Encouraging discussion on a blog?

15 replies
I want to encourage discussion from visitors on my blog. I've seen people using Disqus and also people using Facebook. Is there one that's better than the other? Maybe there's something that's better. I want to encourage discussion in the easiest way to my visitors.
#blog #discussion #encouraging
  • Profile picture of the author adenclark
    You can check out Commentluv.

    This gives your readers an incentive to post comments on your blog by giving them a free link to their last post, twitter profile and more. I dont use it myself, but im not particularly concerned about getting comments as the majority of people only post for backlinks.

    Im assuming your using Wordpress.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440407].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author cyberzolo
    I really don't see why blog comments are all that important for SEO,
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440437].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TinRoof
      Originally Posted by cyberzolo View Post

      I really don't see why blog comments are all that important for SEO,
      My goal isn't to do it for SEO. I want to give people an added reason to visit my site again.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440566].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author redeye paradigm
      Originally Posted by cyberzolo View Post

      I really don't see why blog comments are all that important for SEO,
      I think they are important in terms of SEO because like social shares, they show google and other search engines that users are not just reading some of your content but that they are engaging with that content. People only engage with content that is either really good and relevant to them (which is what google is looking for) or is really bad and people are just trolling.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9444185].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Josh Mayers
    Originally Posted by TinRoof View Post

    I want to encourage discussion from visitors on my blog. I've seen people using Disqus and also people using Facebook. Is there one that's better than the other? Maybe there's something that's better. I want to encourage discussion in the easiest way to my visitors.
    Hey TinRoof,

    If I were you, I'd encourage discussion on Facebook. While you will have some visitors occasionally leave a comment on a blog post, Facebook is WAY more active.

    Facebook is the big hangout spot, so I'm sure it will be much easier to get a discussion going on your fanpage.

    This is my suggestion, but I hope this helps you out!

    Josh
    Signature
    Learn How This Simple System Can Generate UNLIMITED $25, $100 and $300 Payments Directly Into Your CashApp Account Using Nothing But Your Cellphone. . .
    ~ www.CashAppFreedom.com ~
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440450].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Green Globe Media
    I would suggest Google+ its a great place to engage with people with simliar interest as yourself. To be fair and have only just started getting involved and its been very addictive. There are lots of different communities you can join to help improve your skill people love to get involved. Hope this helps!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440472].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    I want to give people an added reason to visit my site again.
    Do you ask for comments? Do you structure your posts in a way that encourages replies. i.e. " I think this is a good plan, what do you think?" " I bet you have an interesting experience with X, I'd love to hear it."

    Let people know you want to hear, and value their input.
    Signature
    Get Off The Warrior Forum Now & Don't Come Back If You Want To Succeed!
    All The Real Marketers Are Gone. There's Nothing Left But Weak, Sniveling Wanna-Bees!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440595].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TinRoof
      Originally Posted by Brent Stangel View Post

      Do you ask for comments? Do you structure your posts in a way that encourages replies. i.e. " I think this is a good plan, what do you think?" " I bet you have an interesting experience with X, I'd love to hear it."

      Let people know you want to hear, and value their input.
      At this point no. I have thought about making this an important feature of my site. I just don't know if I can get people to add comments.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440596].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JohnnyPlan
    Most people are already signed into Facebook anyway, so if they see how comments can be posted to your blog via Facebook, then they are more likely to leave a comment. Also, the Facebook commenting system will discourage blatant spammers. Such as, if someone with a Facebook account is spamming your blog you can always report them to Facebook and there will be consequences.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440598].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author st0nec0ld
    How does commenting on blog help? I mean aside from getting your visitors coming back to your site, what other benefits a blog site can get?
    Signature

    12BET | Live Casino Malaysia

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440627].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TinRoof
      Originally Posted by st0nec0ld View Post

