As we create content for our blogs, spruce up our Facebook pages and share our favorite pictures on Flickr, it’s easy to become so infatuated with our personal brands that we forget to comment on others’ sites. If you enjoy people commenting on the fruits of your labor, why not take some time to share the love?
I find commenting on others’ blog posts one of the best ways to learn about other people’s beliefs and challenge my own. Dialogue that occurs in the comments section can often be as informative — if not more so — than the original post itself, and most bloggers enjoy seeing people debate their assertions.
But the real beauty is that everyone wins: By actively participating in discussions on others’ sites, you increase the likelihood that people will comment on your own online projects.
When you do comment, though, make sure your observations are constructive and help facilitate further discussion. Comments like “great post!” or “awesome picture” are nice but they don’t leave much room for debate or analysis. Try to offer thoughtful feedback that helps the host and other commentators see the ideas in a new light.
How often do you make time to comment? What types of things do you learn from others?
Photo Credit: Premasagar
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Kevin,
This is good stuff. My personal response: not nearly enough. Like others, I’m prone to be more @reply happy on Twitter, comment friendly on Facebook, or active in some form on LinkedIn…and although I certainly read loads of blogs, I just don’t quite pull the comment trigger as often as I would like. But your right, especially as communications pro’s, we need to keep the dialogue going on all different channels…and since blog posts and comments are much lengthier than tweets, etc., there is certainly the likelihood that the value will be higher for both sides through this dialogue.
Also, although I shouldn’t admit, the extra step of adding my contact info into a blog comment might turn me off from time-to-time. That typical?
Cheers,
Jeff
Jeff – Thanks for your comment! Twitter certainly lends itself to short bursts of communication which can be appealing, especially when you’re crunched for time. On the other hand, it’s nice to dispense with the 140 character limit sometimes and offer lengthier responses after a blog post, for instance. Regardless of which forum you choose, the publisher of the content will certainly appreciate it. I don’t mean to suggest that commenting on a blog post is necessarily better or worse than offering commentary via other new media platforms. It’s the thoughtful interaction that’s important. Thanks again for your comment.
In response to Jeff’s comment — I completely agree! A lot of blogs require you to enter your email, and then respond to their test message to verify, before your comment would be posted. This is a buzzkill in the twitch-based age of internet comments.
A good example of blog comments done right is EVCin (http://www.voncoelln.com/eric/) — you can log in through Facebook connect to post a comment in seconds.
Hey Kevin, great post. I like your blog and the design. I need to find a better template for my blogger site, I might switch to wordpress but then I won’t be able to place ads. I try to comment on blogs and promote whatever I’m working on. My new college network theCollegeHookup.com launched last month, and I’m still trying to come up with my strategy. Got some other ideas in the works and am applying to grad schools. Probably seeking MS-IT programs because that will help with my web development.
Joe -
Congrats on your new site. To my knowledge WordPress does not restrict ads. As for a marketing strategy for your site, you might consider commenting on blogs that cover the same topic or theme, but my advice is to avoid the hard sell. It tends to be more effective to focus your attention on advancing relevant conversations. Most blog comment sections allow you to include a link to your site along with your name and email address. If your comments are thoughtful, people will naturally get curious and check out your site without the need for an overt promotion.