In my quest to find out how successful bloggers get tons of comments on their blogs, there were some common threads. I went to the blog experts and explored their blogs and blog tactics including hints on how they get so much feedback from readers.

Controversy Works – Most agree that taking a stand stirs passion in people to the point where they comment.

Build Community – Writing won’t necessarily get you readers. Reading and commenting on other blogs will attract active people.

Write Great Stuff – If your writing doesn’t compel people to read to the end of your post, they aren’t going to stay long enough to comment.

Make it easy for readers to comment – Jeni Elliot, in her blog The Blog Maven, suggests ditching the capchta for Akismet spam filtering.

Make it worth it to comment – Marcus Sheridan of The Sales Lion suggests the CommentLuv plugin for WordPress that shows commenters’ blog next to their comment.

Ask a question – Blogger Jeff Goins cautions against using this too often to avoid becoming cliché. Ask for an opinion or solution to a problem or to expand on the conversation. Leave room in your post for more comments by not telling the whole story or having all the answers.

Understand your readers – Are the readers of your blog likely the type of people who are going to comment? David Risley in The Blog Academy suggests that blogs about blogging are likely going to be more active because that’s what bloggers do. They write and comment. Others, many others, will be happy just to read it and be gone.

Link to other bloggers in your post – Linking to another blog within your post is a nod of appreciation and respect. It acknowledges other writers and gives reader a broader perspective on your topic.

Ask for comments – It sounds pretty simple, but readers need and want clear direction and an invitation to voice their opinion.

Respond to comments – If someone takes the time to leave a comment, leave a reply of appreciation. Encourage them to come back and participate in other discussion and establish a relationship with your readers.

There is no fast track to get lots of comments and build a following. Make a consistent effort and vary the tactics you use to find what works for your audience.

Now it is your turn. Let me know what you do to get the most comments and engage readers most. Are there certain topics that generate interest? I can’t wait to hear from you!