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flex"><div class="relative z-3 w-full lg:max-w-160 "><div class="flex pb-6 max-md:pb-2 lg:max-w-160"><div class="flex flex-wrap items-baseline pb-4 text-base"><a href="/en/" class="pr-2 text-body-primary-color no-underline hover:text-body-secondary-color">All Collections</a><div class="pr-2" aria-hidden="true"><svg width="6" height="10" viewBox="0 0 6 10" class="block h-2 w-2 fill-body-secondary-color rtl:rotate-180" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M0.648862 0.898862C0.316916 1.23081 0.316916 1.769 0.648862 2.10094L3.54782 4.9999L0.648862 7.89886C0.316916 8.23081 0.316917 8.769 0.648862 9.10094C0.980808 9.43289 1.519 9.43289 1.85094 9.10094L5.35094 5.60094C5.68289 5.269 5.68289 4.73081 5.35094 4.39886L1.85094 0.898862C1.519 0.566916 0.980807 0.566916 0.648862 0.898862Z"></path></svg></div><a href="https://help.disqus.com/en/collections/191659-community-tips" class="pr-2 text-body-primary-color no-underline 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fill-body-secondary-color rtl:rotate-180" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M0.648862 0.898862C0.316916 1.23081 0.316916 1.769 0.648862 2.10094L3.54782 4.9999L0.648862 7.89886C0.316916 8.23081 0.316917 8.769 0.648862 9.10094C0.980808 9.43289 1.519 9.43289 1.85094 9.10094L5.35094 5.60094C5.68289 5.269 5.68289 4.73081 5.35094 4.39886L1.85094 0.898862C1.519 0.566916 0.980807 0.566916 0.648862 0.898862Z"></path></svg></div><div class="text-body-secondary-color">How to Increase Reader Engagement and Retention</div></div></div><div class=""><div class="article intercom-force-break"><div class="mb-10 max-lg:mb-6"><div class="flex flex-col gap-4"><div class="flex flex-col"><header class="mb-1 font-primary text-2xl font-bold leading-10 text-body-primary-color">How to Increase Reader Engagement and Retention</header></div><div class="avatar"><div class="avatar__photo"><img width="24" height="24" src="https://static.intercomassets.com/avatars/512695/square_128/Disqus_d_icon_%28gray%29.svg-1472681159.png" alt="Disqus avatar" class="inline-flex items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-primary text-lg font-bold leading-6 text-primary-text shadow-solid-2 shadow-body-bg [&:nth-child(n+2)]:hidden lg:[&:nth-child(n+2)]:inline-flex h-8 w-8 sm:h-9 sm:w-9"/></div><div class="avatar__info -mt-0.5 text-base"><span class="text-body-secondary-color"><div>Written by <span>Disqus</span></div> Updated over 6 years ago</span></div></div></div></div><div class="jsx-ef86202475c6562f "><div class="jsx-ef86202475c6562f article_body"><article class="jsx-ef86202475c6562f "><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p><i>💡 Looking for more? Download our free ebook </i><a href="https://blog.disqus.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-increasing-reader-engagement-free-ebook" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><i>The Ultimate Guide to Increasing Reader Engagement</i></a></p></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-ordered-nested-list"><ol><li><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph no-margin intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p><a href="https://blog.disqus.com/engagement-starts-with-listening-to-your-community" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listening to your community</a></p></div></li><li><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph no-margin intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p><a href="https://blog.disqus.com/turn-comments-into-content" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Turn comments into content</a></p></div></li><li><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph no-margin intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p><a href="https://blog.disqus.com/host-events-foster-community" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Host events</a></p></div></li><li><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph no-margin intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p><a href="https://blog.disqus.com/promote-comments-outside-of-your-website" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Promote comments outside your website</a></p></div></li><li><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph no-margin intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p><a href="https://blog.disqus.com/recognize-top-commenters-to-retain-them" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Recognize top commenters to retain them</a></p></div></li><li><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph no-margin intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p><a href="https://blog.disqus.com/how-to-lower-the-barrier-to-commenting" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lower the barrier to commenting</a></p></div></li></ol></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p>An engaged audience is more likely to spend more time on your site—and then come back and do it again. More importantly, engaged readers help ensure higher publisher earnings for sites with ads enabled. But how do you get your readers to start commenting in the first place? And how do you keep them coming back for more? Follow these steps for increasing reader engagement.