How to Generate Comments and Conversations
86© Duchess O’Blunt, 2010; all rights reserved.
Community Living Requires Communicaiton
Most of us live within several communities: our families, jobs, the gym, church, our social clubs, sports teams, the high school band, a cruise to the Caribbean, the summer cottage or trailer, our volunteer work, a book club, a writing group, and many others I'm sure I have missed.
Within each of those communities there is a type of communication that must take place in order for them to function well.
The internet has provided global networks for most of those groups, and has created many more "Social Networking" opportunities. This is a new world for most of us and many are still trying to understand our role within these groups, and how to function properly - and in most cases, gainfully.
- How To Get Readers On HubPages
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Writing - the First Step
Content is King. You read about that everywhere. If you plan on writing in a venue where writers reside, it stands to reason, you need to be able to write at least reasonably well to succeed in establishing followers or generating comments.
Let's say you've done your homework, you've researched your subject matter and have been able to capture your brilliant thoughts in print. You may have written the best article ever produced on HubPages, all properly laid out with great photos and videos. You consider it a thing of sheer beauty.
It could be an award winning review on the hottest current topic or public debate. You may have written the most enlightening educational piece of work that ever hit the internet. It might even be the beginning of the next greatest novel.
None of that really matters if people don't read it.
Where do you find your readers and how do you engage them?
- I Want to Read Your Hub
want to catch my attention with your article? Read on...
Be a Part of The Community
The first place you should be looking for your readers is right here - the HubPages Community.
Being a part of any community means you must communicate with others within it. If you want people to read your work, you must first read theirs.
One of you has to take the first step in getting to know each other. Those that are already established here, may not know you, so you must seek them out, introduce yourself and let them get to know you. The best way to do that is to read their work and comment. Not a generic comment, anyone can write those, and they will do you no good.
Comments are most often noticed by others when they add value to an article.
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HubPages Community
I will be the first to admit that I don't know what I'm doing. Seriously - I don't.
Quite simply, I am a part of this community for the very reason I was drawn here....it is a community for writers. You can write for profit, you can write to teach or learn, and you can write for fun. You can do whatever strikes your fancy (within HubPages guidelines of course).
I am learning with each new hub, even if they are written sometimes weeks apart. This venue gives everyone the opportunity to write controversially, for a cause, poetically, theoretically, or in my case, just because something hits my radar screen that intrigues me.
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Gripping Titles
Even though I am an active member in the HubPages community, as a writer, you have approximately 3 seconds to get my attention.
One of the easiest 3 second eye catches for me is in my daily email. This gives me a list of new articles by my favorite authors, the title and a small summary.
The summary text could be brilliant, but I won't read it if the title does not grab my attention. I also won't click on the link if the summary doesn't intrigue me.
Sorry to be so blunt (pun intended), but that's how I roll. I'd be curious to find out if others are the same - or do you have a different method of keeping track of your favorites?
A Readable Online Article
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Comments that Add Value
Of course, in order for me to see your gripping title in said emails, I must have you in my list of people I follow.
The very best way to make that happen is to comment on a hub I have written or to have contributed a value added comment to another hub that I have read. I may not take the time to check out your work the first time I read one of your value added comments, but I will likely do so when I see the second one or the third one.
For me personally, I love the comments that contribute an additional thought to the author's own thoughts. I pay attention to those who are witty. And I enjoy those comments from others who encourage rather than discourage.
However, that's just my style. There are some who just love controversy, who write to encourage it, and are happy to engage in that type of give and take. That's the great thing about communities. It takes all kinds, and you can generally find all kinds here.
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Catchy Headlines
Once you have my attention, make sure the headlines or subtitles of your capsules are relevant and give me a reason to read on.
I'm pretty sure I am part of the statistics when I say that before I read an article I skim it to make sure I want to spend my time reading it in depth. Your headlines should draw me in further once your title has caught my attention.
Even though I try hard to return the favor of my favorites and read their articles as much as time permits, I have to admit that I am guilty of this tactic. I have been known to only skim a hub before rating them up and/or sharing the hub in one of the many easy to use options provided
People Like to Talk About Themselves
This is big. If you are looking for interaction, comments and conversation then offering an opportunity for readers to share their own experiences or opinions will quite often generated conversation.
This can be distracting when it overrides what you are trying to share on a Hub, but is encouraged in the forums. In your efforts to make "new friends" in any community, including HubPages, participating in the forums can often provide you some great exposure to a wide range of members.
An added benefit to this is that it can provide you with some great ideas on what to write about.
Once you give people the opportunity to interact with you in this manner, they get to know you, to know your style, and to know what interests you. This can often generate traffic to your hubs, and quite likely they will feel easier about leaving a comment.
Are you the type who visits the forums frequently and do you find your participation increases traffic to your work and comments on your own hubs?
- Comments and Traffic
Comments and Traffic. To comment or not to comment. That is the question. Should I comment on every hub I read? Should I answer every comment that I receive? Making and receiving comments are good for you ... think traffic!
Comment Poll
Do you try to answer every comment that you recieve
See results without votingGenerating Comments or Conversation
Now that you have laid the ground work, have established yourself and made some new friends with your witty comments and insightful additions to their hubs, it's time to work on generating comments on your own work. Perhaps you need to review your articles and make a few changes. It never hurts to review them with someone else's views in mind.
Talk to Your Readers
When you are writing the article, always keep in mind who you are writing it for. I often find it useful to have one person in mind when I write something. I try to think of things they would want to know or understand, and then start the process of answering those questions.
Knowing who your audience is will not only give you a clear picture on what to write for them, but it should also give you an idea of the types of comments that will be generated. That's important for me because I simply adore recognition and would really rather avoid confrontation. So that's how I write.
Make a Statement
This is the meat of the article. This is where you state your views, list solutions, educate or entertain your readers. This is why you work so hard to make your titles work. You have lead them here and want to hold them for the duration with great writing, good layout and interesting content.
Know your Subject
I don't care if you have just finished extensive research on the subject, or whether it is a sport or hobby that you have spent a life time perfecting. Ensure you know your topic before you write the article. Garbage will produce garbage.
Encourage Discussion
By this I mean open up the conversation. Present your topic of interest in a way that encourages people to think and to participate. It sometimes helps to leave a question or two unanswered. Your readers will often feel they have something to respond to. Don't be afraid to leave certain areas open for question. Generally, if you leave an open ended question in your closing capsule(s) you encourage others to offer their ideas and suggestions.
Be Yourself
As in any relationship, if you try to be something other than what you are, it shows. Don't try to emulate someone else who has had great success. Sooner or later it will show that you are a fake and your work will suffer. Be you and let people like you or hate you for you.
Comments Deserve Your Feedback
I know not everyone agrees with me, but I believe if someone has taken the time to add something of interest by way of a comment, it is worth your time to respond. Generic comments, I can understand you skipping a response to them. Those that are saying "great job" or "good information" may only get a "thank you" in response. And even then, they can be all lumped into one comment for several responses.
For those who take the time to read the article, perhaps add something to it, it's a good idea to thank them for their interest and their observations or additions.
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Have a KicK @$$ Conclusion
So often there are great articles with interesting subject matter that just peter out.
