Are you having problems with getting your blog noticed? While many bloggers are happy to start out just writing for themselves, there comes a point where you want to have your feelings and opinions validated. After all, you put a lot of thought and time into your posts, and you think they provide value to your readers. That is, if you had readers other than your mom and your aunt. You may have more readers than you think. In order to encourage comments on your blog posts, follow these five tips.

Comment on Other Blogs
The first rule of blogging is to comment on other blogs. This does a few things. It gets you noticed because writers appreciate when readers leave comments for them. It also helps you build relationships. If you become a regular commenter, those bloggers are more likely to visit your posts and leave comments in return. They are also more likely to link to your blog, which provides you with exposure to their audience.

Ask Questions
One of the biggest mistakes bloggers make is tying up a post in a neat little package. While you should identify a problem and offer a solution, you should not have the final say. Ask your readers how they have approached the same problem, or ask for solutions to a related problem. You should encourage your readers to express their opinions about their custom sewing table; otherwise, they may assume you don’t want to hear their views. This is a helpful technique to get readers to share personal and professional experiences. Sometimes, the discussion can become so lively that it sparks an idea for a post.

Speaking of Other Posts…
If you have read a comment on your blog or on another blog that generated an idea for a post, recognize that person. Link to their blog or the comment you are referring to. People love knowing that their opinions are valuable and will be willing to share these kinds of posts with their friends. If the comment is one you’ve disagreed with, make your points respectfully.

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Write on Controversial Topics
Perhaps you’re not getting comments because there’s not much else to say about a topic, or perhaps your topics just do not invoke passion in people. In order to get more comments, you have to step outside your comfort zone and talk about issues that really matter to people. Be warned, you’ll need thick skin if you are going to write about controversial topics. Some people leave very insightful comments, but others are just plain hateful. Don’t be controversial for the sake of being controversial, though. If you are a pet blogger, you have no reason to write on a topic like government-funded healthcare, but you could very appropriately write a post about a local shelter that euthanizes pets before they have to.

Call Out for Guest Posters
A great way to get some fresh faces and commenters to your solid hardwood furniture blog is by offering guest posters the chance to write for your blog. They’ll bring their own audience along with them and encourage them to comment. Hopefully, some of those readers will stick around to comment on your own posts in the future.

Most readers don’t bother to comment at all, no matter how great the content is. With these tips, you can up your engagement with readers.