Over the last week I’ve had a couple of record days of getting comments on my own blogs. Here on ProBlogger my ‘win a book’ competition drew in 1512 comments while on DPS asking my readers if they had a photoblog and giving opportunity for them to promote it drew in 592 (although this will go a lot higher tonight when I send my newsletter out).
It’s no surprise that these types of posts got a lot of comments – for one I specifically asked for comments and there was a tangible benefit for commenting in each case (the chance to win something and the chance to promote something) – but what other types of posts get lots of comments?
I asked my followers on Twitter to share some of their most commented upon posts to see if I noticed any trends on types of posts that drew readers out of lurking mode to react with a comment.
Here are 13 types of posts that were most common in people’s responses with a few links to examples.
Note: some of the examples could have been used in multiple categories and some get more comments than others – but that’s because they are from smaller blog where the blogger doesn’t normally see loads of comments. I could have found bigger more well known blogs as examples but decided to go mainly with ‘normal’ blogs from readers as I think it is probably more useful than highlighting just mega blogs that get lots of comments on most posts.
1. Competitions
Lets start with the most obvious – give people the chance to win something by leaving a comment and you’re well on the way to drawing people into leaving a comment. Example: Giveaway: SKIL 4-piece Power Tools Combo Kit.
2. Personal Stories
Sometimes sharing something personal really draws people into what you’re writing. I know when I’ve shared something from my personal life on my blog – either as an off topic post or as a way to illustrate something that I’m talking about that it always draws people in. This is particularly powerful if you share a problem overcome, a failure or something that people can relate to. Examples: I’m a Mom and Exposed.
3. Show Off Posts/Share a link
These types of posts ask your readers to show or share something that they’ve done, written, created etc. The ‘show us your photoblog’ link above is an example of this. So to was another of my posts – ‘Share Your Best Photo‘.
4. Creative Posts
posts where the blogger has gone to extra lengths to do something out of the ordinary and creative often have a ‘wow factor’ that gets people commenting. Example: Disney’s “A Whole New World” Sung in Pictures.
5. Hacks
Walk people through a process or show them how to do something for themselves (DIY). These types of posts are great for traffic but I find that they also tend to get reactions – particularly if it’s a good and helpful hack. Example: Apparently My Bling Likes to Swing.
6. Meaty Posts
It was fascinating to read through the 80-90 links to most commented upon posts that people sent me – one thing I noticed is that it was often quite long and in depth posts that seemed to be getting commented upon. Longer resources that really looked deeply at a topic or that gave comprehensive advice. Example: How NOT to Suck at Blogging (this post probably fits into some of the other categories too – it is strong, opinionated and pretty in your face – all of this Elicits a strong response).
7. Relatable Posts
Many of the posts talked about were on topics that a lot of people would have been able to relate to. Not always personal stories – but on issues and problems that lots of readers might face. They draws out people to tell their story or personal reflection on their own experiences with the topics. Example: Why Do Women Let Themselves Go (this post also has a strong headline and perhaps some controversy attached to it).
8. Question Posts
Ask a question and those who hear it are wired to answer it. I find when I include a question in the title of my posts that comment numbers tend to be at least double normal posts. Do Young Entrepreneurs Need to Go to Collge? (a post that had a question it its very title – as long as some opinion and meat to it). Also What Camera Gear Would You Buy if you were Given $1000 to Spend? (this post not only asked a question but was a hypothetical/fun post on a topic that I knew would also create some debate between readers loyal to different types of cameras. Also Net Worth vs Self Worth: The Passion Paradox (while this post isn’t a pure question post there’s a strong call for people to react in it and the blogger highlights other people’s posts on the topic/reactions).
9. Debate or Controversy Posts
Put two or more opposing arguments to your readers and step back to see what happens. Example: Which Digital Camera Manufacturer is Best? (this is an old post when we only had a few readers – I’m too scared to post the question again as this question always gets people so fired up). Also Adam Lambert’s Jacket Auctioned for $2000 (not a debate but certainly stirred up some controversy).
10. Opinion Pieces
Expressing your own strongly held opinion on an issue will generally have your readers examining their own opinions. If you do express it strongly you can expect your readers to share what they think strongly also. Example: I like Dave Ramsey, But He is Still Wrong. Also Why our Current Education System is Failing (also some controversy/debate in this one too).
11. Humor
Humor evokes a natural physical reaction (smiling and laughter) which sometimes also comes out in other ways (like sharing a reaction, passing it on to a friend etc). Example: I took 1,973 pictures of my children on vacation and all I got was this lousy blog post (also a personal type post).
