This guest post is by Caz Makepeace of y Travel Blog.
As a travel blogger, there are many different types of articles that we write. We like to help people to get inspired, get informed, and to get going. We know that not every article we write will get the same response in regards to social media sharing and comments.
You really need to understand which ones will get the better responses, and why. This will help you to know how to write your posts the most effectively.
After I have finished writing a post, I have a fairly good idea of the response I’ll get via the comments.
A lot of posts we write provide travel tips and information people need to go to a specific destination. These types of posts are therefore relevant to a specific group of people, and are time-sensitive to the point at which they want to travel there. As a result, the comments for these types of posts are low.
Our other styles of posts are my travel thoughts and inspiration posts. These usually target those issues that are relevant to all travellers and are designed to inspire my readers into action. These always get a great response.
I have been a traveller for many years, therefore I know how my readers think and feel. Travel has a certain culture attached to it. I write about that culture and my readers connect. They see a friend in me—someone who thinks like them. They become inspired and excited by this, and so want to comment and share their thoughts on the same topic.
To get a high comment response, you just have to think and feel like your reader. Allow them to see you as their friend who understands them, and talk about issues that are relevant to them.
Caz Makepeace believes that life is all about the memories and inspires others to travel and make their life a story to tell at her popular, y Travel Blog. She also owns Mojito Mother, a blog aimed at putting the mojo back into a mother’s life, where she shares her experiences as a mother and a woman following her own dreams.
You are completely right, the problem is that all that you say came with the experience and keep writing and posting. In the meantime everyone of us, the people that are trying to start from scratch, have to follow the instinct and read to learn from people like you and problogger. Thank you for the post.
No worries Juan!
Just remember that all bloggers started from scratch, which is good news because it means that if you continue to follow the process then you will get to the place where those are who you learn from.
I think Problogger is an excellent place to hang out and learn. I know we sure learned a lot from the very wise Darren and all his guest posters!
I find it endlessly fascinating to study my blog trends when it comes to which posts get consistently higher traffic, and the ones that consistently get quality comments. I use the results of those studies to plan out my future posts and hopefully help me create new content that my readers want to see!
You really have to pay attention to the trends that happen on your blog. This gets easier the longer you blog for. Although there will always be those posts that surprise you- the ones you thought would do well that don’t and the ones you least expect end up taking off.
Thanks for this topic. Mainly today readers are commenting those topics are interesting with valuable.
Hi Caz,
Putting yourself in your reader’s shoes is the best way to get more comments. Empathy is the #1 comment generator I know of. Think and more importantly, feel like your readers, and you form a connection that can’t be re-created. When you feel like your readers, really good things happen for your blog. More comments, more readers, more calls to action taken, and if you run an online business, more money also flows out of this important step.
Study your audience. Test posts. Some readers will resonate strongly with certain posts, meaning you hit a comment point. A key point, which inspires readers to respond. Play on that point. Again and again. Write the posts that get pop, and stick to that theme. In time, you become quite adept at bringing in reader comments.
Take time to analyze which posts generate the most interest. I ignored metrics – to my peril – for quite some time. Then I studied patterns, and found out it’s easier to do more of what works, and to stop doing what doesn’t. I focused on a certain niche, certain titles, ended posts with a question and became more adept at engaging my readers.
Currently I am not huge on comments. Directing my readers to a different, focused call to action keeps my calls taken ratio higher. But I do understand the importance of having a well read and well commented blog. If your blog is a social joint, more people will want to hang out there, read what you have to offer, and spread the word, which of course grows your readership.
As for your travel blog I will be happy to check it out. I have spent the past 9 months abroad. I’ve lived in Bali, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Phnom Penh and Laos. It’s been quite an amazing experience, one that I will never forget.
Thanks for sharing Caz!
Ryan
You know you’re not allowed to mention South East Asia to me when I am not there!! I end up falling in a heap on the floor in tears. My favourite place in the world. I was actually in Thailand two weeks ago and miss it already.
