Have you ever been ‘talked at’ instead of had someone ‘talk with’ you in a real life conversation? It doesn’t feel good to have someone talk AT you.
It leaves you feeling like you might as well not have been there at all.
Blogs can be like that and in this post we explore the power of asking questions on your blog and I share 7 types of questions you can ask to increase reader engagement.
The 7 questions are:
- What Do you Think?
- How Do you Feel?
- What Will You Do?
- What is Your Opinion?
- What is Your Story?
- What is Your Experience or Example?
- What Have you Been Working On?
Of course there are plenty of other types of questions – what type do you ask and how do you find people respond?
Note: you can get the full sized version of this video at YouTube here.
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I always do that. Ask people. Ask readers. And, i got the answer. Hehe..
Darren thank you for the tips. Still at that stage where this information is absolutely helpful.
People love reading but above all they like to engage and be able to voice their own opinions and have them matter. Adding polls and other activity to your blog will greatly increase your readers and the times they come back.
Really, when it comes down to it you should ask these kinds of questions regarding anything in life, including blogging. I look at it as a common thing that should just be done because it just works. It may not be the only thing that will get someone’s attention but it should always be there.
Practising these kinds of things will always go further when you blog, I think. It’s just about being nice too. When someone knows you care about their thoughts and opinions and that you would like them to share with you what they think, well, they are more likely to do just that.
What a great reminder of why many of us start blogging in the first place – community! I think sometimes, those of us who’ve maintained a blog for a while, get so juiced about getting our latest ideas or thoughts out into the ether we forget many of our readers have wonderful ideas and opinions as well that they’d love to share if only we’d ask.
Isn’t it a lot more stimulating to play catch with someone else rather than just bouncing the ball against a wall? I agree with Steve’s comment above that we really should take advantage of the opportunity to listen to our readers rather than always be “the talker”.
I used to blog and the like, thinking those questions DID help me get recurring visitors and increase my adsense earnings..
I used to visit http://cashzine.info a lot, they have some good articles you might learn from.
The questions suggested in this post are very good.Keeping them in mind the writer can surely improve the engagement of readers.
This is a great idea.
Nice. I intensely dislike being “talked at”. This is a much more conversational way of doing things and, therefore, naturally engaging. Sometimes the simplest things are the ones most overlooked..
Great post. Always something I have struggled with in my young blogging career.
I just started a new blog today and I’m totally stoked about the journey the readers and I are going to go on.
My post on Monday is sharing a song I just came across and I’m asking my readers to share some of the music they like. Of course I don’t have the readership yet to really benefit like I would like but I have to start somewhere. Right?
Check out my new blog and let me know what you think, and as always, GREAT INFORMATION…
Thank you for talk about this. Great blog post and great you address this. I was studying your blog posting.
I need to incorporate these.
Usually I’ll leave it with ‘What’s your take in this?’. I find to leave a question is far more effective then ending the post with a full stop. Most of the readers who read through my post will have an idea what to respond; I tend to keep the same method going. Always let your readers think about what they’ve just read.
@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
Great advice.
I will be implementing this on my company’s blog!
Darren,
How about ending the article with a cliffhanger rather than a question? Something at the end of an anecdote like:
You’ll never guess what happened next.
Here’s my example: http://acrimoney.com/2009/12/06/top-ten-types-stockbrokers-3/
Norb
What a terrific post! What kinds of questions do I ask readers of my blog? Quite simply, not many. I’m more accustomed to telling (demanding?) that my readers comment as opposed to asking them what they think or what changes, if any, they might make in their life after learning some piece of information they read on my blog. As a result, I’ve been getting lots of complimentary comments but not much constructive feedback or anecdotal information. All that’s about to change though, thanks to this very informative post. Well put and much appreciated! It’s amazing how something so seemingly obvious almost completely escaped my attention!
To Get Response you need to Have a Blog With Good Number of readers(traffic) nd this can work well as time passes nd ur experience as a blogger increases :)
Hmmm…Good thought…Asking a question so that the readers can reply….Thx
Terrific post and great reminder, Darren. I like to ask two-footed questions where one foot steps into content or facts and the other foots steps into on personal interest or experience.
Perhaps if this talker at the party had been asked good questions by more people, he’d not have talked incessantly at you! Parker Palmer speaks of the fact that in the flurry of our world few people speak and feel heard. You gave him a question and he could not stop “speaking” to reciprocate.
Here are 2 footed questions he might have asked you back to extend the conversation:
1. If you were to advise others about top social media growth, what would you tell them based on your experiences?
2. What are the keys to keeping a blog alive and growing, that have worked best for you?
3. Why are you moving in the direction you’re headed at the moment, and what obstacles do you expect to meet?
Just a few examples of two-footed questions to add to the wonderful ideas already here. Your post reminds me to ask them more often and with finer care:-)
A blog is usually seen as an avenue where people can get their message out. However, we see blogs becoming more of a social network of ideas, thoughts, and plan being developed. I will use this approach when writing my own blog. I have only used the type of question in my blogs a few times.
I have always heard it is good to have friends who disagree with you.
I just wrote my latest blog entry inspired by this post.
I asked all 7 questions.
Thanks for the great idea!
Why didn’t I think of that? Ask a question to get answers
It is so hard to engage a reader for more than a few minutes – there are so many “pulls” on a person’s time. This is a nice list of questions to hopefully spark a conversation.
Sometimes I just inform people at the end of the posts that comments and reactions are welcomed but I am going to start implementing some of your suggestions.
Great post, thank you.