Don't leave your readers just hanging. Wrap things up quickly, recap if you think it works well and try to leave them with the feeling that you welcome their input.
You will notice that I asked two open ended questions in this hub. You might not remember them now, but you have probably been thinking of them while reading the rest of the hub.
- People Like To Talk About Themselves: Are you the type who visits the forums frequently and do you find your participation increases traffic to your work and comments on your own hubs?
- Gripping Titles: I'd be curious to find out if others are the same - or do you have a different method of keeping track of your favorites?
I am always interested in learning how others handle the same types of questions that I have, or learning new techniques for getting things done more efficiently. So don't be shy about letting me know your secrets.
And don't forget - I love recognition. :)
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Comments Suggestions and Criticism
What do you look for most in comments from viewers?
See results without votingSuggestions or Criticism
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I look forward to meeting you.
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Plenty of good advice here, since I've only been here 5 weeks.At this date , you have 547 followers(including me) so I can see why you have has to develop some weeding out techniques on reading and commenting. I'm getting to that point, because I am following too many....maybe.I am probably following too many, but there is so much talent here! Hey, I don't have to go to the library anymore!It takes at least two hours a day for me to read and comment.But I love it.I'm recently retired, so I have the time and the want to. I usually don't follow my follwers if they have no profile. I want to know a bit about them. SORRY SO CHATTY...comment is probably too long.
Duchess - your comments and conversations hub is so worthwhile and adds so much value that I have linked to it in my hub, Comments and Traffic.
You already know that I agree wholeheartedly with your statement about giving feedback on the hubs you read. That is an activity beneficial to both the commenter and the hubber.
Thanks for the link. You and it are appreciated.:)
Duchess, I think this is some excellent advice. I research any topic carefully, and still I think sometimes the titles I choose do not fully represent the quality of hub itself and it is an area I need to improve on. If they don't open the hub they won't know if it has anything worthwhile for them or not. Thanks again for the advice.
I tend to write for fun...most of my hubs are just general musings and I'm quite surprised that people actually want to read them! But I do enjoy interacting with others through comments and occasional emails - I like the feeling of engagement with others on the community. :)
Interesting Hub Duchess. I try and write comments that are more than just 'great hub', but sometimes it is really hard to find the words. It's like some days a Hub will just flow and almost write itself, and some days you feel that you are grinding it out. I do agree though that if someone has taken the trouble to read and comment on your hub, you should acknowledge the comment with one of your own.
@ hospitalera Thank you
@ bayoulady ‘Weeding out’ isn’t exactly how I would put it, it’s more like practicing time management I think. I don’t think you can follow too many people, but I do think it’s easy to become addicted! There really is much talent here. And, personally, I haven’t been to the library myself in over a year either. :)
@ drbj thank you for the complement of adding this as a link to your hub. Your hub is just such a good fit.
And it is always so nice to be appreciated. As you know, I just love recognition
@ Pamela99 I agree with you, choosing the right title is so hard. I will admit I have probably missed several very good articles because the title just didn’t grab my attention.
@ Feline Prophet - I know you generally write for fun - I love your work! I think we want to read them simply because they have been written from the heart, and they are just so “you”.
Your comments are typically very engaging, and it certainly shows that you like being a part of this community. I’m glad you stopped by.
@ CMHypno I am sure there are some people who would have to spend hours responding if they acknowledged everyone’s comments because they are just that good and have so many followers. I’m not even close to there yet, so I will continue to keep the conversations going wherever I can :)
Good job. I am often lazy about titles, but I try to do everything else you mentioned. The lax attitude toward titles probably comes because I don't need much to get me to click in and at least start to read.
Participation in other hubs and forums is vital. Unfortunately, we have a lot of contentious religion and politics forums here and it is too easy to get sucked in to arguments. Those may still get you followers, but they are grand time wasters in general.
You got my attention!
Duchess, The information you've shared here is valuable and not surprisingly, the title is what brought me in to read more. Of course, you're the author and that makes the choice easy. I receive a daily notice when people I follow publish new hubs and after I scan through the titles, I usually select reading material based on whether the title grabs me and along with the writing style of the author.
Your remarks about comments are right on target. When I read through a great article and I select new authors from the responses on the comments below. A generic "great article" comment doesn't draw me in to read an author's work.
The forums also tell a lot about people and their interests, whether self directed or enlightened. This site is really a great place to write and learn. So many authors, so little time.
Hey Duchess - "Bluntly" put, you have a very complete, readable, and useful article here. Nice work.
Gus :-)))
Hi Duchess -- great hub (as always.) Unlike you, I do not skim a hub -- I am a quick reader so reading through is not a great investment of time, but I agree -- the title and summary should 'hook' my attention. I'm always surprised how few people bother to write a summary, leaving it to the program to reiterate their first sentence or two. No - no! folks. Write a quick blurb -- sell your article, tell me what's in it and you're far more likely to get me to read it.
Yes, it is important to comment on other's hubs and not just the usual 'oh, great hub, thanks.' Certainly, compliments are nice to get, but what is even nicer is to get someone else's thoughts on the issue.
And on the subject of comments -- it is equally surprising how many hubbers don't respond to comments -- a practice which seems to be to be aloof, negligent and all round bad manners. You know who you are! Most of the time, if a hubber doesn't respond to the thoughts and comments of his readers -- I don't bother leaving a comment.
So there we go -- value added comment, dear Duchess? Lynda
@ Pcunix. Thank you. After reading your own hub on the subject, I take your comment as a great complement. I do agree that participation in the forums can often get a person side tracked very quickly. Personally, I don’t go there often for that reason. However, for those who are looking to get traffic to their hubs, it’s a good place to start. I think. ? Thanks for stopping by to read my article.
@ Micky Dee – I’m so glad I got your attention! Your comments are often short, but very much relevant. I’m always happy to see you’ve stopped by.
@ PegCole17. Thank you for the complement. You are right about liking the author too. Often I will read an article because of who wrote it. Some authors I read everything they write although they might not know it as I don’t always leave comments. If I don’t leave a comment, it’s generally because I feel like I’m in over my head and would show my ignorance if I ‘opened my mouth’. Thanks for the visit and the very nice comment :)
@ Gus TheRedneck....I always love hearing from you. You are just so always bang on! Thanks for the kudos.
@ lmmartin Ha! Your comment reminded me that I had not written my own summary text. I had to go and fix that little oversight. Thanks for the reminder my friend.
I’m with you and don’t understand why people don’t “mine” the opportunities that present themselves when people offer their input.....
Yes, as always you have left a value added comment Lynda. And as always, it’s very much appreciated.
Dutchess, I am still a newbie and so grateful for hubbers like you, teaching me what to do and not to do. In full agreement with you and the others who left comments, I have, unfortunately, nothing to add accept another THANK YOU. I’m looking forward to read all your hubs. Gosh, I wish I had more time on my hands to spend in Hubsville! I’m so thrilled with this community and all the stimulating articles. I’m hopelessly addicted to hubs by now, neglecting other responsibilities daily. But I believe I will soon acclimatize :-) , then get my teeth into all dirty clothes and dishes and dusty surfaces.
MartieCoester. Thank you for the compliment. I chuckled reading your comment, because so many of us felt exactly the same way as newbies. A little overwhelmed but lovin every minute!