      How does commenting on blog help? I mean aside from getting your visitors coming back to your site, what other benefits a blog site can get?
      I have no idea really. Maybe they will tell their friends. Join the community. I'm just trying to get people to come back and have some fun. That's all I care about really. This site is more like a hobby to me than a business.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9440653].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author timwal
    There are so many ways to get people to comment on your blog. I found the below article on Blog Maven. I believe it might be helpful

    HOW TO ENCOURAGE MORE COMMENTS ON YOUR BLOG

    1) Step out of the shadows and leave comments on other blogs. Not just “thanks for the post,” but actual, insightful comments. Ask questions and engage your favorite bloggers. Be a friend. When people see you commenting on their blogs, they’re likely to follow the link back to your blog and they’ll be more open to leaving comments when they get there.

    2) Make it easy for people to comment on your blog – take as much hassle out of the process as possible. If you’re blogging on WordPress, let Akismet do your spam filtering and leave out the Captcha code. If you want to moderate all your comments, be sure to approve them in a timely manner. Don’t leave us hanging.

    3) Take the time to reply to the comments you receive – even just a word or two. Let your readers know you care. If you want to take this a step further, then follow up with not just reactions to your reader’s comment, but further questions. Encourage your readers to share more. Bring them out of their shell. Just try engaging a handful of your commenters in a two-way discussion, and see what it does to grow your community.

    4) Use a WordPress plugin like Comment Reply Notification to let commenters know you’ve responded to them. No one wants to “haunt” a blog after commenting to see if the blogger responds, and if you use this (free) plugin, they won’t have to.

    5) Share the love – Some people use comments as a blog growth strategy, and why not make this easy for them? Use a plugin like CommentLuv (free) or CommentLuv Premium (which I use here) to add a link to your commenters’ latest blog post right below their comment. When other readers can see the titles of a commenter’s own post, they’re more likely to follow that link and check out that blog. What a great way to reward your readers for leaving comments! (Psst – wanna’ give it a try? Leave a comment below and see how it works!)

    6) Feature another blogger’s work on your blog. Generosity of spirit leads to conversation – and new friendships.

    7) If you really want your readers’ input on something, create a poll that’s easy to participate in. We all love to share our opinions, so give your readers a good way to interact with you (and each other!), and maybe they’ll find it easier to leave a comment on your next post. You can create polls through a third-party site, but if you’re a WordPress user, Polldaddy has a plugin that brings their polls right to your blog.

    8) Every once in awhile, take a stance on a controversial issue – it doesn’t have to be aggressive, just enough to “stir the pot.” Because whether people agree with you or disagree, they’ve likely got something to say.

    9) Don’t make your life look too perfect on your blog; Share even your “bad days” that people can relate to. I recently saw this in action on Gypsy Forest, where Stephinie posted about a tough week she’d had. From the tone of the comments she got, a lot of people had the same experience. This is community building in action.

    10) Request ideas for posts, or suggestions for things you want to learn more about. People LOVE to share their expertise, so let them.

    11) Don’t sound like the ultimate authority. If you’re approachable, people will talk to you. Show your personality in your posts. You want to sound like a (very nice) person, not a computer.

    12) I hesitate to list this last one because it’s so overdone…but it’s okay to ASK for comments. Just not in every post.
    Signature
    Need quality content at an affordable price? Click here https://tinyurl.com/yav97h9x
    Bulk order available
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9441148].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author clicknetsecrets
      thanks for this advice!Hoping to have more internet marketing tips!!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9441996].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author LuckyIMer
    - Creating content/topics that interest your users is the first step
    - Making it easy for them to comment and also keeping the comments clean from spam.
    - Getting engaged with your users and active while remaining friendly, and fair.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9443352].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JohnZ
    If you're using WordPress, you can install the Comment Luv plugin. This is a good way to encourage user interaction. Don't forget to add social sharing buttons, calls-to-action, and comment-focused WordPress plugins.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9446407].message }}

Trending Topics