Blogging Challenge Contest: Getting Readers to Comment

This past week we ran a contest on The Blog Squad Fan Page on Facebook. We asked: What's Your Biggest Blogging Challenge?

30% of the respondents cited in one way or another that getting readers to comment was their biggest challenge.

And that's exactly what our winning blogger wrote as well.

The contest winner is Lisa Braithwaite, a public speaking coach who writes on Speak Schmeak. Congratulations! Check out Lisa's blog. She writes good stuff about how to be a better public speaker and uses story and metaphor well to illustrate her points. And please, comment on her blog!

Here's what Lisa submitted to the contest:

My biggest challenge is probably encouraging my readers to comment. I know they're out there, but only a few leave comments.

First, understand that only about 1% of blog readers will ever comment. 

That being said, there are ways to encourage comments.

We addressed the interaction issue today in a teleseminar on Call to Action for the Master Business Building Club and in a blog post a few days ago.

First, you've got to ask.

You've got to ask your readers to comment, give their opinion, give you feedback, submit their ideas.  Then, you have to tell them what to do: click on the comment link below to tell me your biggest blogging challenge.

Actually, before you ask, you have to write compelling content that is relevant to your readers. How do you know what's relevant?

• Run a poll
• Ask your readers what they want from you
• Do a survey
• Run a contest

Use the responses you get to create more content that your readers want.

Write your posts with your readers in mind. Remember the 4 Es (watch this video). And keep whenever possible write in a way that appeals to basic human needs:

1. The three greatest human goals: to make or save time, effort or money
2. The three greatest human desires: lust, greed or comfort
3. The three greatest human teasers: curiosity, scarcity or controversy

Finally, I encourage you to read and comment on OTHER blogs. This is what we call Outreach. Not only can it drive more traffic to your blog, but when you participate, you're modeling to others how they can participate too. 

Do you have tips for getting readers to comment and engage with you? Please click the Comment link below and share your tips!

Related Posts:
Business Blogging Tip: Target 4 Learning Styles
7 Super Triggers to Get Readers into Action

Comments

[brooke]

I am all about getting more comments on my blog ... even if they aren't insightful ;) I think I'll try to comment more on other people's blogs and look for some good karma!

[Sarah]

Outreach is definitely a good thing. You build relationships and reciprocity.

Adding a call to action - like asking a provocative question always intrigues me into saying something. I am not so good at doing that on my own blog but I should learn from other people who definitely get results that way.

[Lisa Braithwaite]

Patsi and Denise, thank you so much for featuring Speak Schmeak, and thanks for the great tips!

I do find that the bloggers whose posts I comment on are more likely to comment on mine. I use Google Alerts to see who's talking about public speaking and then try to comment when I have something relevant to say.

The general percentage of readers who comment is a helpful stat. I have about 300 subscribers and about 1,000 unique monthly visitors. So I think I'm probably getting about a 1% or better rate of commenters, but I don't know how to track unique commenters (like tracking unique visitors).

[stacy]

thanks for the great info! I just had to comment ;)

[Patsi aka The Blog Squad]

What a beautiful photo of you, Lisa! (I just had to comment also!)

Hey guys, it's well known: what goes around comes around. It's just good blog karma to comment on other blogs. When you do you leave a trail back to your blog...

Happy trail blazing...sometimes it takes some work to find those other blogs.

[Cathy Goodwin]

I've found that some people are afraid of losing their anonymity. If you're following the Blog Squa, chances are you want to get the word out. You *want* your URL all over the place.

But for my personal blog, midlifedog.com, some of my friends are squeamish. I might have to add a line to some posts, "You can just use your first name. You can even be anonymous!"

[Lisa Braithwaite]

Thanks for the compliment on my photo, Patsi. Hubby took that with the digital camera about three years ago, and I don't think I'll ever replace it with a newer one. The stars were aligned that day. :-)

[Kathleen Gage]

Outstanding idea to have the contest. You picked an excellent winner. Her comments and insight are very helpful.

Kathleen Gage
The Street Smarts Marketer