Blog Comments: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Photo by CaptainKobold

How to Respond to Comments on Your Company Blog

By Shannon Paulhttp://VeryOfficialBlog.com

Agenda

① Types of Reader Comments, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

② Responding to Good Comments③ Responding to Bad Comments④ Responding to Ugly Comments⑤ What’s Next?

Types of Comments

Good Comments

• Keep up the momentum of the conversation• Stay on-topic• Encourage a new, relevant direction for the

conversation• Show an understanding of the material in the

original article regardless of opinion• Express something meaningful for readers to

consume• Encourage other readers to participate (implicitly)

Bad Comments

• Sound unintelligent• Off topic (non-spam)• Thin

– Bait “ the author sounds stupid”– Praise “good post, thanks.”

• Raise non-compliant issues

Ugly Comments

• Profane for the sake of being profane• Abusive toward the author• Abusive toward other commenters on the site• Abusive toward a third party

– “Bernanke is a piece of… I hope he…”• Spam comments or linkbait comments

– Name: Forex Software with link embedded to http://getrichwithforex.com

RESPONDING TO GOOD COMMENTS

Rewarding Good Behavior

Why Respond?

• Encourage engagement• Make readers feel “heard”

– Competitive edge vs. BIG GUYS and established media outlets

– Keep up the momentum of the conversation– Remember herd mentality

• Establish personal relationships with readers• Increase personal relevance, social obligation

to check in with you

Just Don’t Get Emotional

• A “good” comment will not always be one you agree with.• Discourse is good• Don’t be afraid to be wrong

– But remember to be respectful– Admit when you were wrong

• Don’t be afraid to be right– Again, remember to be respectful

• This is always a work in progress• People are dramatic online but they also have short

attention spans… look, a kitten!

Readers = Guests

Address Them By Name

The Power of Thank You!

• Thanks for the comment…– Especially when you

disagree – Remember to think first– Don’t get emotional

• Thank you does not mean you agree, but that you appreciate their participation

Good Comments and Discourse

• Take the high road• Stir the pot• Allow others to come to the correct (your)

conclusion on his/her own• Remember momentum, not agreement, is the

desired outcome• Give your point of view and ask others to chime in…

– “I disagree, but I’m interested to see what others have to say…”

Building Rapport

• Get to know frequent commenters– “You always have such great things to add…”– “Sounds like you’ve changed your mind since the

last time you stopped by…”• Check out their links/profiles• Establish inside jokes based on

tone/style/content of his/her comments– Emoticons may be your friend ;-)

RESPONDING TO BAD COMMENTSGuiding the Herd

Author as Facilitator

• Thin or unintelligent comments do not necessarily warrant a response

• Off-topic comments can sometimes be regarded as a test of the author– Are you paying attention to me?– Although sometimes they’re just completely crazy

• Comments that touch on compliance related issues are an opportunity to discuss business

Be a Leader, Not the Star

Most People are Poor Listeners

• They Don’t Read… Much• Tangential Comments Are Not Always Bad

– Idea Generation for Future Posts• Link to the comment in a future post, OR if the

commenter is a blogger/author, link to her blog in a future post

– Put the Ball Back in His/Her Court• “I’m not sure I follow your train of thought here… sounds

like we’re having two different conversations, maybe you can help me make sense of how these things are related?...”

Transparency Works

• If answering a comment directly poses a compliance or regulatory breach:– Explain why you can’t provide a direct answer– Remind them that these laws exist to protect

them and other consumers– Provide an alternative means of contact for

his/her question or concern– Offer to connect them directly through an offline

mode of communication e.g. email, phone– I can’t answer your question is a valid answer

DON’T BE A PUSHOVERThis is still YOUR house

Focus on Your Herd

Remember the 90/9/1% Rule

• 90% of ONN readers will NEVER respond• 9% will only OCCASIONALLY respond• 1% will create 99% of the UGC

(user generated content)

• Nurture the 1% but remember you’re both on stage in front of the 99%

DEALING WITH UGLY COMMENTSKeeping it Clean

Defensive Measures

• Spam filter will prevent 99% of all spam comments from ever showing up on the site

• If you see a comment that looks like it may be spam on the site, email the administrator or tag the comment as spam yourself

• Reserve the right to delete anyone’s comment if they engage in profanity or abuse

WHAT’S NEXT?Encouraging Comments and Participation

What if Nobody Comments?

• Comment on Each Other’s Articles• Email your friends and ask them their

thoughts• Make room in your articles for questions –

asking others what they think works!

If Two Authors for the Same Site Comment on Each Other’s Work?

99% will be entertained. 1% might be tempted to join in the fun

What if EVERYBODY Comments?

• You don’t have to respond to everyone• If there are too many comments to respond,

pop in just enough to keep up the momentum and show that you’re listening

• Respond to those you recognize from past comments or other influencers in our industry

FINAL TAKEAWAYSIt’s almost over

Remember!① Reward good behavior② Focus on your herd③ Be a leader, not a star④ Transparency works⑤ This is still your house!

Thank YOU!

I’m here if you have any questions!

Shannon PaulVery Official Blogshannonpaul5@gmail.com