I will make a point of ending a couple posts with a question soon. I know this is a great way to increase comments, but it always seems to slip my mind when I’m writing my posts. Thanks for the motivation :)
How true ! I know someone just like this and whereas it’s good to see someone else feeling good by talking (and talking…!!) you kind of wish you hadn’t asked the question after a while. I’ll certainly add more room for my reader feedback. Great post. Thanks.
ForexPhil
I think webpronews has a great tactic of posting a one-liner asking the reader their experience of if they have something to say along the story which really gives that sense that their opinion is wanted.
I really like what you’re saying.thanks.
Your are my inspiration, mate, I have started my blog 1 month ago and I take into account all your tips! At the moment I really struggle with lack of comments, but fingers cross. hope one day, I’ll manage to achieve at least 1/10 of what you have done;)
The interaction of the article writer in the comments is really valuable also. Thanks for the great tips
I don’t know if this is really a good idea or not. Every time I see a question at the end of a blog post I just feel that the whole post is fake, and if I had spotted the question before I would not even bother to read it.
Different people have different reactions, I suppose.
Darren,
Questions are one of the things I tell my self to do, that I know to do, but don’t always do. I love the quote:
“To know and not to do is not yet to know.”
The post linked to my name does use a couple of questions. A statement and then the question “Why?” And another question about how to weed out bad ideas and thoughts and instead cultivate a good one.
Many of my posts have no questions but you are right. Questions engage the reader more and will actually help them see the point of your post.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Darren ~
Thanks so much for the great video. I really like your delivery style – you are calm, logical and somehow, comforting.
I ask my readers questions, but my blog is pretty new, and I haven’t had anyone answer any of them yet! But I’m not discouraged, I realize it takes time to direct people to one’s blog, and in the meantime I’ll just keep posting, so there’ll be something there for visitors to read, if they do find me.
Now that I know that it’s a good thing to ask questions of my readers, I will make a conscious effort to do so more often, thank you.
It’s hard to describe the questions I ask my readers, as they are usually at the end of a post I’ve just made, and unless you read the entire post, the question, by itself, does not have the same meaning.
Here’s a post I made that asks a question of my readers at the end:
Things I Wonder About: I have a question for you, Jon Stewart: http://bit.ly/jon-quest
Oopy, my bad! Can you hold that last post? It’s the ONLY one that has EVER had a comment, honestly!!! Now I feel so dumb!!
Anyway, if it’s not too late, and it hasn’t been approved yet, could I give you a link to a different post that doesn’t have any comments?
So sorry, I am SUCH a newbie!!
Darren, great post!
I usually ask:
How do you feel about this?
What have you recently learned about this topic and do you believe it applies to you?
What may this information cause you to do in the future?
Has this information helped you any?
Unfortunately, I don’t ask enough questions, I believe, and perhaps not the right ones. Thanks for the great suggestions!
krissy knox :)
Connect with me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/iamkrissy
this completely helped me out with my approach to blogging. Thanks
I like this best:
“What Do you Think?”
Well that’s probably because my site’s a thinking site and my readers have to be thinkers, otherwise it’d be pointless to go and read my blogs.
The question list is cool to start the conversation. Cool.. I really like the things you mentioned. Thanks!
Good post! Blogs are a great way to interact with your readers and also a great way to get a discussion going. Thanks for sharing!
thanks a million for the post. now i would really get to work and see that my readers are engaged and glued to my post.
once more big oops.
Questions are good, it gets real people to post their opinions and see how people think and feel about a particular topic. Great way for interactive discussion. Thanks for mentioning and teaching so much.
Some great points. Especially in the posts about using ‘you’ and not ‘I’. People on the whole are selfish, and like to know what it is in it for them. No one like’s the person at the party who is just ‘me’ ‘me’ ‘me’ … Got some videos outstanding to create at the moment and definitely going to be using some of the tips above. Planning on having one video transition between me and my colleague half way around the world, but look as if we’re chatting to each other and an audience.
Following some of Darren’s advice will hopefully get the ‘reader’ interaction we are looking for.
A better question: have quality input when responding to a blog. Trying to provide a conversation with the audience of your blog is essential to keep/have an audience. But a good conversation needs mutual interaction between both parties. Responses such as “Great post!” or “Right on.” provide no meaningful interaction between writer and reader. It might make the writer feel good, but there is no quality engagement. That is just a yes-man agreeing to anything you post, a real conversation with readers should be more intellectual.
Such a great post Darren! Apparently The Internet is filled with people who seem to think that by hiding behind their anonymous “screen name” they can forgo accepted social norms. I’m guessing that more than a few of the die-hard Internet “geeks” are as awkward in real life as they come across Online, but I’m always amazed when people show up on the Social Sites — Face Book, etc and do the most socially inept stuff! lol!!! They seem to forget that all of us on the “other end” reading are actually real people too. Your post reminds us that we’re actually all in a “conversation” here Online — or could potentially be if so many people Online didn’t act like your “friend” at the party.
Asking questions is about TRULY caring what others think and feel.
Why would both “Great post!” and “Right on.” provide “no meaningful interaction” and just a “yes-man agreeing”? Although I disagree with the view that blog posts should ask questions, I strongly disagree that these two are the same. You can say “Great post!” is not meaningful, but “Right on.” does mean the commenter agrees with the poster, which is a meaningful interaction; at least you know the commenter is not disagreeing. You might be fuzzy and want to know if the commenter is agreeing with all points or just some specific points, but the comment itself is not what a “yes-man” type of interaction!
Thanks a lot. This was helpful.
Thanks Darren,
will use your advice… Starting right NOW!
Please let me know how I can improve my blog.
Lisa (Mama Lisha)
thanks darren these are great questions to ask.
thanks
the words you said are very helpful!
maybe next time i have some question for you!
http://www.realugboots.com/