The only reasons I comment on a blog: 1) I am hoping for a response from the author. Usually this happens when it's a 'celebrity' ala Fred Wilson from AVC or so

The only reasons I comment on a blog: 1) I am hoping for a response from the author. Usually this happens when it's a 'celebrity' ala Fred Wilson from AVC or something along those lines. 2) I feel bad for the guy not having any comments and try to help him out. Unfortunately there's a paradox online where people link from sites like HN then come back to the community they trust to comment. Once you have enough people reading your blog that feel passionate about it (not just browse + leave), start adding some calls to action at the bottom. Encourage people to share their own stories and be very specific. Examples (based on your username): 1) "Have you been food poisoned by croutons? Tell us about it in the comments!" 2) "Do you have a favorite salad dressing? Let us know!" The first part should always be a question that probes for a personal story. Everyone has their own opinion/story about something, you want to draw it out of them! The second part should be a very positive 'we want to hear from you' type vibe and always include a link to the comments. Here's a (shameless plug) example from my blog: http://getmochi.com/blog/fighting-the-gulf-oil-spill-one-haircut-at-a-time http://getmochi.com/blog/fighting-the-gulf-oil-spill-one-hai... "Do you work with a charity in your salon? Leave a comment with your best “feel good” story!" Obviously this is targeted at salon owners and not HN readers. My first sentence draws them in with a 'does this apply to you?' The second sentence encourages a comment and gives a solid idea of WHAT to comment about. This is super important because people need to be told what to do, especially when commenting. Very few people will respond to a 'leave us a comment' post.