Is your nonprofit's blog encouraging comments? Are you looking for more interaction and engagement? Blog comments are an extremely powerful form of social proof. However, it is aggravating to invest time and effort into content creation, only to have your readers not commenting or engaging.
Very quickly, you can start to doubt if blogging has value. This is understandable if the work receives very little recognition. With 2 million blog posts created every day, there are many websites competing for your readers' attention. If you are not optimizing your website and content for comments, many people will read and run, without providing valuable engagement.
What Stops Readers From Commenting
1. Me-too Blogs - The prime reason why your visitors may read and run is you are not creating "uniquely valuable" content. Many blogs simply rewrite and recycle the same topics, with the same information found elsewhere. If you are not providing new information, or an original perspective, readers have no reason to comment or ask questions.
2. Website Design - Sometimes the issue is a website design that disconnects the comments section from the content, forcing the reader to play hide-and-seek. Ensure your comment boxes are completely obvious and easily accessible. While you may have a link to “Leave a comment", those are easily overlooked. The best place for the comment box is directly below the content.
3. Not Asking - You will not receive what you do not ask for. Don't assume your readers know you want comments. The vast majority of people do not see commenting as the natural next step after reading a blog post. Therefore, place a call-to-action encouraging your readers to comment or ask questions. Moreover, think about different topics that could spark a discussion.
4. Nothing to Say - Sometimes a blog is written in such a way that readers have nothing to add. This is especially true with long-form content. Try holding back on the information you provide, and intentionally write leaving unanswered questions. Some readers may also think what they have to say is not important or feel uncomfortable being the first.
What haven't we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like to talk about why readers aren't commenting on your nonprofit's blog, or need more information, please contact us.
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