</p></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-heading intercom-interblocks-align-left"><h1 id="1-establish-community-guidelines">1. Establish community guidelines</h1></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p>Clear community guidelines are a useful tool for strengthening your commenting community. Create a safe and supportive space for readers to share their thoughts by setting straightforward expectations and rules of engagement. Let your readers know that, while you welcome heated debates, there are moments when moderators may need to step in. Use our <a href="https://help.disqus.com/customer/portal/articles/1450383-sample-guidelines">sample guidelines</a> to help you get started on your own community guidelines.</p></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-heading intercom-interblocks-align-left"><h1 id="2-reciprocity-is-key">2. Reciprocity is key</h1></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p>Once you’ve outlined a few rules and regulations for your community, you’ll need to <a href="https://help.disqus.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1462592-site-moderators">designate a moderator</a>. Forum moderators should not only filter any harmful or unwanted content, they should also respond to comments on your page to let readers know you’re listening. If you have other writers and content contributors, go a step further and encourage them to chime in as well. Keeping your site’s voice active in the comments section is a great way to build longer, more meaningful discussions.</p></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-heading intercom-interblocks-align-left"><h1 id="3-always-ask-questions">3. Always ask questions</h1></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p>Asking your audience a question is perhaps one of the oldest tricks in the book for increasing reader engagement, but remember, consistency is key. Make a point to include a question in every article, or add a call for comments to your author bio. Reminding readers that you want to hear from them is a great way to promote engagement.</p></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-heading intercom-interblocks-align-left"><h1 id="4-jump-to-comments">4. Jump to comments</h1></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p>Posing a question to your readers can help boost reader participation—but don’t stop there. Provide your audience with multiple opportunities to chime in by including a link that jumps to the comments section. Doing so will encourage your readers to voice their opinions. Consider adding a “jump to comments” link at the top of the article and after every question you ask your readers, or <a href="https://help.disqus.com/customer/portal/articles/565624">include a comment count</a> after article titles.<br/> <br/> <i>Tip: Getting more readers to visit your comments section could improve your ad viewability and earnings.</i></p></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-heading intercom-interblocks-align-left"><h1 id="5-highlight-the-best-comments">5. Highlight the best comments</h1></div><div class="intercom-interblocks-paragraph intercom-interblocks-align-left"><p>If you have a comment that sparks a great discussion on your site (or just a comment that you think should get more attention), you can feature it at the top of your discussion thread. This will make the comment more visible to readers scrolling through your discussion section so that it won’t get overlooked. <a href="https://help.disqus.com/customer/portal/articles/1456211">Get the how-to for featuring a comment</a>.</p></div></article></div></div></div></div><div class="intercom-reaction-picker -mb-4 -ml-4 -mr-4 mt-6 rounded-card sm:-mb-2 sm:-ml-1 sm:-mr-1 sm:mt-8"><div class="intercom-reaction-prompt">Did this answer your question?</div><button class="intercom-reaction" aria-label="Disappointed Reaction" tabindex="0" data-reaction-text="disappointed" aria-pressed="false"><span title="Disappointed">😞</span></button><button class="intercom-reaction" aria-label="Neutral Reaction" tabindex="0" data-reaction-text="neutral" aria-pressed="false"><span title="Neutral">😐</span></button><button class="intercom-reaction" aria-label="Smiley Reaction" tabindex="0" data-reaction-text="smiley" aria-pressed="false"><span 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Looking for more? Download our free ebook \u003c/i\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-increasing-reader-engagement-free-ebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Ultimate Guide to Increasing Reader Engagement\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e","align":"left"},{"type":"orderedNestedList","text":"1. \u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/engagement-starts-with-listening-to-your-community\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eListening to your community\u003c/a\u003e\n2. \u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/turn-comments-into-content\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTurn comments into content\u003c/a\u003e\n3. \u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/host-events-foster-community\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHost events\u003c/a\u003e\n4. \u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/promote-comments-outside-of-your-website\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePromote comments outside your