by Jessica Bosari

Created on: March 05, 2009

Lurkers are everywhere. Skulking in the corners, these blog visitors love to stay and read your posts, but do not comments or subscribe to your blog. Some bloggers might be satisfied with this arrangement. However, if you live for comments and want to get more of them, there are a few things you can do.

Keep it Simple

Do not make your visitors register or log in to leave a comment. You can always moderate comments that have no place on your blog. A simple Captcha widget will fight spam and bots. By forcing lurkers to register to leave comments, you are turning them away. Remember that lurkers do not leave comments because they are often a little shy and because they prefer things that are quick and easy. Streamline your comments form to make it as simple as possible.

Write a Comment Policy

Lurkers need a little impetus to get them commenting. A comment policy can help give lurkers the nudge they need to post a comment. Put a link at the end of each blog post that explains the policy. This may put lurkers at ease when they read that your site welcomes their comments, does not tolerate spam and does not require visitors to register in order to post a comment.

Be Assertive

If you want comments, just ask for them. You will be surprised at how many readers will respond when you specifically ask them for comments. This does not mean simply mentioning in passing that you want comments. Instead, write a blog post that talks about how much you love feedback, how few comments you are getting and what specifically you would like to know from visitors. If you can get your visitors to step forward and make that first comment, they will be more likely to comment again in the future, especially if you respond to the comments and send a thank you e-mail.

Leave Something Out

If you leave an obvious point out of your post, users will often step up to fill the gap for you. Do not be too sparse in the information you provide, but leave one big point out that will be obvious to your readers. You will see more comments from readers who want to point out the omission.

Twitter

The above advice will help you get more comments on your blog, but you should also make sure you have a Twitter widget on your front page and posts page. This is a lurker-friendly tool that is akin to a step between lurking and commenting. The lurkers follow you on Twitter, giving you the kudos you crave.

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