Blogging has been called a conversation. However, on most blogs, getting the conversation started can be a puzzler.
It turns out that Serbian bloggers don’t have any trouble starting a conversation at all – 100 readers may post 70 comments, and the commenters expect a response.
International Blogging Blunders – How Blogs Differ in Other Cultures reports: “…the Serbs have definitely let me know they think it’s very impolite for the blogger not to be actively engaged, in nearly real-time, in the ensuing conversation among the commenting audience. When I did respond, very tentatively at first, to comments posted on my blog posts, the reaction was unanimous: ‘Wow, you’re not like the other Americans! Why do other Americans never respond? They are so rude.’
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So how do you start a conversation?
You can:
* Be controversial – post something you know will get a response. If you’re a tech blogger, for example, you might post that OS Leopard will be just a pale imitation of Vista. Yes, if you do this you’re a troll, but at least you’ll get a response;
* Beg for comments in your posts – some readers may respond when you actively ask them to;
* Run a contest. Offer money or a tasty prize: bribing readers works.
Technorati Tags: blogs, blogging, comments, conversation
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