Welcome to HubPages.
Now go find your dirt and clean lady! Clean! We will still be here LOL
It's been fun to watch you blossom here on hubpages...Always a pleasure to read your work... :o)
Thank you Nancy's Niche. It's been a pleasant journey
For someone who doesn't know what they are doing you are doing a brilliant job Duchess. This hub will be so helpful to many newbies.
I love writing on hubpages but the best part is receiving feedback and having conversations with good hubbers like you. Your title caught me straight away. Thanks.
Very helpful and useful. Thanks.
L.T.
Great, helpful and well-written article. Thanks for the tips!
MPG Narratives. Hi, and thank you. I seriously just learn as I go. Often I won't write about something like this because so many people have already written similar hubs, and generally so much better. But I was asked by a fellow hubber - so here I go . . . Thanks for the complement.
Itfawkes and Kaltopsyd. Thank you for stopping by. Glad you liked!
lots of useful information. Thanks!
lots of good advice. Thanks for sharing.
Great points and things to remember!
LadyDynasty, KoffeeKlatch Gals and akirchner
thank you ladies for dropping by and taking the time to let me know you where here :)
You hit the nail right on the head and covered the topic so well. I know how important it is to leave comments as well as give them back and also answer the ones left. I think we all drop the ball sometimes from time to time. I appreciate you giving us all a jolt in the arm as well as a lesson. I will keep working on being a better hubber:0))
Yup, I agree saddlerider1, sometimes we all drop the ball. Hopefully we stop every once in awhile and pick it back up again. You're doing just fine as a hubber - don't worry about that!
Good hub. LOOOKEEE ALL THE COMMENTS!!!!
LOL, thanks for the chuckle Paradise7!!!
This hub is very nice and informative.:) Thanks for writing it.
you are welcome rescueachild
M'lady I appreciate you taking the time to help me educate myself in you obvious skill with this illuminating hub as well as the additional fact that you managed to garner so many replies so quickly. I think that some of my conditions have gotten in the way of me valuing some of your suggestions if I ever considered them. I will take the time to rectify this oversight.
Thank you.
Jaggedfrost
Jaggedfrost, I'm so happy you stopped by....this was written for you :) Thank you for the question and request to write about it. I wish I had more questions and requests for hubs - gives me something to sink my teeth into.
I certainly hope it was helpful, and that those suggestions you have not yet considered, you will at least think about.
Hi Duchess how are you? I feel so behind on my favorite hubbers here. You made an intersting point on going to the fourms and communicating with people that way too. It has crossed my mind the other day that I have not done that really, and I should check out the fourms here. So maybe I will and discover some new hubbers and I might get discovered as well. Your hubs are always so charming just like you!
Great advice on how to may HubPages work for you.
I'm good JannyC, and I completely understand your feelings, so don't fret it. I'm always behind! Charming huh? thank you for that :) I told you I just love recognition.
Thank you Sanyspider - I hope it works for you
Very good point about not talking about yourself in hubs. I will have to keep that in mind. Do you think more newer users of hubpages fall victim to this?
You said in this hub that you don't know what you are doing - well, it seems as though you do know what you're doing! As for me and titles - it has to catch my attention. I usually scroll down my list of hubbers I follow and will read anything that grabs my attention first. After that I'll just maybe skim over hubs. I only leave a comment when I've really gotten something out of the article.
epearson, personally, I think everyone at some point in time is guilty of this. It's very easy to see these networks as just a place for self promotion. I think the anonymity of the whole thing somehow makes that easier. Thanks for stopping by
Cari Jean thank you for your kind remarks. I didn't start out being a quality member of the community, but I hope I am learning how to do that as I go. I like leaving comments and getting to know the authors in most cases. But like you, I don't always comment.
Thank you for stopping by.
I think my weakness is a lack of kick a$$ conclusions. Thanks for drawing my attention to it! It's funny, it seems your title and content are the perfect combination to draw great comments to your hub. You're almost daring people to leave boring generic ones.
I think that so far I have perhaps not been the most valuable community member but your hub as certainly inspired me to kick my contributions up a notch. Thx :)
Good Day Duchess OBlunt
Let me say first that I voted this hub up for useful. Let me say how well organized, well written, and informative it was, and what a pleasure it was to read (all true). Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I want to thank you for a particularly powerful point you made about not being afraid to leave areas of the topic open for discussion, and even having one or two open questions in there.
This potentially gives the reader the feeling that he or she "has something to do," something to contribute, some knowledge,information, or insight to add. I suspect this is just the thing for some of the more shy members of HubPages, somehow.
I was going to mention what a coincidence this was because I distinctly remember a hubber called Jaggedfrost posing such a question in the Q&A -- he wanted to make his hubs more like, I guess mini-forums. I'm here to tell you, Duchess OBlunt, I don't blame him. And by the way, I see from the comments, you wrote this hub just for him initially.
I do not doubt that everything you have said about the forums are true. I do notice that traffic increases to my work after I make a sustained period of engagement there. It is a good place to meet new hubbers you find interesting or compelling in some way. And also, the forums, in addition to the Q&A, are a good place to pick up ideas for writing hubs of your own.
Still, I do not blame Jaggedfrost for wanting to create the forum experience inside of his own hubs. Maybe I've been visiting the wrong forums in my short time at HubPages, but it seems to me that they always deteriorate into mean-spitited, incoherent zoos.
Anyway, leaving areas of the hub open to further discussion is important, because all intellectual work requires collaboration. Nobody can do it alone. I am a firm believer in intellectual collaboration (whether this be creative, scholarly, scientific, etc.). Also, I believe that two or more people can come up with ideas, stranger, more illuminative, more fantastically bizaare (in a good way), than anything any one of them could have conceived of on his or her own, and all that.
So, whenever possible I have taken to implimenting that piece of advice. When hubs are written as if they are the last word, they can be inttimidating to readers, I think (especially if, going by the hub, the author actually seems to be half as smart as he thinks he is).
Oh and to answer your second open question: as far as keeping track of my favorites, I just make sure I read a bunch of their stuff, every so often. I love to read and so I'm not very efficient as far as "keeping track" of my favorites is concerned.
Thanks for the great hub and as blake4d would say...
Keep on hubbing.
@ ar.colton welcome and thank you for leaving a value added comment. “Almost daring people to leave boring generic comments” Really? That certainly was not my intent, but I can see how it might come across that way.
I’m happy you feel it’s worth your time and effort to kick up your contribution a notch.
Now go kick some @$$!
@ wingedcentaur let me first say thank you for the kudos and comments on what a wonderful job I have done. I keep saying it - but I truly do love recognition.
Sometimes you don’t have to leave an open ended question to generate comments. Sometimes the content alone or the topic discussed will be enough to bring in everyone who has a strong opinion. Many people enjoy that type of interaction.
In the forums - yes, you will always find the religious defenders, and the political activists and most of the time those conversation degrade quickly into name calling and stupidity. So, while I have said you can find some insight and perhaps some conversations in the forums, I myself very rarely open that door. That is not the type of inspiration or interaction I am looking for. But there are obviously some people who just love it.
