All conversations are not created equal.
There was a time when the conversation on blogs was robust and valuable. The comments would generate deep discussions and conversation that didn’t and couldn’t really happen anyplace else. I believe that time is over. In September of 2014, after ten years of allowing commenting on my blog and website, I disabled commenting.
3 Reasons I Disabled Commenting:
- Reader Sophistication – Today most of my readers are savvy with social media and have their own personal brands and networks online. They no longer need or expect me as the author of a blog to host an entire conversation because they have many other ways to get in touch with me directly or carry on a conversation online.
- Growth Of Social Networks – As social media has grown, conversations have steadily moved off of blog comments and into those networks. Almost every blogger I know has seen a big decline in quality comments on blog posts, as those increasingly move into social media. It is understandable since most of the time, readers reasonably prefer that their thoughts and comments can exist in a place where their own network can see and discuss them more visibly.
- Comment Spam – As genuine and thoughtful comments have declined, the incidence of comment spam and unscrupulous scammers hoping to elevate their Google rankings through link baiting has increased. More than 50% of my comments at the time that I disabled them were spam – and I know this ratio is not unique among other long standing bloggers with established sites.
So the obvious question this raises is, how will we continue to have a conversation with one another? The good news is, there are still three great ways we can continue the conversation without using blog comments
How To Converse Without Commenting:
- Respond with content – If something I write sparks an idea for you, create your own content around that and link back to my site. Not only is it a much better way to share your point of view than just posting a comment – it has the added benefit of helping you build a strong (or stronger) platform for yourself.
- Engage directly – From email to the social network of your choice, there are plenty of ways to get in touch with me directly and I encourage you to do so. I would love to hear from and converse directly with you!
- Share with your network – One of the most popular ways to comment is by sharing content in social media with your point of view. Whether you choose Twitter or Facebook, or another platform – this is a great opportunity to add your voice and thoughts to a published piece, and inspire that conversation to happen online
Want to connect directly with me right now? Feel free to email me at rohit@trustimg.com or tweet a message to me at @rohitbhargava.
About Rohit
A keynote speaker on trends, innovation, marketing, storytelling and diversity.
Rohit Bhargava is on a mission to inspire more non-obvious thinking in the world. He is a 3-time Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of ten books and is widely considered one of the most entertaining and original speakers on trends, innovation and marketing in the world.
Rohit has been invited to deliver“non-boring” keynotes and workshops in 32 countries around the world to change the way teams and leaders think at the World Bank, NASA, Intel, LinkedIn, MetLife, Under Armour, Univision, Disney, and hundreds of other well-known organizations. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur and founding the Non-Obvious Company and Ideapress Publishing, he spent 15 years leading marketing strategy at Ogilvy and Leo Burnett where he advised global brands on human behavior, marketing, and storytelling.
Outside his speaking and consulting, Rohit has taught persuasive speaking and global marketing as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, is frequently quoted in the global media, and writes a monthly column on non-obvious ideas for Inc magazine. Rohit lives in the Washington DC area with his wife and is a proud dad of two boys. He loves the Olympics (he’s been to six!) and actively hates cauliflower.
Speaking
Do you need a speaker that can help your audience be more innovative and anticipate the future?
For more than a decade, Rohit Bhargava has been inspiring audiences at NASA, Disney, Schwab, Microsoft, SXSW, Coca-Cola and hundreds of other clients with his signature non-obvious keynote presentations. He is a master at weaving recent stories into his talks in a way that helps audiences better understand the world today, while also preparing to lead the future.
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Books
#1 WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author
Rohit is the author of 9 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.
