December 2, 2008
The Mic Is On: We’re Talking About How to Get Blog Comments
ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 6:59 pm
It’s Like Open Mic Only Different
Here’s how it works.
It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.
There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.
How Do You Get People Talking on Your Blog?
Social media. Even the name means more than one. It’s about conversation. Of course we want people talking on our blogs. How do we get people talking on our blogs?
- Is it the way we write?
- Is it the length of the posts?
- Is it the questions we ask?
- Is it the topics we choose?
- What’s the secret? Is there one?
And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)
Oh, and bring example links.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
image: sxc.hu
Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?
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237 Comments to “The Mic Is On: We’re Talking About How to Get Blog Comments”
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Joe said
Hey Liz,
If I knew the answer I’d write an e-book.
Mimi said
I wouldn’t miss this discussion. I need help!
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Joe!
Great to see you! I think you’ve the last line of tonight’s poem.
Joe said
I only average 2.854 comments per post over 3 years. I guess that’s not the worst average, huh
Joe said
Maybe Liz, they do say “the last shall be first…” or something like that.
Marti said
Good evening Liz and Joe! Hope this finds you well this evening.
ME Liz Strauss said
Joe,
I think that’s a fine average. It sure means that people are talking back to you.
Craig Sutton said
Hi Liz,
First time poster, long time Twitter follower. I react and post to things I feel moved about, this was one of those posts. I also am more likely to respond to short posts that are straight to the point, I have a little ADD that way.
If the post is well done and can keep my attention I will respond. But also there are things way out of your control, namely my time. I can only allot so much time in my day to do this as I run 2 companies.
You have a lot of avid followers, and I believe I have just become one!
Thank you for the time you take to share your thoughts.
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Mimi!
Welcome! How can we help?
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Marti!
Great to see you!
Joe said
Hey Marti,
How do you get comments?
Marianne said
Hi Liz — love this idea.
Comment love is definitely something we all want, isn’t it?
I’m not so good at generating comments. My self-analysis (as I kick my heels up on the couch and play Freud)is that I don’t open up enough nor do I travel the road of controversy.
Would love advice from the big kids on the block!
Mimi said
Hello! Well….I’d say that I’m having trouble deciding if I need to focus on a specific topic in my blog or can I just write about anything I feel passionate about?
Marti said
Hi Mimi! Are you on Twitter? Tweeting a new blog post is a good way to draw people to your site. Not all will comment of course, but many will.
Joe said
Sorry Mimi, I didn’t see you come in.
Here, have a Klondike.
You too Marti & Liz and anyone else who comes in before I get done writing this comment on the comment queens blog.
Mimi said
Hi Marti. I’ve definitely tweeted about a new blog post. Many people read it and retweeted with their comments, but they didn’t comment on the blog.
ME Liz Strauss said
Hey Marianne!
Good analysis, could be that. Could be other things.
Mimi said
Hi Joe…thanks for the welcome
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Craig,
Welcome, glad to have you!
I do think that short posts about one idea tend to get more comments. Especially those that are about a question or a problem.
Thomas said
It’s called CommentLuv. I have it on my blog. When folks post a comment, they are in a sense, adding a plug for their blog as well. It seems to get a lot of folks talking.
http://www.commentluv.com
Give it a try!
Trisha said
Hello everyone!
Marti said
Joe, I tweet, or I visit other blogs and leave a comment. I think many bloggers will return the favor - I sure do! If someone leaves me a comment, I visit their blog and leave one back.
ME Liz Strauss said
Mimi,
One topic might draw a more relational audience — I mean an audience that stays long enough to get to know you, but I don’t know that staying on one topic necessarily means more comments.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Hello everyone! I nominate Liz for the “Queen of Comments” position. Hmm, can we fit two crowns on her head?
Marti said
I think a lot of bloggers have learned to ask a question in a post. Readers are less passive if you are requesting a response.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Marti, I do the same thing. I try and visit everyone who leaves a comment on my blog. I do miss a few here and there, especially if I’m approving comments when I’m on the road.
Trisha said
It seems like for me, less serious posts ge t more comments. Well, mostly. But I know some blogs that are really serious that get lots of comments.
ME Liz Strauss said
#16
Mimi,
You might tweet comments that people post on your blog like Mack Collier did of one of mine tonight.
Mimi said
Liz, I get it. So, can you talk a little about the benefits of having many comments? Plus, shouldn’t quality matter over quantity?
Joe said
Yes Mimi, both… write about what you are passionate about, but always show the real you, people will resond.
Don’t forget, fewer than 1% of readers comment, even on established blogs.
Just invite your readers to comment, ask their opinion, etc.
Pamir | Reiki Help Blog said
Hey gang! Great topic, no straight answers. Slight twist: microsharing gets your blog & new posts out there, but I find often ppl comment on the micro site & not your blog. It’s pretty frustrating…
Trisha said
I have good intentions to visit everyone’s blog who comments on mine, but I am very bad and don’t always follow through.
