Little Known Blog Commenting Secrets

Best Practices For Blog Commenting

What’s in a Comment?

When was the last time you interacted with someone via a blog post?

Huh? Did you say, Interact with someone on a blog post? That’s right, you can interact and develop great relationships with people via their blog. Many relationships have been formed through the simple act of leaving a comment on a blog post.

Believe it or not, there are actually GOOD and BAD ways to leave comments on a website. Try to stick to the good ways, and you will be well respected.

Leave comments the bad way and you may find your thoughts never get posted and are simply deleted.

Here are four examples of BAD comments (so do not leave this type of comment):

1. I agree
2. I never thought of it that way
3. I really like what you have to say
4. I will have to remember this/I have bookmarked your info for later use

What is wrong with these types of comments? They are short and sweet, and that is good, right?

Wrong! They do not refer back to anything in the blog post! They look like spam comments that were left on the site by some robot. No thought went into that. As the owner of a site, I would rather NOT have these on my website than have them there so people can see that someone else was here.

Let’s take a look at each of these types of comments:

1. I agree: Rather than just say you agree when you leave a comment, let the site owner know why you agree. What is it that you like about the content? What resonates? Give some substance and let people know what you are thinking.
2. I never thought if it that way: Again, let folks know what you were thinking. What made this post cause such a divergence in your thought process? Show other visitors that you can think logically and you can make the leap from your thoughts from before to now. When someone reads your comment and thinks to her/himself, “Wow, I thought like that, too!” A connection gets made between you and that person.
3. I really like what you have to say: This is similar to commenting, “I agree.” Say why you like it. Refer back to #1!
4. I will have to remember this/I have bookmarked your info for use later: Let people know why you have to remember this or why you need to come back. What is the poignant tidbit in the post that you found compelling enough to feel you have to come back.

The bottom line to leaving valuable comments is you want to try to leave information that is helpful and beneficial to the other readers (as well as to the blog owner). Offer good advice to those that comment after you. Remember to be friendly and approachable!

With that said, there are also two ways you can leave comments. If you are an expert or have a fair amount of knowledge on the subject being discussed, you can share in the conversation by giving additional information to the topic.

Maybe it’s a tool that you use to help solve the problem; maybe it’s an alternative solution to the one proposed; perhaps it’s sharing a story about your experience and how you resolved a similar issue.

On the other hand, if you are just starting out and still learning, you can always ask a question for clarification or to get additional information. If the post was technical in nature and assumed you were at a level above your current skillset, ask if the steps can be broken down.

If an area of interest was not discussed and you feel it would be helpful to you and the community, ask if additional details can be provided. I think you get the picture!

Blog owners appreciate you adding to the conversation and helping to build the community. The other benefit to YOU is that when leaving meaningful and helpful comments, you are building up your credibility as an expert.

Folks will be more likely to click on your name/link (thereby driving traffic to your website) when you provide value to the blog’s community. By the way, this will get you remembered and poised as an expert!

The next time you are leaving comments on a blog, think about the impact you are having and how it can work towards your benefit!