12. Group Projects/Challenges
This is one I’ve used quite a bit over the years – getting readers all to go and do something and then come back and share the results. Examples: Top 5 – Group Writing Project, Enter the Passion to Profit Challenge and RED: Weekend Photography Challenge.
13. Mega Lists/Resources
There is nothing like a mega/over the top list of resources or links relevant to your niche to draw in traffic and comments. These posts are a lot of work but tend to do well in social media – but also at getting comments. You get comments from those in the list, from those who want to be in the list, from those who find the list useful, from those who think your list is skewed and biased…. etc. Example: 87 Great Photography Blogs and Feeds.
What Was Your Most Commented Upon Post?
Of course these 13 types of posts just scratch the surface – I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you’d add.
I’d also love to see your most commented upon blog post. Dig back through your archives and find 1-2 examples of where you had comment numbers way above your normal average and share the link below!
Further Reading: 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog (ironically another of my most commented upon posts ever).
Hi Darren
Thanks for the usefull tips, a couple of them I tried without reading your post first and it’s really true it helps to get comments. I would add one though: Helpful posts. For example your post right here or walkthroughs for games or something like that.
And again, thanks for the tips!
When talking about Contests it is always the hot topic since everyone likes to take part in it and that is useful to user so talking about usefulness the post about some HACKS will also gets dozen of comments and other are also topic which can get comments…but FREE STUFF and CONTESTS will always grab the Most Comment according to my observation ;)
Thank for share.I find that three kind of posts are extremely useful for a blog.1)personal stories 2)posts which leave a question to the readers 3)A post which list a lot of resources
In fact. Before I started my blog.I always surfed the net to look for some interesting stuffs.There was one kind of post always caught my eyes.Those post always listed many resources to the niche.
My comments have been growing over the last few months. At first I was getting none, I started build relationships and guest blogging and they started.
My most commented blog post was a contest. I was giving away premium themes as prizes and one way to enter the contest was to add a comment.
http://www.webuildyourblog.com/1394/free-contest-giveaways/
Second most commented was an article that took me ages to finish and it was an article full of ways to gain more traffic with each blog post you write:
http://www.webuildyourblog.com/1323/increase-blog-traffic-blog-post/
Andrew
My blog is still a baby, so I really cannot put forth any meaningful data, but I’ve been getting a lot of comments just by interacting in the community (i.e. commenting on blogs I like and participating in forums).
This comes at a good time since I am just now working on a huge list post. I enjoy challenging myself and creating something that is 4,000-5,000 words. It’s tough but you learn so much.
After six years of political blogging I try and stay away from controversy on my Cyber Smart blog. Nothing like getting up first thing in the morning with a bunch of hate mail!
And then again, the post that has gotten the most comments on Cyber Smart is the podcast that I did on marketing Gurus who sell get rich quick scams. That, I guess, falls into the category of a controversial post.
Hmmm? I’m learning as I write this comment…
This is an extremely helpful post… sure to get a lot of comments haha!
I think comments are important for our well-being more than just traffic numbers.. to know people took the time to leave a message for you, that makes a blogger feel like what they are doing is worth it.
Just the kind of post I needed today, Darren! I’m planning out topics and posts for the new year, so this is incredibly well timed :)
The most-commented post on my blog is “A Guide to Self-Reliance Minimalism,” where I share my take on the simplicity and minimalism movement. http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/a-guide-to-self-reliance-minimalism/
As for why the post was popular, I’d guess two main reasons: 1. It tapped into the current popularity of minimalism, and 2. it was written with a lot of excitement on my part, which I hope came through.
Thanks for the inclusion. Have really enjoyed some of the other posts, too.
I find this post to be interesting, primarily because it might make some people think that the only thing that makes a post successful is lots of comments.
I know that probably wasn’t the intention, but something I could definitely see some people walking away with.
Ryan
When talking about Contests it is always the hot topic since everyone likes to take part in it and that is useful to user so talking about usefulness the post about some HACKS will also gets dozen of comments and other are also topic which can get comments…but FREE STUFF and CONTESTS will always grab the Most Comment according to my observation ;) ;) ;)
My blog is still in infancy, but you are entirely correct. The posts that drew the most comments was a follow-up I did to a series I did discussing the merits of two photo hosting sites – Zenfolio and SmugMug (http://digitalnotions.net/smugmug-follow-up/)
While it didn’t draw nearly the amount of traffic your posts do on a regular basis, it was one of the first posts where I felt that a good discussion was happening.
