Did you ever visit a blog to see comments from readers on a post but not the owner? When I see that, it makes me think the owner of the blog does not care about their readers. They don't want to establish relationships with their existing audience in order to build trust and loyalty. What does this look like to visitors to their blog. Will they want to return to a blog that makes them feel unimportant? I'd say the answer is, "No."
When someone comments on your blog (not spam), take the time to respond. This will demonstrate your professionalism and dedication to your existing audience as well as your desire to reach new readers.
It is easy to explain why you should respond to comments and interact with your readers, but you are probably thinking, "But how do I get people to comment?" I understand it's not a simple task, so here is a short list of a few strategies that you can try to get more blog post comments.
Ask a question
Ask your readers questions at the end of each article. People love to give their opinions and/or share their experiences... especially when you ask for it. Some questions you could ask are:
What do you think?
Do you have any experience with xxx? Do you have any experience with xxx?
What other tips could you add to the ones I have listed?
Upload a Video
As many of you know, video has become a huge item on the Internet. They are very popular and people love to see them. They seem more personal, which brings out the emotions of your readers. This, in turn, will bring more comments. You can still post a video but you should include written content and ask the question above. It may surprise you to see how much interaction you get from your audience.
Personal
Even if you are writing a blog post that is serious in nature, add a personal story within the content. I see many bloggers do this. They will describe something that has happened to them that is related to their blog post topic and then go into the facts. Just like this article. I started out sharing how I have felt when I see a blog and there are no comments from the blog owner and how important that should be done.
Sharing something personal motivates readers and encourages them to share their stories. In addition to getting them to comment, it will also help you learn more about your audience.
Comment on Other Blogs
Comment on a blog post you enjoyed reading. Many times, the owner (or other readers) of the blog will look at your website and they may comment on one of your blog posts.
I have even oc-classicjazz.org seen people post, "Blog Comment Exchanges" on some of the social media networks. The people list their blogs URLs and everyone then takes the time to comment on other's blogs. Personally, I have not participated in these because it does not seem natural to me. But that is my preference. You might find it useful. I would just keep an eye out for spammers if you attempt this and make sure you feel comfortable with the other bloggers that have listed their blogs.
Be Controversial
Write a blog post on a topic that is likely to be heated if you are open to debates. These types of posts are very popular and people love to voice their opinion. It motivates them to bring out their emotions and give their side of the story. I don't read many blog posts that are targeted at this topic because I don't enjoy debates. However, I do see posts on Social Media that do the exact same thing and get lots of comments.
Report News
People are motivated by newsworthy topics, much like controversies. If there is something in the news that is related to your niche, write a blog post about it with an excerpt from the original news article (with proper attribution, of course). You can either explain why you disagree with the article or be neutral and just pass the information on.
These types of posts are easy to understand by readers who have read other articles about them and want to share that information in a comment.