Are your blogs receiving comments?

As mentioned earlier, this past week I was speaking at the Canadian Society of Association Executives' Annual convention. During this time and as a result of the comments I received as well from last week's webinar on social media for non-profits, I thought it pertinent to address a recurring question. Namely, "why isn't my blog receiving any comments"?

To answer that question, my response would be the following:

1. How inviting and relevant is the need for commenting? From the beginning, your metrics may need to consider whether or not people are actually visiting and reading your website. Reading through the website of the Social Networking and Media Association (SNAMA), I found an interesting stat that showed very clearly that on average, most social media participants are "lurkers". In other words, they're often more interested in consuming information on blogs than in actively participating. So...don't be so hard are yourself! In my view, the number of unique visitors and other metrics you can receive from Google Analytics is more valuable.

2. Is your content boring?? More often than not, visitors may come to your blog and think "hmm...so what?" In my view, if your constant objective is to elicit comments, you're going to need to become a thought leader and be provocative. For associations, this lesson is all the more pertinent - whether seeking comments or not. As the experts in their respective field, associations have an obligation to be ahead of the pack.

What are your thoughts?
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Mark Buzan is Principal of Action Strategies, a PR and GR Consultancy for non-profits. Subscribe now to his newsletters at www.actionstrategies.ca