I guess that could be the case if you’re not very serious about your blog. However, if you truly possess the passion to even take the time to blog, you’re going to want to make the most of it.
First and foremost, you want readers. But how do you get them there? I had a nice chat with two well-known bloggers who gave several helpful tips relating to blog comments.
Leo Laporte, host of TWiT.tv and blogger of Leoville.com, told me a few pointers for driving traffic to your blog:
1. Have good content
2. Update your blog regularly
3. Present it well
4. Have a clear point of view and clear speech
5. Participate in other blogs, conferences, and forums
6. Use social media tools
Another important point relating to blog comments is how to get readers to comment. Matt Mullenweg, the Founding Developer of WordPress and blogger of photomatt.net, echoes Laporte’s word that content should be solid and well written. He also suggests leaving your content open-ended. According to Mullenweg, readers are likely to respond if this criteria is met.
What happens if someone leaves a negative comment? Everyone’s first instinct is to delete anything negative, but is that always right?
Laporte and Mullenweg both believe some negative comments are good. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and if they choose to share it, they have that right even if you disagree with them.
The experts say it is appropriate to remove a comment if it is not intelligent and is slanderous to the blogger. However, if all the comments on the blog are positive and praise the blogger, it could turn readers away and result in low traffic and few or no comments.
Laporte points out that it is a good idea to have a set of commenting guidelines. Let the readers know if you do not allow racist, homophobic, or obscene comments. It is also good to specify what age group the audience is.
To find out more information on blogging and blog comments, tune into the murdok video, “A Few Comments on Commenting…”
