Archive for May, 2011

Procrastination

May 21, 2011100 Comments

I understand if you need to post your comment below under a "fake" name (but I will still be proud of you when you use your real name)...

But I have a very simple 2-part question for you today:

Part #1: What's one thing you know you should have done today, yesterday, this week, last month... that you didn't do? (you can be as detailed or vague about this as you want)

Part #2: What's your excuse, reason, or story for not doing it yet?

I'll explain why I'm asking this question and what I'm going to do with your answers in the next blog post... what's important is you quickly answer both of those questions below and I'll talk to you very soon.

Blog Scarcity

May 14, 201150 Comments

If you don't have a blog, you need to get one. If you do it right, it's just 10 minutes out of the month writing/scheduling that month's blog posts and maybe 30 minutes a month moderating and responding to comments.

But here's where my blogging style gets controversial... blog scacity. Limiting the number of comments.

Why on Earth would you limit the number of comments people can leave under your post? Here's why...

  1. Social Proof: Without comments, your blog looks empty. Many people are on the brink of commenting. Give them a reason to comment right now.
  2. Time Limit: Even if people want to comment, they take too long to think of an idea. This forces them to write what they're thinking right now.
  3. Interactivity: It makes your blog a fun and interactive place.
  4. Up-to-Date: Have you ever had someone comment on a post of yours that was a year or two old? Me too. It's annoying. I want people to comment on what's hot right now.
  5. Simplicity: When all the other blog posts are closed, there are fewer calls-to-action on the page.
  6. Perfect Fit: You can adjust the limit depending on the size of your blog. On a big blog, go for 100. On a smaller one, set it to 10 and then personally reply to everyone's comments.
  7. Exclusivity: It makes the early commenters special, they're the only ones with a comment on there.
  8. Schadenfreude: Everyone likes to watch ice skaters because they're secretly hoping they'll see someone fail... what if you don't fill up your number of comments?
  9. Differentiation: Most blogs haven't thought of this, or they're too chicken to try it, so you'll stand out just by doing this.
  10. Marketing: To fill up the number of comments, you might have to mail your list or more or stick the link in your autoresponder sequence (a good habit to have).
  11. Launch: To make sure everyone gets their comment in on time, you might have to announce the post a couple days ahead of time (another great habit).
  12. Results: It just plain works! You know you want more blog comments so implement this strategy of closing comments down after a certain number, and see what happens.

Which reason do you like the best? Do you think blog scarcity is a good or bad idea? Leave your quick opinion in the comment form below and click Submit Comment.

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