Asking questions is good, unless no one answers, that’s happened to me.
Marianne said
Hi Karen! How’ve you been? It’s been a while since we crossed paths on Twitter.
You know, I will be the first to admit I am terrible about commenting back or visiting commenters’ blogs. Falls under my “not enough hours in the day” task category.
I do try to chat back in the comments so people know I read them.
ME Liz Strauss said
#20
Hi Thomas,
Welcome!
I like comment luv! I think it’s a great incentive.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
I have run into many of my readers who tell me they enjoy my blog. When I ask them why they don’t leave a comment, they tell me they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. Hmmm.
ME Liz Strauss said
Hey Trisha!
I think when we blog things that are a little less informational — something with a piece of ourselves inside — some passion — people respond in kind.
ME Liz Strauss said
For example, I’m moved to tell, my dear friend, Karen to put those crowns away.
Mimi said
Karen, that’s interesting. You would think that the idea IS to draw attention to yourself.
Joe said
Trisha, I agree about the less serious post comments being higher.
)
It seems if I write a how to post, I usually get -0- comments. (unless there is a mistake or better way of doing things
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Hi Marianne, good to see you here!
Marti said
Hi Craig,Marianne, Mimi, Thomas, Tricia, Karen, Pamir. (Hope I didn’t miss anyone)
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
And when it comes to crowns, I never listen to Liz anyway.
Linda Sherman said
@Thomas @Liz
I always appreciate it when I see commentluv on someone’s site. It doesn’t always work for me - seems to have something to do with how they set the timing. I am thinking about adding it.
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Pamir,
I guess the idea is to point to comments on your blog when they happen so that folks see you feature them.
Trisha said
Yes Liz, I think you are right!
So tell me this - will I get many comments if I tell everyone about how right now I’m sitting outside in the Virgin Islands by the ocean while everyone else is freezing?
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Linda!
Comment Luv works better if you register for the site.
Joe said
Trisha, don’t get any sand in your computer. And I think warm thoughts on days like today anyway.
ME Liz Strauss said
Trisha,
I bet there’s a way that you could invite folks to join you there … as an escape and have us tell you what we’d be doing.
The invitation to comment is important. I spend most of my time writing that part of the blog — the question at the end.
Mimi said
Liz, since we’re on the topic of blogging….I forgot to tell you that I wrote about you in my recent post.
Marianne said
I like the idea of featuring a good comment — you could generate a whole bunch of new post ideas by doing so.
I do need to add commentluv…been retooling.
Marti said
I think “Disqus” shows the commenter’s last post too. It may be an internal setting, not sure. I’ve seen it at Todd Jordan’s The Broad Brush
Mike Nichols said
Hello, all!
I have a section at the end of each post inviting comments and asking questions.
Still not as many comments as I want, and virtually no conversations.
Linda Sherman said
@Pamir - I’ve found that too, that people answer in the microblog - and I’ll send friends and relatives an email giving them my blog post URL and they’ll read the blog, then write back this lovely email but the comment is in the email not on the blog post. When I did my birthday party blogpost as a gift for my husband I found I needed to send out instructions on how to comment on a blog:
http://itsdifferent4girls.com/blog/2008/09/15/how-a-blog-can-be-a-birthday-gift/
I managed to get 57 comments on that blog post I’m talking about there but I really had to recruit people to it.
Wendy Cholbi said
I’m one of those people who reads a lot of blogs and almost never commented, until recently. Now I’ve got my own blog and experts tell me that commenting on others’ blogs is a great way to (eventually) get people to visit mine. Yet it seems sleazy to suddenly start commenting now; it smacks of an ulterior motive. What’s an introvert to do?
Linda Sherman said
Liz - thanks for that “Comment Luv works better if you register for the site.” I’ll check to make sure I’ve done that.
I do want to understand more about the benefits of Discus as well.
Mike Nichols said
@lizstrauss How do you register commentluv? I’m using it, but not registered.
Linda Sherman said
Are there any examples of featuring certain comments? I have on occasion used them in a following blog post with a hyperlink to the commenter.
Trisha said
Liz - I don’t think I’m creative enough to come up with a way to do that, but it would be a great idea for someone who can!
I am putting up our pictures on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trisha2766/
Anyone know how to change the order of pictures on flickr? I want them reversed?
Joe - I’ll be careful with that. although, technically, we are on our balcony that over looks the beach so I probably won’t get any sand up here.
Becky McCray said
Howdy, all! Looks like you’ve brought in some great ideas for encouraging comments.
Robyn McMaster said
Like Marianne, when I find a nugget in a comment, I enjoy bringing it upfront and blogging on it - perhaps expanding the idea or connecting it to the main focus of my blog.
This works great for a question you may receive in a comment.
Kelly said
Super topic, Liz! I was just hashing this out with a friends today. Even when we get comments, things can slide without our noticing at first. It’s something you’re never done courting.
I’m with Thomas, CommentLuv is the greatest thing since sliced bread. For blogs, at least.
