You've Got Comments

The conversation around comments in social media is evergreen. 

It seems to be especially animated on Twitter, which ironically is quite the limiting tool for comments. At least for mine.

Twitter resembles micro-snippets of moments rather than thought. Although I have seen thoughtful tweets.

FriendFeed is a much easier and friendlier environment for seeing conversations, if you seek that in a micro format. I promise a more in depth look at FriendFeed next week. 

Generalizations are hard to make. And that is the point. Some of the most common questions I have seen on comments are:

• How do you get comments?
• Should you respond to comments?
• Do you open your blog to comments?
• Should comments be portable?

I am no expert (another hot topic these days), even as the Conversation Agent. I have my days with comments. Especially since I tend to write in long form and provide a lot of connections in my posts, the feedback I receive is that people tend to want to set aside time to consider implications. Often there is no time to set.

Anyone who has ever commented here has hopefully felt welcomed and included - it's important to me that you'd feel that way. You are a valued guest. The other reason why I love your comments is that I learn from you - often you help me take the conversation to the next level. In that sense, we are a team.

Getting Comments

The best way to get comments that I know of is to be open to them. Yes, there are things you can do with your writing to solicit input - asking good questions, being controversial (it works), being the intelligent contrarian (not just for the sake of it), building community, reciprocating with comments on other blogs (this alone will set you apart, it's rare these days), writing unfinished or raw posts, writing short posts, surveying your readers, writing about topics that resonate with the community, using humor, being real and personable, and many more.

Sometimes though it seems that you are doing all the right things, and yet people are not leaving comments. Why? Stop trying so hard. Think about giving and place no expectation on getting. That's the secret.

Self-Service Comments

I'm sure you've noticed that many of those who receive a lot of comments do not respond to them. Scalability is a real issue there. If you're like me and put time and thought into what your readers are telling you, you'd scratch your head trying to think how you'd be able to keep up with 50-150 comments per post. How would you do that and remain productive content-wise for your readers?

There is a way. Take the stance of the facilitator - encourage your community to have a conversation about the posts with each other. That is an effective use of everyone's time. Those who are most passionate about a topic, will take the lead.

The issue of scalability is also important for businesses that intend to join social media. Clearly, if you dedicate time to these activities, you need to show results for your business. 

Comments Optional

Every so often the conversation comes back to whether you'd consider a blog a blog if the comments are closed. Are comments an optional feature or are they a benefit? And whose benefit are they? This becomes especially controversial when it is a company that starts a social media program and does not seem to be responding to the community. 

Moderated comments can also be discouraging. We live in the here and now these days. Instant gratification is almost expected. If you go this route, make sure you set a reasonable time frame to approve comments. Often the best thing you can do is set expectations - post a comment policy, define clearly what you are going to do.

In the end, the world is wondrous and interesting because we are different from each other. Accepting and respecting the decisions of others signal your willingness to participate. Worry about what you do.

To Disqus or not to Disqus

This is the question. We've already talked a little bit about the portability of comments and where conversations are taking place. There have been discussions around the fragmentation of social media and comments as social currency. 

It is our choice, again, whether we are willing to engage where others are ready to engage with us. In the physical world, people often make accommodations to meet me near my place of work for a social or business lunch. In the same way, I am willing to go where the conversations are. It's a give and take and whenever I have the ability to do so, I prefer the former to the latter. 

Plus, many tools like Disqus, FriendFeed, and Twitter can be integrated with your blog to provide transparency to the conversations and convenience for your readers.

______________

Overall, what I have learned is as valid online as it is in life - go with the flow, don't resist it. Be flexible, adapt, be curious, learn, be willing, give and you will find your way. Swimming downstream is a lot easier and often a lot more fun.

What about you? What have you learned/found for yourself? Are comments the point of social media or aren't they? I'm listening - and joining in the conversation, wherever that may be.

Comments

[Joanna Young]

Hi Valeria

I don't think comments are the life blood of social media, but relationships are, and a lot of relationships flow from the exchange of comments.

I enjoy 'getting' comments on my blog because it's a way to get questions, ideas, feedback and new perspectives from my readers. It helps me to know I'm on the right track, plus the comments generate loads of ideas for future posts (and products, books, workshops...!)

So comments are great for creativity.

I'm happy with the number I get just now - if there were too many more I couldn't respond to them all, which would be a pity.

The way you respond to comments will always linger in someone's mind, especially someone like you who follows up with a visit to the site, and a thoughtful e-mail.

Joanna

[Joanna Young]

One thing though - you could turn off captcha as a way of encouraging conversation here. I turned it off my typepad blog and only got a couple of sp*m comments. Typepad has a system that catches them for you - though why they don't tell you that I don't know.

It does put some people off commenting - or coming back.

