Transform Your Blog To A Real Discussion Board Through Blog Commenting!

I read a lot on different blogs these days and one of the hot issues discussed by many bloggers is how to get more comments on blog posts and boost their social proof. Truth is, blog commenting is an important blogging activity with a wide range of goodies.

The unfortunate thing is the unbalance I have noticed all round the blogosphere. While most of the articles you read on blog commenting are focused on the site visitors, very little is being said to educate the post authors or blog owners.

In this post, I want us to see how you can turn your blog to a real discussion board thereby encouraging repeat visits and improving your SEO through a positive increase in page impressions, return visits, page views and time on site. I’m not going to dwell on how to get more comments or why you don’t get comments. Instead let’s discuss what needs to be done to get your readers coming back for more interaction and blog commenting.

Write in a conversational tone as if you are having a discussion with a friend and always remember to give them space to speak. Don’t be like the Sunday preacher who should be listened to from the inception of his sermon to the end. Trigger response by asking questions and encouraging people to share their opinions in the comments. Don’t write like a robot.

Be human.

It’s one good thing to get your visitors to leave a comment and it’s yet another to get them back to engage in more exciting and productive conversation.

You need to provide the right tools that encourage blog commenting. Most blog commentators today want to be rewarded for leaving a comment on your blog. Don’t get me wrong. No one will ask for $1 Paypal transfer in order to leave a comment on your blog

Today, CommentLuv premium has made this exercise an exciting one. With a huge list of advantages to the commentator, a majority of your readers will do a blog search looking for CommentLuv enabled blogs to leave comments on. Check this video from Ms. Ileane to see why.

BONUS VIDEO: CommentLuv with ReplyMe Plugin for WordPress

A lot of us are using the free version. There is nothing bad with that but if you want a higher speed, and more controls, get the full version (I don’t work for Andy Bailey by the way )

If you are concerned about spam, be sure to install GASP the WordPress Comment Spam Plugin.

I hate captchas and so do many of us bloggers. Frankly speaking, there are times that I read some blog posts just to gain an understanding of the content so as to leave the required comments. Most often, captchas are some of the things that drive me off as soon as I land on the page.

You have to waste time trying to figure out what the twisted image is. If you are not accurate, you will have to restart the process and waste more time.

In fact, this is the reason I’m writing this post. It does not suffice to get readers to leave a comment and go for good. It’s your duty as author or blog owner to get readers back. You are not going to use some tools to trick or force them back to your blog. You are simply going to make them feel recognized and see a reason to come back to that same article in few ways:

Use ReplyMe plugin. If you have the latest version of CommentLuv, then you have the best and most updated copy of ReplyMe. What it does is simply send a mail to the comment author each time he gets a reply.Reply to your comments. Some bloggers don’t reply to comments. They must be big enough not to pay attention to comments on their blogs. However, if you want to reap the benefits of blog commenting as a blog owner, you cannot afford not to reply to comments.Converse and ask questions in your replies. As a blogger, I know you hate comments like “great post”, “Thanks for sharing”, “I enjoyed reading this”, etc. Now, as a commentator, I also hate when you reply to my comments saying things like  ”Thanks for commenting”, “Thanks for stopping by” , “Thanks for reading”, etc. You really don’t want me back , do you?Recommend some other articles in your replies. This works well. I have tested and seen results. If you point to some other resources for your readers in the comment box, they always come back to check.Some bloggers will love to be featured on your blog as top commentators. I have personally noticed this as one of the reasons some readers are consistently commenting on some blogs. Why not provide a widget for your top commentators?Now one last crazy idea is to randomly select the commentator of the month and reward him or her. That sounds crazy but can take blog commenting on your blog to a higher height.

Are you reaping the benefits of blog commenting? Do you get your readers coming back to reply to comments? Is your blog a real discussion board?  Please share your thoughts in the comment box.