How I get comments: One, BE a great commenter at least at a few other places. This gets clicks back if you regularly contribute something useful to the conversation, and also helps you engage with those other blog authors.
Two, be *present* within my own comments. I mean really paying attention, and learning as much as teaching. Like you are here—you never miss a beat. A blog isn’t a magazine article—it’s a way to start a conversation, but some folks sit back and let people shout down into a well. Most commenters won’t talk to their own echo for long.
Three, like Karen says, visit with my commenters at their blogs when I can. It’s not a reciprocal obligation, but it is a courtesy that’s nice to observe. Of course no one can be a regular everywhere, but I try to do this at least on their first comment. It tells me something about folks who like to hang out with me, which helps me know if I’m coming across the way I want to, and it’s a way of saying thank you.
Geez, I never get over here on Tuesday nights and I always feel like I missed something special afterwards. My kid’s deeply into a new book and giving me a bit of a break tonight. Nice to stop in while the mic is on!
Regards,
Kelly
Wendy Cholbi said
I also would love to hear people’s opinions of “comment-management” systems like Disqus (I’m downloading CommentLuv as I type this; I’ve heard of it before and I love the idea). How much time do you spend “managing” comments (approving, responding, whatever)?
Linda Sherman said
@Wendy I don’t think anyone will notice that you weren’t commenting before and now commenting. How would they even know you were there? Not sleazy at all.
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Mike,
Glad you made it. Conversational blogging is a lot like conversation. You only get to say so much and never can be thorough — gotta leave room for the other guy to say something.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Trisha,
I put mine in a collection and that allows me to reorder them any way I want.
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Wendy,
You just commented here, natural as sunrise. Because you had something to say. When you do, you will.
Marti said
I remember a while back the big topic of discussion was whether or not the author of the blog should respond in their own comment section or send an e-mail. A private reply never made much sense to me. I mean, yeah, it IS a reply, but then no one else is involved in the conversation.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
One thing that I like to do is wait a bit before responding to comments– let them build up a bit. Then I use one comment form to address several at once. This keeps the email boxes relatively free if people subscribe to comments.
ME Liz Strauss said
#57 Linda, This is what I meant.
http://twitter.com/MackCollier/statuses/1035237405
Mimi said
Karen, thanks for your insights in #61.
Marianne said
So, just for curiosity’s sake, what kind of bloggers (genre/topic) do we have here tonight?
(ie: personal, how-to, social media, finance, etc}
Does anyone think that one type of genre generates more comments than another? Or a mixed genre blog (personal + how to, for example).
Thanks!
Trisha said
Karen - you do that with flickr? This is my first day to use it, so I have no idea what I’m doing!
Kelly said
Ooh, Mike reminded me of a tip I heard a long time back: Don’t say it all in the post. If you’ve got five tips, maybe post four, with a hole for someone to jump into… if you could define everything, only define 2/3 of everything, so a commenter’s bound to say, well, what about X, and you can get a conversation going. Leave some things unsaid, then readers feel like they can add.
Otherwise, it’s preaching, not discussing.
Okay, I’ve probably said everything now. Uh-oh…
Marti said
Agree with Linda at #63
Linda Sherman said
#68 @Karen - One comment for multiple posts?
Mimi said
Kelly, doesn’t that imply that you don’t know everything on the topic and then you lose credibility?
Marti said
@Marianne - personal, but also business. I blog humor columns. I turned a bunch of the columns into a book.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Linda,
For example, if I have four bloggers leaving comments, I address each of their comments in one comment of my own instead of four individual comments. That way, if someone is following comments, I won’t clutter up their email box with four additional comment responses.
Kelly said
Mimi,
The secret (to me) is in being willing to be a thought leader, in the sense of, let’s lead our thoughts to this place…
To me, that means being a knowledgeable teacher and a humble learner at the same time.
Lordy, I sure don’t know everything, even on the subjects I have expertise in…
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
@Marianne– I haven’t figured out what my blog is yet.
Mine is mostly personal reflections on being deaf and having three deaf/hh kids.
Linda Sherman said
#78 @Karen Ah I see. Of course. I do that. Ridiculously, I interpreted that as a standard comment on several blog posts.
ME Liz Strauss said
Karen,
Yours is a wisdom blog.
Pamir | Reiki Help Blog said
@Linda Sherman, boy that’s a lot of work!
Marti said
@Karen, yes, I do that too - try to respond to multiple comments with a single comment that addresses each person.
Joe said
Talking about comments…
Right now Liz is averaging 0.5769 PER MINUTE!
Yeah Liz (and us)
Mimi said
Got it Kelly. Being a thought leader is great for collaboration and inspiration.
Ellen Weber said
Great discussion! Thanks Liz and all. Wow — this is riding the bus and pushing it at the same time in terms of creating community exchanges! I like to interact in exchanges where there is still space after any message posted - to learn, ask, risk, and laugh. It all happens well here! Cool!
