Comments on: 8 Ways to Have Better Blog Conversations

By: Jerod Morris

Jerod Morris — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:00:07 +0000

Yeah, Michael Hyatt is always good for a thought provoking post.

Intriguing idea on the plugin. It's amazing…we release one plugin and now your mind is already working on developing the next one!

And it's true, oftentimes the comment section of a post can be just as intriguing as the post itself. If a blogger has a done a good job of guiding an interesting conversation, and has been able to develop a reader base of thoughtful people, it will usually lead to comment section worth reading.

By: Jerod Morris

Jerod Morris — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:56:19 +0000

Great points Grace. Respecting your readers is one lesson I've learned from reading Small Hands, Big Ideas. Respect your readers enough to present challenging, thought-provoking topics to them, and then participate in the conversation that occurs after the post. It's what makes an okay blog and really, really good blog and one that is dynamic and insightful to read.

By: Jerod Morris

Jerod Morris — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:54:51 +0000

They absolutely do. Being "anonymous" creates an inherent lack of accountability and responsibility felt by those who are less scrupulous than you and I. It's the nature of the beast.

By: Derick Schaefer

Derick Schaefer — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:24:05 +0000

This past year I heard a somewhat ridiculous statement that has intrigued me so much that I no longer think it is ridiculous. Someone made the comment that they skip the post on the blog and head straight for the comments as that is where the interesting content is. Their suggestion was to redo a blogs theme to feature comments first.

The more I think about it, the funner this idea sounds. A plugin perhaps that would allow you to feature a couple of comments and perhaps a couple of tweets at the top of the page to kind of get the ball rolling. It might even cause a reader to read the post with a conversational mindset.

Great post Jerod. I really enjoy Hyatt's writing.

By: Grace Boyle

Grace Boyle — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:54:34 +0000

Wow, this is a great resource. The bases were really covered.

I compare blog conversation to dinner or even a cocktail party. Imagine someone who only talks about themselves at the party (the blogger) and doesn't ask questions, doesn't become invested in the other person(s), etc. Those would be the readers. Blogging is definitely a two way flow. Your readers are finely tuned community that come to your blog for a reason. Respect that reason, find out the reason, and give back to them. You will find a more harmonious blogging experience!

By: Matt Lawrence

Matt Lawrence — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:22:06 +0000

I agree that it is important to be careful how you respond to commentors that have an opinion that opposes yours. We must remember that everyone has a take on a subject based on their life experiences.

Also is it just me or do people respond to things on the internet in a harsher manner because they are operating under anonymity?

By: Jerod Morris

Jerod Morris — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:58:40 +0000

The blogs I find myself responding to most often are ones in which the author provides useful information but is inviting of feedback and additional input. A "know it all" post doesn't really inspire much reason to comment other than to argue. And that's okay, but I am much more of a fan of free flowing – as you said – conversation with give and take from author to reader and vice versa.

By: FearLoathing

FearLoathing — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:54:29 +0000

Some of my favorite blog posts have stemmed from the blogger admitting they are stumped. They then ask the readers what they would like to read, know about the blogger, questions they have, etc. This is a another reason why there is a difference between good blogs and great blogs, the conversation flows freely.

By: Jerod Morris

Jerod Morris — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:36:28 +0000

I could not agree more. The blog author ultimately controls the tone of the discourse in the comments. If a post is disrespectful, flippant, or defamatory, you are much, much more likely to get comments that are the same. The same is true in how you respond to your commenters. Even if a commenter is disrespectful, "killing them with kindness" is the best way to go. Nasty comment threads can be like a snowball rolling down a hill. When you counter a negative comment by actually giving a respectful, reasoned response, it's amazing how quickly that tone dies and the direction of the conversation stays productive.

By: Hannah Newlin

Hannah Newlin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:31:02 +0000

Jerod – Great stuff! I like how you mentioned that blog commenting is more that just the comments section. Emails, comments, Retweets are all forms of communicating with your audience.

I also enjoyed the part that basically addresses graciousness when responding to opposing viewpoints. Sometimes while online, people forget that they are engaging with other people and not computers. Unfortunately this means that some commenters will offer up kind of rude comments. So, when that happens and opposing view points are displayed in a not-so-gracious way, we have the choice on our response. As the person that has invited "guests" into our "home", our responsibly is to always respond with graciousness. How we respond sets the tone for the community we create and the message we portray.