Posts by Sabra Mwaura

Last year we released reactions to give publishers and commenters a new way to engage and since that time over 70 Million reactions have been posted globally! Today we are releasing an upgraded reactions feature, that provides more creative freedom for our Pro and Business publishers. They can customize their site reactions and we can’t wait to see the creative ways they use this feature to engage their communities. We’ll post some of our favorites on Instagram and Twitter in the coming weeks.

Although blogging has been around for more than two decades, there are still a number of misconceptions about this form of writing. From worries about qualifications to fears that the blogging trend itself is on the outs, these false impressions leave some people feeling apprehensive about the process. Today we are here to bust those myths and set the record straight! We gathered a handful of statements that we hear quite often and debunked them one by one to put any blogging unease to rest… so let’s straighten things out once and for all!

Today we’d like to announce an exciting new feature -- Star Ratings! 🤩 The new Star Rating feature, which allows readers to rate content from one to five stars, is now available to all of our Pro and Business publishers. Ratings provide another opportunity for audience engagement, giving readers an easy means of actively participating in the conversation. On average, engaged readers consume about 4 times as much content compared to passive readers. Focusing on converting more passive readers into active participants will result in more time on site, direct traffic, and audience loyalty.

We love chatting with our Disqus publishers to learn about their different goals, strategies, and advice. As a publisher with a very active Disqus commenting community Man Repeller naturally stood out, and we were lucky enough to interview Hillary Nelson, their Product Manager, last month. Man Repeller is a small but mighty media company that explores a wide variety of topics including fashion, health, beauty, culture, identity, and power. During this interview, we gained some insights into the site’s success, best practices, and future goals. Many publishers face the same issues when trying to build a successful relationship with their readers: engagement, peace-keeping, and audience loyalty. Check out our interview with Hillary below 👇

If you’re anything like me, chances are you love to keep up with the latest movies and binge-worthy TV shows. We all know the importance of staying up to date with the most current blockbusters or new episodes so friends and co-workers can’t drop any spoiler bombs before we’ve had the chance to watch. This summer, staying on top of the entertainment world is especially pertinent, with countless box-office-breaking hits (Spider-Man, Lion King… need I say more?) and TV show season releases guaranteed to overtake our weekends (hellooo Stranger Things Season 3!). Today we compiled 5 awesome Disqus sites that examine and review the newest films and shows coming out this summer:

GIFs are all the rage right now, and their vast popularity comes as no surprise. The versatility of GIFs allows them to play an important role in everything from reacting to news online to storytelling through photojournalism. They are a great way to capture the attention of audiences quickly and effectively convey a message that resonates with others. GIFs also give us the opportunity to express our emotions when we’re unable to in person.

Summer 2019 is here and we couldn’t be more excited to usher in a new wave of bright interns to contribute to the Disqus team! Over the next ten weeks, they will be spending time learning, innovating, working hard, and of course, we’ll make time for some fun too. Here at Disqus we foster and encourage an environment filled with creativity, growth, development, and curiosity! While this group will be focusing on their respective areas of expertise, we also strive to expose them to all departments of our company.

Summer is here, and we are beyond excited to try the newest recipes and restaurants! 🍝 This week we rounded up some of our favorite Disqus food websites to help you out this summer. Whether you plan to spend the next couple of months channeling your inner foodie, cooking up the yummiest summer recipes, or dining out to the trendy new restaurant-- we’ve got you covered!

If you’re a content creator, you probably spend a significant amount of time brainstorming, researching, drafting, and publishing fresh ideas regularly. There is a small sigh of relief once the piece is officially published, but it’s not long before you are on to the next idea or project. However, you don't always need to create more content, but rather smarter content! For example, you may look at a video, eBook, or blog post and see just a single piece, but there is an opportunity to repurpose or personalize that information to create something new. You can breathe new life into old content and continue to increase value from your popular posts. By repurposing, you already have a head start on the creation process. To start, take your best performing content, including blog posts, videos, podcasts, or infographics. Once you have that, let’s consider 4 different ways that you can repurpose your content:

Collaboration is a great way to grow your audience and diversify your content. Collaborating means working with someone to produce or create something new and exciting for your audience. Whether that involves contributed writing, interviews, or guest appearances, collaborations can be a powerful tool to amplify your reach and take your business to the next level - especially for emerging publishers! 📈

The final season of Game of Thrones took the world by storm with jaw-dropping plot twists and beautifully crafted battle scenes, but the finale received mixed reviews from loyal fans. With the series now concluded, let's see what people are saying about the end of the 8 season series that stole our hearts. Warning - major SPOILERS ahead!

Virtual Q&A’s are a powerful and efficient way to create a more personal experience for your audience. A virtual Q&A is an interactive gathering that takes place on the internet, and isn’t restricted to a single location, so attendees can join and participate from anywhere in the world! 🌎 The host will typically provide an area to submit questions, which can take the form of a survey, online forum, or a commenting thread. This usually takes place before the event starts, allowing readers time to input their questions about topics the host typically covers and everything in between! Whether you’re doing a Q&A write up, video or live video, this type of virtual event allows you, or your guests, to reach your audience in a more personal and direct way. Having this particular approach to your content will also let your audience to put a face to your brand. Q&A’s provide an opportunity for digital publishers to educate their audience, foster healthy debate, and share knowledge.