A Tiny, “Top Notch” Change to Get More Comments on Your Blog

I noticed something very tiny, yet something that I can see making a difference at increasing the amount of people commenting on your blog – or anything else that allows users’ comments, for that matter.

Take a look at the picture here on the left; it’s a screen shot taken from www.davidairey.com, a top notch graphics designer. Can you see the little thing I’m talking about?

It’s such a small, tiny, little, super-quick change that anyone can make in about 5 minutes; well, maybe 10.

Figured it out yet? If not, don’t worry! I don’t except people to easily spot it.

It’s right beside the publish date, in orange text. It’s this:

Getting Across Some Very Important Messages

“47 top notch comments”.

The keywords in that sentence are the two words “top notch“. Why top notch comments? Why not just “47 comments”?

David Airey is telling/showing everyone who visits his blog a few very important things.

1. That he loves and welcomes getting comments.
2. That he respects everyone who commented by telling them their comment was a top notch one.
3. That he thinks everyone’s comment is, in fact, a great one.
4. That all you (as a visitor) have to do to be great, is make a comment.

How simple! That’s like me saying, “Don’t worry, just write your paper on anything you’d like. You’ll get 100% on it no matter what you say.”

Re-Enforcing the Message

He’s also done something else at the bottom of his posts; right above where the comments begin. This re-enforces the same messages as above. Take a look.

He says “47 spot-on reader comments”. Again, he’s confirming to his visitors how much he appreciates the comments and the people making them.

I want to post on his blog just because it’ll instantly make me a “top notch, spot-on reader”.

You can use different words of course. You can say “awesome”, “great”, “amazing”, etcetera, etcetera… Anything to get those messages of respect and appreciation across.

Where could you use this idea?

• Your blog of course! Most blogging software has an area where you can edit things like this directly.
• eCommerce stores. For comments at the end of your products (much like Amazon.com).
• In your emails. Tell your users you’ve been getting some great “top notch” comments, and how awesome they are for participating in your site.

Thanks to davidairey.com

PS: I think all my readers are top-notch, even if they don’t comment. (But don’t tell them that… I still want comments too!)