Linda Sherman said
#79 @Kelly That is easy for me on my gender difference posts. No matter what I say it is a gross generalization about differences in one area (humor, competitiveness) so there is lots of room for people to jump in with their opinion.
ME Liz Strauss said
#73 Well said, Kelly!
In like manner, blog your experience, not only the facts. Information is everywhere. People come to hear your version.
When you blog your experience, you invite people to share theirs.
Linda Sherman said
#87 @Ellen I agree. It’s brilliant.
Wendy Cholbi said
@Marianne Mine is a “business blog,” for my technology coaching biz, but I definitely include some personal-life stuff (although I’m fairly new at blogging). Many of the people in my “target market” would be intimidated by commenting on a blog, unsure how to do it, etc. so it will be interesting to see if I can get some conversations started.
Ellen Weber said
Thanks but … Me thinks you make it even more brilliant, Linda:-)
Linda Sherman said
Is anyone here using Disqus? How is it doing? Obviously, it needs critical mass to work, right?
Amy said
Hey Liz. Sorry, forgot it was Tuesday.
Kelly is right about commentluv. That plugin is awesome. Sometimes the titles of folks’ posts are just too good to pass up. I got so much positive feedback about it; now almost everyone has it, so I don’t feel so special anymore.
Kelly said
Linda,
LOL. I have guest posted a few times discussing gender in design and I get so many comments on those. No matter how you discuss it you’ll raise someone’s hackles.
Which can be a good strategy, used sparingly. You can’t overuse the controversy-style post to rake in comments. It’s just not a good long-term blog growth idea, IMO.
My best controversy-posts are the ones I innocently thought would never raise an eyebrow when I hit “publish.”
Joe said
I’ve been using the Better Comments Manager plugin for a long time. You can reply to threads or individual comments on multiple comments all in the admin page of WP.
Now, in WP 2.7 (beta) you can do the same thing w/o using a plugin, it’s built into the admin.
Kelly said
Amy!
You are completely special.
Linda Sherman said
#92 @Ellen - OK now I have to read your blog. (hug)
Actually, I’ve been trying to jump to some of the participants blogs here but it doesn’t open up in another page so it takes time to get back. Liz, can you alter that?
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
A wisdom blog, I like that, Liz!
Trisha said
Forgive me if it was mentioned already - bu t there’s a plugin that allows you to reply back to commenters both on your blog and in an email at the same time - its a good way to keep in touch with commenter so that maybe they will come back again.
ME Liz Strauss said
#100.
Trisha,
I’ve never heard of that plugin.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Hey Amy! You missed it, Liz was crowned with another crown earlier. She’s complaining that her neck hurts from the weight of both.
Amy said
Joe, that sounds great! I’m gonna try that.
Trisha said
Without putting much thought into it I wrote a post once about buying a swimming suit and it got a lot of comments - but then others I really put time into - sometimes don’t get any.
I really need to start learning from these experiences!
Rufus said
Insult someone. Attack them outright and half the people will agree with you and the other half will attack you for attacking a comment. But, they will comment! Terrible commentary on us as human beings, but it works. If all you care about is generating comments.
Kelly said
Liz,
Best way to get comments on a post that I have ever seen, is to have a post on how to get comments. I remember several others in the last couple of years where the bloggers broke all their own comment records posting about how to get comments.
*note to self: write post on how to get comments…*
I know these open mics are hopping but this one seems particularly hopping!
Marianne said
What a great discussion by all! I have to go, but just from the bit of time here I’m taking away some must-do ideas.
Thanks to all and thanks, Liz!
Amy said
Trisha, I get the most comments from the posts I don’t think too much about. Maybe there’s something to that.
Karen, I don’t think Liz shares our appreciation for crowns. Maybe if we give her diamonds instead………
Kelly, congrats on becoming an SOB. I saw your post but can’t remember if I commented to congratulate you. Because I suck like that.
Linda Sherman said
#104 @Trisha Buying a swimming suit - that is a great topic! Has to be a challenge for every woman, no matter what their body type.
Joe said
Amy, here’s the link for the better comments mgr plugin. http://techie-buzz.com/wordpress-plugins/better-comments-manager-wordpress-plugin-release.html
Kelly said
Amy,
That’s part of your specialness, lol.
Glenda Watson Hyatt said
Hi everyone, sorry I’m late. Finally got ebook up. Now I’ll go read some comments to see what the conversation is about.
Marti said
I don’t fiddle with my blog,(seriously challenged, tech-wise) and the sweet lady who does it for me is going through a real rough patch now, so I don’t want to ask her to change anything, but I think Comment Luv sounds cool.
Bye Marianne.
Hi to everyone who came in!
ME Liz Strauss said
Part of getting comments is having a comment friendly blog. People have to know that they won’t regret having written the comment. Once that’s established, you can do a lot. Even this …
http://www.successful-blog.com/1/bloggy-question-66-if-i-gave-you-a-yellow-rose/
Linda Sherman said
Has anyone ever seen a wiki or listing of comment luv blogs?
Amy said
Thanks Joe. Gonna check it out now.