website\u003c/a\u003e\n5. \u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/recognize-top-commenters-to-retain-them\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRecognize top commenters to retain them\u003c/a\u003e\n6. \u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/how-to-lower-the-barrier-to-commenting\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLower the barrier to commenting\u003c/a\u003e","items":[{"content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"\u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/engagement-starts-with-listening-to-your-community\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eListening to your community\u003c/a\u003e","class":"no-margin"}]},{"content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"\u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/turn-comments-into-content\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTurn comments into content\u003c/a\u003e","class":"no-margin"}]},{"content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"\u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/host-events-foster-community\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHost events\u003c/a\u003e","class":"no-margin"}]},{"content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"\u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/promote-comments-outside-of-your-website\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePromote comments outside your website\u003c/a\u003e","class":"no-margin"}]},{"content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"\u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/recognize-top-commenters-to-retain-them\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRecognize top commenters to retain them\u003c/a\u003e","class":"no-margin"}]},{"content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"\u003ca href=\"https://blog.disqus.com/how-to-lower-the-barrier-to-commenting\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLower the barrier to commenting\u003c/a\u003e","class":"no-margin"}]}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"An engaged audience is more likely to spend more time on your site—and then come back and do it again. More importantly, engaged readers help ensure higher publisher earnings for sites with ads enabled. But how do you get your readers to start commenting in the first place? And how do you keep them coming back for more? Follow these steps for increasing reader engagement.","align":"left"},{"type":"heading","text":"1. Establish community guidelines","align":"left","idAttribute":"1-establish-community-guidelines"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Clear community guidelines are a useful tool for strengthening your commenting community. Create a safe and supportive space for readers to share their thoughts by setting straightforward expectations and rules of engagement. Let your readers know that, while you welcome heated debates, there are moments when moderators may need to step in. Use our \u003ca href=\"https://help.disqus.com/customer/portal/articles/1450383-sample-guidelines\"\u003esample guidelines\u003c/a\u003e to help you get started on your own community guidelines.","align":"left"},{"type":"heading","text":"2. Reciprocity is key","align":"left","idAttribute":"2-reciprocity-is-key"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Once you’ve outlined a few rules and regulations for your community, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://help.disqus.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1462592-site-moderators\"\u003edesignate a moderator\u003c/a\u003e. Forum moderators should not only filter any harmful or unwanted content, they should also respond to comments on your page to let readers know you’re listening. If you have other writers and content contributors, go a step further and encourage them to chime in as well. Keeping your site’s voice active in the comments section is a great way to build longer, more meaningful discussions.","align":"left"},{"type":"heading","text":"3. Always ask questions","align":"left","idAttribute":"3-always-ask-questions"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Asking your audience a question is perhaps one of the oldest tricks in the book for increasing reader engagement, but remember, consistency is key. Make a point to include a question in every article, or add a call for comments to your author bio. Reminding readers that you want to hear from them is a great way to promote engagement.","align":"left"},{"type":"heading","text":"4. Jump to comments","align":"left","idAttribute":"4-jump-to-comments"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Posing a question to your readers can help boost reader participation—but don’t stop there. Provide your audience with multiple opportunities to chime in by including a link that jumps to the comments section. Doing so will encourage your readers to voice their opinions. Consider adding a “jump to comments” link at the top of the article and after every question you ask your readers, or \u003ca href=\"https://help.disqus.com/customer/portal/articles/565624\"\u003einclude a comment count\u003c/a\u003e after article titles.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eTip: Getting more readers to visit your comments section could improve your ad viewability and earnings.