Just a thought

[GeekLad]

I think comments have become an essential part of the blogosphere. It is quickly becoming more of a two-way street, especially with services like Disqus and Intense Debate. Readers will often provide insight and additional information that was not included in the original post. They can also provide sources of inspiration for new posts and foster new ideas.

[Robyn McMaster]

Thanks for a very comprehensive article on developing thoughtful conversation with readers. I have to agree w/Joanna that building community is important and thoughtful posts like you share here lead the way since they inspire folks to comment.

I never thought about a short post as a way to garner more comments. I've experimented with this and will play with it a little more. My thought is that you have a great mix by asking good questions, being controversial, being the intelligent contrarian (not just for the sake of it), building community, reciprocating with comments on other blogs, writing unfinished or raw posts, and writing short posts.

Hmmm... lots of food for thought and my experimenting will continue because I enjoy conversations with readers.

Thanks for a great post.

[Jim Hughes]

Interestingly I have people on Twitter that will read the blog headline, and instead of reading and commenting on the blog, comment and ask questions on Twitter. With so much information available, some people are seeking shortcuts. And that's fine.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Joanna - Thank you for suggesting ways to encourage comments. I actually do get a lot of spam both in the comments and in the track backs - dozens of messages per day. My best experiences with exchanges in the comments started when I initiated the conversation at someone else's blog. Comments to me are an enormous opportunity to get to know someone else.

@GeekLad - Your thoughts and ideas are an addition and a valuable contribution and am glad to have had this opportunity to meet you virtually. There have been many posts that continued the conversation started in the comments here. Yes.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Robyn - thank you for your kind words. One observation I left out here and mentioned in many of my posts (and comments) is that sometimes the comment is non verbal. In other words, someone is taking the information and using it. Thinking, nodding to oneself, taking action from inspiration are all feedback, even when it is not written down. Glad the post was useful - experimenting can be fun.

@Jim - People seek connections, but sometimes do not know how to go about it. That is why it's important to be open and willing to listen and observe. As you noted here, we all come to situations from our point of view and preference. Relationships take time - it is time well spent.

[Andrea Hill]

Funny, I just wrote about comments yesterday - http://bit.ly/hfoU

I know some organizations that feel their blog is a failure if they don't garner many, many comments. I don't know that I agree (perhaps because my own blog doesn't get many). I think it goes back to your social media objectives (a la Groundswell) - is your goal to inform, energize, solicit feedback, etc.

Comments are a great barometer of how much thought you're stimulating, but I don't know that it's the sole means of determining blog success.

[Rudy]

Thank you for your post, Valeria. This post makes me instantly think of Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish, where he asked his readers to vote on whether or not to include comments. Surprisingly, they decided against it. So the necessity of comments seem to depend on the expectations of each specific community.

[Luis Sandoval]

Great post, and extremely well written. I had just written a post on my site regarding conversation and how important it is.

I am a firm believer of commenting on sites, and commenting on comments left on my own site. Conversation is important and can deepen the discussion broadening the point of view for all.

Thanks for yet another great discussion topic!

[Bryan Bennett]

Great post. As a very new blogger, I've had some frustration over the lack of comments on our two corporate blogs. I've decided to trust in the quality of our content and to keep plugging away. Your post has given me some other things to think about.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Andrea - you are spot on, and thank you for the link to your post. It looks like you provided a lot of good information on tools, I'll be taking notes. Yes, feedback is nice to have in a tangible format, like comments and track backs or links. Something else I do is drop a note to someone who has really been inpiring and helpful, especially if I can let them know how I have used their suggestions.

@Rudy - what is the community's expectation and experience? This also helps with scalability. Also, you do not expect a rock star to drop everything and send you a note among thousands of fans... maybe at random, but not as a matter of course?

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Luis - you are very kind, thank you. Sometimes more than a comment, we seek an acknowledgment, and that is fine, too. That's why listening is so important to determine what is needed.

@Bryan - I spend a lot of time engaged in other blogs - reading what my peers are thinking and writing and joining those conversations. I would consider that as well. Are you engaging where your (potential) readers are? Truly, honestly, and happily, I might add - those sentiments come through online.

[Dennis]

Valeria
I am going to generalize because the answer is always 'it depends on...'BUT ceterus paribus:
Blog + Comment not = Relationship
Bloggers crave comments because otherwise it is a soliloquy. At least with comments it 'feels' like a conversation.
The very bottom line (if we were honest) is that blogs are marketing tools to help build brands/ get business even if we have to suffer through relationships to get there. Or it is vanity publishing.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Relationships develop over time. No, we do not have one because you comment here sometimes. However, if you were to want to learn more about someone else, and were willing to invest the time into getting to know them, then, perhaps, you could begin to have a relationship with that person. In the last three years I lost count of the people I met through blogging - some I was able to help, some helped me. Overall, we learned from each other. Of course, one needs to be open to it.

