Happy Tuesday, fellow readers! I hope you are all having an awesome day!
Today’s Tidbit will probably be a little more helpful for newer bloggers, but that’s okay! When I first started blogging, I got kind of frustrated. It felt like I wasn’t getting a whole lot of interaction with other bloggers, even though I posted somewhat regularly. So, at the end of posts I wanted people to interact with, I started leaving discussion questions.
Asking questions encourages your readers to engage with your post because 1) it makes them feel like you genuinely want to hear their opinion. You’re asking questions and seeking answers. 2) Sometimes your readers (especially readers new to the blogoshpere) really do want to interact, they just don’t know what to say, so asking questions can help them get some comment ideas.
Here are a few tips for leaving questions at the end of a post:
#1- Not all posts need discussion questions. I don’t always leave questions at the end of my book reviews, because, honestly, they don’t invite a lot of interaction. (There are some exceptions of course.) If it’s hard to come up with questions, or if they seem a little forced, that’s okay! That particular post might not need any questions.
#2- Try to have at least one open-ended questions. If all the questions you ask are yes or no questions, it can sometimes have the opposite effect. For example, if I got to the end of this post and asked, “Do you leave questions on your blog posts?” it doesn’t invite much conversation, because the answer is just “yes” or “no.” But if I ask “What sorts of questions do you ask on your blog?” it invites all kinds of different answers. Yes or no questions aren’t necessarily bad, but having at least one open-ended question can seem more inviting.
#3- Ask questions where you’ll be interested in the answer. Don’t ask questions just for the sake of having them there. If you’re not going to be genuinely interested in the answer, it’s not worth the time or page space. You won’t want to read the comments addressing that question, and your readers will be able to tell if you’re not really interested in what they have to say.
So if you’re looking for a bit more interaction with your readers, asking discussion questions at the end of your post is a great way to encourage that!
Thanks for reading!