Beginners Guide to Writing Awesome Blog Comments
You will have heard it a thousand times before that successful bloggers participate in blog commenting. There are so many benefits of undertaking this practice that regardless of your niche I would encourage you to actively leave thoughtful blog comments.
Visiting and commenting on other people’s blogs is a great way to become part of that community and build networks. However, just because you are going to participate in blog commenting, it doesn’t mean that you are good at it!
Today we are going to look at some of the basics, a beginners guide if you will, of how you should be writing your blog comments and the reasons why this practice is so important.
Photo credit: Flickr via Thor
What makes awesome blog comments?
To understand how to participate in blog commenting, you need to first have an understanding of what makes a great post comment.
Let’s start with the absolute basics.
If you only take ONE thing away from this post, please let it be this: Your comment MUST NOT be seen as SPAM!
Leaving spam comments will do absolutely nothing for your reputation, will do nothing for the blogger whose blog you are commenting on, and will do nothing for any other readers who happen to read your comment (if it even gets published!).
Spam commentors are lazy commentors, sorry to be blunt but it’s true! If you really have nothing of value to say, then please say nothing. Don’t make up a spam comment just for the sake of it.
Keep in mind value, value and more value!
Take a moment to think about the comments you leave on other’s blogs.
- Do you give much thought to what you write in a blog comment?
- Does your comment provide any relevance to the post or contribute to further discussion?
If you are answering “No” to either of these questions, then the chances are that you are not leaving a useful blog comment.
The one thing that you do not want to see, or leave on a blog is “great post”. What does this mean? Has the reader actually “read” the post, or have they just scrolled down to the bottom to leave their ‘great post’ comment.
What should you be adding to a blog comment?
As with all posts that you write, you should be aiming for content that provides value to the reader. It is worthwhile thinking along these same lines when you leave a blog comment.
In your comment you might wish to;
- Provide reference to a particular piece of content within the post that may have spiked an interest for you.
- Ask the author questions about something they have written or further areas of development.
- Provide your view as to whether you liked the article or not….and say why!
- Any suggestions that you may have for expanding the content (this one is always great for an author to receive as it can provide new ideas for future posts!!).
If you are going to leave a blog comment, you want to make sure that it is at least a couple of paragraphs long. Of course you don’t want to leave an essay, but a comment of value is going to be more than just a few words.
Some bloggers will also not allow the “great post” comment to be published on their blog, so leaving this kind of comment could be a complete waste of time not only for the reader but also for you.
Be the #1 commentor
Not everyone can be the number 1 commentor, but someone has to be!
Lots of bloggers actually shy away from being the first to comment as they think that if no-one else has commented then maybe the post is somehow not deserving of them. Do not fall into this trap!
If you see a post that has no comments, that’s awesome for you!
Being the first off the track means that you have all the questions and all the issues to raise first. YOU will be the one that looks knowledgeable and keen and YOU are the one that other readers are going to see first.
Being the first commentor also means that others are likely to click on you before anyone else, meaning more traffic to your blog.
Let’s think about it. If you are #1 or #36 comment, which position do you think will be noticed more? It’s a no brainer isn’t it! So jump into that hot seat and be the first to comment!
Ask the author questions
Asking questions is a great way to get a ‘discussion’ happening, not only with the author but also with other readers. If you think something has been missed or something did not quite make sense, then ask the question.
Not only does asking a question should that you have actually read the post, but it also shows that you were interested in it. To comment on aspects of the post means that you have not simply skipped down to the bottom to leave your ‘for the sake of it’ comment. Rather, you have spend time thinking about the context of the post.
Make an impact
A great way of thinking about your blog commenting is to think about the impact you are making. Are you even making one?
If you are commenting on pro blogger sites you will be commenting among sometimes hundred’s of other bloggers. How are you going to stand out from the crowd?
Commenting on Pro blogger sites is a great way to gain new readership, but this will only happen if you can make an impact.
How do you make an impact? It goes back to everything we have said before – leave a thoughtful, meaningful, and valuable comment that aids the discussion.