It is also one of the dangers of asking open ended questions, because sometimes the forum mentality is infiltrated into the comments and takes away from the actual intended content of the hub itself.
Thank you for your time in answering both of my questions wingedcentaur. Thanks again for the kudos, and Keep on hubbing”.
Yes, the attractiveness of Hubpages over other publication sites is the Hub community. People like to be felt belonging to a place, and the presence of interactive community make one feels at home. :) I think this hub really serves as a great encouragement for hub interactivity. Good work !
You are certainly a clever writer and I liked the pun :) I did like the hub and think you nailed the content especially the importance of communication wherever you are...thanks
Wow, what a great hub, and I agree with pretty much everything you've said. Attracting people to your hub sure can be difficult, but I think with your help, anyone can do it.
W#hen I write hubs, I want my readers to tell stories of things that are evergreen yet controversial (but not so controversial enough to draw ire). I take this Hub to heart and use it as reference.
@ Ingenira , I see you love the Hub community too! Thank you for your kind comments.
@ mtsi1098 thank you for the compliment on my writing. Glad you dropped in
@ Joshwinvp, I certainly appreciate it when someone agrees with me. That’s not always the case, so I’ll take it while I can get it. Thanks for stopping by to let me know :)
@ talfonso evergreen is good – controversial can be interesting, but it can also get out of hand pretty quickly. I’m glad this Hub was useful.
Your Hub certainly has me re-thinking the titles to my articles.
I too seem to be one of those who has to like a title and opening line to determine whether I should continue. It has to grab me from the get-go!
I enjoyed reading what you have written, and will certainly take what you have said to heart. It really is helpful for those of us new to hubpages to have these types of hubs available to read!
...indeed the title of your hub led me here! thank you for your useful advices!
Well, words of gold really! I have read many hubs about how to increase revenues, readers, comments...etc. But this one is pregnant with truthful and real advice such as mingling in, participating and reading others' hubs as much as possible... This hub is in a word meaningful. Thanks for the nice research.
@ Sweetsusieg, it’s always wonderful to hear from a new voice. I will be around this evening when time permits to check out your work, and others who are new to me, and introduced via their comments on this particular hub.
Thank you for your kind remarks, and hopefully your titles will “grab my attention” when I visit.
Thank you for stopping by
@ fucsia – you are quite welcome
@ worldgrandeur – I’m not so sure about increasing revenue – but don’t I wish!!!
This was really in answer to a question from a fellow hubber and strictly off the top of my head – from experience in HubPages and other social networks. I’m very happy that others have found it useful!
Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be over to your hubs a little later.
Hi Duchess, great hub and some really usefuk information. I find that by telling a story and being a little bit edgy, people tend to like that, some people will hate it but I guess sometimes that is one of those necessary evils of writing honest articles!
Good stuff and thanks for sharing
Thanks for the very helpful hub! I know I need to work on developing titles my hubs that really grab people's attention. For some reason, that is a tough one for me. I look forward to reading more of your hubs!
Hi Duchess - what a useful hub and judjing by the number of comments there is no doubt that this is very sound advice. I no longer have time to write hubs but when and if I do I will make use of this informative hub to ensure that my hub generates as much attention and communication as possible. Thanks for sharing
This is wonderful information...a poke in the eye so we will pay attention. I am linking on a hub I just wrote about two tools I will be using on my blog.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Blog-Tool-BarWIBYA-is-the-
Thank you for the information.
b (sirrot)
@pt21 You are right, honesty and edgy hubs can generate a certain type of comment, but sometimes expressing your opinion is asking for others to argue with you. Some people just like to play devils advocate because they can, and the juicier the article, the more likely they will find you.
Thanks for stopping by and you are welcome
@ Richard Stephen You are very welcome, I’m glad you found it useful. Tough or not, if you want traffic to your hubs the title does it for most people. Good luck in the future choosing the right ones.
@ Laura du Toit. Long time no see - good to hear from you. I hope that by being too busy to write, you mean you are gainfully employed. I hope you have found a job that works for you and that the “busy” is a good “busy”. I’m happy you decided to come by my hub in your free time!
@ sirrot - Thank you for the compliment of linking this to your hub. I’ll pop over and check it out. It certainly wasn’t meant as a poke in the eye though. But I do hope it was helpful.
Hi Duchess - great hub and one that is relevant again for me. After a year or so being very active on HP, I started blogging. Now, its difficult to be as interactive on HubPages. Gotta start changing my tune! :)
Hi stephhicks68. I am flattered that someone who has been around for more than 2 years and has almost 2000 followers has taken the time to visit, let alone comment! I feel honored indeed. Thank you for making the decision to interact right here.
If you don't mind my asking, what is the addy for your blog? I'd love to check it out.
Great hub...lots of information.. :)
I am realy trying to read all that my fans are publishing but it becomes more and more difficult and negotiating the time is becomming the biggest challenge of my day. Perhaps I must start adapting a different attitude, like the advice above, or else, I will soon not have any time for sleep!
Great hub and good advice!
@ Marliza Gunter - Thank you
@ equealla - I know what you mean. When you start working in this community, it can quickly become addictive. So many helpful people, so many great writers, so little time. Time tends to get lost as you try to get your footing. But sooner or later, something has to give. I hope you manage to work it out where you can feel comfortable that you are not missing TOO much. :)
This is a real 'gem'. We are currently working on a new hub and will include a link to this one.
Thanks 2patricias. Let me know when it's done, I'd love to read it
Great hub, I found that two things influence the number of comments on my hubs.
po
1- how popular is the topic I am writing about
2- the angle of the topic, it doesn't matter how good a topic is if it is poorly written, you have to interest the reader and leave them some "food for thought", once you have them interested they will comment and they will come again to check more comments.
A good way is also to leave a small question at the end, something that will make the readers think :)
All good points ZarkoZivkovic, and a nice recap. Thank you
I choose a hub to read based on the title, subject, and writer. There are many great writers here that can tell a story about a simple recipe, and make it interesting. Enjoyed the hub.
Good point susansisk. There are many writers I will read everything they do that I can find because I love the way they write. I don't always comment though.
Thanks for stopping by.
Another great article, Duchess. I think people often underestimate the importance of a compelling title and summary. Or perhaps they overestimate the attention span of Web surfers? :) I've linked to this from my social media hub because I think it gives a good "next step" to my article for anyone hoping to engage on Hubpages.
Simply excellent advice. I have noticed that a couple hubbers that I visit never leave comments or respond to comments left. When I visit these hubbers now I'm usually the first to respond after the hubs been up more than a week. So it looks like to me the viewership is dwindling.
Also I try and meet new hubbers and look for people who are interesting to me to become a fan.
I love this community and reading and leaving comments is, I feel, a responsibility as a resident of hubpages.
It is time consuming to read and comment to all my neighbors, so I've made a folder for reading and take time out of my week to read and comment on each and everyone.
Many hubbers don't realize the importance of comments. I've been told by at least two fans that they added their name to my fan base because of a comment left on a hub.
I've noticed that some hubbers, Rebbecca E, for example takes the time to answer all of her fans which I find is very gracious. Voted up, marked useful and bookmarked.
