When you have a blog and you have written a good post, its always encouraging to see people commenting about the article and interacting. Everyone likes to get comments and here I have identified few of the important things which I felt will improve the comments on your blog.
- When you have written an post which needs a debate or an opinion, ask for comments from readers. Readers will always tend to comment when their opinion is asked for.
- Interact with the comments and get into the flow of discussions. You can even install the Subscribe to Comments plug-in by which commentators will be notified about the new comments if they have subscribe to it (By Default make it unchecked).
- Make commenting form simple. Do not add too complicated spam checking mechanisms. Asking something like sum of two numbers is ok. Do not open comments in pop-up windows, which will be annoying to readers.
- Do not moderate comments. The major disadvantage of moderating comments is that the flow of discussion will be lost if the blog owner does not approve the comments .
- Do not ask readers to register and login before commenting. I have seen many blogs where you need to register before commenting. This will obviously reduce comments as time is the most important thing for everyone.
- When someone has commented on your blog, do visit their blog and post your opinion (Don’t just say “nice post”, put some useful comments) . This will again increase your comments as they tend to visit your blog again. If you are an A-list blogger, you may not have to do this.
- Install the comment relish plugin and say a “Thank You” if someone has commented on your blog for first time.
- Show top commentators on your blog on the sidebar and give some link love. Also reward regular commentators with a link to their posts in your blog.
- You can tell your friends and relatives about the post your have written and ask them their opinion on it.
There are few WordPress plugins which help in increase comments. You can check it our from here. These are my thoughts on improving comments. Have you increased comments on your blog? Share your thoughts.
I am first to comment. 😀
Anyway I am trying out that comment plugin. Thanks for the info.
That was a great post, Nirmal. I’ve always wondered how you get a lot of comments in your posts
. Thanks for sharing those tips 🙂 .
Nice post 😆
Pretty good list. I’m sure a lot of people want more comments on their blogs (like me
). This should provide some tips to those who are having a hard time getting people to comment. Nice going buddy.
Stumbled.
Nice points covered by you there Nirmal 😉
I see your blog is growing fast and has a nice ranking. Keep up the good work
@Kuanhoong,
I think you should try out the plug-in.
@Shankar and Brown Baron,
Hope you liked the post.
@DJ,
Thanks for the encouraging comments. 🙂
Good post Nirmal.
Im a new blogger and I always wonder to get more comments.Thanks for this post.Now maybe Ill try these in my blog except the last one which had to do with WordPress because I have blogspot blog only.Thanks.
2 more things:
1. Install dofollow plugin and announce about it.
2. Why is the fields in the comments sections not ‘remembering’ me?
Mention about the Top Commentators plugin.
As far as I observe and see.. not all the top blogs have this. Moreover they have that below the fold..hardly I don’t think the commentators get traffic unless the blog itself has heavy traffic. Plus it tends to be a quantitative exercise and makes the commentators look spammy.
@Ashwin,
The link love plugin is similar to Do Follow plugin. The comments section may not be remembering you as you must have cleared the cache. 🙂
I agree with your opinion on Top commentators, but I tend to check the sites of top commentators of the blogs I read. 🙂
Great post Nirmal and thanks for regularly commenting on my blog. I’m just getting things rolling again, so I need the feedback.
Also, I’m really digging your theme, the more and more I browse your site.
The tip about giving comments on others’ blogs was one I’ve never heard, but it’s a very good idea. Tit-for-tat I guess.
Nice to point!!! Well done Nirmal.!
@Listikal,
Thanks for the comment. Hope you enjoyed reading it.
@Micah,
Giving comments on others blog has been a successful strategy for me. It has really worked out to improve my comments, thats why I have listed it out here. Why not give it a try. 🙂
Hmm… I was not aware about the similarity between link love plugin.
And I check the sites of all my commentators and readers not the top commentators only. I even subscribe to their feeds.
Good points nirmal,
now i know why you are getting lot of comments.
