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Making This Community Better By Bribing You

Making This Community Better By Bribing You

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In the constant push to make this community better, we are focusing on blog comments!  If you are a consistent reader of Multifamily Insiders' blogs, you will notice that thousands of people read our blogs on a weekly basis, but not so many take the time to comment.  Part of it is obvious - people are busy, so while they enjoy the blog, they might not take the time to comment, even if it is a simply "thank you!"  So what we would like is to understand why you specifically - yes, you who are reading these words right now - may not comment on a blog.  And to hopefully jumpstart the conversation, we will randomly give out a gift card based upon the number of people who comment on this very blog!  The gift card amount will be based upon how many different people comment below - we will increase the amount by $5 for every new person who responds, with a max of $100.  Also, double the chance of winning by commenting below AND commenting on one other blog!

So here is what we are looking for:  Why do you comment or not comment?  Is commenting challenging from a technical standpoint, such as difficult to actually post the comment?  What could be done to improve the commenting from a technical point of view?  From a blog point of view, do you comment on certain types of blogs versus others?

Basically, share below any thoughts on ways to increase comments to have more conversation flowing through the blogs!  Tell us what you think!

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About the author

Brent Williams

Brent Williams

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Brent Williams is Chief Insider of Multifamily Insiders, the largest social network in the world for multifamily professionals. His background includes both property management and supplier, and he writes on all facets of the multifamily industry, although his focus lies in resident retention.
 
  2. #9329
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Hi Brent. First let me say... thank you for asking this question. I personally don't always comment on blogs not because I don't get something out of it or that I disagree, but more that I try to streamline communications to be respectful of everyone's time such as in an email. I may read a email and not reply as I know the person that sent it didn't necessarily expect a reply but that it was understood I got the email and would read it. I often do this with a blog to. I am thinking I should probably spend some time commenting so the blogger can understand if he/she is reaching their audience in an effective way. Thanks again for asking.

  Cheryl L Adams
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  2. #9331
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Cheryl, I'm so glad you mentioned that!! Bloggers like to see the view counts go up, but there is a huge element of affirmation from having someone comment and simply acknowledge the blog in that way. I would love to foster a culture of readers to simply say "thanks" for a blog, just to give that blogger the positive reinforcement to keep working to share quality content.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9340
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

I am going to be perfectly honest; Sometimes I just don't have the time to comment or a post doesn't move me enough to comment. Usually I hit the blogs here when I am doing one of two things:
1. Looking for specific information relating to a topic I am researching or trying to resolve.
2. Reading my emails and a blog title and/or blurb catches my eye from the MFE email.

As commenting relates to the first portion - I don't want to be that person that comments on a post that's been inactive since 2010. I think we can all agree that's a little bit weird, on any website. Sometimes threads do need to be brought back to life, but, for the most part, I generally leave them alone.

As commenting relates to the second portion - I will be the first to admit that some of the blog titles are incredibly catchy and that's what leads me to them. However, at times, the content either falls short of my personal expectations, or it's about a subject that I don't have a particular opinion on.

I will say that there are times when I feel like I should speak up or offer perspective, and I will often make time to do so. Sometimes I intend to and forget. Sometimes I am too lazy to log in. Sometimes the day is hectic and I just don't have the time even though I would like to. As far as the technical point of view - hehe - There is no issue with the way commenting is done from my point of view.. Unless you can stop time while I formulate the perfect response.

I have always viewed the MFE community as an extremely valuable resource, even if I am not actively commenting or participating. It honestly has never occurred to me to thank a blogger for taking the time to share insight or information.

  Kristi Bender
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  2. #9343
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Step 1: Learn how to stop time. Got it!

I really appreciate the feedback, Kristi! I think you make a really good point about catchy titles versus quality of content. I think the newsletter may need to be re-thought to consider limiting the number of blogs we share to the truly insightful pieces, leaving out blogs that don't offer as much value, even if they have a catchy title.

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9345
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I read most posts from my phone. Its challenging to right a well thought, professional response from my phone.

  Annemarie Hobson
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  2. #9346
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Great point, Annemarie! We are hoping to switch to a more mobile-friendly format this upcoming year.

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9347
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I am normally information fishing and looking at several sites all at once. I usually agree with what I read on here. I normally only comment when I disagree with someone.

  Chrissy Surprenant
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  2. #9348
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<p>Thanks, Chrissy! Any suggestions on how to instill a culture of people commenting with a simple "thank you" if they like a blog? The challenge is that blogging can take a lot of time and even the most established bloggers want to see that positive feedback, beyond simply seeing the hit count go up. We want to make sure they know that their voice is matters and is making a difference. Thoughts?</p>

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9349
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I really don't have any real ideas how unless you add the question at the bottom. Was this blog entry helpful Yes or No etc like i see on several other sites. Also, have the bloggers end their blog with an open ended question that gives people a reason to comment. The blog entries that do this have higher comments.

  Chrissy
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  2. #9350
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We actually have a question "What did you think about this blog?" at the bottom of every blog, but it doesn't seem to inspire comments... Will have to think more about this.

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9360
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Honestly, I usually dont comment because I am so overloaded with trying to keep with all of my paperwork. If I had just a little less paperwork I would comment on more blogs, facebook feeds etc.

  Penny
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  2. #9365
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That seems like a common theme, Penny! I think that means we also need to make sure we are making it as easy as possible to comment, so those that have limited time don't have to go through hoops to participate.

