Talk Back — It Would Be Rude Not To
After you write a great blog post, your job is not done yet — you can’t just post it and forget it. If your content is good enough, it might be sparking some debate or conversation. As the author, you’d be making a huge mistake to simply ignore the dialogue going on around you.
Influence the influencers
It’s been written that only 1% of all online users feel compelled to publish content, be it in a forum, blogging, rating videos, writing reviews, or commenting on other peoples’ blogs. These might be the same people that Malcolm Gladwell calls mavens — people who would talk about your company and brand online or offline to friends and acquaintances.
As Gladwell points out in The Tipping Point, mavens have great influence in their circles, and they can make or break a brand. Don’t let them develop opinions on their own; help shape their opinions by engaging with them online.
Engage no matter what
People are usually inspired to comment on a post for two simple reasons. Either they think your points are so on the mark that they want to congratulate you, or they think your ideas are so full of shit that they want to set you straight. Either way, let them.
Never be afraid to engage with someone who thinks you’re wrong, and never let an opportunity go by to thank someone for supporting your ideas. When authors participate in the conversation, their audience appreciates their accessibility, and folks will continue commenting on posts in the future.
Conversation sparks ideas and innovation
When you’re participating in the conversation, something else might happen: you might change your perspective — or even better, the exchange might spark an idea for a new article. Build on the momentum of one article by expanding on the comments and conversations in a new post. It’s a great way not only to keep up interest but also to feed your blog’s content engine beast.
I’ve heard many people complain that coming up with ideas for fresh content is hard. If that’s you, then look at the conversations you’re triggering and let the interests of your audience determine the direction you should take next.
Good manners pay off
And what if people are talking about your content somewhere else? Maybe your article has been re-tweeted or your YouTube video was embedded on another blog where people are re-contextualizing your content. Follow the conversation wherever it is. Chime in, be open-minded, and graciously respond to everyone who takes the time to comment on your content.
Remember when your mother used to make you hand-write thank-you cards for your birthday presents? Think of it the same way. But forget what she said about not talking back. When it comes to commenting, you should always talk back.
About the author
Jim Cosco -
Jim Cosco founded Tippingpoint Labs in 2002 in an effort to pursue the creation and distribution of high-quality content for the purposes of marketing and advertising. Jim’s experience as an executive producer, producer, director, and writer for television programming ranging from local public affairs and national news to reality television, enables him to create compelling stories designed to trigger powerful, emotional responses from his audience. No matter the medium, Jim’s passion for story-telling remains the common thread in all of his projects and is always the founding principle in driving his team to deliver high-quality, relevant content at every turn.
Jim relies heavily on his journalistic routes to create transparent, honest, and open content that helps build trust and nurtures meaningful brand relationships over the long term.
Since the early nineties Jim has devised and executed projects for clients like MTV, Fox News Channel, ABC, Putnam Investments, and Tufts University. He has directed television shows and independent features, written screenplays and television treatments, and created content for marketing campaigns and product launches.Popular Posts
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Great post, Jim. That interaction with the readers is critical when turning an average blog into a great blog!
Justin,
Too many times – especially with very widely read blogs – the author never engages. I find this SO disappointing. Do you have any tips as your readership grows on how to stay engaged without being overwhelmed?
- Drew
Thanks for the comment Justin. It’s amazing how many well known bloggers don’t take the time to participate in the conversation that they created.
I’ve got a question, Jim. When a conversation sparks another post, how does that affect your content engine? Do you write the post in addition to what you had scheduled or do you push your schedule back a week or do you plug the post into the next available spot?
Jason,
Thanks for the question. I think Jim’s right as well. If you’ve sparked a conversation keep it going. It means you’ve created content that’s relevant to your audience.
Good luck at school!
Thanks for the question Jason. I would most likely push the schedule back and build on the conversation that happened the week before. I like to have a set schedule so we are not trying to brainstorm ideas the day a post is due, but if the opportunity presented itself to write about something our audience was interested in, I would write about it. But only if I had more to say about the subject. That exact thing happened last week when I wrote a follow-up post to my John Quincy Adams/Twitter article. That first article had a lot of traction and I wanted to continue the conversation last week so I wrote about it again (pushing this topic off to today). So, I guess I’m saying the Content Engine schedule is there so you don’t get writer’s block, but it’s always flexible.
I think replying in a comment is a great way of establishing relationship with your reader. Sharing opinions coming for different people with various point of views is quite beneficial task for the author. The way you deal with comments reflects the author’s perspective, attitude and behavior. It looks good when the author answers questions and criticisms intelligently and with confidence. Somehow, he is making a making a good impression and gives audience a reason to trust.
Alex,
Thanks for engaging on this post. So nice to have you commenting. You’re so right. Sharing opinions from various readers is not only a great way to understand your audience but also a great source of new content.
This kind of discussion does build trust and authenticity with your audience and it’s a great tool.
Thanks again!
Yeah, your right Alex. The people that tend to participate actively are the ones with great perspectives. Whether it backs up the author’s original opinion or not, it doesn’t matter. Exchanging ideas and opinions is the stuff the sparks thought, insight, debate, and new ideas. No one should be afraid of it. Thanks for the comment.
This all makes perfect sense. However, it can be hard to keep on top of a large amount of comments. It definitely is more polite to answer comments made on your blog and everyone likes politeness.
For me, blogging, while for work, is not my main “job” – so its easy for responses to get pushed aside, when things get busy.
I would suggest that you set up an email rule to make sure comment notifications don’t get lost in the flood of day to day emails.
I do my best to respond the same day. If a question requires more research, I will let them know I will get back to them, or address it in a new post.
Justin,
Great comment. Thanks for the practical tips. I sometimes have to leave all the comment replies until the weekend. I get so inundated. What do you think? Is that too late – a week after a post – to respond?
I do use a rule to push all the comments into a folder on my mail program. It does help a ton.
Thanks again,
Drew
Amelia, Email notifications is a good place to start- that way you know when you have a comment and you don’t have to check your site all the time.
Justin, I usually reserve the beginning and end of each day to write back. If its in my schedule as part of my daily calender it helps to not get lost in the shuffle.
Drew – a week seems a little to long for me. But then again, I blog with a team of 4, so I am only posting once per/week. Its easier to keep up then with those of you that post more frequently.
Justin,
I think you’re right. I have to keep up with it – at least daily.
Alright! I’m on it.
See how fast I responded? :)
- Drew