Come hang out with us on the blog and fanpage, we have lots of travel fun!
Thanks for leaving such a great comment. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts and absolutely agree! It takes awhile before you can allow yourself to let go of the things that don’t work. As we are the creators of it, we want to hold tightly to it.
Some of my posts surely get more comments than others. It depends on the topic and how easily the reader can identify with the topic.
The “think like your potential reader” rule” can be quite helpful. Though, in the right context.
There are other factors that make a post-article run, apart from just picking a cute subject matter Some of those factors are within our control, other are not.
So far for me, comments are hit or miss. I’m still learning.
Keep working on it Guy. It will start to get clearer the more you practice. Took me awhile to work out the groove
This is an excellent point! Blog posts need to be of value to get comments. Something I have to continually keep in mind. Thanks
This is an excellent point! Blog posts should be helpful to get feedback. Something to keep in mind constantly. thank you
This is a point I had not considered. Essentially (if I get your point clearly) what you are saying is – if the information is driven to only fill a need vs. food for thought and/or debate they may not leave comments because they are there to get the information quickly and leave.
It makes sense. I see my newest room for improvement. Thanks.
Yes, this is what I have found to be true. Information posts are less likely to evoke and emotional response- which is what excites or inspires us to speak up.
Although in some niches, that may work a little differently
“Think like your potential reader” is a great mindset to have when writing blog posts, newsletter content, social media updates, and all of it, to my mind. I always try to give readers some actionable and easy to implement thing they can go off and do right then, without too much hassle.
As for people commenting on my current blog, it’s still a work in progress as I’m slowly building traffic to a brand new blog. But that first comment is a gift — because that’s when you know someone is reading, and that someone thought enough of your content to respond, which is huge, because it inspires you to keep at it.
On my older food and wine blog, I’m always surprised that some of my more personal posts are the ones that get the most feedback, but I haven’t written personal narrative for my new blog — yet. ; )
There is nothing like your first comment! Such an exhilerating feeling to know that someone is reading what you havae written and has been inspired to respond. I’ve never lost that feeling of gratitude and have it for every single comment that arrives on my blog posts and those I write for other sites.
Agreed! : )
It makes sense that these types of posts would get more comments because they are posts that everyone can contribute to. As you say, they aren’t written for a certain subset of your readers (people traveling to Belize in the next month, for example.) They are written for everyone, so you have higher potential readership for these posts.
I agree that the more you can share of yourself – so your readers feel they know you – and the more useful you can be, the more widely read your content will be and the more comments you’ll get.
The readers love getting to know you. It makes you more real to them and lets them know how much you are really like them. They feel comfortable around you.
Aim to be their friend and to provide value and inspiration.
Great post. I agree you have to think like you are the reader. Just yesterday I found a post that spoke to me directly. It gave me 10 top apps I should have when traveling internationally. Since I am going to do some international travel at the end of the year I immediately wanted to read this post and see what I could learn/download in this case to improve my future trip. Solid information laid out in a clear manner is what speaks to readers the most.
Anything that makes your reader’s life a little easier or inspires them is always a winner. You should know your audience inside and out. Because we have been travelling for the majority of our adult life we get the travel culture.
Comments are great and they make me feel good and all, but I’m going to keep blogging whether I get comments or not.
I also agree that people will comment if blog post discuss or solve their issues. Relevant articles are more engaging readers to comment and discuss. This is something I need to work out. Great post.
Caz
I think the best and ultimate way to get more comments is to give your audience the best information possible
I aggree the best way to get more comments is to supply your audience with what they are looking for such as how to make more money in a bad economy. A lot of people are suffering financially they need answers. http://www.moneymakerresource.com
I have had the problem of no money. So where do I go for answers? It is good to come to a good blog and find the answer such as affiliate marketing. So lets give our audience what they are looking for the truth.
Hi Caz. I think the highest compliment I ever got on a post was “it is like you are inside my head”.
