When maintaining a blog, there are a lot more pieces to the puzzle than just writing and posting content. Getting higher numbers of user comments is critical to the success of a blog and allows you to see who makes up your audience and what their thoughts and opinions are. However, getting users to comment on your blog takes work and focus. We suggest some general advice to live by in order to boost blog comments. Overall, it is important to write excellent content, and to market your blog. If the content isn’t good, no one will read it; if no one has had the chance to hear about your blog, no one will have the chance to read it. These two jumping off points must not be forgotten.

The design of your blogging website can play a pivotal role in the number of comments you are receiving. You want to make sure that the system you have allowing readers to comment is intuitive and obvious. When the comment system itself is too challenging to use, fewer people will write comments. Also, if your overall website is poorly designed, fewer people will want to spend any time on it to read your blogs in the first place. Whether we like it or not, aesthetics matter. Take the time to design a friendly and appealing site.

Beyond basic writing, the content of your blog needs to have a personality. Depending on the agenda of your blog—maybe you are representing a business, or yourself, or a fictional character—developing a standout voice will be easier or harder. However, having a voice that is unique and makes an impression is vital to the life of your comment section. Similarly, the topics you are spending time blogging about ought to be original. Not everyone can write something brilliant each and every day, but as long as you focus on saying something you truly mean or feel, people will respond. More mundane blogs that are repetitive or too basic will turn readers away and not inspire them to contribute.

Finally, make sure that you treat your interactions well and don’t be afraid to just ask people to comment. When someone does contribute a comment to your blog, thank them, or respond to their inquiry or argument. When someone leaves a comment on your website, they are reaching out to you in some way and it is best practice for you to respond. Additionally, if you are looking to get more comments, don’t hesitate to ask your audience for them. You do not need to be obvious about it. By simply inviting others to share feedback or opinions, you are creating a natural space for readers to contribute.

Take into account these pieces of advice and you will grow your comments section shortly. By maintaining most of these behaviors, you will guarantee that the comments section on your blog remains high-yield and popular.