1,512 posts for the free books? Wow. I guess free stuff is a massive draw!
It seems like lists of resources are very popular. Especially for how-to information.
Thanks for the great info!
My most commented post on my blog had to go with the 7-patty Burger King burger that was launched in Japan in October.
I was floored by the number of views and the number of comments. I still today get a lot of views to that post:
http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com/burger-king-japan-and-the-7-patty-whopper-burger/
This is my highest Facebook Share of all time and it’s gone completely viral at this point.
I really want to write more posts like that one because I’ve added a lot of people to my database and I’m proud that a post that took me 15 minutes to write + 10 minutes of reaseach on YouTube could generate this kind of reaction!
Darren – that was a great post!
The popular team blog GardenRant publishes a round-up of its most-commented-upon posts of the year every Jan 1 – here’s the roundup for 2008: http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/2009/01/top-rants-of-20.html
We find that contests are our biggest draw – duh – followed by controversial topics, esp if they impact personally on the readers, many of whom are also bloggers.
Although I’ve had other blogs, my current blog is too new to see many comments. However, over the years the most comments I’ve had were generated by heartfelt writing. By that I mean something that strikes an emotional chord in readers.
Another thing I’ve noticed is, content that non-bloggers can relate to works well for me.
Controversy is just not my cup of tea. I don’t want to be seen as the Rush Limbaugh of blogging. Honest opinion and discussion I can live with.
Sometimes a post can be well researched and well presented, and it just doesn’t work. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m never sure what will be well received and what won’t.
Thanks for an excellent post.
I had a recent post “In defense of Scott Boras”. It attracted some of the longest comments I can remember in a while :)
Wow ! Darren, great post I got inspired.
Mine is a comment locked blog. So i don’t know. But i’d think people will comment when they feel strongly about something irrespective of the background and context. For instance i get fair amount of e-mails everyday since my readers can’t comment directly, and its surprising people do want to communicate in some way. Funny thing is they also ask me why i am not allowing them to comment. Weird i know, but i’d think people do like to comment. Its just human psyche, maybe?
One of my most commented posts was a “recipe” for Bread Eggs. I almost didn’t post it, because I figured most everyone knew how to make them and it just seemed kind of boring. But I posted and asked what people call them. Wow – lots of comments with great names for those humble egg and bread creations. Several weeks later and I’m still getting comments on that post.
In my experience I’ve found that the DIY or controversy posts are what draw in the most comments, but I could see how the other types would do well for some blogs. All depends on what kind of reader base you have.
Anything that is argumentitive generally gets lots of comments in my opinion.
On a number of blogs I have also found that people who say something completely wrong also get lots of posts….. All be it for the wrong reason.
I am still to get good enough comments on my blog. My most commented post was a controversial one about Windows 7.
http://www.avinashtech.com/microsoft/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-windows-7-now/
Great list of blog post types I find all of them work well for my level of blog. It’s good to see so many links back to so many different blogs. It would appear the intense debate that you and Sire had at Wassup Blog is having a positive affect on your blog. Keep up the great work Darren :)
Some of the best comments come out of offering up questions that allow readers to share their *own* personal experience or story on the subject matter at hand. Such as with my recent post Trouble Explaining What You Do For A Living? where others shared what they do in these awkward social situations and how they respond.
Competitions and “show off” posts definitely get a lot of comment activity, but many times it’s just that and not much quality. Personally, I’d rather have less comments & better discussion than 562 one-line “LOL thatz funny!!!” responses.
My most commented post is post that about wordpress plugin. I think because many readers relate with it.
What’s with bolding the comments on a post that talks about comments?
hmm.. for me it’s the personal story, reviews, and something funny.. people like to comment for some funny things that I posted.. ^^
Here’s a technique I found by accident – write a blog post about another popular blog – where your link back to their blog shows up as a traceback. Many of the readers from that blog will come through to yours and comment.
Jeff
Giveaway posts are always a comment grabber for me! Aside from those, I agree that the really personal or relatable posts are the ones I get the mosts comments on. Recently I had a ton of comments on the post where I shared that I had quit my job and enroled in school:
http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2009/11/life-is-sweet.html
I had been hinting at some big news for a few weeks, so my readers were really responsive and incredibly supportive! I also got a lot of comments on my recent “Crohn’s Week” posts which detail my journey with Crohn’s Disease.
http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2009/11/paradigm-shift-accompanied-by-answers.html
While I’ve always been very honest about my Crohn’s Disease and how it’s been treated, I never detailed the full story of my illness, diagnosis and treatment.