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9361
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Hi Brent,

Honestly, I don't usually comment due to time. I breeze through the articles and move on. Frankly, I don't usually read all of them. If I'm looking for something specific, I spend more time on the newsletter. I think the tag line needs to be catchy to get the readers attention. Like this one!

Thanks for the information you provide!

  Sherry Jordan
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  2. #9367
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Thanks, Sherry! Yes, there are two key parts - getting them to the blog, and then inspiring them to comment when time is so limited. It is sometimes hard to do a great job on both fronts!

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9362
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For me it is partly a time issue. I usually read the comments and unless I have something new to add to the conversation I generally do not comment.

  Candee Siaw
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  2. #9368
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I think you are underestimating the value you can add, Candee. As I've blogged, I found that even a comment that doesn't really add anything new, such as a "thanks for posting" comment, still brings me back to the blog and might inspire a new point of view after I have been away for the piece for a while. It's kind of like an additional shove to the chest during CPR - might not save the life, but gets it a little farther along!

Also, sometimes people don't think they have anything to add, but then once they start writing, suddenly a thought pops up that didn't occur to them originally.

I do completely understand on the time issue, but if you do have a free moment, feel free to simply tell the blogger thanks or tell them the part you liked best - that simple act can do wonders!

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9363
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I think blog commenting has gone down quite a bit in general lately, not just on this site. I guess I'd ask if there's a substantial benefit to you by getting more people to comment ... does the volume of comments correlate to more traffic?

One thing to consider is that the conversation is more spread now than ever before. The comments might not be happening here as much, but they could be happening on someone's Facebook timeline or LinkedIn profile when that person shares a link to a post. Have you ever considered trying a commenting system like LiveFyre to aggregate that content and give people a better picture of the full conversation, including those links being shared elsewhere?

Honestly, I wouldn't worry so much about comments, unless you see that they help your business. I'd rather see you focus on nurturing experts (at every level) to provide great content, and providing an awesome user experience (like the previously mentioned mobile/responsive formatting).

  Mike Whaling
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  2. #9364
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Great comments, Mike. The number of comments don't really impact the number of views - our visitor counts have grown year after year and everything is great on that front. But there are two reasons why I care about comments:

1) Comments inspire the bloggers to keep adding to the discussion. If a blogger has a great relationship with their audience, he/she will want to find new ideas to keep that engagement up and active, and comments are that affirmation that they are doing a good job. Otherwise, they just have to rely on hit counts and the number of social shares to convince them they are doing a good job, which isn't as personal.

2) This site has always been about collaboration, not simply a place to get on a soapbox. The comments are part of the process in collaboration - that back and forth that helps the original idea evolve into something even better.

In the end, we'll do fine without comments, but I personally think it makes for a better community when more people chime in.

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9366
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Brent, every week has the content of 168 hours. It is hard for me to come up with an excuse for not commenting to blogs. However, at this time I am attending the only property management school in the nation. It requires quite a lot of writing and research, and it is taking a lot of effort on my part. My graduation is scheduled for Aug 2015; I will then be doing more commenting and posting on this website. I am new to this website, however, I find it resourceful and educational.
Keep up the good work
Manuel

  Manuel Delacerda
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  2. #9370
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Thanks Manuel, and I don't want anyone to ever feel bad about not commenting - more trying to figure out ways to inspire them to do so! Good luck with finishing up your degree, and glad to have you here!

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9369
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<p>Hi Brent, <br />
To Post or Not to Post, I typically don't in that at times it feels a bit intimidated to comment on a post, am I going to get my point across correctly? Thoughts of "How much expertise do I have in this field?" or "Wow, those were great comments, they have covered my thoughts" so yes over-thinking and then just going on to the next task, so it is a simple answer but I know I can't be the only that feels this way, although I will re-think and make more of an effort for 2015!!</p>

  Gabriella
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  2. #9372
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I completely agree with Gabriella. Often the blogs are well written and really just seem to be cover a topic well enough. I know that I've come across multiple blogs with comments where it is easy to just say "Oh, I don't have anything to add" and then move on. Combine that with the slight anxiety of posting and it can be very easy to not comment and move on.

My thoughts on this are that while there is relatively little required to post a comment, there is often even less incentive. I think that one of the things that can increase responses is to increase the incentive even a very small bit. One thing I've noticed with this post is the very high response rate Brent has given to his comments. I know that everyone is busy, but it is great to hear back from the OP, and seeing that a blog entry is something that the author is invested in and excited to discuss the topic is a great incentive to reply.

  Elliot Rich
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  2. #9373
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Thanks, Elliot. I think you are completely right that the blogger has a big role to play in how much response they get. There is also an element of getting the ball rolling when getting comments. The first few comments then lead others to comment, and it goes from there. I have told several bloggers that one of the best things to do is share the blog with their own friends and network, as they are the ones most likely to comment, which then results in a next layer of comments (hopefully). That and making sure to reply to the comments already on the blog play a huge part in the success of the blog, although it doesn't always happen.

  Brent Williams
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  2. #9374
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Good point, and in going back to my comment I thought, oh wow I meant to say intimidating not intimidated and the world didn't explode because I used a word incorrectly but you still got the point...LOL Thanks for letting me know that the Blogger on the other side can be nervous as well!

  Gabriella
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