What is the secret to getting a lot of responses to your post?

[kentuck]

:) When they are of such vital importance?

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. I've noticed I get more responses when...

I piss people off. ;)

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. Works every time. They're on you like flies on........

:evilgrin:

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. There is no rhyme nor reason on DU.

You know that! :hi:

Kick your post. Make sure more people see it.

[Cleita]

4. Depends on the flavor of the day.

Some posts will generate a lot of responses because that's what people want to talk about that day. Other days, they will die on the vine like an old you-know-what.

Sex, always sells though. A DUer recently got many more people to sign her petition than she had originally with a straightforward post by describing her "attributes" first, before she got to the nitty-gritty.

Well, good luck, anyway. When you find the magic key, please post and let the rest of us know how it's done.

[tx_dem41]

5. Make sure its about some side issue, or some conspiracy theory...

...preferably with some pop culture angle. Make sure it doesn't have anything to do with substantive (but not-front-page issues) such as foreign affairs (if it's not Iraq), or anything that isn't being played up on cable.

If it has to do with a country where it is hard for us to relate to the people (for whatever reason), its sure to be an orphaned-thread-to-be. Just look for the Bangladesh thread from yesterday. Just like the MSM doesn't cover these important issues, the majority of our community doesn't seem to respond to or care about them either.

[burythehatchet]

8. man, you have the uncanny ability

to take a dump on every thread I see you on.

[tx_dem41]

12. People go through phases....

this stems from lately seeing some very important stories getting posted by other DUers and they getting hardly any response, while the "Jenna does da' Butt dance" threads go on for a few hundred posts.

I'm open to criticism. If I wasn't I wouldn't post on the forum. So I appreciate the criticism, and will acknowledge going through a "chip on my shoulder" phase lately. One favor, can you show another thread lately (other than the Jenna thread) where I "dumped" on it?

[burythehatchet]

13. sorry, for me to catalogue such things is outside the scope of my interest

[tx_dem41]

15. Whatever makes you happy, I guess.

I figured since you alluded to me "dumping on posts" you had already done the work and would back up the assertion. Might help me understand what you are talking about.

[sendero]

6. Some posts...

.... have a higher that-requires-a-rebuttal or a hell-ya quotient than others.

[GOPFighter]

7. Sex. Cats

But there's no overlap.

[andyhappy]

14. MEOW!

me likey!

yeah...I wish people responded more to other posts. I would say I respond WAY more than I actually post and I wish more folks would do the same!

I wish there was a counter on all the messages so you can see how many people are reading what ya post!

I have seen that a other forums...but not many!

[burythehatchet]

9. I rarely get a lot of responses

but the threads that do generate interest are 1) personal in relation to a news issue 2)a new take on an issue 3)attracting initial posters who add value to the discussion. Other than that its timing for most people, and name recognition for a small group.

[LdyGuique]

10. I agree with the other posters and would add a couple of things:

1) Make sure the title is tabloid-like in nature -- make it either inflammatory and/or sensational. I've actually changed a title/topic on an article that was sliding down into oblivion and suddenly got postings.

2) Time of Day seems to be relevant -- if posting before noon EDT, it'll move too quickly to the second page; if posting after midnight EDT, it'll languish and then move off in the morning surge.

3) Monitor your topic and add comments to the comments to help keep it alive.

Here I thought I was the Queen of the Zero Comment topics :)

[ellenfl]

11. just as in journalism, the first sentence (subject line in this case)

needs to be a 'hook'. that gets more people looking at your thread which should lead to more responses. if the subject line is vague, i usually won't look at the thread.

remember, others might not ascribe the same importance to the info as you do, especially if the subject is local to you. i have the same problem on another (non-political) forum. i have this uncontrollable urge to inform people about our new fascist government but no one seems to care. this other forum has given me a political forum to post in, but it seems like no one reads anything i post. however, after complaining about no one reading my posts, a couple of people posted saying that they, in fact, do read them . . . so i will keep posting there.

maybe everyone who reads your post is in agreement with what you had to say and could not have said it better?

ellen fl

[applegrove]

16. The longest posts are always some new topic. As opposed to the

propaganda posts. Those repetitive posts get really annoying.

[ariellyn]

17. Cats...Schiavo....

:eyes: