I have written previously about how I blogged in a cave for a few months when I started Reach Financial Independence 18 months ago, and waited patiently, wondering why the world was not aware of my awesomeness yet…
Well today I’d like to go a bit into more details about comments. Many bloggers consider getting comments the ultimate way to measure their popularity. If you are looking for sponsors for a giveaway, or want to sell advertising space on your website, that is also a metric potential sponsors will take into account. So why are people not commenting on your awesome content?
Your content sucks
Did I just say it was awesome? I take that back. It makes people yawn when you painfully try to reinvent the wheel every other day. Or, even worse, several times a day. Unless you are some kind of bionic writer, chances are you can’t consistently produce fabulous content, day after day.
If you are trying to rank for a specific keyword but aren’t comfortable with it, people will notice. If you are writing just to fit an affiliate link, people will notice. If you got paid $10 to publish that awful post with a link to an even more awful site, people will notice.
Try to take a look at your recent content. As a reader, which post would you really enjoy? You can do a quick survey of what readers would like more of, but the number of comments on a post is a good indicator.
Another reason may be that in spite of being decent, your content does not provoke any reaction. Do you want to comment on a Wikipedia article? Try to think of topics that will make readers react instead.
Your commenting plugin sucks
Commenting has to be E-A-S-Y. If readers need to create a new profile, complete with picture and email verification just to tell you they liked your post, not many will. A few plugins offer the option to log in with a social media account in one click, which is the hardest it should be to comment. Think twice about installing Disqus, Livefyre, Intense Debate and the likes. While it may be easier on your end, it may drive your readers off commenting.
You use captchas
You really have to be a great blogger for me to comment on your site in spite of captchas. It offends the eyes, sometimes even the brain. One math problem was so complicated I had to pull out my calculator, and even then the result was rejected. I was deterred off the site. 2+2=, I can handle, but in a world where everything has to be fast, people don’t want to lose time deciphering a blurry captcha. Remove them and install the Akismet pluging to take care of your spam, with an additional tick box “I am not a spammer” and you should get rid of 99% of spammy comments.
You are on blogspot
Hey, it is 2014! Get over to WordPress already, buy a domain name on Godaddy, hosting from Hostgator and throw away your myblog.blogspot.com URL. Here is a guide to migrate for $5 or less. Unless you are not serious about blogging, but if you are wondering why people don’t leave a comment, you kind of are. And Blogspot is probably the main reason. Every cool kid is on WordPress, meaning leaving a Blogspot comment implies creating a new profile, or having a random avatar and, if you disabled the name/URL option, not even a link back to their own profile or website.
You don’t give
It is a giving game out there. Support my stuff, I’ll support yours. If you never comment on anyone’s writing, no wonder people don’t return the favor. Now that I have my VA comment around, the first directive she has is to comment on posts she finds on commentluv… from comments left on my own posts.
While I have some favorite sites in my RSS reader, I often use commentluv as an easy way to return the favor to people who made an effort to read and comment on my content.
That said I haven’t had a lot of time lately to comment, so I am not surprised to notice a slight decrease in comments on my sites (plus now I have three so I can’t ask people to enjoy three times more posts…).
Anyway, if you want people to notice you, start by showing some appreciation for their work, and maybe they’ll notice you back.
What else would you add to the list?
This post was featured on the Luke 1428, How to Blog Carnival, thank you!
I am not the best practitioner of this as of yet (still building my audience and content), but you can always just ask for comments, feedback, and opinions from your readers (as you have above :).
I think this probably works best if you are genuinely interested in what your audience has to say.
I think there are a few other things at play that I’ve mentioned before on other posts regarding commenting. Who are we looking at for comments?
I love the interaction in the blogging community, but as I’ve been in it longer (still under a year) I’m swamped by not being able to reach everywhere. My daily reading list has gotten so long that old blogs get dropped sometimes when new ones come up.
While I love blogger comments, sometimes if they are out of my “regular group” I question if they really like the content, or are just self-promoting. The comments I love slightly above the “comment-happy blogger” ones are the elusive (for me at least) “name/email only”… It’s a reader – just a reader!
I agree with this! I love having other bloggers comment, but when I see it is not another blogger (just a name/email) it’s so exciting!
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One more – your site isn’t mobile friendly! We get so much of our traffic these days from mobile devices and tablets that if your site requires a popup or clicking 19 different check boxes to leave a comment, it’s not gonna happen.
I’ve been doing most of my blog reading on my phone lately (life’s been really hectic) and if I can’t easily leave a comment from an iPhone, “it ain’t happenin’…”
Mrs. PoP recently posted…Good Systems Can Make Your Finances Boring… And That’s A Good Thing
There is one Canadian blogger that has a Captcha with letters, numbers and squiggles through it and I have gotten it wrong several times and have to skip through a few to get to an easier one.
I have no idea how to generate traffic or comments. I just write what I want and I am always thrilled when someone actually reads and comments. I made $0.04 on my blog yesterday, which is a huge for me, so you can tell I am no expert.
jane savers @ solving the money puzzle recently posted…Budgets Are Like Being Naked In A Full Length Mirror
Serious question: Where did the $0.04 come from?
Yahoo Ads. My projected revenue for the day! Yesterday I may or may not have made $0.03 but it is only projected revenue.
I am not a techie and I struggle with things like ads and code. I tried Chitika ads, put the code in the wrong spot and it took the GreenGeeks over 24 hours to fix the mess that occurred.
jane savers @ solving the money puzzle recently posted…Budgets Are Like Being Naked In A Full Length Mirror
This seems like a silly thing to add but you have to respond to the comments that people leave. That’s part of the interaction – you being involved with the reader. It’s not a one way street.
Brian @ Luke1428 recently posted…What Ritz Crackers ‘n Cheese Dip Taught Me About Breaking Routines
Yep, so much of this! One thing I cannot stand is when bloggers selectively reply to comments. I know you’re busy – we all are. But when you pick and choose, especially when it’s obvious they’re only replying to your best-blogging friends – UGH! Why would I comment then, if I’m not deemed “worthy enough”.
Alicia @ Financial Diffraction recently posted…My Imaginary Pension.
That one is tricky. As far as I am concerned, I reply to the latest comments because they come first in my dashboard. Say I come back later and there are 5 new comments and I reply only to three, two will be left without answer and I am likely to skip them later on. Not because they are not my friends, because the dashboard is made in a certain way old comments are burried. I used to feel the same way you do but after realizing I didn’t do it on purpose I can see the other side of it too.
I would add not responding to comments. While I don’t respond to them right away like I used to, I do respond to every comment to carry on the conversation. People comment in order to start dialog.
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I have a reply plugin that sends an email because people rarely check back on their comments. I have been bad with it lately and the worst is when you let them slip into history and you may miss some if you reply via dashboard instead of in the post page. When I see someone reply to the first comments, skip mine and a bundle in the middle and reply to the last ones, I used to get annoyed but I know it is because the dashboard burried the middle ones.
You hit the nail right on the spot Pauline! Seems common sense right? But most don’t get it! Complicated captchas, registration and other annoyances turn people off!
Comment on other blogs and produce quality content. Simple.
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I guess some people don’t have akismet or another good spam plugin so they make up for it with captchas without thinking about the user on the other side.
I’m thoroughly ashamed to say I’m JUST moving over to WordPress from Blogger! Your reason for struggling engagement is spot on. You have to be insanely determined to comment in order to do so on Blogger. I wish I had done it sooner!
Good for you Taylor, hope you start seeing the difference soon!
Definitely agree. I often comment on blogs where they comment on mine. I don’t like when it gets too complicated like creating a profile, or the Captchas which I often can’t see. Also I agree with Brian, it’s not as fun when I make a comment and there is no response. There is no interaction.
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I have a reply plugin that sends people an email when I reply. Some bloggers will reply to you but not send you a warning, meaning you’d have to visit all the pages you commented on to see if/when there is an answer. I only do it once in a while if I don’t get the notice.
I’m still rocking Blogger, but I guess I’m okay with that. I like the format and the ridiculously low costs for hosting ($10/year), even if it makes me an odd duckling. But I love your last tip: I’ve found most bloggers reciprocate, if they have the time, with comments. I think you get what you give, in this arena.