\u003c/i\u003e","align":"left"},{"type":"heading","text":"5. Highlight the best comments","align":"left","idAttribute":"5-highlight-the-best-comments"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"If you have a comment that sparks a great discussion on your site (or just a comment that you think should get more attention), you can feature it at the top of your discussion thread. This will make the comment more visible to readers scrolling through your discussion section so that it won’t get overlooked. \u003ca href=\"https://help.disqus.com/customer/portal/articles/1456211\"\u003eGet the how-to for featuring a comment\u003c/a\u003e.","align":"left"}],"collectionId":"191817","description":null,"id":"574579","lastUpdated":"Updated over 6 years ago","relatedArticles":null,"targetUserType":"everyone","title":"How to Increase Reader Engagement and Retention","showTableOfContents":false,"synced":false},"breadcrumbs":[{"url":"https://help.disqus.com/en/collections/191659-community-tips","name":"Community Tips"},{"url":"https://help.disqus.com/en/collections/191817-building-identity-and-audience","name":"Building Identity and Audience"}],"selectedReaction":null,"showReactions":true,"themeCSSCustomProperties":{"--body-bg":"rgb(255, 255, 255)","--body-image":"none","--body-bg-rgb":"255, 255, 255","--body-border":"rgb(230, 230, 230)","--body-primary-color":"#1a1a1a","--body-secondary-color":"#737373","--body-reaction-bg":"rgb(242, 242, 242)","--body-reaction-text-color":"rgb(64, 64, 64)","--body-toc-active-border":"#737373","--body-toc-inactive-border":"#f2f2f2","--body-toc-inactive-color":"#737373","--body-toc-active-font-weight":400,"--body-table-border":"rgb(204, 204, 204)","--body-color":"hsl(0, 0%, 0%)","--footer-bg":"rgb(255, 255, 255)","--footer-image":"none","--footer-border":"rgb(230, 230, 230)","--footer-color":"hsl(211, 10%, 61%)","--header-bg":"rgb(46, 159, 255)","--header-image":"none","--header-color":"hsl(0, 0%, 100%)","--collection-card-bg":"rgb(255, 255, 255)","--collection-card-image":"none","--collection-card-color":"hsl(208, 100%, 59%)","--card-bg":"rgb(255, 255, 255)","--card-border-color":"rgb(230, 230, 230)","--card-border-inner-radius":"6px","--card-border-radius":"8px","--card-shadow":"0 1px 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 0.05)","--search-bar-border-radius":"10px","--search-bar-width":"100%","--ticket-blue-bg-color":"#dce1f9","--ticket-blue-text-color":"#334bfa","--ticket-green-bg-color":"#d7efdc","--ticket-green-text-color":"#0f7134","--ticket-orange-bg-color":"#ffebdb","--ticket-orange-text-color":"#b24d00","--header-height":"245px","--header-subheader-background-color":"#000000","--header-subheader-font-color":"#FFFFFF","--content-block-bg":"rgb(255, 255, 255)","--content-block-image":"none","--content-block-color":"hsl(0, 0%, 10%)","--content-block-button-bg":"rgb(51, 75, 250)","--content-block-button-image":"none","--content-block-button-color":"hsl(0, 0%, 100%)","--content-block-button-radius":"6px","--primary-color":"hsl(208, 100%, 59%)","--primary-color-alpha-10":"hsla(208, 100%, 59%, 0.1)","--primary-color-alpha-60":"hsla(208, 100%, 59%, 0.6)","--text-on-primary-color":"#1a1a1a"},"intl":{"defaultLocale":"en","locale":"en","messages":{"layout.skip_to_main_content":"Skip to main content","article.attachment_icon":"Attachment icon","article.related_articles":"Related Articles","article.written_by":"Written by \u003cb\u003e{author}\u003c/b\u003e","article.table_of_contents":"Table of contents","breadcrumb.all_collections":"All Collections","collection.article_count.one":"{count} article","collection.article_count.other":"{count} articles","collection.articles_heading":"Articles","collection.sections_heading":"Collections","collection.written_by.one":"Written by \u003cb\u003e{author}\u003c/b\u003e","collection.written_by.two":"Written by \u003cb\u003e{author1}\u003c/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003e{author2}\u003c/b\u003e","collection.written_by.three":"Written by \u003cb\u003e{author1}\u003c/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e{author2}\u003c/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003e{author3}\u003c/b\u003e","collection.written_by.four":"Written by \u003cb\u003e{author1}\u003c/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e{author2}\u003c/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e{author3}\u003c/b\u003e and 1 other","collection.written_by.other":"Written by \u003cb\u003e{author1}\u003c/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e{author2}\u003c/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e{author3}\u003c/b\u003e and {count} others","collection.by.one":"By {author}","collection.by.two":"By {author1} and 1 other","collection.by.other":"By {author1} and {count} others","collection.by.count_one":"1 author","collection.by.count_plural":"{count} authors","community_banner.tip":"Tip","community_banner.label":"\u003cb\u003eNeed more help?\u003c/b\u003e Get support from our {link}","community_banner.link_label":"Community Forum","community_banner.description":"Find answers and get help from Intercom Support and Community Experts","header.headline":"Advice and answers from the {appName} Team","header.menu.open":"Open menu","header.menu.close":"Close menu","locale_picker.aria_label":"Change language","not_authorized.cta":"You can try sending us a message or logging in at {link}","not_found.title":"Uh oh. 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