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99% Of Your Blog’s Readers Will Never Comment On Your Blog.

Comments are a way to show appreciation and gratitude toward a blogger, yet there are blogs with hundreds of thousands of readers that get no more than fifty comments per post. What’s up with that?

Maybe the style of writing doesn’t compel the reader to leave a comment. Or could it be that the blog doesn’t sport the “community feel” and that readers don’t see the purpose of leaving comments? (TechCrunch has over one million readers, yet each post has an average of fifty comments!)

The truth is, that’s just how it has and will always be. Not everyone that reads your posts will leave a comment, and it’s time for you to accept the truth of the matter - but there are certain techniques you can use to engage your readers and have them leave a piece of their mind.

Here are 10 effective methods to get more comments on your blog:

1. Keep it easy

I personally comment on hundreds of different blogs every week. The only reason that would prevent me from commenting on a blog would be having to register first. You see, people have busy lives, and asking them register before leaving a comment is practically telling them not to comment at all. I understand why many sites require registration before commenting (to reduce spam), but they are loosing out on so many comments because of that. Commenting should be fun, so remember to keep commenting as simple and easy as possible.

2. Provide incentives

Let’s face it, sometimes doing good for the sake of good just doesn’t cut it. Why should anyone comment on your blog when there are millions of others to choose from? Occasionally, it helps to provide incentives for your readers to comment. You can give away eBooks, themes, or other products to those who comment; this works wonders since your readers are always on the lookout for free stuff.

3. Ask

As obvious as it might seem (or not), simply asking your readers to comment will definitely help you get more comments. I don’t know why this works, as your readers already probably know that they can comment whenever they want to, I guess it has to do something with being specifically asked (makes it seem more personal).

4. Write controversially

If your readers are always going to agree with your posts, then there won’t be much room for them to voice their opinion. Writing controversially is the solution to this problem. I don’t mean writing a post where you insult another blogger or product, but writing in a way that shows the other side of the story. The more you disagree with the masses, the more comments you will get. Warning: you are bound to get many flamers and pissed off people, don’t delete their comments. Rather, respond to their comments in a civilized way. No matter how careful you are in not offending anyone, you are bound to get a few pissed of readers. Don’t think about them too much, the traffic and comments you can get from a well-structured controversial post make it worth it.

5. Respond to comments

If you aren’t going to be using your own comments section, then why should others? Readers usually ask questions in their comments and expect answers. If you are going to leave them hanging without answering their question (or even acknowledging their comment), then why should they comment in the first place? Respond to comments politely and be sure to respond to each one individually. Nobody likes being referred to as “guys or everyone”

6. Reward the commentators

One day I checked my email and found this blogger’s latest eBook sitting their - he had sent it to me to show his appreciation towards me for commenting on his blog. That email really changed the way I see that blogger and his blog. The fact that he was the only blogger that thanked me for my comments showed that he really payed attention to those taking the time to comment on his blog. You should try it someday. Head on over to your WordPress dashboard right now and send your own token of appreciation to all your commenters. I’m pretty sure you’ll have a warm fuzzy feeling inside of you after you do.

7. Make use of plugins

There are tons of WordPress plugins out there that will help you get more comments on your blog. You have probably seen sites with the top commentators widget, or others participating in the do-follow movement. All these things can be achieved with free WordPress plugins, here are some of my favourites:

1. Subscribe to Comments - Allows readers to be notified by email when new comments are made.
2. Top Commentators - Gives the top commentators a link in the sidebar (tons of options to customize).
3. Contact Commenters - Sends an email to commenters that have been absent for a while
4. Do-Follow Comments - Remove the “rel=nofollow” from the website field in the comment section.
5. Threaded Comments - Let’s readers respond to other comments in an organized fashion.

8. Don’t write everything

If you write everything that can be said in your post, then you are leaving no room for the opinions and ideas of your readers. Always try your best to not write everything. Always save some room for improvement by asking your readers for their thoughts on the matter. For example, instead of writing about 15 ways to get more comments on your blog, I only wrote about 10 and will ask you guys to share some more. Not only does this increase the comments your blog gets, but it also creates and gives your site more of a community feel.

9. Comment on other blogs

Almost every time I leave a comment on another blogger’s blog, he immediately checks out my blog and leaves a comment in return. Commenting can be very time-consuming, and not everyone will have the time to tell you what a good job you did on your last post. But when you comment on other blogs, their owner’s will usually feel obliged to comment on your blog to return the favor. Pretty simple really, you scratch their back, they scratch yours.

10. Show appreciation

When was the last time you thanked your commentators? It can be surprising how such a small “thank you” at the end of your posts can take your comment section a long way. Your readers are taking their time to leave comments on your blog, so the least you could do is thank them for their effort. A little thank you note can turn a stop-and-go commenter into a very loyal reader. Think about it

What are some methods you personally use to get more comments on your blog?