Trying to increase the conversation and activity on your blog?
Want to boost your momentum and your social proof?
Try some of these 12 types of posts that always get lots of comments.
1. Competitions
Announcing any kind of competition is always good for a rousing round of comments.
Everybody wants to thank you and let you know they’ll be entering.
Increase your comment rate even more by telling your readers they have to leave a comment if they want to participate.
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2. Share a link posts
Ask your readers to share a link to their favorite post on your blog, their favorite post on their own blog, their favorite post on someone else’s blog, or a link to their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Whatever seems most appropriate.
3. Surprising posts
If all your posts are text posts, put your next post in a cartoon format.
If you can’t draw a cartoon, hire someone to do it for you.
Or create a colorful, information-packed infographic.
Or a video.
Surprise me!
4. How-To and hack posts
Video game bloggers and gadget geeks will tell you that hack posts are always some of the most popular content on their blogs.
If there’s nothing to “hack” in your niche, give your readers a well-written How-To loaded with plenty of graphics.
5. In-Depth posts
Take an in-depth look at something.
Spend an entire week working on this post.
Read everything the other bloggers in your niche are saying.
Read reviews.
Then, find your own angle and back everything up with plenty of links to resources and relevant information.
6. Actionable posts
Give your readers a short, sharp post that gives them something they can do right now that will immediately have an effect on their lives.
Tell them to follow you while you show them how to do it and then have them leave a comment about their adventure.
7. Question posts
The human mind is automatically programmed to reply or search for an answer when someone asks a question.
The problem is getting your visitors to read the question.
Solution?
Ask the question in your title so they come to your post prepared.
8. Personal stories
Personal stories always make more of an emotional impact on your readers, which in turn causes them to want to speak to that emotion.
Personal stories are especially effective for generating comments if your readers have already started to bond with you.
9. Opinion posts
Start your post with, “Here’s what I think…” and before you know it someone will pipe up with a comment that starts with, “Well, you’re wrong.
Here’s what I think…” and then suddenly your blog is the place to be.
10. Humorous posts
Humor is difficult to write if you’re not a comedy writer, but if you have the ability, use it.
For many people the world is a pretty dreary place and if you can brighten their day with a laugh or a giggle they’ll chime in and thank you for it.
11. Challenges
Challenge your readers to do something daring and then tell them to report back in the comments.
Not too daring, mind you, you don’t want to be responsible for any injuries.
12. Comprehensive lists
The most popular post that always gets lots of comments is a comprehensive list post.
Not the Top 3, or the Top 10, but the Top 100 or Top 101.
Give your readers a list they can really sink their teeth into and they’ll be falling all over themselves in the comments.
11 Comments
Excellent article, will use these suggestions for both personal and work website.
Will check back later to see how many comments this article received. :-)
The proof is always in the pudding.
Regards
Nice list, Steven!
I know a few who have this problem. What to post that will attract attention and will get lots of comments. Among the ones you’ve shared, I especially like emotional stories, may that be personal or that of other people. They never fail. :)
Great article! One more: controversial posts. The ones where you might hesitate to hit “publish” but finally do. I put up a post like that today; it got some comments from naysayers, but there were plenty who did get it.
Controversial posts indeed are a great way to generate tons of comments to your blog. I have this friend who function so well in that area and that has really helped her to not only generating comments but has also made her a million and a force to truly reckon with.
Nice good thought there Ellen. :)
Sam
Great post, this is so very true, my question posts and how to posts always get more comments than any of my other posts. I will definitely keep this list for ideas for future posts. Thanks for sharing!
There are several ways to write blog posts that become popular and the above aren’t only the kind of blog posts that become popular. As long as you have it in mind and do your best to make your blog posts of great value to your readers writing the above types of post will always be a big hit for you.
Thanks for some great insight here. I actually try to do a lot of this stuff on my blog. I have noticed a lot more comments lately. First and foremost, though, it’s always going to be about do what you have to do to get traffic – then the comments will come.
I am new to blogging and this post gives me good insight into what will intrigue readers most and inspire them to comment. I have been wanting to write a blog for quite some time, so I appreciate any tips you can give me.
my issue is… people get the link from my Facebook. Read the blog. Then return to Facebook to comment. Can’t figure out whey they won’t comment on the blog. I have all these stats and no followers??
Hey Dotson,
You’ve got a good question here and I am not sure you’ve figured it out yet.
So here:
You’ve written an epic post and you’ve done some kind of promotions and yes….on facebook, right?
Okay good!
The next thing you should do if I were you is to start persuading those that like and comment on my link on facebook; I tell them to visit the link and share their two cents.
I did that on my posts and it has so helped me in getting comments to my blog. One of my guest posts got over 150 comments. Great. Isn’t it?
So try learning how to persuade your facebook friends to reading your blog posts and comment there like crazy.
Hope this helps, Dotson?
Sam
Hey Dukeo,
You’ve shared a great guide on blog commenting here and I must congratulate you for putting a post as great as this together. It must have taken you some few days to compile it together, right?
The first one you talked about is really true and that really boosted my credibility kind of and other points are really well shared.
Thanks!
Sam