Why and how to leave comments on blogs

Posted by Fiona in business blogging on Nov 23rd, 2009 | no responses

The vital element that sets blogging apart from your standard website – or other media in fact – is the ability to add your comments to the author’s post.

Commenting makes blogging more interactive – much more of a conversation.

Sometimes I enjoy reading the comments as much as the blog post itself. This is a random example: a post by Chris Perry on how Fortune 100 companies are (or aren’t using Twitter) which sparked some interesting dialogue on how Twitter can be used and how we all regard Twitter differently.

Blog comments themselves can be as lively, controversial and entertaining as the original post and add more depth.

Whether you agree, disagree, want to add to the comment conversation or add extra information to the author’s post – you can have your say and be published!

Imagine after reading an inspiring magazine article by a global leader in your industry you were able to shake their hand, give them your business card and say, “I agree/ disagree and have you read this about the topic too?” That’s what commenting on a blog post is like.

You have the opportunity to gain the attention of the author, you can add your web address to your comment (so they can check out what you’re about), you supply your name and your email (so they can contact you) – and you give them feedback directly!

This means commenting on people’s blogs is almost as important an activity as writing on your own blog.

Commenting gives you opportunities to;

- build your own profile by show-casing your expertise and thought leadership, which in turn gains readers for your own blog

- include a link back to your own website or blog which again can drive traffic to your site if people are interested in what you’re saying

- support, reach, and interact with other bloggers

- build a connection with the author that could develop into a rewarding relationship.

But beware; commenting requires effort – I’ve noticed as I moderate all our various blogs that some genuine comments look much like the new breed of spam comments; ‘Nice post’ or ‘I like your site” or “Important info and thanks for posting” and so on.

So when leaving a comment make sure your comments don’t look spammy!

You can do this by being genuine and;

- Mentioning the author’s name

- Keep your comment relevant to the post (so it’s obvious you’ve read it!)

- Be specific with your comment or question (not just a vague ‘nice post’)

- Add value in some way, by offering another viewpoint or more information or giving examples that weren’t included by the author.

Consider implementing a commenting strategy to your blog strategy (and time line!) Caroline Middlebrook wrote a comprehensive post awhile ago about what to consider with your commenting strategy. Think about what blogs you want to focus on; the importance of commenting early and how to still add value with your comment when there’s nothing left to add except ‘nice post!’ (and not getting obsessive about it all!!).