It's natural to want some validation. You spent time writing your post, now you want to know that people actually read your post, and what better way to have proof than a comment???
If you're new to the community, you'll find many members fall into one of several groups:
1. The Reciprocators. You leave a comment on their post and 99.99% of the time they'll visit your post and leave a comment. Some of them even have Excel spreadsheets to make sure they don't miss anyone :)
2. Comments Disabled. Maybe literally. No comments are able to be left on their posts, or if you leave a comment, they will 100% NEVER acknowledge that comment or comment on one of your posts. They're strictly here to publish. The End.
3. The Responders. They'll respond to every comment on their own posts, but don't look for them to comment outside of their own posts.
Each of us has our own reasons for being here, some for business, some for social, some for a mix of purposes.
Personally, I'm an introvert, kind of busy with more than a few hats to wear, and while not completely anti-social, being with people (even people I like a lot) drains my batteries pretty quickly. So while I'd love to spend more time in the Rain reading and leaving comments, I've had to change over the years in how I spend my time.
So for me, I'm in "the Responders" category. You visit my post and leave a comment and I'll respond. But I feel zero obligation to leave another comment on your post and nor do I expect you to ever leave a comment on my post just because I visited yours. No intent to offend anyone, but that's the reality of how I work presently. The days of when I could leave 20-30 comments a day are long gone and I don't expect them to return.
But if getting comments are important to you, what can you do to increase your comment counts?
1. Get out and comment elsewhere. You'll find out who The Reciprocators are and you can cultivate a relationship with them.
2. Learn how to stage your posts. Aesthetics matter. Decent font size, some photos, enough white space, etc.
3. Use a title that makes you stand out on the blog roll.
4. Write about things that engage people, but keep in mind some topics might not be worth the engagement. E.g, double edged sword, politics ENGAGES people, but maybe not the kind of engagement you (OR YOUR BROKER) would want.
5. Understand that certain topics are NOT good for comments, but they can REALLY help your business! Home buyers and sellers rarely leave a comment, but they WILL call, email, or fill out the contact form if they want your help.
6. Blog frequently enough for people to actually start to recognize you.
7. Play nice in the sandbox if you want return visits.
8. Follow other members, chances are some will then follow you.
9. Leave non-generic comments, comments that let the blogger know you actually read their post!
10. Ask a question at the end of your post! e.g. Got other tips for increasing comments?
Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help!
Bill & Liz aka BLiz
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