Wendy Cholbi said
@Linda #98, you can open any link in a new tab by pressing the CTRL key (? on a Mac) as you click the link. There’s a keyboard shortcut to open links in a new window as well, but I don’t know it offhand.
Amy said
Marti, I can help you install commentluv if you want. It’s a three minute job.
Pamir | Reiki Help Blog said
Mine is a personal development/life enrichment/spirituality blog & probably fairly marginal because of that…pity. I guess my task is making that palatable.
Amy said
Joe, thanks again. I’m gonna install this on some blogs tomorrow.
ME Liz Strauss said
Oh, yeah, Amy,
Your clients would love that.
Glenda Watson Hyatt said
#96 woo Joe, that sounds cool! I am so bad at responding to readers on my own blog; it really bugs me. Feel like an absentee blogger at times.
Marti said
@Rufus, That’s kind of a strange approach, but I guess it could work for some people. I wouldn’t try it myself though
Trisha said
Liz - it is Comment Email Responder: http://www.u-g-h.com/wordpress-plugins/wordpress-plugin-comment-email-responder/
sorry for the long url - working on a tiny computer here with some limitations, including the bookmark for my preferred url shortener
Linda Sherman said
#117 @ Wendy. Thank you so much. (duh!) Now I can check people’s blogs and stay on this page. I had hopped off to check Ellen’s and found a post from her in my e-mail on the way back. Ellen you are amazing. Great blog! I’ll be back to comment soon.
Kelly said
The yellow rose post is great for how it started a conversation, Liz! I love that!
Marti said
I’ve seen some blogs that are tied to Friendfeed and after the comment section at their blog, they have a “Comment at Friendfeed” link. That seems kind of redundant to me…do any of you use that, or follow the link to Friendfeed and re-comment there?
Trisha said
Linda, yes and I hadn’t bought one for many, many years so I had no idea what I was doing!
Wendy Cholbi said
This has been really fun! Thanks Liz for opening up the mic - some great food for thought, and helpful links as well. Time for dinner!
Rufus said
@Marti I don’t do it, but I’ve seen it done.. I like a more positive world.
Amy said
Liz, your rose post rocks.
Trisha said
All this talk about blogging is making me feel guilty for vacationing and not working on my blog!
ME Liz Strauss said
Then Kelly,
Check this one …
http://www.successful-blog.com/1/bloggers-and-hippies/
Linda Sherman said
#127 @Marti
I have seen that. I found it confusing - on one blog I could barely find their regular comment area. I don’t get it. But no doubt FriendFeed fans appreciate it. I use friendfeed pretty passively - I kind of just notice it scrolling through my Facebook.
Becky McCray said
One way I show that I’m open to comments is with the Brag Basket. Each Friday, I open a post for anyone to share anything positive in the comments. After almost three years, it’s now quite a tradition.
Marti said
@Amy #118 - You are so sweet! Thank you! I’ll think about it, I don’t want to hurt her feelings (ironically her name is also Amy)She might think I was going behind her back or something. (I’m probably overthinking this, I do that *grin*)
Linda Sherman said
By the way, aside from Twitter, I have found Facebook a nice place to pick up comments. What’s nice about Facebook is it posts a thumbnail of your blog - which makes it more appealing to jump to.
The worst thing on posting blog posts on Twitter is when people just have one after another and no conversation. I do not follow those people.
DaveOlson said
Hey all,
Thot I’d drop by for a few minutes. How’s everyone?
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Dave!
Things are going beautifully!
How’re you?
Marti said
@Becky #135 You are such a doll for doing the Brag Basket! What a terrific idea, I love it!
Mike Nichols said
My blog deals with the Anxiety Disorders and general mental health topics. My posts are heavily researched because I feel like I have a responsibility to my readers to be complete and accurate.
As a result, I can’t leave anything out on purpose to give commenters some wiggle-room. I do give my personal reaction to the information, and ask questions. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
DaveOlson said
Liz,
Doing great. Thanks for asking.
Is it just me or is the font in the comment box bigger?
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
@Becky I love your Brag Basket– that really is a great tradition!
Amy said
Marti, no worries. Just thought I’d offer.
Glenda Watson Hyatt said
Hey Dave, good to see you!
Marti said
I have trouble keeping up with it all! Facebook, MySpace,Friendfeed, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, all the blogs, Technorati….ack! LOL
DaveOlson said
Hi Glenda!
by see you mean figuratively right? (looking around for big brother)
ME Liz Strauss said
Marti,
I only concentrate on my blog, Twitter, and a quick check at the others when I feel like it.
Patricia said
I have noticed that many more bloggers are moderating comments. This has reduced conversation a great deal. I’ve considered doing the same since some jerk working for Cialis keeps posting 400 word comments about erectile dysfunction on my blog. So I guess I wonder if getting comments matters to some bloggers?
Glenda Watson Hyatt said
With the integration of most of these socnets and tools, I’ve concluded that the number of comments is no longer an accurate measure of a post’s success or provocativeness [is that a word?} of conversation.
