If you write and publish a blog, you already know that comments are huge. Having dozens or even hundreds of comments posted under your blog post is a sign of higher readership and just plain old status. So if you are suffering from comment envy and would like to have more people post comments on your blog posts, well, no promises or guarantees, but here is how to use the Principles of Applied Stupidity to do just that:
While there are 30+ Principles of Applied Stupidity, there are two basic principles that are probably the most important. These are: 1) people like to look and feel smart and 2) most people are terribly afraid of “looking stupid.”
With a little effort you can put these powerful universal mental carrot-and-stick forces to work for you just about anywhere.
Now right away, we see principle #1 above manifested in the fact that you’re writing a blog. Let’s face it, part of the reason you’re writing a blog is to show people how clever you are. There’s nothing wrong with that. If clever people never wrote down what they figured out, we would all be living in caves.
But as commendable as sharing your knowledge is, the biggest mistake many bloggers make is that they are so taken up with how they themselves are affected by the power of Principle #1 that they forget how these two principles affect their readers.
So next time you write a blog, instead of focusing on your own need to feel smart, think for a minute about your readers’ need to feel smart.
For example, instead of just offering solutions to problems, try offering open-ended unanswered problems and conflicts. They are much more interesting than solutions. to wit:
“Will Superman escape from Lex Luthor’s Kryptonite trap? Will Lassie be able to save Timmy from the well?” These statements, which are both unanswered problems and essentially statements of ignorance on the part of the writer, are MUCH more engaging than “smart” statements like “Superman escaped from Lex Luthor’s trap. Lassie saved Timmy from the well.” Because the questions are answered and the problems are solved, the information becomes emotionally inert. It's old news. Bleh.
By asking the questions, I am, in essence, sharing my “ignorance,” and maybe in doing so I look “stupid,” but let’s face it, you are far more likely to sit thru the commercials to find out the answers if they are not offered them right away. And if the question is not answered at all, you are far more likely to post a comment.
Solutions are nice, but they often have all the appeal of a used crossword puzzle in an in-flight magazine. If it’s solved, how can you actively participate? How can you show off your smartness and do some problem solving if it’s all solved already? You can’t.
Once you study the Principles of Applied Stupidity, you will realize it’s OK to not look “smart” all the time. Yes, this runs counter to years and years of government-run education philosophy, but it will garner tremendous benefits. So the next time you blog, feel free to post a problem, and if you like, post one possible solution, but but instead of trying to look infallible, ask some additional questions or open the door that gives your readers an opportunity to look smart without a risk of looking stupid. And when you get a comment from someone, no matter how inane or irrational it may appear to you, be sure to write something like “Wow, I never looked at it that way! Thank you for sharing!” This creates even more safety for lurkers who have yet to post comments.
Now watch me follow my own advice:
In any kind of successful writing, I do believe it is important to try to see your product from the point of view of a potential reader or customer. These seemingly universal human traits seem to make sense to me. So this is just one solution that I was able to come up with, but I’m always eager to know more. Got any others? How do you encourage comments on YOUR blog?
© Justin Locke