Thank you FindYourSearch. There is a lot to remember when writing for an audience of Web readers, (or scanners if you prefer). You are correct; often reading material on the web is a “scan”. I think in part it is because we are bombarded with information. I’m happy you feel this is a good “next step” for your article.
Pmccray, if I remember correctly, you can add me to that list of people who came to check out your work because of your comments. It really does work. I agree with you as well, Rebecca E. Is one of the best!
geez, I go away for a fwe days and you come up with this awesome well written hub which will know be stumbled and dugg, thanks for this one!
Thanks for the smile Rebecca. Welcome back.
Hi Duchess. I am a new hubber here and already love the community. It is fantastic! Although I have been writing articles on the web for quite some time now, I am still learning and this hub of yours has some really good info I can use to grow with. Just "shows to go ya" that we never stop learning -- and isn't that what we are here for? Thanks for the great information.
Welcome Phyllis Dayle. I appreciate your visit and happy to add to the continuous learning opportunities!
Thank you for this Hub, I agree with it and your responses to comments. It is time management. I have 7 more minutes to answer comments, and read new Hubs published by those I follow. I guess it boils down to priorities, and HubPages by its name alone indicate it isn't a solo journey. Voted Up, awesome, and sharing.
You have definitely gotten my attention and I will add to your comments and conversations! :P I enjoyed this hub because it is so simple and you bring up points hadn't thought about before. I did notice, when I went and tweaked some things the other day, that when I changed the titles of some of my hubs, they brought in more traffic and comments. So I absolutely thought this was an awesome hub.
LillyGrillzit, you are welcome for the Hub and I thank you in turn for your comment. Time management and priorities are the biggest factor in our success on HubPages. That doesn’t change if your goal is to make money or to simply be a part of the community. Time is needed for both. Thank you for the kudos! Always appreciated
Rgarnett, thank you for adding to this particular comment thread. I’m happy to hear the article was easy to understand, that was the goal. Keep working on your titles, and I’ll be over to check them out soon.
Thank you so much for your useful hub. I haven't spent a lot of time on HubPages since I joined – a combination of personal reasons that limits my time online – but your focus on community truly resonates with me.
Thank you for the visit yensid, we all know there are many good reasons not to "live" here so to speak. It's all good. When you are ready and have the time, that's when it works out best for everyone.
This is vintage work Duchess! readable, educative, and very motivating hub. Let me say a big thank you for taking time out to write this for the enjoyment and benefit of other hubbers.
And here's a big "you're welcome!" I'm happy to hear you think it was benefitial
Duchess-the comment 'issue' that you bring up is so incredibly critical. I do answer all of my comments individually, it seems only fair to do so if someone has read the hub and chosen to comment.
I also feel somewhat 'ignored' (Perhaps too strong a word.) when the author of a hub does not do so. Maybe that's just me, but this is a community-as you said-and communication is vital.
Grand work!
lorlie6, I know - don't you just HATE being ignored? The better writers often ignore me when I comment. But sometimes it's because I have left that generic response and I can't blame them for that. But as I learn, I'm hoping that has improved, yet still some don't respond. Perhaps for them it truly is a matter of time management. And that I can understand.
Thank you for your continued support here!
Great sound advice, Duchess. :) I have bookmarked it for going back to. I have to agree...the title and first sentence does draw in the audience. I learned that from my writing course. It needs to reach out and grab someone. Thanks for sharing this with us.
gwennies pen - thanks for the confirmation. I have not taken and (recent) writing courses, so it's good to know I'm on the right track.
Well, this Hub has definately worked - it has generated those comments! I'm one of the guilty ones. Tend to have my head full of the subject and am very busy so don't spend much time chatting on line. Something I must address. Many thanks for your tips.
Hi Les. For some who are extremely busy or focused, yes this can be easily overlooked. I don't think chatting on line is necessary unless you want to become a bigger part of a social community, or as in this case, generate comments. :) It depends on your goals.
Thanks for the visit.
You had success to create a hubs about generate comment and get a lot comment. I think comment is a part of Hubpages game. When you hubs get lot of comments, that mean your article get more attention. And these comments will bring up your hubs traffic. Do you agree with me?
besthubs, yes, I believe this hub was successful. It certain obtained my objective in sharing my thoughts on how to get comments on your hubs. As to it being a "game" I would have to disagree.
The whole idea of social networking, is to first create a community. Within that community you interact with others. Secondly, I would have to say that the biggest percentage of people who take part in these communities are doing it for the purpose of finding people in their niche, driving traffic to their hubs and hopefully either generating some income from it or, generating an interest in their particular niche area to grow their internet presence - also mostly geared toward generating income.
The beauty of communities is that you can work toward that goal - or not - but almost always you find those who's hubs resonate with you, and you can actually build a following, or find those to follow that hold similar interests.
So, yes in part I agree, the whole idea is to generate comments. Hence the title. The purpose for generating those comments vary, but I don't believe for most it is a game.
This is an excellent hub I have voted it up and hit the useful button. It is really enjoyable to read a hub that is so well written, interesting and full of practical advice. Your comments section has also been interesting reading.. Well done on all fronts
Thank you maggs224! I always appreciate the recognition. I just went over to check out your work. Very impressed. I will be back (The beauty of comments).
Thank you for the visit and the comment.
This is a very informative hub and very well written.
Great article. I hope I can live up to these standards. I am new to hub pages and I will consider the information in this post before I publish my next topic. Thanks!
Wife Who Saves, thank you so much!
eventsyoudesign, what a nice thing to say. Welcome to HubPages!
Duches-This hub is just what I need it to read. Activity is very important. Without activity we cannot expect others to be active. I like the way you explained every detail in your hub. I still think of you as a teacher. Do you remember when I asked you if you are teacher?
Your hubs are so focused on subject and you choosing the right words. Is always a pleasure to read your work.
Thank you very much for sharing your own experiences with us so we can benefit from them.
Lizzy
Hi LizzyBoo, glad to see you stop in.
Sometimes the activity to keep things moving along nicely is just simply to read and comment on other's work. But even this can be difficult when you have so many other priorities.
I thank you for the kudos. It's always nice to hear that someone likes what you have done! And I'm happy if these hubs are helpful.
a helpful? Of course they are. I bookmarked this one as my brain cells are not fast enought to store it in my memory. You did a brilliant job! Lizzy
LOL LizzyBoo. I completely understand. I have done the same many times. There are so many helpful hubs that I often have to refer to later as well. Love the bookmark feature!
Another great hub from you. You are ones of my favorite author in Hubpages. I agree with you that content is a king. We are nothing without content and comment. And comment is the soul of the hub. We can interact with other hubbers and communicate with them. They can give us a lot of input. Thanks for share with us. I learn much from you. Vote up
Prasetio
Thanks for the vote prasetio30. I couldn't agree more, other hubbers we communicate with very often give us wonderful ideas and great feedback.
Sheese took me long enough to get over to read this hub duchess, so sorry! I went looking for you tonight in hubdom because I hadn't seen you on my side of the town in awhile. Whew how do people get to all of these hubs and then To leave great comments too. It has to be a second job! I really liked this hub, it is very helpful. I am like you I skim the hub and Gage how long it will take to read. Then I read a few sentences to see if it catches my attention. There are a few that I follow that I just automatically set time aside for and then I'll check others to see if they are short enough that I can squeeze in one or two more before I have to scoot. Well thanks again and I will definitely keep these tips in mind when I write another hub.
