As a follow up to Tyler’s great post about 9 ways to get more blog comments, I thought it’d be a good idea to discuss what to do once those comments start rolling in. How you handle your comments is crucial to the success of your blog. It affects your reader retention and the overall popularity of your blog.

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your comments section.

• Respond Thoughtfully- The most important thing you can do is respond thoughtfully to the comments on your blog. This doesn’t mean just saying “thanks for the comment.” What this means is listening to the points your commentators are making and responding to them with careful consideration. Remember, the great thing about blogging is it’s a social activity. Take advantage of this by engaging in great discussions with your readers.

• Get Ideas for Blog Posts- A while back, I was trying to think of ideas for a new blog post. Then, it hit me. One of the comments on my past blog brought up a point that I hadn’t covered, and that had plenty of room for further discussion. Listen to what your readers are saying. Give them the content they want, and they’ll keep coming back.

• Give Top Commentators Guest Blogging Opportunities- In his post about getting more blog comments, Tyler mentions rewarding your top commentators by displaying their names on the side. I think you can take it even a step beyond that. Ask your top commentators if they’d be interested in contributing a guest post to your blog. Guest blogs are great for several reasons. They give your readers a fresh point of view, and they bring in a new audience. Additionally, it will give your commentators a sense of ownership of your blog. This makes them likelier to keep returning and to keep contributing great comments to your blog.

• Feature the Comment of the Week- Another way to get more out of the comments from your blog is to feature the top comments in a weekly blog post. For instance, every Friday you could have a post called “Top 5 Blog Comments of the Week.” Supplement this post by giving the commentators quality links back to their website. With the emphasis everyone places on link building, commentators would jump at the opportunity to earn a quality back link for their website.