will cut down and try to make the posts more meaningful. I was also getting writer’s block trying to come up with something everyday. I’m also going to use the incentive to get people to comment.

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  32. I really like the idea of engaging the people that didn’t open the email. What a concept, seriously. When I look at my stats I often have wondered if I should just delete the people that don’t open messages.

    Now I can look at that differently and perhaps even experiment with ways of engaging them – a fun challenge that could actually leave me with a better understanding of what my readers really want.

    Thanks for the insight,
    Susan

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  33. Great post as always Jon and exactly what I need right now as I’m in the early stages of my site.

    For me number 5 (Ask for links) is probably the most seemingly easy (you’re just asking right) but the most difficult as I just am too shy and perhaps lack self-belief. I just don’t believe that the big blogs would value my work. But, I’m going to work on that!

    I’ve been playing with facebook ads to get more out of each post and it seems to really work for my audience. I use the ‘ad from a page post’ and not only did I grow my fan base but I scored over 30 shares of my article so far!

    Definitely worth a try.

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  34. I’ll be one of those to admit it; originally when I was reading this post after you sent out the e-mail, I was just skimming through it. Then I got to the comments section (which at the time I started typing was a total of 42…which is incredible). With that many to peruse, I thought perhaps I should probably read the post a little closer. Then, I had to ask myself how will this apply to me?

    You show a three part formula for getting more comments: traffic (I currently have a whopping 12 subscribers, but I only started in January and really haven’t found my own voice or narrowed my focus yet) + Engagement (I’m not saying what I write is boring, but some of it can be dry as dirt during a dust storm) + Emotion (Well, I have plenty of that. Somehow it never shows through into my writings though) = Bunches of Comments. As you can see, I’ve got my work cut out for me. I guess it’s a good thing that you decided on a “One-Two Punch” format for this post, and threw me a bone with the “11 ways to get more comments on your blog post (yup, you caught it up top, but it’s still in the text…I just look at it like an “11 + bonus material” sort of win-win scenario).

    After reading your 14 Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog Posts, there are some that I obviously can’t use right now (#6’s Revive the Archives comes to mind, since I have a fledgling site) but the best part about it, is that when I do need them, I’ll be able to come right back here and find what I need.

    Thanks ever so much for starting this site!

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  35. I have tried to answer comments on Blogger but am confused as to how. I only have a delete content option. I have to go through the Friends option to answer comments. If I friend someone, they aren’t counted as followers any more. Will try out the other suggestions. I did 3 a week but will drop back a little to create demand.

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  36. Jon, please correct me if I’m wrong. Additional reasons why people leave comments are because they find the blog post very useful, focused and unique. Let me explain.

    Take CopyBlogger.com and BoostBlogTraffic.com for examples, the contents are well written, focused and extremely usely to the reader. There is no fooling around, hence it invokes at worst, a simple ‘thank you’ as comment.

    Not too long ago, Brian Clark of CopyBlogger wrote a post on ‘local marketing’ as the next thing to watch. After reading that post, I went ahead and registered Localseller.net, the .com was already taken. Two months after the registration, I sold the .net domain for $500. In addition to that sale, I registered strings of local domains, an inventory of digital products that will surely reward my tiny investment. So I buy CopyBlogger’s products, I make comments, I promote the blog to my friends because I know it will surely help them.

    The same applys to BoostBlogTraffic, I’ve recommended the blog to my friends, I know it will be useful to their bottom line like your blog posts have for me. From your various blog posts to GuestBlogging.com and now this blog, I’ve stolen some of your writing style, leveraged them to set up sites that I build and sell on Flippa.com.

    What’s my point? I’ll continue opening your email, visiting your blog as long as you are making it relevant and useful to me.

    Thank you Jon.

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  37. I’ve had a few good posts lately that really struck a cord with my readers- and I’ve noticed that when a post comes from my gut and not just my head, I get more feedback and people seem way more excited, as do I. So your advice to write with emotion is what works for me and I can feel myself and my blog about to hit our stride because of this discovery.

    I have a question about reviving older posts, though… is it all okay to actually pull up an old post that I can look at my stats and see has not been opened in ages and put it back on the front page- with the disclaimer, of course? I mean, I’ve got a few that I really liked that I wrote back when I had very few readers and I’d like to see those posts get read now.

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  38. Getting comments on blogposts your enjoyed writing feels like honey on your soul…it’s the best thing.
    At the end of the day, it’s engagement with our words we crave for when we write and push publish, right?
    Thanks for that, Jon!