Like you say I always believe that commenting on other peoples work especially helps the newbies to write more articles because of the comment you have given them. Which gives them the badly needed hope and encouragement that their writing is accepted and appreciated by other members. I wrote a similar article on infobarrel.
Judicastro - how nice that you went looking for me! I am flattered. I do apologize for not getting over to see you. I know I have a survey to fill out for you. I am having a very difficult time at the moment keeping up with everything. Mostly because my job is very intense at the moment. (And I am off to it as soon as I respond here). I completely understand about trying to squeeze everyone in! I keep trying and will catch up hopefully in the near future!
Eileen Hughes - hello. I like your input about the newbies, and I have to agree. I certainly received lots of encouragement as a newbie. This is a reminder that I have to get back to doing some of that encouragement myself.
I will also try to get over and read your article on infobarrel!
Great article for a beginner here .Thank you.
My pleasure jeri741!
Thank you so much for your HUB. I am new to this world and I find what you have written another reason for me to contiue, even though I had almost given up. Your insights are dead on. I appreciate people that write from the heart and hoestly. Thank you so much for your information and I hope to see you around!!
Thank you for such a compliment hurdlesgreetins. Please do give it a little longer before you leave. Find a few more great writers to follow, ask some questions, get a little involved.
I think you will be happy you do.
great job! j/k. this article was surprisingly informative. being new to this site i can see how those suggestions would be helpful. which forums do you prefer?
This is exactly what I needed to read tonight! I am brand new to Hubpages and I need all the help I can get. Your article was very straightforward, easy to understand and full of information. Thank you so much!
This hub is very informative. Thanks for writing writing such uyseful Hub.
lostwilliee - great name! Welcome to HubPages. I hope you enjoy it here. I’m glad you found the hub useful. Which forums do I prefer? Well it’s been a long while since I have been in the forums. I typically only go there when I need to find out what the next HubMob is about, or who this weeks hubnuggets are. Personally, I’m not big on the forums.
trisol - you are welcome.
erthfrend - also a great name! Welcome to HubPages. I’m happy you found this particular hub useful. There are lots of writers here who have written different aspects about hubpages and the HubPages themselves are chocked full. Well worth the time to read them. Thanks for stopping by, feel free to ask questions ^ up there at the top.
Thank you for the encouragement Duchess. We all need to hear more of that and more often. I am looking forward to all my future endeavors and I do hope we continue to meet paths. Thank you again.
My pleasure. I was just over to your profile...can I make a small suggestion? An Avatar would be a good idea. One of your cards if you are leery about using your own picture.
Will get over to your card site soon to check it out. Sounds interesting.
Thanks for the tips! I am brand spanking new to this blog site and I appreciate the advice!
Great tips, thanks for sharing this.
502jenngoodin, I’m happy you enjoyed the tips and welcome to HubPages. Your first hub, A New Beginning for a Worn Out Mom. I don’t actually see any writing, all I see are comments. I don’t think I have ever seen that before. Was there something there and you deleted it? Just curious
nikitha p you are welcome.
Thank you for the profile suggestion. I didn't even think about it before. I guess it just skipped my mind. I added our company's logo. Thank you again Duchess. I am a fellow Canadian as well.
Nice!
new here but even so I can feel the good sense and sound advice you write. Thanks for your help and advice.
I'm a new hubber and based on your tips I'm going to do some editing. I have been thinking about how to attract readers and comments. THANKS for sharing!
This had a lot of interesting valuable information. Thank you for sharing. I learned alot from your hub.
John Holden, welcome to HubPages. Happy you found this hub informative and useful :)
livnlargenia - happy to hear you found this particular hub useful. Welcome to hubpages, and good luck with your editing
Konrel I'm happy to hear you were able to learn something. That's always good.
Oh, and my Hub that generated the most comments is the one on foreign tour groups in Orlando! It may not be evergreen (it's seasonal), but it draws comments!
Hi Duchess, good value hub, it's certainly true you have to catch peoples attention quickly and then keep them interested. There is so much on the internet to read that competition is tough but if you have a catchy line and good content readers will come back time and again.
talfonso obviously a popular topic then! Thanks for sharing it.
knell63 I'm happy that you feel this hub adds value. I get a lot from HubPages, so it's nice to think I am able, in some small way, to give some back.
Competition IS tough, and the more involved I get, the more I realize that.
Thanks for stopping by!
Great hub, Duchess. Very educative, and a pleasure to read. I haven't actually counted the number, and am not sure of the current record, but am sure that I've NEVER seen so many comments on any other hub.
That is proof enough of how much blunt (pun still intended :-)) sense and enjoyable reading you've penned!
Thank you for this information, greatly appreciated!
Hi Jaspal! It's at about 160 comments so far. But 1/2 of those are my responses, so I don't think they count. That leaves me at about 80 comments.
While this hub has generated the most (for me) as far as comments are concerned, I have seen others with as many or more. Check out James A. Watkin for one.
BUT it's nice to have one that people like to read and it's great when they let you know it's not half bad.
Thank you for adding your voice to the others who have chimed in on this one :)
exposedenvy you are very welcome
Really useful hub with lots of practical advice. Thanks!
Rickrideshorses I'm happy it was useful, and you are welcome
I stumbled upon this informative article. You have really taken the trouble to point out how a hubber has to write
hubs that can generate comments, which alerts me to make some changes in my own hubs. I'm joining your fan club and I must find time to read more of your hubs to learn more. Though I had signed up two years ago and wrote few hubs, I became active only recently.
I have found that images also have a way of drawing in traffic, at least the comments i get on my hubs are mostly to do with the images they find there.
I now see I will have to learn the forum dance too:-)
This is definitely one of the best hubs on this topic I have read here. I think it merits more than just a one time read through as there are lots of good advice and ideas to be gathered from it. Nice!
lex123, thank you for stopping by. I'm been so busy latey I have not had an opportunity to follow up. I do apologize. I'm happy to see you stuck it out and are starting to add more hubs.
YU_First 1, I agree images can certainly add to the quality of an aritcle, but they should only be supportive, not the entire hub. As you say, especially if you want to garner some conversation.
I hope you are successful with your hub reworks.
kentuckyslone what a wonderful comment. The kind I like the best. Thanks for the Kudos!
I agree with kentuckyslone. This is definitely one of the best hubs on this topic
Your comments and followers prove the efficay of your methods. I only hope that if I follow your example I can generate as much interest. Thanks.
Les Trois Chenes - I certainly hope you can generate LOTS of interest in your hubs. What I have read, I have certainly enjoyed.
This is a very helpful article for this HP newbie. I will re-read it and attempt to glean and apply all info that will help me become an established (and followed) writer on this site. Thanks!
Thanks JayeWisdom Welcome to HubPages
Hi Duchess,
You like witty,
this is my little ditty,
please don't think I'm being smart,
good writing is an art
which you possess,
thus your success.
This Hub is of great interest
to those of us trying our best,
if in the end we are as good as you,
it's because you told us what to do,
thank you.