ME Liz Strauss said
#141
Mike,
Every now and then, pick up articles from around the web and comment on them, or even better raise the questions that the articles might pose to the average reader and use them to strike up a discussion.
My bloggy questions in which I posed a hypothetical problem often made great discussions.
http://www.successful-blog.com/1/bloggy-question-83-10mil-luxury-home-would-you-go-back-to-web-10/
Marti said
You are so smart, Liz
Mike Nichols said
Between commenting on blogs and forums and working on my blog I have little time for anything besides Twitter, but I do participate pretty heavily there.
Amy said
Becky, that’s a really cool idea. I love that!
Mike Nichols said
#150
Thanks Liz! That’s a great suggestion! That’s something I can do *tomorrow*! And thanks for the URL.
Kelly said
Becky, I love your brag basket. I never brag but I I have so much fun reading others’ brags!
Oh, Liz, now that post really is a classic.
I do quotations on Wednesdays that often go very far afield of where I thought they would, in part because I (usually) leave them kind of open-ended, and in part because it’s becoming the day when people know they can show up and get goofy.
I try half-heartedly to rein it in, but basically on any day I want people to see my blog as a cocktail party. (On Wednesdays somebody spikes the punch too much!)
Probably you’ll talk about what I’m talking about if you walk up to me with a few friends, but hey, maybe you’ll steer things in a new direction.
Having a tradition like my Wednesdays, or Becky’s Fridays, can help.
Both of the posts you linked to prove that once your readers know you, saying a little leaves lots of room for interpretation in the comments! Excellent examples!
Glenda Watson Hyatt said
Dave, wouldn’t you like to know!
Amy said
Kelly — you were trying to reign us in?? Oops.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Multi-tasking here and in a videophone meeting at the same time. Sound familiar, Amy?
Liz, what do you use to pick up articles around the web?
Amy said
Karen…shhhh…I’m procrastinating.
Becky McCray said
Glad y’all like the Brag Basket. I do it every Friday, and now people even ask me about it.
I also let people Tweet their comments, and I’ll paste them in a comment (and I always label those appropriately).
DaveOlson said
Glenda,
Just got a new laptop with a built-in camera so I’m in a suspicious sorta mood. With all that political stuff going on up here.
Marti said
Amy, I don’t think anyone could reign you in - which is great! I love your spontaneity!
Linda Sherman said
@Kelly @Becky
Having a particular day for a particular theme inviting comments is a great idea. It seems it is all about permission. It is probably particularly great for readers that normally don’t comment.
DaveOlson said
Becky,
I think your brag basket is great too and a cool idea with the twitter comments. I think I”ve seen Chris Brogan do similar things with compiling tweets.
Becky McCray said
Speaking of built-in video cameras, does anyone do video comments? I haven’t ever added it to my blog, but I’ve never left one at anyone else’s blog, either.
ME Liz Strauss said
Karen,
I go find them in the weirdest ways. Sometimes through tools like Twitter and monitter.com — sometimes I use tools backwards: I reverse engineer Backtype.com.
I use Google blogs. I use blogrolls and links in blogposts that trigger ideas.
Robert Hruzek said
Howdy, Liz! Howdy y’all! Hey, I’m just passin’ through but I couldn’t resist a tip o’ the hat to y’all!
I can’t believe there’s already 160+ comments, though… :-O
Monica @ Paper Bridges said
Hello, everyone. I thought I would chime in, this is my first time here for open mic night.
Personally, I think it takes a degree of trust in a blogger/blog for someone to leave a comment. Trust that the blog author will come back to the conversation and participate, trust that you can say anything and it will be accepted.
Trust takes time. I have commentluv, ask questions in posts, and do other things already mentioned to encourage comments, but I think the best thing I’ve done is to be myself, write from my heart and let the community gather around.
Here is today’s post with a nice conversation in the comments:
http://monicabrand.net/2008/12/02/how-do-you-recognize-a-lie/
Becky McCray said
Dave, who do you think taught Chris Brogan that Tweet compilation trick?
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Speaking of compiling tweets, I did that not too long ago when searching for new love songs to try:
http://deafmomworld.com/finding-love-songs-on-twitter/
Marti said
@Linda #163 - I agree - what a great idea!
@Becky #165 - I don’t have a webcam, way too techy for me
@Robert #167 Hi buddy!
Kelly said
Amy,
Nothing I do is ever accidental. Maximum (Reader) Experience, don’t ya know!
Liz,
I remember that last bloggy question so well! So are you saying that stirring people up is your “secret” to having an awesome comment section?
Glenda Watson Hyatt said
Dave, mmm, maybe its a two-way camera! How else can Santa know if you’ve been naughty or nice?
DaveOlson said
Becky… I shoulda known. At least I shoulda expected that it came from you.
Glenda… my wife tells him…. duh…
Linda Sherman said
@Marti I just saw your turkey humor post. I wish I had known about your blog when I was searching for Thanksgiving humor posts for my blog post: http://itsdifferent4girls.com/blog/2008/11/27/gratitude-at-thanksgiving-my-top-10/
Can you please add your link to my comments?