It took me a while to realize, yes, you can actually ask people to comment. I try to ask a question at the end of most posts. Maybe what I should do is ask the question at the top of the post or in the title, as you have demonstrated. It’s always nice to have a good list like this to refer to when it’s time to write more blog posts. This type of article gets my creativity flowing.
This is really useful as I think about my content development strategy for the next year. One of my most popular posts used a question “How often do you decide not to brush your teeth?” and did amazingly well. But this makes a great post for brain storming.
For anybody who really wants to take advantage of the content here I would recommend taking everything in this post putting a mind map together and just think out loud, and then share it with your readers for feedback.
For me the obvious answer is competition/contest posts.
This works well for my blog simply because it is dedicated to contests and giving away stuff!
I do have other blogs around the net and generally posts that summarize resources are great for continually generating traffic and comments.
Great list of ideas for my future posts.
Inadvertently I have been using a couple of these already, such as today’s post for my lifestyle development blog where I ask “How Do You Measure Success?”.
I’m definitely going to start playing around with these ideas and see what works the best for my blog.
Thanks for the great ideas…
@ Nibras – why do you block comments? Fear of spam? The Akismet plug-in does a really good job of blocking spam for me, while allowing nearly all legitimate comments through.
Or is this due to a technical constraint of some sort?
The most comments I’ve gotten on one post was 27, which is a lot for my little blog! It was about Santa, of all things!
Yes I’m a Christina, Yes we do Santa.
I think, that the 13th method is the hottest, because I’ve experienced that myself :)
How about the “ignorant dope” post? This is a nickname I have for a post where you INTENTIONALLY get some facts wrong.
…”like when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.”
People LOVE to be right and show off how smart they are so they naturally want to be the first one to point out your mistake. It also drives people absolutely crazy when you don’t fix it, thus drawing in more comments.
Thank you for the great analysis on comments. I was looking for something like this a couple weeks ago. I gave up after doing a lot of searching, I couldn’t find hardly anything on commenting trends.
I’m surprised there isn’t more analysis or psychology of post interaction out there. I think this list a good list of ways to help stimulate some discussion or interaction through comments. So thank you for the post.
My most commented post by far was about how my wife and I organize our home library – http://www.zackgrossbart.com/hackito/the-library-problem. If was off-topic, way too long for a blog post, and not at all topical, but the comments go on for pages and pages.
I’ve found writing about esoteric interests in a deep way works really well for getting comments. Now I just need to figure out how to integrate that with my business.
And I think doing these kind of posts with numbers also do that. If not maximum comments than I am sure views will be higher.
I seem to get the most comments on any post where I make a top-ten list. People always have different opinions on them.
Posting personal succes stories particularly earning lots of money from your own blog will really draw comments from readers.
And so will this post…lol but I have been using alot of these blog methods at my own blog and I can say for a fact that they work, I personally like ones where you get your users to interact and share their own information in your blog comments, I find that really get’s people interesting in what your doing and eager to participate.
Dear Darren:
Definitely bookmarked this page for future reference. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and making our lives easier! Really!
One of the mots popular post that I have written were the ones that dealt with very pressing problems such as loneliness, negativity, letting go of the past and so on.
Also, others that got more attention than usual were the ones with references to celebrities or a very unique approach to solving a common problem.
However, now, once I have such a handy list, I will be sure to look at it before pressing post next time.
Best of luck and thank you for such great information!
Best,
Tomas
As a fitness/weight loss blogger, it follows that I received the most comments on was the one that celebrated my goal of 100 pounds lost. I’ve noticed the same on other blogs in my community.
On the negative side, I’ve also noticed (on other blogs, of course) more comments than normal on what I call ‘goodbye-cruel-world-I’m-not-blogging-anymore’ type posts. Nothing sends me reaching for the delete button faster, but scores of folks respond to assure the blogger that s/he is being read and appreciated.
Hmmm, maybe I’ve been looking at this wrong. Nyah… :)
Well I just hosted my first giveaway and am interested to see whether those who commented to try to win will actually come back to read the blog…
The most commented post was one where I compiled a list of network to join to make moneey by writing blog reviews. It received almost 60 comments.
http://ineeddiscipline.com/2008/07/04/19-blog-review-networks/
Darren,
This post is very helpful and timely. As far as what post generated the most comments on my blog/site? Well, like I said, this post is very helpful and timely!
Congratulations on all the comments. I saw the comments adding up on your book giveaway and I probably should have tried my luck at winning one. I’m sorry for not participating. I promise that I will next time.