Oh, that was truly wonderful G.Lynn-Carroll! Thank you. I'm smiling right now, so your "little witty ditty" did the trick.
Glad I made you smile !!!!
I have found that my articles tend to draw in certain people and although I have around 197 followers, there are about 20 or so who show up repeatedly. The comments I do receive are all positive though there are usually not many. Perhaps the titles inherently attract a certain group.
As your Hub states, I do focus on a particular somebody when I write. I tailor the verbiage to the content so as to provide an atmosphere for the reader. As one who is heavily involved in street ministry in Baltimore, MD, this can get interesting. Thank you for the assistance.
Unchained Grace, thank you for stopping by. The whole point of working on your hubs to get them just right, is to get the traffic. Different traffic. While this hub has generated lots and lots of Hub traffic, it has seen very little from outside of hubpages. Which I expected because of the title and because it was written for hubbers.
Your titles should reach the masses and that involves marketing. One area I can tell you I am NOT very good at. But I do know that if you have 20 faithful followers, you can hope that the message you want to share goes viral through them (their facebook, twitter etc).
You show great passion for your work, but like most things the success comes down to the details.
Thank you Duchess! You must have had me in mind when you wrote this article ;) I am in a heated process of learning the nuts and bolts of increasing my following on the web and whoo! What an undertaking! I love writing and since I'd sooner go to H@!! than back into a stuffy newsroom, I'm diligently working on finetuning my writing online. Thank you for taking the time to write this for us newbies who need all the help we can get. I'm bookmarking this for future reference. Kudos!
thank you purpleangel47 I appreciate the kudos, and good luck with your fine tuning process. I wish you the best.
Duchess, I like this Hub very much. It's useful to someone like me who is new on this site. I joined Hubpages a month ago and I am really beginning to like it here, especially after reading what you wrote. Thank you for writing with newbies like me in mind.
thank you rosariosblog, I'm happy you found it useful. Welcome to HubPages, keep writing.
A great hub & excellent advice for all us newbies
Thank you Robin. Glad it was helpful! Welcome to HubPages
Hello Duchess OBlunt....great work...I was searching for info like this...Thank God...I got you...Fell free to check out my hub on study techniques at http://hubpages.com/t/1b9a20 or troubled kids parenting tips at http://hubpages.com/t/1aa5ac . May be your suggestions may help a hubber like me...Once again thank you for your info....take care.
Thank you mathan42. I will for sure pop over soon to read your hubs.
very useful hub
Thanks pisethz
I enjoyed reading this Hub very much. It is full of useful info that will help old and new Hubbers (and me!).
Thanks for this.
Love and peace
Tony
Thank you tonymac04. I'm happy to hear that.
Peace and Love right back at ya.
You are right; the audience of our hubs is the Hubpage community here itself and we need to get to know them by interacting with them in the forums. I guess as a newbie it is a struggle trying to cry out for attention among so many other writers who are good, professional andexperienced. Thanks for your invaluable tips.
Hi quuenieproac, I have taken a look at some of your work, and it seems you are quite aware of the audience aspect. Good work.
I am not personally involved in the forums. I find it too easy to get drawn into conversations that take up way too much time, and for some reason can get easily out of hand. Not sure why that is, but there you go. It is however, a great place to go if you want to get to know the other writers here.
Thanks for stopping by
The attractiveness of Hubpages over other publication sites is the Hub community. People like to be felt belonging to a place, and the presence of interactive community make one feels at home. :)
I think this hub really serves as a great encouragement for hub interactivity. Good work !
I totally agree hhelen, community spirit makes HubPages a degree better than most!
Thanks for the kudos.
Thank you Duchess OBlunt, this has given me a lot to think about. I'm finding Hubs even better than Wiki at times on the info that I learn!
Flaming volunteer - glad it was helpful. There are some pretty great articles on here for sure.
As a new writer this one is hard for me. I wrote for years on finance and changing to a lighter subject is difficult. You gave me some great tips to help engage the reader and promote comments - thank you.
Asking the reader to share their story is something I want to try. Any guidance on how to ask for the best results?
I'm happy you found some of this useful GmaGoldie.
Tips about asking your readers - I could probably write an entire hub about that - but I think the greatest tip would be to just be yourself. Ask questions you'd like honest answers to. Leave them the opening, and many will tell you their life stories.
Good luck with the changes.
Good hub. Thanks for writing it. It's very insightful.
A pleasure Rachel
Terrific, well researched and written Hub! There is much in this article that I surely need to do on my hubs. I need to get on the forum's, encourage discussion with open ended questions, know my audience better, write more gripping titles and sub-titles, write so more than God and his angels can understand me,and remember of course that its about relationship and not how brilliant you think you are!
wba108 - relationships are work, and as you can see, my ideas for building those relationships here on hubpages take work as well. So, build away, and if you are as brilliant as you think you are (and don't we all just feel exactly that way?) it will shine through!
Thank you for your time in reading and commenting :)
Thank you so much for the very useful tips.
You are welcome
HI, Duchess. You mentioned personal stories. I have had some people write such interesting personal stories and make some comments that really added to the hub. Then again, I've had comments that made no sense at all. These, I believe, should be denied.
There will always be those who just don't get the concept of social networking unfortunately. But you have to take the good with the bad. At least you have the option of deleting the bad or completely irrelevant if you wanted to. Just wastes everyone's time. Agreed - used the denied button! :)
What a really cool hub this was, great advice Duchess, This is why you are on my Favorite Hubbers list. Great job!
ah, geez zzron - :) what a wonderful way to start the day. Thanks.
Very nice hub. Thanks for all the useful tips. Keep up the great work.
Thanks emilybee for stopping by (and you are welcome) Welcome to HubPages!
well, you have a lot of comments on this hub so you know what you're talking about. I totally agree with your advice here, and I guess I underestimated some of it too. So this was also a good refresher for me. I appreciate people's comments. A handful of my hubs garner a huge response, especially personal, from readers- and I love it!
You are right about the main two points you stress; people like to talk about themselves or their personal experiences and gripping titles. Very comprehensive hub here and extremely useful.
izettl - thanks for dropping by. I appreciate people's comments too. I'm not much interested in the generic on those who try to impress - but a genuine comment I'm always happy to see.
I look forward to reading some more of your work by the way. I like what I see so far.
Beautifully laid out and informative! I can see from reading a few of your hubs that you put a lot of time and energy into them, and as one of your newest fans I am very appreciative of that.
Your insights have inspired me to work on coming up with catchier titles--yes, I clicked on this hub because the title grabbed me--and also re-thinking my headlines to keep my reader's attention. These are probably the two major factors in my willingness to read a hub all the way through.
Thanks again for the tips! You're a great teacher.
To my newest fan - welcome and thank you! I so love meeting new people. I'll be popping over to read some of your work.
Thanks for the friendly comments :)
Duchess...EXCELLENT article..so much so that I've started following, if for no other reason than to reread it several times and glean as much as I possibly can. Being a newbie, I'm experiencing problems getting comments (no, this isn't fishing for comments or following from you) and am searching for ways to conquer that. Thanks for alot of great info!!
Thank you ThomasRydder, and welcome to the HubPages community. I popped over to read your first three articles this morning as a result of your comment :) See, sometimes it works!