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  39. Jon, no wonder you write so well: “When I write, I like to imagine the reader is sitting at their computer, half-asleep, and my job is to wake them up and get them energized.” Whenever I read your stuff, my eyes are glued to the screen. I should take on your perspective when I write too!

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  40. Jon, you’re so right about comments being great motivators to keep writing. When I get an awesome comment, I copy and paste the parts that motivate me into a private log I’ve titled “External Validation.”

    I look at it sometimes to remind myself how much of an impact my words have had on people.

    🙂

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  41. Nice post! But honestly, everything I always needed was one-passionate-comment by one of the readers. As I got the first comment I always tried to answer it carefully and then everything was much easier. So, from my point of view, #12 is the most important … if you are not an A-Lister.

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  42. I recently did a video on my blog where I opened with a quick reason as to why I’m so passionate about the work that I do. I didn’t receive more comments per se, but I did receive a few emails from ppl directly telling me that they were loyal fans. which I think was gutsier.

    Thank you Mr. Boost Blog Traffice for the reminder!

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  43. Great list Jon! Many of these items would be great thought-starters for our blog outline process. I especially like the strong-emotion topics. Many people fear to tread in tear country. Thanks for the great advice.

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  44. Getting comments on a blog is feedback. I enjoy feedback whether negative feedback or positive feedback. thanks Jon for such a great post. Keep up the good work. I shall make it my business to leave a comment on other people’s blogs so that I get comments on My blog. You stunned me on the bribery aspect, It really made my day. Had never thought of that.

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  45. #11 is why I keep blogging – inspiring & helping others is so rewarding, it keeps you writing even in the silence. {This can also be one of the toughest posts to get a comment on simply because people don’t always like to share their shortcomings & weaknesses in an open format.} Thanks for the great tips Jon!

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  46. Great tips. Thanks so much. I need to know that people are reading my posts to make it worth the effort

    Linda

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  47. Epic, Jon.

    I tell people this all the time. Story-telling and emotion are key, and you make it very clear.

    (In fact my post: “Success Is A Story (And You’re Telling It Wrong) really goes into how to generate emotion.

    Now I have an interesting question very related to this:

    I wrote a couple posts last week, and they got 30-50 comments each.

    Then I go and post my most personal, raw, emotional post ever and it gets like no comments, but 2 personal phone calls, and a bunch of personal e-mails and twitter DMs.

    To me, it feels like some of my best writing, with a powerful message.

    Here’s the link if you wanna dig into it: http://ryzeonline.com/painful-withdrawal-from-a-different-kind-of-addiction

    And Danny Iny tweeted it… twice!

    Any thoughts?

    Reply
  48. Jon; another good lesson in writing to connect, thank you. Have another validation of your skill and focus in helping one more scribe find his platform and speak from it. You’re inspiring.

    Reply
  49. The Key is quality content, to produce it less often, create information that makes a difference and really answers or solves a problem for your audience. and always simply ask for a comment and feedback.

    Reply
  50. Jon – Great tips. Curious on your recommendations regarding re-emailing those on the list that didn’t open. I send a weekly newsletter/blog post with an avg. 30% open. How often should I re-email to those not opening? (And should it be repeated exactly or use a new Subject line?)

    Reply
  51. When I read “resort to bribery!” 🙂 Brilliant!! This is one of the better posts I’ve read in a while, and I am seriously going to “Curate” bits of it… Jon, with a link of course!!!

    Reply
  52. Hi John; the problem I’m having is not in getting comments but in getting valuable ones from people who really have something to say. Earlier this year I disengaged my spam filter because in going through the spam folder i found to potential sales leads that I had missed. Last week I had to turn the filter back on after clearing out hundreds of likely spam comments with still over a thousand more to go through. I look forward to the great comments. I even welcome the negative ones as long as they have a point. What is your experience with this, and how have you handled it? Thanks for another great post, Max

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  53. Thanks for the wonderful post Jon. I think you dead on, especially about getting emotional. People can tell if you’ve got a passion. Why should they care if you don’t.
    PS. I’d like a print button too.