I’ll be sure to look for you next time I need a humor reference for my theme.
I searched “humor + thanksgiving” in technorati Very late on Nov 26th (3AM PST) - guess that is not a perfect source
ME Liz Strauss said
#173
Kelly!
Asking unepected questions gets people to respond …
http://www.successful-blog.com/1/seriously-why-not-to-be-a-thought-leader/
Amy said
Marti, you’re right. I’m non-reignable, and I get what I want… which is why Kelly and I get along so well. She is the capricorn half of my brain…. it’s gone missing for years, but now I’ve found her.
Meikah said
This is one conversation that I really want to learn from.
Hello Liz, hi everyone!
Marti said
@Linda #176 Sorry you didn’t find me in time! I’d be honored to add a link - thank you for asking!
Sad to say, I’ve often been disappointed with Technorati search too.
Trisha said
ok, time for me to go - its 2 hours later here and I have to get up early and look out at the beach and have fun.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Enjoy your vacation to the fullest, Trisha!
DaveOlson said
Gotta go. See you all later. Meetings!!! arghh
ME Liz Strauss said
Hey Trisha!
Enjoy!!
Marti said
I just saw yet another tweet about “Who are the tweeters you would recommend?” That ties back to “ask a question” as a way to get a lot of comments.
I was rather surprised at the negativity in the comments when Darren Rowse did the Tweet Tip blog post (which was just a re-post of someone else’s list) about good people to follow on Twitter.
Linda Sherman said
She doesn’t have it on her site since she reworked it but for a long time, @leahjones had very visibly on her site: “Leah loves comments”
It was an effective pull.
http://leahj.blog-city.com/
--Deb said
Wow. POPULAR topic tonight!
Marti said
Has anyone here ever had their blog turn into a comment flame war? Ever participated in one?
ME Liz Strauss said
Hey Marti,
I had one occur in my honor in Nov of 2005 … it’s no longer online.
Pamir | Reiki Help Blog said
This is the plugin I want, scroll down: Combining comments/Twitter
Marti said
LOL! You had an honorary flame war, Liz?? Do tell….
Linda Sherman said
#19 @Liz short posts get more comments. You have a very good point. First of all a long post is daunting to read. Your sample bloggy post about $10M vs the internet is a great example - both snappy and stimulating. If it is a long post, you may feel if you don’t read every word you don’t want to make a mistake in your comment.
Good lesson.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Marti, I had some not so pleasant comments after the Steak ‘n Shake incident.
ME Liz Strauss said
No Marti,
It wasn’t honorary. Some folks were defending my honor.
Amy said
Marti, the closest I got was one where someone came in bashing someone else (very mean, nasty names). I deleted the comment and blocked the IP, and all other identities the person commented with after that. It didn’t get her the attention she wanted, so eventually she stopped.
Mike Nichols said
#192 @Linda,
Hmmm. That’s a problem for me, because my posts are necessarily long.
Anybody else have any luck with comments on long posts? Or am I just SOL?
Kelly said
Amy,
Gosh, that’s kinda sorta sweet.
Goats. We’re all about reining in. Just… not always in the way you think.
You let fly with things I think, and you’re wickedly funny about it. I’m calmly witty… well, I try to be. And you put up with it. That seems to work pretty well, eh?
Marti,
I’ve had only small flare-ups, from an occasional disturber of the peace. Smile, acknowledge passingly, then ignore has worked for me, just like I would with a real life bully.
BUT, I’m not on a level of readership where things could really get out of control.
I’ve seen them elsewhere, reduce bloggers who are friends of mine to tears. I was just saying to someone today, that for so many of us who blog for business that kind of commenting is not just personally painful but can harm your business if potential clients are swayed by it. Flaming in comments is something I just don’t understand.
Amy said
My (unspoken till it comes up) rule is say whatever you want about me to me, but don’t bash others. Those get deleted.
--Deb said
I’ve never had a comment war OR participated in one … though I have occasionally read them with great entertainment. Assuming they’re not really angry, vicious ones.
Amy said
I tend to get bored reading comments like that.
Marti said
@Karen #193 Oh yeah, I remember that!
@Liz #194 - ah! Well, your honor os well worth defending!
@Amy #195 - Good for you!
@Mike #196 My posts are usually fairly long too, because I’m telling a story. I never get dozens and dozens of responses, but there are some loyal readers who always comment.
@Kelly #197 It’s not a problem at my blog, because telling a funny story rarely incites a riot. Like you, the few crude or mean comments I get, I just delete - not worth starting a fight over. I too, have friends who blog on more controversial topics and I’ve seen them get really upset when someone gets nasty.
Karen Putz / DeafMom said
Ok, folks, it’s been great chatting here but my eyeballs are going to need some toothpicks to stay open and focused. I’m going to call it a night and go hop into bed and watch some mindless TV. See you all next week– I’ll bring Liz’s new crown with sparkling diamonds that shine just like she does.