I think you will find many like minded writers here once your work becomes known.
It does indeed work at times...truth be told, I visited a few hubs authored by folks who haven't been around for awhile, so networking with them is rough. I'll reserve those for the enjoyment of reading, and concentrate on current authors for the networking side... :)
Sounds like a terrific idea :)
I just read this one again, I can't believe you said Peter out, that's awesome. I'm glad to know you are down to earth. I do try to make my endings have an uplifting or feel good end that makes the reader feel glad they read the entire hub and hopefully they will want to return.
LOL zzron, yes, down-to-earth. That's me in a nutshell. Thanks for coming back to read it again. You manage to do just that in most cases zzron. Keep it up
thanks for the tips. im new on HP, just joined recently and infact i havent written my first hub yet. still thinking how to go about it. i just to write for fun but if i earn a bit out of it then why not! great hub by the way duchess!!
Welcome dementedmom. I hope you find your way to writing some hubs in the near future.
Thanks for the visit and the comments.
this is really packed full of good advice. I have long been wondering what it takes to generate comments and now thanks to you I think I know where I fall short. Voting up and socially shared.
Thank you asherruth. I'm happy you found it useful, and I appreciate the hub love!
Duchess... this is really great. I'm goign to link this with my hub: http://pdxkaraokeguy.hubpages.com/_3gvrkbouobv74/h
I think you offer some very helpful tips and everyone who writes on hubpages should read this. Up and shared
This is such a great hub! I am with PDX! Sharing because we all need to hear this--
Hey Duchess, it's good to see that you practise what you preach!! & it has paid off as can be seen from all the comments made for this hub.
I appreciate the advice and aim to put them to use when writing my hubs.
Voted up!
This was an insightful read. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Great ideas. I think giving people responses when they leave you a comment is the courteous thing to do and it helps the reader keep the hub active.
This has some really great information in it. I'm brand new to article writing and to Hubpages so I've been feeling a little lost. I will definitely be applying the principles you've laid out here. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
This is wonderful... I'm surely gonna use these tips...Thanks !!
@ PDX Thank you for the link in your hub. I went to check it out. You can find my comment there. Thank you for sharing this with your readers.
@ AudreyHowitt - Thank you as well for sharing!
@ editorsupremo - (love the name). It would be silly of me not to practice what I am saying - mostly because it just makes sense don’t you think, to reply to those who take the time to read, and then to make a comment and/or share. When you get to know me, you will know that I adore recognition :)
@ molometer - Your’s was where I had to stop. I try to get to read something that all those who comment have written. Sadly this morning - because I have run out of time before I have to get ready for work - I have had to put a hold on everything.
Therefore, I will leave off answering the rest of your comments and try to get back to them later today (maybe during my lunch)
It’s been a pleasure to find more great writers here. And I am delighted with the comments on an older hub. Thank you everyone.
Ok, FINALLY I have some time to get back to my readers, and to find some other terrific hubs to read.
@ tammyswallow - I do appreciate the fact that you stopped by and took the time to let me know. I’ll be over to check out your work as soon as I am done here :)
@savanahl. Welcome to hubpages and article writing. Thank you for stopping by.
@alisha4u I hope you find these tips useful.
2 follows short of 1000.
If you are not now following Duchess OBlunt and like this hub -- now might be a nice time to follow her. Here's why:
This is one of the best hubs on HubPages. And there are many from which to choose. But this hub deserves a second and third read (at least) because of the amount of very valuable information in it.
The Duchess has also linked to, and been linked by, several other hubbers. This is one of the best values/benefits of being part of HubPages.
1000 followers for the Duchess!
Well you certainly practice what you preach!! Just look at the number of comments you have garnered for this hub. Well done.
Back to your hub, it is sound and full of good tips for anyone who wants to write, from the newbie to the experienced writer.
Now, will my comment suffice, add value to your article and exceed the generic type of comment? I hope so.
Waiting for your communication Duchess.
Voted Up - very useful!
Couple of remarks about comments: 1, Why do Hubbers (including you) prefix their response to readers with an @ instead of just saying Hi, so & so?
2. I always comment on my comments. I do that one by one, not naming several in one comment.
3. We are told not to put links to our own work in the comments, but people continue to do that.
4. I read that search engines pick up text on comments, and that it's a good idea to repeat the name of the Hub in your comment. Do you agree?
I enjoyed reading this Hub very much. I will vote it UP, etc.etc.
Hi Mary, I agree with your point 1. I feel it is more personal to refer to the commenter by their username. This way it opens up the communication and rapport rather than using the @ sign which is a bit cold and impersonal in my opinion.
Maralexa - I am humbled! What praise indeed! It's been awhile since I've had time to indulge in my hobby of writing. What a wonderful way to return. Thank you for your comments :) Seriously. I don't know what else to say.
You are welcome! My pleasure. Isn't HubPages a wonderful place to write?!
Yes'm I find it so at any rate. I know some don't, but then I'm not in it for the money and I might see things differently if I was. But, there are some great people here.
Thank you editor supremo. I'm glad you took the time to comment, and yes it will suffice :) I checked out some of your work as a result of your comment - so it DOES work. I like what I read so far.
To your comment below - It's interesting that my last two comments suggest the @ as being impersonal. I never looked at it that way. I just thought it was the "norm". I'll try to keep in mind that some find it not to their liking.
Hi mary615. Let me try to answer your remarks in order:
1. I suppose by saying that "everybody does it", will get me the same lecture that I used to give my kids all the time. Hoping to pre-empt that - I'll just say that it's a habit from places like Twitter, and seems to have become the way of the internet world. To your point - I'll try to keep in mind that many find it very impersonal and try hard to keep that in the front of my mind. Maybe I'll find your point is well received by many others.
2. One by one comments are always nice. However, when the commenting becomes so numerous it's easier for the person responding to list the answers. I also find, that if I want to follow the comments of other hubs, that this method helps me to keep track because there is not so much scrolling back and forth. But each to his own.
3. Some people just don't follow the rules. That will eventually be their loss.
4. No I don't agree that it's a good idea to repeat the name of the hub in every comment. I think sometimes we over think this Google thing, and we should comment as we would if we were talking to someone. What I find the best for this Google thing is to make the comments relevant. (which by the way you have accomplished:) )
I certainly appreciate your pointers and your questions. And I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. It was a long weekend, and we just finished moving - so the computer was the last thing on my list of "to do's". It was nice to come back and see some comments. I haven't written anything new in a while, so have missed the give and take that comes from other hubbers. So, thanks again
Hi Duchess. thanks for the nice reply to my questions. That was very nice of you to take the time to do that. I had read a Hub once that it's a good idea to repeat the name of the Hub in your comment because it will be "crawled" by Google, but with all this new stuff about keyword stuffing, maybe that's not such a good idea after all.
I don't envy you having to make a move, that's tough!
Thanks again!
It's always a pleasure mary615 to take a moment to respond to a genuine question or comment. I love those ones the best because even when I don't agree, it makes me think. And that's never a bad thing.
The move? Not so tough. I have a big family and they came through for me in a huge way. We made a great team
hospitalera Level 1 Commenter 22 months ago
That is surely a hub that will create a lot of comments and conversations ;-) SY