When starting a WordPress blog, your main concern is probably to share your ideas through the content you publish. However, as you learn more about the nature of blogging, you’ll realize that there’s more to just writing content that caters to your target audience.
Once you have generated lots of traffic and developed a readership with your blog, you can leverage these by making money from your readers who are in need of your professional services. Given that you are receiving lots of comments from your posts, you can turn commenters into something more valuable to your blog.
Using the information provided by blog commenters (normally their name and email), you can run a smart and measurable campaigns that enable you to build a relationship with them, which you can use to turn them into customers later on. Below are ideas on how you can do this.
Thank them for commenting
There’s nothing more gratifying than hearing from someone give thanks to you via email.
This simple message can bridge the gap that exists between you and the commenter, depending on how the message is crafted and what other things you include in the email. You can introduce them to your site by featuring links to the best posts or or existing landing pages published on the blog so they can engage further with your blog. Feel free to experiment and track which version of your Thank You email works the best.
To execute this, use the Thank Me Later plugin to automate the process of sending out the email to new commenters on your blog.
Funnel them down to your email lists
Since they did not commit to anything when commenting on your post, you can take the emails they used on their comment and send them an opt-in email to join your mailing list.
The email should explain how you got their email address first to clarify that the message is not spam. From here, convince them to sign up to your existing mailing list so they can receive updates about your blog straight to their email. You can also encourage them to sign up for your e-courses and other autoresponders to offer them choices to the types of newsletters they want to receive from you.
The email campaign can be launched using an email marketing platform that will also allow you to track down the performance of the email after being sent to the recipients.
Put a spotlight on users with insightful comments
Give commenters the rub they deserve by featuring their comments on the sidebar of your site. For those using the default comment system of WordPress, add the comments widget on the sidebar to show the latest comments made on all your posts.
To reward the effort of those who put in the time to compose a well thought-out comment, you can use the Rating-Widget plugin so other visitors can rate not only the pages and posts on your blog, but also the comments.
Using the rating plugin again, write a blog post that feature the users whose comments have received the highest rating. Send an email to the users mentioned and ask them to drop by and share their thoughts about the post.
Run a contest rewarding the user with the best rated comment
Still using the Rating-Widget plugin, create a blog post that asks your visitors a question related to your niche. To encourage genuine comments, provide something in return (exclusive content, discount to your services, etc.) to the person who will receive the best rated comment. Promote the post on social media to drive more interest to your contest.
Running this contest will enable you to see people within your industry that you should make a deeper connection with and value as blog visitors.
Question: Do you know other ways on how to build relationships with the commenters from your WordPress blog?
{ 34 comments… add one }
I think highlighting the best comments on your own blog posts and on social media sites is the BEST way to attract people to leave thoughtful comments on your blogs.
Make sure to encourage visitors to leave comments by asking questions at the end of the posts.
Hi Benitez,
Making good relation with others is most important for build strong online community and get success in online business. You mention here some effective and great way to build relationship through WordPress Blog comments.
Thanks for the awesome sharing.
Hi Chris !
You have shared really an awesome post with useful relationship building ideas through blog comments. Blog comments are a great sign of engagements on a blog. Sometimes these may be a ranking factor as well other times these may be a genuine relationship builder. Thanks for recommending useful plugin.
However, I think you missed about Commentluv plugin which deserves a place when it comes to blog comments.
Hi Christopher,
Making good relation with blogger is helpful to build strong community. And get success in that.
Good work Christopher…!!
Thanks for sharing..!!
There is no brainer, the success of any blog is depends on the community. If a blogger fails to establish a valid connection with its readers, eventually everything gets fail. I have seen many bloggers communicating with their readers all over the social mediums and comment sections.
Everyone has its own way of communicating and dealing with people. I prefer to communicate, and learn more about my readers. If someone drops a message or a comment, I start with social network to look-up their business and name. I learn about them so I can value their opinions and suggestions.
