Blog comments are what make a blog interactive and social. The most popular blogs have a very interactive community who voice their opinions on posts frequently. It's that social aspect that makes blogs such a powerful component of the social web. People like to feel involved. Leaving blog comments allows readers to join in on the conversation about a topic that interests them.
The Value of Blog Comments to Bloggers
Blog comments are the lifeblood of a blog. Comments are what separates a blog from a static website. As the conversation builds, so will your relationship with your readers and so will your blog's popularity. Encourage your readers to join in the discussion and leave comments and respond promptly to the comments left by your readers to make them feel valued. Just as you don't like to be ignored when you address someone in person, you don't want to ignore your readers when they address you through a blog comment.
The Effects of Blog Comments Beyond the Blog Conversation
An interesting aspect of blog comments is the fact that people who leave comments on your blog can also leave links to other blogs or websites or their own blogs to further the conversation. These links can be a great resource to help you find new blogs to read, like-minded bloggers, and new post ideas. Additionally, bloggers can leave trackbacks on your blog through blog comments when they link to your blog posts on their blogs. Trackbacks are another great way to help you build relationships with other bloggers as well as to drive new traffic to your blog from the links on those other blogs.
