How to get an audience for your blog posts

I received an enquiry about how to get readers to comment on blog posts. Here is the question:

Please what are your suggestions as regards getting audience for our blog posts? What we do currently is to make references to the write ups on Facebook and Twitter, of which some people get to ‘like’ but no comments on the blog.

One of the first challenges that most new bloggers face right after they start out is that of getting readers for their blog posts. If you are new on the blogging scene, here are a few things that will help you tackle the challenge.

Many read; Few comment

One basic rule of thumb is this: a lot more people will read your blog without ever posting a comment. That is a fact. In over 6 years of blogging, my statistics indicate that less than 10% of people who read my blog posts ever submit a comment. This will vary, depending on the topics that your blog covers. So, while you may not be seeing comments yet in the early stages, it does not mean that people are not reading.

Share your posts on social media

Share your new posts (and sometimes old ones too) on your various social media networks.

Use the question format for some of your posts

Instead of sharing information in all your blog posts, solicit for information and opinion in some of them. Ask questions. Throw teasers. This means that not all your blog posts have to be sizeable. Sometimes, a one-paragraph blog post will get you more comments than your regular length posts.

Use Humour

Everybody loves a good laugh. Scratch that generalisation. Some people would die if they embraced humour for even one second. Many people do love a good laugh. So, do humour sometimes. You might get your first comments from such an article. And since humour warms people up, after that, they are likely to pop in a comment here and there.

Do a Giveaway

Ask a question and offer a small reward for the best comment on a particular post. People love freebies.

Take a stand on controversial issues

Depending on who you are or what you want to do, one sure fire way to generate comments is to take a strong stand on a controversial topic. Bam! This is not recommended for everyone. Independent bloggers are more likely to be able to do this. Corporate bloggers, less so. But whether you do controversial topics or not, evolve your voice so it is distinct and recognisable. Do not be wishy washy.

Respond to Comments

When people post a comment, it is likely because they want to interact. Do not ignore them. Respond to your comments. Make them feel welcome to do it again.

Don’t Sweat It

Lastly, don’t sweat it. Sometimes, you will get lots of comment on one post and none on another. Just do your stuff. Post consistently and keep sharing. Half the battle is won if you stay blogging regardless of the challenges.