Social Media is changing the way that marketers and advertisers reach their target audiences and it changes the way that we interact online. Social Media is, well “social”. Social networking, social bookmarking, social news, blogging, wikis… In this new social age communicating with consumers has suddenly become a two-way street. It’s about people talking; it’s all about conversation.
New media’s use of commenting does something that the traditional media can’t do very well; allow users to provide feedback openly, publicly and in real time. Let’s face it, a letter to the editor just isn’t immediate enough for us anymore now that we can post a comment.
There are good reasons why you should start commenting on the blogs you read; here are some of them.
4 Reasons you should comment on other blogs
- Links that drive traffic to your site: Commenting on other blogs allows you to post a link back to your site. This can drive related traffic back to your blog/website.
- Build Personal/Brand Credibility: You can build credibility for your name as an industry leader. People will start to pay attention to your tweets on twitter, your blog posts, and the comment you post on blogs as you create a name for yourself, as you become known in your niche area as an expert.
- Give Feedback: Commenting allows you to give feedback to another blogger. When you find a blog post helpful, thank the author. It’s just a nice thing to do.
- Join in the conversation. Add value to what the blogger has said and future post readers will benefit from your comment which increases the possibility that they will click through to your blog.
Blogging Comment Protocol:
We’ve looked at the why now let’s look at some widely accepted blogging commenting how to’s.
When writing your own blog posts:
- When you write a blog post end your post by inviting comments. Ask a question that will encourage their response.
- When someone comments, return the favour. Follow the link back to their site, check out what they have been blogging about and add a comment on a post that interests you.
- When you write a post acknowledge the inspiration for your post, and link back to the original author. I read “5 reasons why you should comment on blog posts” when I wrote this. It is common practice to read other blogger’s posts on the same topic when you are writing your posts, be sure to give credit where it is due. When the original author receives a trackback or a pingback (notification from the blogging system that you have linked to them) they will check you out and hopefully comment thanking you for the link.
- When someone trackbacks or pings linking to your blog post, check out their post and comment thanking them.
- You can moderate your visitors’ comments via the Comments menu in the wp-admin backend. When you moderate a comment you can fix typos but be sure not to change the intent of the remarks.
- You have a number of options that you can set to control Comments appearing on your WordPress blog. These are adjusted in the wp-admin under > Settings > Discussion.
When commenting on someone else’s blog:
- Make sure that your comments add value to the post and to join in the discussion in a positive and constructive way. Don’t write a comment that is so long you detract from the original post. One or two brief points. This will make the blogger more likely to read and comment on your blog in return. If you make a good point you will give their readers a reason to check out your blog as well.
- Respect other commenters. Be professional, bloggers don’t want their blog to be hijacked by rude comments and their fallout.
- Show your face… Get a gravatar so that when you comment on a blog your own image shows with your comment. Gravatars are great to build your brand presence.
Now the next time you read a blog, try and comment, go ahead, you can start by leaving a comment here for me!
Hi Ruth… Thanks for the well thought out post. Another reason to comment – especially for those new to airing their opinions on the net – is that commenting is a way to build your confidence and find your voice.
Thanks Dawn. This is what I keep in mind when I teach kids about blogging. I want them to think independently and be able to express their thoughts and opinions publicly.
Wow, it’s good learning about how to comments on a blog post. Usually I just post “just a comments” with no good value. Your post make me mindful that comments is a good idea to get traffic to my website.
Yes Dawn that is a good point. Quite likely the main reason we don’t comment more is a lack of confidence. We just need to make that start.
By the way Google Analytics is showing that my site’s current top referrer is from a comment I posted on another blog. Proof that commenting works to drive traffic back to your site!
Thank you Ruth for the more detailed aspect of commenting. It really helps the writer as well as the commenter. It is really a win-win situation! 🙂
I’ve made many valuable connections due to comments I’ve made on other blogs, and from checking out some of the other commenters. You just never know who is watching!
Very good article! I am going to post on my blog for my readers!
Thank you Ruth. I have bookmarked your blog to refer back to it each time I write my blog. This is the first time I have ever commented on someone’s blog. It has taken me out of my comfort zone. Growth!
That is great Judy! Thanks so much for commenting. I know it is uncomfortable at first but it really does add value to our online interactions.
very nice article it helped me on my blog posting. thank you
I remember when I put the ‘Do Follow’ plugin on my website and then I got it listed on a popular site that listed sites that followed… I ended up getting all kinds of junky comments that were from people just trying to get SEO value for their comments. While it encouraged comments, they weren’t the kind I wanted.
I so agree with your post and in this world where social media is crazy-popular we can get great value of still building the relationships on our websites and blogs. The people who now take the time to fill out a form on WordPress are highly engaged readers and definitely people you want to keep the conversation flowing with!
Thanks for the reminder. I was brainstorming ways to get the word out about a contest I’m holding and I think rather than linking to my site straight I’ll be linking to the contest page in my blog posts… a creative way to lead people straight to a page they might be interested in I think.
Great post Ruth… Hope to see you at WordCamp TO 2011! 🙂
Although not a must, most good quality blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via GUI widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. In that sense, blogging can be seen as a form of social networking. Indeed, bloggers do not only produce content to post on their blogs but also build social relations with their readers and other bloggers.
Thanks
Alexis
I totally agree, whenever we comment on a blog it should be related to the post and must include good discussion points.
Thank You for sharing this tip which is very necessary in SEO strategy. Blog post can be a very good way to interact with others and involve in new and relevant discussion.
Hi Ruth,
Awesome post with perfect guidelines for blog commenting. Will help newbie to get approved their comments and create high quality backlinks.
Thanks for commenting Manik. I really don’t take my own advice often enough. I don’t recommend just commenting for backlinks. My best advice is to comment to add value and join in the discussion.
Good post I think I’m going to link to this post for some of my customers as many seem to have no clue what so ever about spam
Thanks for your comment Matt. Yes, I’ve often seen approved comments on blogs that are actually just spam. We tell our students that if the comment isn’t adding value, then don’t approve it. WPSpamshield does a pretty good job weeding out the spam.
Yes, Thanks for sharing these ideas as most of the people usually just spam just for the sake of a backlink. Most of the don’t do it in a proper way. I think these guidelines will help them in a proper blog commenting.
Thank you Ruth, The whole area of commenting on blogs and whether or not to do so is a whole new field for me. I found your article very informative and although you wrote it some time ago it is actually still very relevant for today. I will be checking out more of your articles,
thanks, Tony