I do like how you talk about knowing what sort of comments are coming. I’m generally always surprised at what people say, but you raise a good point that takes it to the next level. Thanks
Sometimes I think it just gets totally over complicated: Study, analyze , watch trends, copy others,…I mean I get it, really I do. I’m not saying that those things can’t or won’t help, but I also think sometimes you should just write. And write the best post the one that is true to your passion, your heart. Do not copy someone else. I love your blog Darren, but I don’t want to be you or even like you. I just want to have the best blog possible and if it’s just like yours or another blogger’s….well who needs two of the same?
I’ve written posts and I received over 80 comments and others I thought for sure would have a ton and only 2….sometimes there is really no rhyme or reason so I’ve decided to just keep posting :) And let the rest take care of itself.
I agree. You absolutely have to be yourself. You’ll never get ahead by trying to be someone else. Each of us have our own niche to fill and you’ll never do that if you copy others.
I think you can write from the heart, connect with your audience and still do some of the analyzing. Don’t do it to death, but it is important.
My posts are always from the heart which is why they connect so well with my audience, because what I am thinking and feeling in my heart comes a lot from my travel experiences and thoughts from that and so many other travellers think and feel the same, because there is a particular culture attached to it.
Whatever niche you are in their will be an underlying culture- people who are thinking and feeling the same, which is why those straight from the heart posts connect to them so well.
I think you can’t always pick the response you will get some do really surprise you but generally you can tell those that will get more. And to be honest I have not done much analysing with this it is just what I know, if that makes sense. The longer you blog the more you know how things flow
Caz,
Thinking like your readers do and understanding them is important. The more you truly connect with your audience, the more you’ll know ahead of time what they want and need more of, how they’ll respond and why, and how to help them and make a difference in their lives.
I like what you said here: “To get a high comment response, you just have to think and feel like your reader. Allow them to see you as their friend who understands them, and talk about issues that are relevant to them.”
Showing them you understand who they are and where they’re coming from is absolutely what matters. We’re all here to make a difference and it’s only made with a real connection.
Great stuff!
And people love to know that there is someone that thinks and feels like them. I find this particularly so in the Mummy blogging niche, which I am always a part of. As a mum, or parent, you often are plagued with guilt and uncertainty about parenting issues. You experience things that you think only you do, but then you find a blog post about some other mother having the same issues as you- thinking and feeling the exact same way- and you say, Thank God I am not alone.
And that is the power of bloggging. Communities of people can come together knowing that they are not alone.
“To get a high comment response, you just have to think and feel like your reader” I like that. It maybe sounds simple, but if we think about it for a second, that’s what it needs for us to realize which content is about to ignite discussion and which one not.
Yes Slavko and I think if you are your niche then this comes effortlessly. So I am a traveller therefore I am already thinking like my readers who are travellers. And for my Mummy blog, I am a mother so again I am already thinking like my readers. That’s why you should never choose a niche that you don’t know or understand as it is much harder to put that authenticity and relatability behind it.
A really useful article, great tips, most of which will help in the development of my photography blog.
Since I have started our blog (about 1 1/2 years ago!) I have noticed that my blogging voice has changed. The more I write from the heart, and the more I share about our journey, the more comments we get. I now focus on sharing good quality content, connecting with other like minded people and making sure I answer all of the comments that come in. It becomes a like minded community of people that care about each other – and that is the best part of blogging (feedback rocks)
Cheers
Lisa
Caz! Your points made me think very deeply of writing my posts in a different way that will make my readers talk a lot. As I know that you have shared all the points from your own practical experience which is really so important and noteworthy. The point “To get a high comment response, you just have to think and feel like your reader” is awesome. You’ve really made your readers so talk about your post. Thanks.
I seem to get lots of comments at my various sites but all are spam – most appear to be created by software not a person – I will try some of your great ideas and hope that will increase my quality of comments. Thank you for the useful information.
I seem to have a great succes by ending my posts with a clear and simple question to people.
Something that they easily and fast can answer. Many just post a short answer, but it seems like that the majority actually write a bit more in there comment.