Incorporate Feedback from Blog Readers

Blog improvement—Step 3 of 3

Conversations with your readers are the key to a successful blog—but for the conversations to have meaning, your readers must be able to see that you’re listening, and that you genuinely care about what they have to say. 

Respond quickly and accurately to comments, questions, and feedback

• Encourage readers to leave comments by asking questions, conducting polls, launching challenges or contests, and finding other ways to invite them to share their ideas and opinions.
• Start an ongoing question and answer series where you ask readers to submit questions, and post the questions and answers on your blog.
• Respond quickly and substantively to comments to show readers you value their contributions.
• Respond in real-time when possible.
• Write thoughtful, substantive comments to keep the discussion alive.
• When you receive a really interesting or insightful comment, take the discussion deeper by writing another blog post on the topic.
• Don’t be defensive. If you disagree with a comment, explain in a respectful way that you don’t agree and why. If someone doesn’t like a policy or procedure, use the blog as an opportunity to explain why the policy is in place or to find out how it can be improved.
• Be helpful. If someone needs help with your agency, let them know where they can get help. Explain that the blog may not be the best place to resolve individual situations, but offer help whenever you can.

Turn user feedback into action

• Share ideas
• Allow readers to vote and comment
• Respond to ideas and implement suggestions for improvement

As a final step, review the How to Blog page, and make sure that you’ve covered everything.

Congratulations. You’ve made it through all the steps from start to finish, and you now know everything there is to know about How to Blog—so get out there and start blogging!

Content Lead: Lisa Nelson
Page Reviewed/Updated: August 6, 2012