Done by Forty recently posted…January Net Worth & Goals Update, and Guest Post Invite
You do, and also you should have more luck in your niche. If you comment on a family finance blog for example you may have less probability that they’d be interested in early retirement, even if you find their stuff interesting.
Very true – if you want comments, you have to give comments back. Plain and simple. Of course, you must also have good content. Otherwise it won’t matter how much commenting you do, other quality bloggers won’t want to be associated with you. I made the mistake when I first started by not commenting. I was reading and lurking but never said anything. Finally I did and it made a world of difference. Not only to the growth of my blog but also the connections I made with bloggers. The hardest part is reading and commenting takes time. Somedays I am make it to everyone and other days I don’t. I also need to expand my core group as I know there are plenty of other phenomenal bloggers I have yet to connect with.
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I spent years lurking too, thankfully just a few months after I launched RFI. By far one of my biggest mistakes in the early days.
Great post Pauline. It’s definitely a giving game out there. It’s important to keep our community supportive by commenting and replying to comments by other bloggers. It’s always appreciated when people take time out of their day to read your posts.
It is nice, although I understand that people can’t be everywhere, when I write something interesting I see the number of comments going up.
Blogs that attract other bloggers are more likely to get comments as well. People who regularly read and write blogs are familiar with the culture of commenting.
That’s certainly true for my other blog, Something Wagging This Way Comes. But my blog for first home buyers draws readers who are looking for answers to specific questions via search engines. They are far more likely to send me an email to follow up than to enter a comment after a post.
Pamela | Hands on Home Buyer recently posted…How to Pay for House Renovations for Your Fixer Upper
That is true, I get about 60% of traffic from search, and rare are the people who leave a comment.
I hate CAPTCHAS. If I have to guess what those 20 letters/numbers say I’d rather just stop because I can never get it.
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I always reply when people leave a comment however if it is left after I’ve add new posts I tend not to respond.
Content sucking is a big one if you write the same stuff that has been written a thousand times before.
Charles@gettingarichlife.com recently posted…The Three Financial Moves You Need To Protect Your Family
As a frequent reader of many blogs I cringe when I see the same topic over and over again but sometimes as a blogger you want to give a shot at ranking for “tips to save on fuel” too so you can’t blame people for trying. However if that is the only thing they have to say, I’ll stop reading.
These are great points Pauline, so ‘on the money’. Its a challenge to be consistent with commenting but it is oh so important. This is how you can develop friendships and moral support, which is as important as building blog traffic.
Jim recently posted…How $2385 Could Have Done So Much More
Capchas are the worst. There’s at least one blog that never accepts my math captchas even when correct (come on, even I know 2+2=4). No more comments there.
NZ Muse recently posted…Drafting up a 2014 budget
I really am just a reader and I agree with the info in this article. If I can’t just hit “repy” or “post a comment” I’m not only going to NOT post a comment, I’m very likely going to unsubscribe.
Really? If I find the content interesting, I will keep reading, but just keep my thoughts to myself.
There are a lot of barriers that new bloggers put up when it comes to commenting on their own sites. Especially blogger – I can’t stand blogger!
Tushar @ Everything Finance recently posted…How To Focus On Your Finances
Me neither, you really have to go with the most popular options and adapt if you want people to interact.
I agree with you on those Pauline. Well, I’m okay with captchas but not on comment forms that require me to sign up or get out the site just to leave a comment.
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Pauline-
I feel like this article was directed at me 🙂 My site has been up for about a week, now. And you are the only person who has commented, as of yet.
Your article, as usual, is right on- but, it is SO difficult (especially at the beginning) to determine if people aren’t visiting and commenting because my content is BORING, or if they just don’t know about it. Again, cue chicken/egg.
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I agree about the complicatedness (if that is a word!) of some of the captcha words. If I see that thing, most times I’ll move on even if I have something good to add to the conversation. And you’re right it is a “give and get” system. The more I comment, the more I get comments. The less I comment, the fewer comments I get.