B’night!
Linda Sherman said
@amy OMG You DO get comments! http://write-from-home.com/
Pamir | Reiki Help Blog said
@Mike Nichols, could you post it in two or more parts? I’ve had some success with longer posts when built around a special day or resonant theme.
Kelly said
Mike,
I took a look at your site. I love your use of Thesis. So soothing!
I do think you could be breaking your posts up more, if length may be scaring commenters off. Looking at just one aspect of an issue could leave a lot more room for commenters to add to the conversation.
Your posts are wonderful reference works, so detailed, but if maybe only one every couple of weeks was so complete, and others were more jump-starts to a conversation, such as telling a story about the subject instead of researching and investigating the subject?
On the other hand, the five or so posts I looked at have an admirable number of comments, so maybe you’re doing just fine!
Derek said
Well, I may have joined the conversation a little late, but the best way to get blog comments is to… turn on the mic!
Marti said
Wow Liz, that was quite a trip into the way-back machine. Strange, thinking about Scrivs, seeing the names in the comments…it seems like a lifetime ago that we both wrote for Fine Fools…
Joe said
Since we’re talking comments, especially flaming comments, does everyone have a comment policy?
ME Liz Strauss said
Hi Derek!
ME Liz Strauss said
Yeah, Marti,
Seems like the playground now!
Little House on the Prairie
Amy said
Linda, I used to get a lot more back when I posted regularly and actually left comments on a lot of other blogs. Now I’m a slacker. Plus, I’m mean, and folks seem to like that.
Amy said
Joe, I don’t have one. More rules you make, the more they try to break them. I figure it’s my blog; if something gets out of hand I’ll handle it, and if the jerks don’t like it oh well — didn’t want them there anyway.
Linda Sherman said
@Mike Nichols Great looking site. I’d love to see your work on EmpowHer.com (health site for women). May I introduce you?
--Deb said
Okay, got to go and try to concentrate. (Hah!) Have fun, everyone!
ME Liz Strauss said
Good night, Deb!
Thanks for coming!
Kelly said
G’night, all. Must get my kid to start a new book every Tuesday. This was so nice!
Marti said
That’s a good question, Joe. I don’t have a comment policy. I rarely get negative or stinky comments so that’s not really an issue. I do get tons of spam, which blessedly, Askimet catches most of, or at least throws into moderation.
ME Liz Strauss said
G’night, Kelly!
Thanks for being here!
Amy said
Bye Kelly. Hi to kidlet for me.
Pamir | Reiki Help Blog said
I’m out…thanks all.
Mike Nichols said
#204 @Pamir, I recently went to splitting very long posts into series with some success. I’ve not tried special days or themes, though, but I think I will.
#205 @Kelly, I’ve been thinking about mixing in some shorter posts, and after yours and Liz’s comments, I’m going to give it a try. Besides, the long posts take 8-10 hours to research and write!
And thank you for taking a look at my site. I love Thesis. It’s so easy to set up, and modifications — if you want — are much easier than I’ve seen on any other theme.
ME Liz Strauss said
Bye, Pamir!
You’re always welcome here.
Linda Sherman said
#211 @Amy You’re mean? That’s surprising. Can’t say I’m into mean. I’ve certainly seen popular mean/snarky sites like “Bossy” (didn’t hang around). I’m going to take a second look at your site though. The cartoons at the top of your site are very friendly - good pull.
Marti said
Farewell to all who left recently.
Will be saying my own goodbye’s. This was a terrific chat - I learn from all of you. Thank you.
Blessing to Liz and everyone.
Good night.
Amy said
Linda, maybe mean is the wrong word… but I’m definitely very “tell it like it is.”
ME Liz Strauss said
Linda,
Amy’s particularly good at being mean without being snarky. She’s directly mean, in a nice way.
Mike Nichols said
#213 Linda, I just pulled up EmpowHer.com and it’s a great site. I’d never encountered it before. I would love to do guest posts for it.
#208 Joe, I do have a comment policy. I kept having people try to sell their “cure-you-quick” snake-oil on my blog, then arguing with me when I deleted them. I wrote the policy out of self-defense!
Amy said
Mike, that reminds me, I do have a “use your name not a keyword” request after responding to comments like “Dear Make Money Writing Online, thank you for visiting…” Got kinda old.
Amy said
Liz, I can also be nice in a mean way.
Joe said
We all want community
On the Blogs we run
The way we measure success
Could be many comments or none
We should put more value
On what readers write
Than the numbers of comments
Community is what gives us might
So comment away whenever you can
Add to the conversation, don’t just look
After this gathering in comments
Maybe Liz has a New e-book?
Burma Shave
Nite Liz
Nite All
Amy said
Good one Joe. Night.
ME Liz Strauss said
Brilliant!
Good night, Joe.
Sleepy swell.
Mike Nichols said
Goodnight all! Great session tonight. I’ve learned a lot!
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