How to build a network of regular commenters on your blog
It’s completely natural to want comments on your blog posts. Seeing 0 comments on your blog post can feel like someone is holding up a sign saying ‘boring don’t bother read this!’
You probably started your blog full of nervous enthusiasm, eager to write about your crafty thoughts and ideas and promote your online shop. But do you find that more when you check your posts you often see 0 comments. So how can you encourage more people to comment? This weeks craft blogging tips post will help get your blog buzzing!
- Traffic – you need to build up your online presence. Using social networks can help as well as looking at improving seo.
- Comment on other people’s blogs! Find blogs you enjoy and become a regular commenter yourself – the author and other regular readers will come and check out your blog sooner or later.
- Respond to comments you do get – even if the person who comments doesn’t come back and read it -the next person to comment will see and may be encouraged to join in the conversation.
- Ask questions! “What do you think?”, “Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation?” , “What colour should I make the next one?” , “please share you xyz links” – The question should be relevant to the body of the post of course.
- Write posts that link to other bloggers or shop owners, like treasuries (Folksy Fridays!) and interviews. Let them know by emailing or commenting on their blog, more often than not a blogger will come and say thank you for the link. If you are lucky they may write a little post letting their readers know about the feature, or even add it to their list of press mentions. Any links from relevant sites back to your own will improve seo and give your blog readership a boost.
- Add blog rolls to your sidebars and aim to comment on at least a few posts on a daily basis. Read this post I wrote last year on Craft Blog UK all about how blog rolls can help with networking, they can be much more useful than just a list of blogs you like.
- Network, network, network. Blogging falls into the social media category of running a business so networking is important. Facebook, twitter, forums – you need to share your links in lots of relevant circles. More people visiting your posts will not immediatly result in more comments but if they are people within your niche market it’s more likely they will be actively interested in what you have to say (and more likely to want to buy your work!)
- Think outside the craft box. Where do people that will like your work and enjoy your posts hang out online – use google to find related forums.
Click on the discussions option (shown in the image above) when searching for a particular topic. Having links going back to your blog from these relevant sites is excellent ‘link juice’ for increasing your visibility with search engines as well as bringing direct traffic. - Make a profile up on as many networks as you can – most will allow you to add a link. Do be careful not to come across as a spammer when commenting on threads – many of these forums will be tight knit groups, try to find the ones you actually like the look of and feel like you could make some online friends – get involved and be chatty, it’s about building a network of people who will regularly come and visit your blog. If you have a link in your profile, or signature then you wont have to leave a link every time, people can click if they are interested.
- Follow a bloggers commenting rules as well as fourm and social network guidelines about when, where and how often it is acceptable to post links.
- Write interesting content! (Doh!) How do you know what’s interesting? Use google analytics to check the activities of your visitors. Do they click through from a link, stay 5 seconds and leave? If so you are either promoting in the wrong place to the wrong people or you need to make your blog posts more appealing – think about the first paragraph and leading image, this is the one that will hook them in.
- Give people the opportunity to share your posts – blogger and wordpress both have widgets and plugins available for adding facebook likes and twitter share buttons.
NB! Comments themselves can also be good for seo as search engines will notice the relavant keywords in each comment. However, it is important to have good spam protection as spammy comments on your blog linking to spammy websites will work against your seo efforts and you may find your blog is downgraded by google. Your readers will also think you don’t care if you allow spam to remain in your comments – so be vigilent!
Question Time!
As in tip number 4 up there I wanted to ask the bloggers amongst you a question -
Do you get demotivated when no-one comments on a post or do you see blogging as an enjoyable activity regardless of who is reading and commenting?
10 Responses to 12 practical tips for getting more blog comments
I absolutely love blogging and while it’s lovely to get comments, it’s not the end of the world if I don’t! Comments do show that someone has thought long enough about what I’ve said to form some sort of response, which is great and definitely adds to the social aspect of blogging. And yes, I always go and check out where they’ve come from and sometimes hang about for a read – and maybe end up following them.
I don’t necessarily get discouraged when people don’t comment, but I know comments give me lots of extra encouragement. The point of my blog is to share with people so it always feels really good when I know people are interested and engaged in what I am writing.
I’m new to blogging so I know that my readership is low. At the moment I’m just enjoying the opportunity to document my crafting adventure but obviously if I receive a comment on a blog it’s always really lovely & I appreciate that some one has taken the time to read my blog & leave a comment on there thoughts.
Your tips above are really helpful for someone new to this like me & I will definitely be putting them into action – any excuse to submerse myself into the craft scene! B x
I’m trying to use blogging as a discipline for myself – if I’m going to write about something I have to get on and do it (and photograph it too)! And I am conscious that there are people I know in the real world who read to see what I am doing on my course but would never leave a comment.
So it is really lovely when I do get comments from people I’ve never met – and interesting to see what sort of thing generates more comments too. That can be really helpful if I’m not sure whether something is working or which direction to take.
I adore writing it…it is an extension of my photo album, my homey scrap book.
Comments though are what make you smile after. Like a friend, eating your cake and loving it, rather than you devouring the whole thing and feeling icky! ;-)
We all love a chum and your comment-ers can be just that (hopefully!)
http://afteralltheworldisabeautifulplace.blogspot.com/2011/06/come-in-dear-friend-teas-brewing-x.html
I love writing my blog, but it would be nice if I could see what other people think about what I’ve written.
Thanks for this great article – some handy tips for feeble bloggers like myself!
I enjoy writing my blog whether or not I get comments, but I get excited and pleased to receive a comment :)
Similar to Julia above, I also really enjoy writing my blog but as she said, it is even better if you get nice comments. But I also love reading other people’s blogs. First thing I do these days is check my emails and then go straight to Blogger to see what’s new there…
I love blogging, i’ve found its a way to round up my day or the craft i’m working on at the time
I love to get comments especially from people who have commented before as it makes me feel it is all worth it, especially if they are coming back for more
Generally though, I see it as diary, a keepsake.
I’ve met some wonderful friends thanks to blogging and for that alone its worth continuing with it x
Thank you very much for this useful advice! I will try to implement it.
For me blogging was a saving grace. It allowed me to indulge in my passion for making things and write about it. Connecting with others is the next step, it somehow validates the whole experience… It’s good to make contact with other creative souls.