Tagged as: Blog Commenting, CommentLuv, SEO

View the original article here

Transform Your Blog To A Real Discussion Board Through Blog Commenting!

I read a lot on different blogs these days and one of the hot issues discussed by many bloggers is how to get more comments on blog posts and boost their social proof. Truth is, blog commenting is an important blogging activity with a wide range of goodies.

The unfortunate thing is the unbalance I have noticed all round the blogosphere. While most of the articles you read on blog commenting are focused on the site visitors, very little is being said to educate the post authors or blog owners.

In this post, I want us to see how you can turn your blog to a real discussion board thereby encouraging repeat visits and improving your SEO through a positive increase in page impressions, return visits, page views and time on site. I’m not going to dwell on how to get more comments or why you don’t get comments. Instead let’s discuss what needs to be done to get your readers coming back for more interaction and blog commenting.

Write in a conversational tone as if you are having a discussion with a friend and always remember to give them space to speak. Don’t be like the Sunday preacher who should be listened to from the inception of his sermon to the end. Trigger response by asking questions and encouraging people to share their opinions in the comments. Don’t write like a robot.

Be human.

It’s one good thing to get your visitors to leave a comment and it’s yet another to get them back to engage in more exciting and productive conversation.

You need to provide the right tools that encourage blog commenting. Most blog commentators today want to be rewarded for leaving a comment on your blog. Don’t get me wrong. No one will ask for $1 Paypal transfer in order to leave a comment on your blog

Today, CommentLuv premium has made this exercise an exciting one. With a huge list of advantages to the commentator, a majority of your readers will do a blog search looking for CommentLuv enabled blogs to leave comments on. Check this video from Ms. Ileane to see why.

BONUS VIDEO: CommentLuv with ReplyMe Plugin for WordPress

A lot of us are using the free version. There is nothing bad with that but if you want a higher speed, and more controls, get the full version (I don’t work for Andy Bailey by the way )

If you are concerned about spam, be sure to install GASP the WordPress Comment Spam Plugin.

I hate captchas and so do many of us bloggers. Frankly speaking, there are times that I read some blog posts just to gain an understanding of the content so as to leave the required comments. Most often, captchas are some of the things that drive me off as soon as I land on the page.

You have to waste time trying to figure out what the twisted image is. If you are not accurate, you will have to restart the process and waste more time.

In fact, this is the reason I’m writing this post. It does not suffice to get readers to leave a comment and go for good. It’s your duty as author or blog owner to get readers back. You are not going to use some tools to trick or force them back to your blog. You are simply going to make them feel recognized and see a reason to come back to that same article in few ways:

Use ReplyMe plugin. If you have the latest version of CommentLuv, then you have the best and most updated copy of ReplyMe. What it does is simply send a mail to the comment author each time he gets a reply.Reply to your comments. Some bloggers don’t reply to comments. They must be big enough not to pay attention to comments on their blogs. However, if you want to reap the benefits of blog commenting as a blog owner, you cannot afford not to reply to comments.Converse and ask questions in your replies. As a blogger, I know you hate comments like “great post”, “Thanks for sharing”, “I enjoyed reading this”, etc. Now, as a commentator, I also hate when you reply to my comments saying things like  ”Thanks for commenting”, “Thanks for stopping by” , “Thanks for reading”, etc. You really don’t want me back , do you?Recommend some other articles in your replies. This works well. I have tested and seen results. If you point to some other resources for your readers in the comment box, they always come back to check.Some bloggers will love to be featured on your blog as top commentators. I have personally noticed this as one of the reasons some readers are consistently commenting on some blogs. Why not provide a widget for your top commentators?Now one last crazy idea is to randomly select the commentator of the month and reward him or her. That sounds crazy but can take blog commenting on your blog to a higher height.

Are you reaping the benefits of blog commenting? Do you get your readers coming back to reply to comments? Is your blog a real discussion board?  Please share your thoughts in the comment box.

