A client of mine asked a question the other day that got me thinking – “What should I do with all the comments on my blog and Facebook page?” It was a question that required deeper understanding of their meaning, and when I inquired, she told me quite clearly, “We get so many comments that we don’t reply to them all.”
WOW. That is a very important statement. You have so many comments that you just don’t reply to them all??? After you give a presentation, do you answer questions? If someone calls, do you not answer?
Most people are blogging to encourage participation. I know this particular client certainly is. She wants to be seen as an expert within her field, and often ends blog posts with questions encouraging responses.
So why, then, wouldn’t they answer each comment? The easy answer is that they should, and for three main reasons: comments build community, comments shows that you appreciate the readers time and effort in responding, and they encourage discussion among your readers.
But, there are more subtle ways that comments and your replies will help your blog. Your answers may encourage more people to comment and weigh in on the discussion. After all, people aren’t commenting just to hear themselves type. Comments will also help with search engine optimization (SEO) since it is likely that comments will be re-iterating keywords used within your blog post making you more likely to rank for those keywords. In addition, comments may use additional keywords that you hadn’t used, thereby helping you rank for those, as well.
In addition, your responses to blog comments help you build credibility and authority, which is most likely one of the reasons that you are blogging in the first place. By responding to comments, you will be seen as the go-to expert in your specific topic. It also shows a willingness to debate and learn from your readers.
There are some reasons why replying to all comments is not feasible or necessary, however. There are some comments that just don’t require a response. They are those comments like, “I agree!”, “Thanks.”, “Great Job!” However, I believe any other comments, including ones that are discussing the merits of the blogs, should be addressed. If you’ve asked for a response, don’t ignore them.
What do you think? Should all comments be addressed? What do you do with your own blogs? How do you handle comments? Let’s discuss it in the comments, and I’ll make sure to answer!
Resources:
To Reply or Not to Reply to Blog Comments – That is the Question
Responding (Or Not) to Blog Comments
Should I reply to every blog comment?
5 Reasons Why You Should Respond to Every Comment
I agree with you, Craig, but it’s a debate I have often with other bloggers. Some feel the purpose of a blog is to start the conversation and let the people continue it. Perhaps that’s the case if you’re not blogging for a specific reason (like increased revenue), but I absolutely agree the comments is where the real gold is and you miss out on all of that if you don’t engage.
Thanks for the comment, Gini. I believe that the comments are not only important because they continue the conversation, but because we always have something to learn. They allow us to share our thoughts and wisdom, and many times offer different perspectives on the topic.
And, I agree that you miss out when you don’t engage.
Have a very Happy Holiday!