Jon @ MoneySmartGuides recently posted…How To Achieve Your Goals
I don’t like captcha’s either, but if the content is really good and I think it’s truly worth leaving a comment, I’ll certainly try. I haven’t come across any I can’t solve easily, otherwise my opinion might change. I always reply to every comment left on my site, as it’s just common courtesy to me. If someone took the time to read and comment, I’ll do the same for them, or at least share their post.
E.M. recently posted…Being Grateful: Fourteenth Edition
For most anything on the Web, people should follow K.I.S.S (keep it simple, stupid). Any impediments to commenting will turn people off.
Bryce @ Save and Conquer recently posted…History of Retirement in U.S.
There is definitely a correlation between when I have time to comment on other blogs and when I get more comments on my own. Now… if only it was not so time consuming! Another one that kills me is when it is difficult to comment from my phone. I read a lot more than I comment on, because it’s hard or has bugs when I try to comment from my phone.
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I really need to check the mobile friendliness of my sites, I think many people like you, and more and more as the years pass, will do mobile browsing. There is a plugin on WP that allows you to reply to comments on your own blog by hitting reply on the notification email but sadly it doesn’t work with my WP version. That is a great time saver if you are on your phone.
Oh man I hate captcha and the ones where you have to do math, because often times I forget, then it deletes my comment. I also kind of hate the ones where I have to fill in my info every. single. time. In retrospect I probably would not go with disqus (that’s why I don’t have it on my HFF site), but it’s there now so… 🙂
Tonya@Budget and the Beach recently posted…January Recap/February Goals!
Totally right! If I have to spend time signing up, or the commenting feature isn’t intuitive, I’m probably going to be less inclined to comment, unless the content is amazing.
Ryan @ Impersonal Finance recently posted…the magic of compound interest
I tend to comment on blog posts that I find interesting or catch my attention. I used to play the comment on mine I’ll comment on yours game but it doesn’t work. I know that if someone wants to comment they will. I don’t want them to comment because they think they have to and sometimes you can even tell they don’t even read the bloody post they just leave a comment when the answer is in the post. I don’t have anyone hired out to help me so I do the best I can. I have spread my wings when it comes to comments lately. I like to share posts with my fans that I believe they will enjoy. This is my hobby, I enjoy it. I do try my best to respond to every comment although it may not be right away. Thanks for sharing this Pauline.
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I’d also add two other major reasons for a lack of comments…
Firstly, there’s little or no connection between your readers and yourself. They don’t see you as a “person” so there’s no conversation to have.
And secondly, you don’t respond to comments. I’ve seen too many bloggers who publish comments but never actually respond to them in person (unlike you Pauline 😉
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Great post Pauline! These points are right on the money. Who wants to spend a ton of time trying to read blurry and complicated captchas? One thing I have found at times too is that the same article is on two or three different sites, word for word. Really?
I agree with being mobile-friendly, as people will do this more and more.
Not all bloggers take the time to comment on their commenters blogs. Although some of them do reply to the comments left on their posts, I’ve had some who just reply with a simple “Thank you!” and it instantly kills the conversation.
Joseph Hogue recently posted…Setting Financial Goals and a Budget You Can Keep
What really drives me bonkers is having to register or use some comment plugin. I have about 200 PF blogs in my bookmarks, which I visit regularly. NONE of them has anything but the ‘normal’ wordpress comment system. Engaging posts, active responses, being self-hosted on WordPress – my list of ‘wants’ when it comes to the blogs I read / comment on.
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Another great post. Helpful too.
For some reason, I felt compelled to leave a comment.
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I completely agree with the idea of giving to get! I read a LOT of PF blogs, always trying to stay on top of new ideas. If I like a post, I comment! I find a lot of PF bloggers eventually make it over to my site and do the same.
I must admit though, I do need to make some tweaks to my “comment” box on my WordPress site, it’s certainly not the most user-friendly.
I’m also trying to get new traffic to my site through social media now, which will also hopefully drive more comments.
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Very interesting yes ! i faced problems with i want to leave comment to the satisfied post but some captcha tools does not work , even if the answer is right will give some error message ..
comments are really helpful to the bloggers when he/she get genuine comments. thanks for sharing at least who ever read this post they will fix the comment problems..
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