Proven Ways to Start a Conversation on your Blog

You’re putting your blog online, getting your thoughts out there, hanging out a shingle so that everyone can find you – and lo and behold, it’s working! You have site traffic, you have visitors, you’re getting traction with the search engines and drawing in an audience. Now you just need to get the conversation started.

What you want is user-generated content, UGC. User-generated content is the surest way of keeping your website or blog fresh. Allowing open conversation on your site, with participation from the broadest possible cross-section of your audience, will bring you a host of benefits, including: relevant and original content, frequent page updates, and improvements to your SEO. There are several definite methods available for encouraging UGC and other reader participation. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

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Ask your Readers for Comments

This has to be the simplest solution of all. Just directly solicit reader participation. Try ending a blog post with a question, or even the classic, “Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.” The direct invitation is effective because it cannot be misunderstood. Your readers will know that you want their opinions, and that comments are welcome.

Reply when your Readers Comment

This is just a matter of common courtesy. When your readers take the time to comment on your site or blog, you should answer them. Not only is it polite, but it will also let your readers know that you take them – and their opinions – seriously. There is no better way to encourage repeat comments than to show your audience that you will engage them in conversation.

Make it Easy to Post Comments

If you want your readers to post their thoughts, make sure that there are no barriers. Use a comment platform that is reliable and straightforward – you don’t want the reader to have to puzzle out how to submit his contribution. In addition, allowing voice comments or other rich media allows your audience to state their thoughts in a clearer way than is possible with plain text. The idea here is to encourage your readers to respond, in whatever way they wish to do so.

A strong comment section on your site or blog is a welcoming feature for your audience. It shows that you respect their opinions and want their contributions. Maintaining such a comment section, and encouraging interactive user-generated content, will bring advantages to both you and your readers.

Heyoya is a game-changing comments platform that brings voice to online publishers, improving user engagement by allowing readers to express themselves beyond the medium of text. Heyoya is proven to increase brand affinity and the quality of user-generated content, while preventing spam and abusive content & increasing reader interaction with your blog. With Heyoya, you will turn your comment section into a true conversation. Join Heyoya today and grow your community.

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