    Reply
  54. Thanks for the helpful & useful info. I’ve been publishing a literary blog for over a year at http://lastcre8iveiconoclast.wordpress.com/ and it’s picking up steam. I get new subscribers regularly and average viewership is on a good trajectory, but I’m failing miserably at my latest channel: THE WEEKLY QUERY. It is meant to be interactive, and is almost pointless without comments in reply. I pose a question (say on the death penalty or spiritual practices or life experience) and the reader is meant to respond. The stats tell me people are reading the posts, and many click “like”- yet I get almost no responses! And believe me- these are often EMOTIONALLY RESONANT questions! Maybe I’m different- but any of them would have engaged me enough to throw in my two cents. I’m thinking there’s an awkwardness to being the first to speak up. It takes courage- placing your neck on the chopping block as it were. I do not provide my perspective on the questions so as not to “lead” the discussion. The idea was the I would chime in after 10 replies. But after publishing every Sunday this year, I have yet to receive more than a single reply to any of the queries. I tried to get my readers involved in picking subsequent questions- with no success so far. I do answer every comment- always have. I will try to be more proactive in asking for links. Interestingly, I just started a new channel to mine the archives. I published a lot of great material before I had many readers. I do think I may be publishing too often and flooding my market- as I post between one and three items a day- but they are in different subjects. I might publish a story, a poem and a Scrabble list on the same day. I’ll have to look into the service you mentioned that tracks whether the email was ever opened. This would be good to know. Since they do not comment, I have no idea how many of my 44 email subscribers are actually reading. I could not possibly write more passionately! It’s all ABOUT passion! As an iconoclast I attack the norm at all times, with every atom of my being. I often give pep talks or attack common enemies. My opinion pieces are usually very controversial, yet I still doubt that I am engaging people the way I long to, considering I get SO FEW COMMENTS. It’s nice reading that I am doing so much RIGHT… Now if I could just figure out what I’m doing WRONG… Thanks for your insights Jon!

    Reply
  55. Hi Jon, great content as always, and inspiring!

    Also, I’ve just been looking through the free headline hacks download! Holey moley, that’s a lot of good stuff. It would have been awesome for just the table of contents, but the actual sections are so helpful. Thanks!!!

    Reply
  56. THANK YOU for the advice. The first month I blogged, I answered sporatically to my commenters. Then I saw the absolute frenzy that happened when I kept the conversation going in the comment section. Because of my subject matter, I constantly use #5, #7, and #9. Sandy

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  57. Jon–Terrific, real, pragmatic advice to those of us who keep hearing “I love what you write, but I just don’t know how to respond, so I don’t….”

    I especially like the contrarian view of ‘just take the opposite slant on something and be provocative’ (I rearranged your words and the gist of what you’re saying about your own school experience, fitting them to mine.)

    Yes, and I’ll add another: Oftentimes, teachers who did the absolute best in school and got doctorates made the lousiest teachers (I kid you not!) Too rigid–too controlling–too narrow. Impressed with their own academic titles and saw only one way to learn–theirs.

    I am greatly intrigued by my new challenge–getting many more comments on my blog. But it’s like anything else I know: Give me a problem (thank you!) and then I need find the solution.

    I’ve been doing the blog for 18 mos., and this is my new plateau I must reach, so I can have hundreds of comments–some day–like you.

    Thank you! PS…I was referred to you by Susan Johnston of Urban Muse…Thought you’d like to know…

    Reply
  58. Hi Jon,
    Thanks so much for all of the great tips you always have. Being a newbie blogger it is so encouraging to get comments! I love the email idea and find that most of my loyal readers, 30 in all 🙂 ARE more dedicated to reading my blog.
    Thanks again and Blessings to you!

    Reply
  59. Great tips Jon, I will share this on FB.

    I found that my comments increased when I installed CommentLuv Premium plugin. Spending some time commenting on other peoples popular blogs also works especailly if you can be one of the first to comment.

    Reply
  60. Hey Jon,

    Thanks for sharing. An awesome list of ideas to build on. I find simply asking what people think and a small prompt for a comment works.

    It’s great to get some engagement going on your blog.

    Thanks for sharing Jon.

    Dan

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  61. Jon–What platform do you use for your peoples’ comments–They JUMP out, as in their names, etc. I don’t even need to put on my glasses to read and what a delightful change that is! They’re bright red and date of comment is prominently displayed. I get so annoyed when I read a particular blog and comment area is poorly constructed or I discover–after spending waaayyy too long–that the whole thing (narrative and responses) happened 4 years ago. Hardly timely info. Yours are great!! Now, clue me in–please.

    Reply
  62. OK Jon I had to comment on the comment post!

    Great ideas as usual, but I wanted to remark that I notice you use alot of 1 and 2 sentence paragraphs in your blog posts. Clearly it works.

    I think people balk at reading ‘long form’ content on the internet and this helps to break things down for easier consumption, and less eye strain. The use of bold in the first sentence of longer paras also works well IMO!

    Reply
  63. Hmmm, never thought of emailing my posts again to folks who don’t open! So going to try this!!! I post on Fridays, so maybe i can repost via AWeber on Wednesdays. I’ve got it on my to do list.
    Thanks!!!