I have discovered saying thanks to individuals for remarks is change generally welcomed. I didn’t know there was a plugin for it.
Much obliged,
Hi Benitez,
Making good relation with others is most important for build strong online community and get success in online business. You mention here some effective and great way to build relationship through WordPress Blog comments.
Thanks for the awesome sharing.
Nice post which reveals some great ideas to make good relationship with the readers who leave their views through comments.
Comments are the one which shows that the blog is active and if we reward the regular commenters, they will show their loyalty forever. Thanks for presenting this priceless post, have learned some new about wordpress plugins.
Thanks for providing practical suggestions that encourage building relationships with readers. I can see that it is a slow process that requires persistence and patience.
I always thank the people who comment on my blog but i never knew there was a plugin to do the work! Thanks for sharing this mate.
Plugin for thanks? This is cool. I never knew that. Thanks for this information.
I think to make any blog successful, it is very important to make it interactive an d it is possible only when visitors visiting the blog share their views also and commenting is the best option to do so.And thanx for telling how we can have a long term relation ship with them like rewarding them and thanking them that you have mentioned in your post.
Absolutely! Commenting provoke a healthy discussion and sometimes it can also be a good source for your next blog post.
“Thank Me Later” seems to be nice plugin, but its still not updated for the latest version of WordPress.
The plugins seems to be outdated, yes. But you can try it out nonetheless and see if it can help you create more engaged readers.
Nice article Chris. One question though and this is a pattern that I really noticed. Why bloggers who are in the niche of Blogging, SEO and the likes use blog comment system like CommentLuv and etc? Meanwhile huge large sites uses Disqus? Do you think Disqus is better or more powerful tool?
I really like the idea about contest of best rated comments. It will help to create more engagement among the visitors.
These are just a few ideas you can build your blog with. There are a lot more there that I wasn’t able to cover. Keep abreast of these upcoming tactics and strategies and share them to us as well!
Hi,
Superb post indeed.
Comments are the real proof which say visitors that we are an authority.
Thank you so much for the tips.
Looking forward for more.
Regards,
Rahul
More comments equals more engagement equals more authority…makes sense!
I have found thanking people for comments is vary well received. I didn’t know there was a plugin for it.
Thanks,
Dennis
There are lots of WordPress plugins you thought never existed until you actually see them Thanks for commenting!
I just stumbled on to this blog and well I am glad I did.
I think rewarding the commenters by featuring them in top comments/recent comments is a great thing to do. After all they took time out to leave insightful comment on the blog.
Great insights Christopher, thanks for sharing.
Featuring them in the top comments gives them incentive to provide better and more helpful comments on your blog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the article.
Hi Christopher,
I totally agree with you. Very rarely bloggers thank for commenting and leave a reply. this is healthy way to build a very good rapport and share idea and mutual respect. Thanks for sharing, i thoroughly enjoyed it.
A blogger who doesn’t reply to reader comments is wasting opportunity to create more engaged readers to his blog. Thanks for your comments!
Very good article for meaningful relationship and also for getting more views to your blog regularly through email list.
Also the contest rewarding is a very good idea for getting the users point and opinion about your blog.
Thanks for sharing
Contests are indeed a great way to engage your audience. Thanks for your comments!
Hi Christopher Jan Benitez,
I think blog visitors are the heart of any blog. You must listen to them and if they comment on your blog you must appretiate them. Thank you so much for this awesome article
Truer words have never been spoken. Thanks for commenting!
Good points Christopher, although whole post is a great piece, but featuring commentators on sidebar is an awesome idea. Thank you pal, by the way.
Very nice article Christopher Jan Benitez.
I think this is my first comment on your site, I found it very helpfull.
Thanks, Raees! Hope you read the other articles by the awesome writers at this site.
I think it is important to use comments to involve your readers in discussion and interaction! I think that CommentLuv helps in this aspect as well!
Great thing you brought up CommentLuv. It’s a great tool to raise engagement as well because you give them incentive to comment on your blog (via link to their latest blog post).