Give respect to the blogger
Not all of the comments you are going to leave are necessarily going to be positive to the post written and that’s ok. Commenting is not about agreeing all the time with the author, it is about engaging in discussion.
However, if you read a post and you seriously disagree, leave your comment in a respectful manner. If you are rude or obnoxious, not only are you being disrespectful to the author who has put a lot of time and work into their article, but you are doing your own reputation a dis-service.
There are many ways of disagreeing with a point, but remain respectful. If you can’t be respectful, then don’t say it!
An added benefit of blog commenting:
One benefit of leaving blog comments is that other readers see your comments and may decide to click on your comment which can then take the reader to your site. Do you think that a comment such as ‘great post’ is going to encourage many clicks? I doubt it very much!
If you are unable to leave an insightful comment on someone else’s blog, then you are not doing yourself any favors for exciting people’s interest to actually come to your site.
Your Turn:
If you would like more in-depth information and coaching to learn how to blog successfully then sign up for our 12 module coaching program.
Are there rules that you normally follow when you allow comments on your blog?
Do you have a format in your mind when you undertake blog commenting?
Please share your thoughts with us below…I’m looking forward to reading your awesome blog comments!!
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Written by Catherine Holt
Catherine Holt is the founder of Blogging Tips 101. She has been an internet marketer since 2012. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google and Pinterest.
Hello Catherine,
Blog commenting is an important part of bogging. How to do blog commenting is really an Art and every blogger should learn that art. Your article really teach us how to do blog commeting effectively. Really an awesome blog post. Thanks for sharing
Blog commenting certainly is an art Moumita. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, but like anything it takes practice. When I first started blogging I didn’t even realise you could comment on blogs…sounds silly of me to say now doesn’t it! But we all have to start somewhere and commenting is a skill to be learn’t just like writing content is.
Thanks for sharing your ideas with us today
Hi Catherine,
As always, I’m impressed at how you can churn out content like this every couple of days.
One more thing that I would like to add on that list is:
Stop saying (only) “Great Post” as a comment LOL!
Over promotion is also bad. Like you mentioned the other day, let’s say they look like they are in 100 places at once, but they over promote, then they will be remembered to be THAT guy and their reputation will take a hit
And the blogs I’ve been visiting nowadays are full of long comments. It is harder to standout nowadays with all the 500+ word comments I’ve been seeing lately but length shouldn’t matter. Like you said, they should make an impact!!
Sharing this out now
Thanks so much Dennis, it means a lot to know that you are enjoying the content
Ah yes I probably should have clarified that I meant “only” writing “great post” is seen as spam. If you write a lovely comment and then end it with ‘great post’ then that is awesome….lol
Yes it can be hard to stand out, and a lengthy comment doesn’t automatically make it a great one. The important thing is that you say something relevant and meaningful, just as you have done here
Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you have an awesome weekend!
You too Catherine. I should stop using linebreaks for my comments here. I’d like to see a 1000 word comment from Ryan and Harleena with linebreaks here!!!
Ha ha…they will probably accept the challenge now!!
Hey Catherine,
Awesome post Indeed! Blog commenting is what builds a blogger’s reputation and status. Blog commenting has always been an essential part of a blogger’s journey. Even Pro Bloggers used to comment a lot. Be it Neil Patel or Seth Godin noone hides from the fact that you can’t escape from blog commenting. They are still commenting and commenting.
Coming to the point, My favorite among the all you listed above is MAKE AN IMPACT. No matter if you are the first commentor or how many comments you have left on various blogs. It’ll all be useless if its not Meaningful and Makes an Impact.
To steal the spotlight you have to leave thoughtful comments and that’s what every successful blogger does or has done. For this, you don’t have to leave comments lengthening 2K words. You just have to make sure that it makes an impact like you mentioned above.
Overall, Another Fabulous post by you Catherine. Nicely and neatly done there!
Have a great week ahead!
Cheers!
