1.
  Set Time Aside for Conversation The biggest conversation killer in my own life is simply that I'm too busy.
This is true in 'real life' as well as blogging.
If you don't set aside time to have conversation it is highly unlikely to ever happen because it takes time.
2.
  Ask Questions Asking questions is a powerful technique for starting off a conversation.
If you want people to respond to your posts include questions within them - it's key to get the comment thread started, however it's also a great technique for keeping the conversation going.
3.
  Answer Questions Not only is asking questions powerful - but so is answering those that readers ask.
 This can be challenging when you get a lot of comments on your blog but it makes your posts more meaningful and helpful to readers who come away wondering about some aspect of what you've written.
4.
  Track Offshoots of Conversation The beauty of blogging is that posts that one blogger publishes can inspire other bloggers to write posts on a similar topic on their own blog.
While the comments section of your blog might be the place that most of your readers interact with your ideas - a good post might inspire multiple conversations in all kinds of  places in the blogosphere.
5.
  Add Value and Depth I've talked many times about writing blog posts that are useful and unique (the secret to great content) - however it struck me recently that the same advice actually applies to comments.
If the comments that YOU leave (either on your own blog or others) are not actually useful (if they don't add value and/or depth to the conversation) and if they are not simply echoes of what others are saying (ie unique) then there is little point in leaving them.
6.
  Listen, Listen, Listen As a blogger who has just published a post you've been doing most of the talking and your readers have been doing the listening - so when it comes to the comments section of your blog turn the tables and become the listener and let others do the talking.
7.
  Play Devil's Advocate (with care) One way to stimulate conversation is to throw into the conversation an unexpected and opposing point of view.
  Playing Devils Advocate (when done well) can be a powerful tool to draw out responses in your readers and extend a conversation into a place that it might not have naturally gone.