Nothing different than in life - just tools that make it easier for you to find like-minded people (if any exist for you).

We see the world as we are. Are you being honest? I read somewhere that a cynic is a passionate person who's just given up trying.

[Rich Becker]

Valeria,

Always exceptional insights.

More and more, it seems to me that comments occur in an increasingly diverse numbers of places, sometimes far away from the original content. Twitter is a fine example, when posts are discussed and commented on without any other context than the original link. But there are other places: forums, news aggregators, even cross-blog conversations.

Personally, I find value in comments because it's often the discussion that leads someplace else or adds value to the original thoughts. They certainly help deepen relationships.

The only time I depart from some comment value discussions is when the quantity is measured, but not quality. It leads communicators and their clients to erroneous conclusions (eg. it must be good based on comment counts), and encourages some people to game the system to create the illusion of comments. I've never appreciated that so much.

I especially like your acknowledgment of scalability. (In fact, you've helped before by example. It was reading this blog that encouraged me to employ @ in comments. A small thing, but it certainly helped with scalability.)

All my best,
Rich

[Ari Herzog]

Valeria-

You have no idea how much I value blog comments, do you?

Here are two recent blog posts of mine that speak to the heart of my passion (and also why I hesitated adding a comment here):

http://www.ariwriter.com/2008/11/3-tips-to-keep-me-commenting-on-your-blog/

http://www.ariwriter.com/2008/11/why-i-prefer-adding-comments-on-blogger-and-wordpress-platforms-not-typepad-blogs/

You'll see the comments, of course. Unlike GeekLad's comment to you above, I care less about comments to ME, but comments between commenters. Like you and Chris Brogan and countless others, I try to provide value through my blog advice. And while I enjoy reading comments in the form of questions and feedback, I prefer seeing the organic connections that people take to after responding to each other. You have no idea how many people I have indirectly set up via my blog's comments over the months.

-Ari

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Rich - the obsession we have with measurement sometimes prevents us from learning about ourselves and others. When I have a good conversation with someone, I hardly notice how much of the talking is valuable because the answer is all of it within the context of the stories we are exchanging and the connection we could be making. We cannot be everywhere, but how are we in the places where we are? Thank you for the feedback on utilizing something seen here. The smallest things can solve the biggest problems...

@Ari - there is relationships between attention and context. If one creates the context, they also get most of the attention - whether that is intentional or not. I care about all the people who leave comments, even those who leave spam. In fact, I remember all the people who have traveled through here during their journey or I met at any event I attended. Connecting ideas and people is not a mere tagline, it's who I am and what I have been doing my whole life. So I do have an idea of what you are saying.

[Carolyn Ann]

Are comments that important? Personally, I don't think they are. I often think that some bloggers depend on comments for some sort of personal affirmation. That sort of thing is pure nonsense, of course - if you need the accolades of others to feel that that you're of value, then you're not actually feeling that you're of value, at all! That's psychological problem, not a blogging issue!

If it is a "relationship" the blogger is seeking, then obviously comments matter, but they have to be two-way; a one-way conversation isn't a relationship, it's a waste of time. Such a "relationship" also has to addressed as a personal relationship; what is it, otherwise? Fair-weather friendship? (Who needs those?) But what is a relationship that has a sole venue? It might be called a relationship, but it can never be truly important. But there again, the throw-away relationship is as popular as its ever been, these fine days. (I often think that blogging hasn't furthered the art of the relationship at all; indeed, it seems to be quite the limiter! A new sense of adventure is discovered when people do what's been done for centuries... Is that limiting, new, or simply an adaptation? I'm unable to decide! Perhaps there is no decision necessary, or even to be made?)

Conversations can be disjointed - it's the nature of the beast that holds them. The Internet, and its various du jour applications, didn't invent the disconnected conversation, although many seem to think it's a new form of communication. In other eras such conversation was generally called "gossip"... Some bloggers do have issues with such commentary, but they might as well try to be King Canute or Sisyphus. As the saying goes: it's better they're talking about you, than not! (Was it Mae West who said that?)

Of course, the elocutionary skills of the commentators matters. An endless series of "oh yeah's" doesn't make for additional enlightenment, comprehension or even a half-way decent conversation. But considered points reflecting, disagreeing or varying the points made - that could be a conversation!

Personally, I don't care if someone comments on my blog, or not. While I appreciate all 3 of my readers, I don't write for others, but the simplicity of the soliloquy is all I desire. That being said, comments do provide a lively aspect to blogs - I typically read them as avidly as the original blog post! - but whether they are important depends upon the goals, and needs, of the blog-writer.

Carolyn Ann

[Peter Fletcher]

Your suggestion: "Stop trying so hard. Think about giving and place no expectation on getting. That's the secret." Spot on. It's advice that I needed. Thanks Valeria.