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May 22, 2005
Blogging 101 - Care To Comment?
By Matt Wood in Blogging 101
Using comments effectively in a blog
I'm back from my brief hiatus, after my last Blogging 101 article necessitated a stay in protective custody. Now that I've been away and had some time to repent for what I said, I'm fully back on the blogging bandwagon. Hopefully this piece will be awkwardly read off a flickering screen by two hot interns from Vassar during a riveting "What's in the Blogs" segment on CNN.
Much of the hype about blogs stems from the audience interactivity they permit. Almost every blog features an integrated comment system that allows its readers to post immediate reactions to each post that are displayed right along with the original text. This turns one-sided, author-centric web pages into dynamic communities in which the real action often happens far down the page and far off-topic from the original post.
But starting this kind of discussion isn't just a matter of switching on the comment setting in Movable Type. A blogger has to know how to solicit meaningful feedback and keep the conversation going. She also has to know when to insert herself into the discussion and when to respectfully step back and let things develop as they will.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your comment section:
- Write open-ended posts. This can be as simple as adding
a "What do you think?" at the end of your furious rant about the
last OC episode, as long as
it invites people to respond. If you really have a lot of readers, you can
even get away with an "Open Thread" in which you make a placeholder
post just so people can talk.
- Lay off the inside jokes. If you're really interested
in getting a good dialogue going, make your blog feel open to people who don't
know you in the real world. There is definitely a place for blogs written
just for your friends, but to really engage new people, they have to feel
comfortable joining the conversation.
- Be outrageous. Nothing gets the peanut gallery more excited
than when you say something really obnoxious. Push the hot buttons. Use language
that you know will set off emotions. Deliberately pick on people (in good
taste). Even if you don't feel that strongly about something, sometimes it's
fun to whip up some Rush Limbaugh faux-outrage just to get the barbs flying.
- Participate in the discussion yourself. Don't get so wrapped
up in your own thoughts that you don't take time to respond to other comments.
Blog posts, by their immediate nature, are often incomplete, poorly written,
or unclear. Sometimes you have to elaborate or answer questions that will
lead you down new paths and bring up even more interesting points.
- Stay out of it when you're not wanted. You can also smother
a conversation by controlling it too much. You may want to let a handful of
people riff on a topic for a while before you jump back in the fray. Think
of the way your best teachers encouraged discussion in class: most of the
time they asked some well-placed questions and sat back to watch it unfold,
speaking up only when necessary to keep things on topic.
- Show your work. If you realize that you made a mistake
in your original post, don't delete the offending text. Leave it there to
elaborate and clarify, either as a clearly marked update or using strikethrough
tags. Readers who come to the page later will find it more instructive
to see the entire discussion as it unfolded.
- Don't be defensive, but don't be a pushover. If someone
jumps your case, think about it a few minutes before you respond. You have
to be in control of the situation. As we all know, internet discussions can
quickly get out of hand. It's much easier to take the high road and let the
flame throwers look like the high-strung assholes. But then again, you don't
want to look like an easy mark. If a commenter attacks you unfairly, you're
obligated to set the record straight and make fun of their mama.
- Follow the trackbacks. Trackbacks, in a nutshell, are
posts on other blogs that reference something on your site, and by the magic
of the internet, shows up in your comment section. They used to be a little
hard to pull off, but most blog software today automatically uses trackbacks
in some form or another. They're indirect comments. Some bloggers even prefer
that people use trackbacks instead of commenting directly on their site. If
you receive a trackback, make sure you read it and respond if necessary, or
better yet, respond by leaving a comment directly on the other site. Or, write
a new post and leave a trackback for them, and then they'll write another
one and trackback you, and then you'll become best blog buddies and all is
right with the geek world.
- Do it all on the same page. Always configure your blog
to display comments on a single page with your original post instead of in
a pop-up window. This way the entire discussion will be archived at the permalink,
allowing it to be indexed and searchable. This preserves the flavor of the
entire discussion, and captures ideas that happened later in the discussion
after the original post.
- Clean house. Nothing kills a discussion like the dreaded comment spam. You get a good argument going over the merits of Jack Bauer's latest torture technique, and all of a sudden everyone's talking about online casinos and porn. Again, most modern blog tools have automatic methods to help, but a few spam comments always slip through. Just make sure you pay attention and clean out the garbage. But then again, a well-placed penis enlargement comment might keep things going.
A blog without good discussion will always die of neglect. You have to actively monitor your comments. Every blogger, no matter what they say, started their site because they want other people to read it and respond. Say what you will about self-publishing and grassroots reporting and speaking your mind, but discussion is what blogs do best.
- By Matt Wood
Blogging 101 publishes every Sunday and provides blogging tips, advice and tutorials for blog newbies and veterans alike.
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Comments
To Robert C.
I can really emphathize with you. As a former WWDB (aka Amway) and Quixtar (aka Amway) IBO, I can attest to the falsely inflated virtues of the "businesses". The old adage is really true...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. In addition to working full time, I'm in the process of developing a LEGITIMATE on line business using my professional skills and knowledge the old fashioned, tried-and-true way: with a business plan, surveying the local business community, researching the competition, etc. There are a lot of free resources available to help aspiring entrepreneurs like us...we just have to look in the right places. Hang in there, Robert. Wishing you success,
Sandy
ya pidoras, pizu chujie doors, zaabuzte moi url - http://greatpharmacies.com/ a suda pishite pisma i spamte - admass@pisem.net
Matt> If a commenter attacks you unfairly, you're obligated to set the record straight and make fun of their mama.
Imran> Here here. Yup, if any one attack you unfairly, make fun of their mama. As simple as that. No mo Mr. nice critic. Muhahahahaha
Posted by: Imran Aziz | May 22, 2005 7:15 PM