    Reply
  64. I love comments. It’s so true that without them, you lose motivation. The reason I started a blog was to engage with others and have conversations.

    Reading your blog posts have inspired me and re-energized me. I thought I’d heard it all but you have a fresh perspective and very engaging writing. You do seem to be in our heads!

    Reply
  65. Jon, That was more than 11.

    I’m going to try these this week and see what happens.
    4. Email your unopens
    6. Revive the archives.
    7. Write with more passion.
    11. Give a pep talk.
    13. Ask a question that’s easy to answer.

    Thank you again for the great advice,
    B

    Reply
  66. Jon,

    Thank you for the nuggets of info. for us newbie bloggers. You offered excellent tactics that are easy and doable. If only I could blog in my sleep…

    Warmly,
    Jackie

    Reply
  67. Interesting how I don’t see many replies to all the comments gets it’s listed in the good practice guide!

    After starting a few blogs there is one key I found to encouraging interaction and that is by having comments in the first place. Think about it like 2 restaurants. One is full and other is empty, for some reason your attention is drawn to the busier one and for no good reason we perhaps judge that the empty one is inferior.

    Our blogs are the same. When people see a lot of comments they feel the urge to also comment. It’s like they have a fear of being the first, but once others have done it then it is acceptable to do it too. That is why perhaps comments tend to snowball.

    So in my opinion its important to fake it till you make it. Encourage family and friends to comment on your blogs to make them look active. It gives a positive impression to a new visitor and make it more likely that they will comment too.

    Perhaps join or even create your own ‘blog commenting tribe’. This is simply a group of blogger who get together and agree to comment on each others blogs once a week. It’s fantastic for networking and can make your blogs look very active in a short space of time. Just google ‘blog commenting tribe’ and you will find many tribes waiting for you to get involved.

    Reply
  68. I like how cheekily devious many of these suggestions are (as the title acknowledges). I look very forward to seeing how my comments stack up after putting some of these tips to use!

    Reply
  69. I can so understand the need to go back and read comments to keep you motivated. Second time at writing a blog. My first time getting nine comments on a post. Nine! I am so excited. When I think that nobody cares, I go back and read my nine comments. I am totally psyched!

    Reply
  70. Cool post, quite a few interesting things there that I haven’t tried yet that I probably will!

    I think it can be quite difficult and deflating when you spend so much time and effort on getting your content out there, only to have low traffic and no comments. Though I am new to the blog game, there are certain things that I know would be effective in getting comments.

    First off I would say storytelling is by far the most incredibly powerful way to get comments (this has always worked on my past projects). You don’t want to sound like an encyclopaedia; you want to relate whatever it is you’re writing to yourself. Make it a story because that will help engage with people emotionally.

    Secondly, only post when you can link it to an event that involved you. i.e. don’t just post content for the sake of posting content. If you post content based on events & things that are happening with you and linking it to informative content, you are killing 2 birds with 1 stone – you create emotion, and you are story telling with informative stuff that your readers will enjoy.

    Just my two cents on the topic!

    Joey

    Reply
    • Jon,

      I am really enjoying the information you have to share here.
      Will you please show me an example of how I might go about incorporating step one of this article, into my blog?

      I have lots to offer people.
      According to the stats, on a video I uploaded for promotions. I have written and designed a crochet pattern, that draws in hundreds of viewers.

      The key word next to it is “free” . To my knowledge “according to my research” it doesn’t exist except for the one I have written. (not to seem as I’m boasting).. Needless to say, it’s hard to believe that I am one of the only people on the internet at this moment in time, who has written a pattern that so many people want but hasn’t come to my shop to buy.

      OK.. So I like this idea. I know that I have something they want. Just have no idea how to implement this idea onto my blog professionally, and effectively.

      Will you help me? Thanks in advance.
      HanieB.

      Reply
  71. I would add just one further, highly respectful comment: don’t publish your blog posts in 6 point grey san serif type like the post above. I found it virtually impossible to read Jon’s words of wisdom, even with good eye-sight 🙂

    Reply
  72. Thanks for some useful tips… Lol bribery will always seem to work. I’ll take your recommendations and implement them one by one until I get it right.

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  73. Do you think having comments helps with getting more traffic? I thin it definitely helps with usability, and contributes to building a community on your site. But what about in terms of actually driving traffic, SEO, etc?

    I think a common thing for bloggers is GETTING TOO MANY SPAM COMMENTS. So I’ve seen some people actually turn comments off. Do you think that actually has a negative effect, and more importantly – does anyone have a suggested method for managing the comment spam?