Tagged as: Blog Commenting, CommentLuv, SEO

View the original article here

Health Care Exchanges To Transform Insurance Market

-- Health insurance exchanges will change the way people buy coverage and will help millions of uninsured people get a private plan. Nearly 49 million people are uninsured in the United States, but the numbers vary dramatically by state.

Exchanges will be the most visible part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law in everyday life. Open enrollment starts Oct. 1, less than 10 months away.

Some questions and answers on how the exchanges will work:

Q: What's a health insurance exchange?

A: "Exchange" is just another word for "marketplace." The plans sold in the new markets will start covering patients on Jan. 1, 2014. Each state will have its own exchange serving people who buy their health insurance directly, as well as a separate one for small businesses. The vast of majority of people now covered by employer plans will not see a change.

There will be three types of exchanges at the beginning: those run by states, those run by the federal government, and partnerships. Most Republican governors opposed to "Obamacare" are letting Washington run the exchanges in their states.

For consumers, the benefits should be the same no matter who runs the exchange.

Q: How will exchanges work?

A: Exchanges are supposed to have the feel of an online travel site – think Orbitz or Expedia.

Middle-class people will be able to pick from a range of private insurance plans, and most people will be eligible for help from the government to pay their premiums.

Low-income people will be steered to safety-net programs for which they might qualify. This could be a problem in states that choose not to expand their Medicaid programs under a separate part of the health care law. In that case, many low-income residents in those states would remain uninsured.

Q: How will I know if I can get help with my health insurance premiums?

A: You'll disclose your income to the exchange at the time you apply for coverage and they'll let you know. Only legal residents of the United States can get financial assistance.

The health care law offers sliding-scale subsidies based on income for individuals and families making up to four times the federal poverty level, about $44,700 for singles, $92,200 for a family of four.

But do yourself a favor and read the fine print because the government's help gets skimpier as household income increases.

For example, a family of four headed by a 40-year-old making $35,000 will get a $10,742 tax credit toward an annual premium of $12,130. They'd have to pay $1,388, about 4 percent of their income, or about $115 a month.

A similar hypothetical family making $90,000 will get a much smaller tax credit, $3,580, meaning they'd have to pay $8,550 of the same $12,130 policy. That works out to more than 9 percent of their income, or about $710 a month.

The estimates were made using the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation's online calculator. Some people will also be eligible for help with their copayments.

Final note: Though it's called a "tax credit" the government assistance goes directly to the insurer. You won't see a check.

Q: What will the benefits look like?

A: The coverage will be more comprehensive than what's now typically available in the individual health insurance market, dominated by bare-bones plans. It will be more like what an established, successful small business offers its employees. Premiums are likely to be higher for some people, but government assistance should mostly compensate for that.

All plans in the exchange will have to cover a standard set of "essential health benefits," including hospitalization, doctor visits, prescriptions, emergency room treatment, maternal and newborn care, and prevention. Insurers cannot turn away the sick or charge them more. Middle-aged and older adults can't be charged more than three times what young people pay. Insurers can impose penalties on smokers.

Because the benefits will be similar, the biggest difference among plans will be something called "actuarial value." A new term for consumers, it's the share of expected health care costs that the plan will cover.

There will be four levels of coverage, from "bronze," which will cover 60 percent of expected costs, to "platinum," which will cover 90 percent. "Silver" and "gold" are in between. Bronze plans will charge the lowest premiums, but they'll have the highest annual deductibles. Platinum plans will have the highest premiums and the lowest out-of-pocket cost sharing.

Here's a wrinkle: The government's subsidy will be tied to the premium for the second-lowest-cost plan at the silver coverage level that's available in your area. You could take it and buy a lower cost bronze plan, saving money on premiums. But you'd have to be prepared for the higher annual deductible and copayments.

___

Online:

Federal government health care site: www.healthcare.gov

Kaiser Health Reform Subsidy Calculator: http://healthreform.kff.org/subsidycalculator.aspx

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View the original article here