I’m always open to new ideas for getting more comments and building community on your blog. After all, a blog that is more engaging and share-worthy is a more effective blog.
But when I read a recent article suggesting bloggers leave their posts unfinished, I had to wonder – could this really work?
Why It Could Work
Writer Jeff Goins gets a lot of comments on his blog, so when he advised other bloggers to stop finishing their blog posts, I examined his reasons closely.
1. Goins believes leaving posts unfinished makes readers feel important because they enjoy fulfilling the role of content co-creator. Readers enjoy being part of the process and feel a sense of purpose when they participate in your blog’s creation.
2. He also believes inviting readers to finish posts builds community around your blog. Readers crave interaction, and they are not satisfied with blog posts that read like monologues. Goins suggests letting go of perfection, using a human tone, and showing your flaws.
3. Goins believes unfinished blog posts are springboards that launch the comments bloggers crave. After a few readers break the ice with their thoughts to complete your post, other readers will feel encouraged to leave comments as well. In other words, unfinished blog posts help get the momentum going for commenting.
Why It May Not
These reasons theoretically make sense, but I can’t help but wonder if they’d have any traction in the real world. For example:
1. Your readers likely look to you as a thought leader – a knowledgeable professional in your industry. Are they really looking to you to feel important, or do they expect you to provide them with helpful information on the topic you cover? Leaving blog posts unfinished could undermine the authority you’ve spent time building with your audience.
2. Building community is important to any blogger, but what if that community takes a spammy turn? You risk losing the focus and trustworthiness of your blog when anyone can significantly change its content. If your blog cannot be counted on for relevant, verified content, readers make seek their information elsewhere.
3. Numerous comments may make a blog look successful and engaging, but what if things don’t go according to plan? Readers may not always have the time or inclination to leave a comment, much less complete your blog posts for you. What if you end up with a blog full of empty articles? This plan could backfire, leaving your blog looking – well, unfinished – if you don’t get the comments and participation you expect.
What do you think? Is leaving blog posts unfinished a smart way to generate comments and build community, or does it leave too much on the table, threatening the relevance of your blog?
Image courtesy of dstracywrites.blogspot.com
Google+ The views expressed here are the author's alone and not those of Network Solutions or its partners.
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on Monday, May 7th, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Marketing.
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Can Building a Blog Community With Unfinished Posts Really Work?
May 7th, 2012 :: Monika JansenI’m always open to new ideas for getting more comments and building community on your blog. After all, a blog that is more engaging and share-worthy is a more effective blog.
But when I read a recent article suggesting bloggers leave their posts unfinished, I had to wonder – could this really work?
Why It Could Work
Writer Jeff Goins gets a lot of comments on his blog, so when he advised other bloggers to stop finishing their blog posts, I examined his reasons closely.
1. Goins believes leaving posts unfinished makes readers feel important because they enjoy fulfilling the role of content co-creator. Readers enjoy being part of the process and feel a sense of purpose when they participate in your blog’s creation.
2. He also believes inviting readers to finish posts builds community around your blog. Readers crave interaction, and they are not satisfied with blog posts that read like monologues. Goins suggests letting go of perfection, using a human tone, and showing your flaws.
3. Goins believes unfinished blog posts are springboards that launch the comments bloggers crave. After a few readers break the ice with their thoughts to complete your post, other readers will feel encouraged to leave comments as well. In other words, unfinished blog posts help get the momentum going for commenting.
Why It May Not
These reasons theoretically make sense, but I can’t help but wonder if they’d have any traction in the real world. For example:
1. Your readers likely look to you as a thought leader – a knowledgeable professional in your industry. Are they really looking to you to feel important, or do they expect you to provide them with helpful information on the topic you cover? Leaving blog posts unfinished could undermine the authority you’ve spent time building with your audience.
2. Building community is important to any blogger, but what if that community takes a spammy turn? You risk losing the focus and trustworthiness of your blog when anyone can significantly change its content. If your blog cannot be counted on for relevant, verified content, readers make seek their information elsewhere.
3. Numerous comments may make a blog look successful and engaging, but what if things don’t go according to plan? Readers may not always have the time or inclination to leave a comment, much less complete your blog posts for you. What if you end up with a blog full of empty articles? This plan could backfire, leaving your blog looking – well, unfinished – if you don’t get the comments and participation you expect.
What do you think? Is leaving blog posts unfinished a smart way to generate comments and build community, or does it leave too much on the table, threatening the relevance of your blog?
Image courtesy of dstracywrites.blogspot.com
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Tags: blogging, building community, comments, Marketing, writing
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This entry was posted on Monday, May 7th, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.