    -Jon

    Reply
  74. Hey i want to know Sharing new blog or new blog posts on diffrernt social media and bookmarking sites is good or bad. Bad means is it considered spamming according to google algorithms..? i started a new blog and i am working hard. I want to share blog posts on Google+ profile and page, facebook profile and page, Chime, Reddit, Digg, and all of the Top social sites, but i just want to know is it good for serps boost ups. I read that Sharing on diffrent sites will increase the indexing time of new blog posts. But i am still worried and want to know is it good or bad according to search engines to get a lot of link back to our sites through lot of diffrent social networking sites.

    Shruti

    Reply
  75. Your energy and humor ALWAYS get to me Jon, ‘…those comments are coming, baby. In a freaking flood.’

    Thanks for the continuous support and direction.

    Michael

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  76. The only thing I would disagree with here is decreasing the number of times you post per week. Posting every day (or even multiple ways) is a surefire strategy to get better traffic and Alexa rank.

    Granted, that means NOTHING if it’s not quality content, but if you can churn out 2 2000-word posts everyday fulled to the brim with high-quality content, then go for it.

    Just my opinion.

    Regards,
    JR John

    Reply
  77. Hi guys – great post!

    I’ve got a comment related question – and I’d love your thoughts. In a niche site (take mine – dating) how would you recommend encouraging comments. May sound silly but people are less inclined to leave a comment. In their minds it screams “I’m single”.

    Do you have any tips for this type of issue.

    Thanks again

    Reply
  78. Thank you so much for all these great tips on increasing our blog traffic.. As a new small business owner I’m trying to build by pagerank, and also just build an audience for the wedding + lifestyle family photography I’m creating here in Central Florida.

    I was wondering if you have any specific email subscribership programs you recommend? I don’t have a way for people to subscribe yet, but would like to integrate this in since it seems to have good results.

    Reply
  79. Thanks for the great tips! My blog is sneaking up on six months old and doesn’t have lots of comments, although it has been getting more shares lately which is nice, but I’m still trying to grab more comments from people and this post has given me some good ideas on doing that. Thank you.

    Reply
  80. Great tips, I think I’d struggle to make people cry myself, but I’m always game for trying new things out for the benefit of my blog – why not!

    Reply
  81. Great list. It is an ongoing battle to get people to comment on your site. I think another decent tip would be to post a lot of comments on other peoples sites. Loyally follow people and post feedback. Thanks for the advice.

    Reply
  82. Hi Jon,
    I am surprised to note how I missed this post since it talks about comments.
    I never miss such posts related to comments. I was a blog commenter from the beginning of my online journey. In fact, in a recently held Interview, the interviewer called me “A Blogger without a blog”! and he added the same sentence as his interview title “A blogger without a blog.” Yes, posting comments on others pages were my hobby before having a blog for myself. Now I am running 4 blogs with a lot of comments on them.
    I fully agree with the strategies mentioned in this post, I am following a major number in this list and am enjoying the tremendous benefits out of it. But the strategy # 8,9, 10 are really interesting and I never tried. The connecting link to Penelope Trunks and the 37 A’s story of yours is very interesting and of course a controvercial one too.
    Will surely check these three numbers and will come back to you.
    Keep sharing.
    Have a great weekend.
    Best Regards
    Philip
    @pvariel

    Reply
  83. Thanks a lot for your help Jon! I’m a new blogger, was thinking how to get traffic and comments and this post of yours has been a huge help.

    Should it interest you, do check out my blog.

    Regards,
    Elizabeth G.

    Reply
  84. You’re awesome, Jon 🙂 Truly. This part hit home: “If you’re writing and writing and writing, but no one ever comments, it’s easy to feel like you’re dumping your work into a big black hole. You can give up, not because your work isn’t good, but because no one is telling you it’s good.”

    I think that’s the toughest part about blogging. Because there isn’t feedback, you wonder if you’re doing the right thing? Or if you’re just totally off-base and need to switch gears entirely.

    I’ve hit the self-doubt big time recently and needed this post. Thanks!

    Reply
  85. So helpful. Thank you for this. I’m not trying to sell anything or give advice on my blog, so it’s hard to find relevant suggestions to increase comments but yours really hit the mark. My main problem is that people are leaving comments on my Facebook page not the blog. Any suggestions? I’m new to all this so a bit social media challenged!

    Reply
  86. Outstanding post, Jon Morrow. Well done and thanks for the hard work! Very useful content and superb presentation. A perfect example of what is expected. I find that compelling presentation works rather well. That first impression, which is usually a featured image. I focus all image text to the centre of the image. That way when it displays in search results on mobile devices it sends a clear message. And I’m off to try some of your new techniques and tricks. Have a lovely weekend.

    Reply

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