@Ashwin,
Link Love and Do follow does the same job. I was telling about reading the blogs of top commentators on the blogs I READ and not my blog.
I check the site all commentators of my blog not only Top ones. 🙂
well i agree with u on these some spam checking mechanism used…also affects on commenting.
I thnk you should also mention one of the most important reason which i consider is filling the name,email,website again and agian.
But i have a solution on this 💡 …which i have already posted on my blog as ➡
http://technixupdate.com/2007/06/05/fill-the-comments-section-in-wordpress-blogs-automatically/
If you dont mind dont remove the link.
Hey Nirmal…nice tips….for a long time I want to install comments relish…since you have given a push now…I will install now…
@Mr.Byte,
Thanks for the comment. Nice to see you back after a long gap.
Hi Nirmaltv,
Just wondering why an A-list blogger may not have to visit their posters’ blogs & post his/her comments there…don’t tell me it’s bcos of their A status. 🙁
@Clara,
I’ll tell you the reason. Its not that they are A list blogger, but its because they have a wider range of audience who are regular readers. So even if they dont comment on others blog, their readers will continue to comment on theirs.
The case with other bloggers are different. They may not have wide range of regular readers, so in order to keep them as regular readers, you need to give some encoragement by commenting on their blogs. This what I learned.
Please let me your thoughts on this.
I agree you, Nirmaltv. With a huge pool of returning readers on their side, any interaction can be done solely at their site (pun not intended). And rarely do they want to extend that relationship with their readers further by taking the time to drop by their posters’ blogs and participate with their comments when appropriate.
Thanks for the post.
Trying to implement the plugins!
There’s some great advice in here. Your first point about asking for comments is so simple, and yet it’s something I never think to do! I will from now on, though. Thanks.
@Lisa,
One of the best ways to get comments is to ask for them, ask for readers opinion. Try it and I think it will be a success for you as well.
hmmm, sounds like here are some plugins i should try out.
yea, you are right, i can’t be bothered with people who just post ‘great stuff’ ‘great post’ and expect people to be interested in them.
i found that many bloggers should brush up their communication skills and public relation skills.
thanks for this advice. i’ve just started a blog and was wondering how to up comments to my posts. if anyone else is in the same postion then i’m happy to comment on other people’s blogs if they comment on mine, and if i like your blog i’ll check it out regularly 😈
This is excellent resource for any one wanting to learn about increasing comments on ones blog. I love your contentlink ads that is something worth experimenting as well. Thank you.
@Andrew,
Thanks for the visit. Hope you enjoyed reading the posts.
Must do it all right away!!!!!
Thanx for tips
Best regards
🙂
good post nirmal
but i use blogger ( i dont have a domain) which has the worst commenting system. and i am trying to enable that comment form hack in which the comment for comes under the post, like wordpress. lets see how much comments do i receive 😀
I miss this post before! The link at the bottom of this newly created design brings me here. Valuable advice Nirmal.
I didn’t know about the comment relish plugin. I have looked over it now and it looks terrific. Thanks for pointing it out!
Thanks for this great tips.I will try this tips you give us and hope to get more comments at my blog. Thanks agaig and good luck with you blog.
Hey Nirmal,
Thanks for these tips. They were really quite helpful and practical.
I’ll be turning of comments moderation immediately 🙂
Regards,
DJ
Like DJSays, I will turning off my comment moderation 🙂
I will try your tips to increase my blog’s comments. Thank You!
I am a few months into blogging but am unable to attract others. I read a lot of blogs but will start leaving comments too.Even tried for some ads. but i feel it is all so hi-fi for an internet ignorant like me.ur blog seems more simple to understand.Will look in often.Thanx
i never knew about the follow up plugin, but now i know that thanks for such a complete and useful article.
Especially, when you see people commenting and interacting with your blog 🙂
WOW dude, nice post, thx for the info!
That was a great article as it is giving me encouragement as well as a starting point to my own blog that I have just begun. Only thing that was a little irritating is that it could have had numbered bullet points. Otherwise a nicely written article.