First off, I write a beauty blog so the tips I will share here are mostly for beauty bloggers, of which I know many of you are. That said, they are also applicable generally across most blog topic niches – you may have to just think about it a little more 🙂
After I wrote about showing off your blog comment links on your blog to encourage discussion, I had some comments on Twitter and in that same comment box from fellow bloggers about people not commenting on their blogs, and how they can encourage the first step. I don’t profess to know why some blogs have more people commenting than others or how to encourage this. I can only share some tips I have learnt and experienced over the years as a blogger and blog reader, that I hope will help 🙂
1. Build a community
Yes, easier said than done, but it really is the first step towards receiving comments from readers. Blogging, as I like to emphasise is a community project. I view it as a neighbourhood where our blogs are our houses, and readers are visitors so comments are like visitors coming by to stop for a chat and some coffee or tea or maybe ice cream 🙂
So interact with your readers and other bloggers. Indulge in social media activity of your choice to grow your blog and when your circle is wider, you will find people interacting more with you on your blog, by leaving comments. Friends especially are helpful in this regard because friends always like stopping by for drinks or a snack and a bit o’ gossip 😉
Then, importantly, respond to your commentators where possible. I like it when I get a response to my comment on another blog – it tells me the blogger took the time to read my comment and reply and if I have a question that is answered, all the better! I appreciate that and it keeps me going back and to continue commenting because I know I will get a reply.
