Seth Godin’s excellent list of “How to Get Traffic for Your Blog” includes lots of things I was taught to do when I worked as a newspaper reporter:

  • Use lists
  • Break news
  • Include polls, meters and other eye candy.
  • Point to useful but little-known resources.
  • Write about a never-ending parade of topics so you don’t bore your readers.  
  • Don’t be boring.

And on and on. Godin’s list includes two recommendations that contradict each other. Number 27 says:

“Include comments so your blog becomes a virtual water cooler that feeds itself.”

Number  34 says:

“Don’t include comments. People will cross-post themselves.”

He doesn’t allow comments, by the way, and explains why: he doesn’t want want to write in anticipation of the commenters, and he doesn’t want to discipline himself to ignore comments. Rather, he’d be inclined to respond to every one of them.  

I love the comments function and allow comments here. Comments, anyone?

  

Posted In: Publicity on the Internet
posted On: 6/5/2006: 1:35 pm: By Joan
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