Comments are somewhat difficult to come by these days. It’s nobody’s fault really, we’re all just too busy and commenting… let’s be frank. It takes some work. While I’ve never worried about the number of comments received, one thing is guaranteed.

I’m deeply grateful for each genuine comment.

To me, if someone takes the time to comment despite their busy schedules, despite the little bit of work, they are a whole lot more willing to engage with me. They are a lot more willing to hear me out. They are more ready to read my posts. They are more open to beginning (and hopefully keeping) a relationship with me or our company. And finally, they are more likely to buy what I offer.

Knowing that, it only makes sense to want to be good to these folks. There are a few things you could do like giving them a coupon or special gift after they comment.

But what happens if you require approval for comments? On all my blogs, first time commenters require approval. They probably won’t see that message that is displayed immediately after a comment. Jeff Chandler shows us a wonderful little plugin called Comment Approved that will help with that.

I like Jeff’s suggestion on alternative messages and not just a simple thank you. This is an opportunity to win people over.