- Rohit
Hi Catherine, so good to see this topic of “how to comment” . When I have read an article that I find relevant and enjoyable I will always check the comments out. I will often comment on comments, as I do like the interaction. You have hit the nail on he head with this post,with some good guidance. I am now commenting further a field where as before I would only comment on similar type blogs, and apart from the fact it is working I am also enjoying commenting.
That’s great Jennifer. Sometimes you can learn just as much from the comments as you can from the post. It love it when people ask questions because they will quite often ask something that I hadn’t quite thought of yet the answers are also so helpful.
Whilst commenting on blogs further afield is good to broaden your knowledge and gain exposure you need to be careful you don’t spread yourself too thin as blog commenting can take up a significant portion of time. It is wise to comment on those blogs in your niche so you can build those specific networks.
Great to see you here and it’s so great to hear that you are enjoying the commenting aspect of blogging
Catherine,
It’s funny that only bloggers really get the importance of commenting, because it really can benefit all kinds of people. The people who comment on your blog regularly become your closest friends online, and you have the opportunity to really get to know them.
I’m glad to have gotten the chance to get to know you better recently and I really enjoyed filling out your interview!
Brittany
Blog commenting is fun isn’t it Brittany. There are so many people that I interact with now (on and off blogs) that I would never have got the chance to meet if it wasn’t for blogging. Having a close group of “online friends” also helps in so many ways. They are the ones that really “get” what it’s like to blog whereas other friends don’t. They can therefore pull you through the hard times, give praise where it’s due and really give support in so many ways.
I appreciate you filling out the interview questions too Brittany – I’m looking forward to sharing them with everyone
Hey Catherine, that’s a great blog post.
Being the NO 1 commenter and making an impact helps a lot. Leaving great comments on ProBlogger is a great idea. Well 100s of potential visitors surely come across your comment. That’s a great strategy.
Another great idea I liked is asking questions to the author. We can get great answers and also exposure.
Thanks for the great post.
Welcome to the blog Akshay.
Whilst not everyone can be the #1 commenter, it is certainly something to aim for, and should not be run away from. I think a lot of bloggers are off put with commenting when they can see no-one else has done so, but it really does have it’s advantages with being in that number 1 spot. Someone has to be, so it might as well be you!
It’s a good idea to be checking in on the pro bloggers regularly, but leaving meaningful comments on their sites is taking things one step further. Not only is it great for your continued learning, but it can open up a whole new level of readership and traffic.
I appreciate you sharing your ideas with us Akshay. Have an awesome week!
Hello Catherine,
No doubt, Blog commenting is a great way to build community, and get benefit from it.
There are 2 main benefit, One is get backlinks other is drive most traffic to your blog.
We should do valuable comment but the we can not avoid this that the main purpose of our commenting is to attract the visitor to our blog so that we can make a community.
and I liked your this heading “Be the #1 commenter”
IF we will be first commentator then there is lots of chances to become popular among the reader. and lots of chances to click our latest post as you describe in this post.
Any way I learn lots of thing in this post
Thanks for sharing such lovely post
Areesha Noor!
Valuable blog commenting is the certainly the key Areesha. If you leave a comment that is going to be noticed by others, that means YOU are going to be noticed. That is only going to lead to positive outcomes for your own site.
The #1 commenter spot is often overlooked by many. If it’s available grab that spot and then leave a useful and meaningful comment that will benefit both the author and other readers. That is what will get you noticed!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us
Hello Catherine,
Thanks for sharing these tips, and I wish the entire internet saw and read this so that we could all enjoy our time on the internet a lot more.
Two things I would add: (1) read the entire post – it’s sad and funny when the comment is answered in the text of the post, (2) read the comments of those that commented before so as to build on your thoughts, and or reference back (it helps build the impact).
Thanks, and have a great week.
I wish the entire internet saw this too Amiti…..lol.
Yes, reading the entire post is kind of crucial to leaving a meaningful blog comment. Reading only part will lead to a “part” reply and it will stand out a mile away.
I also agree that it is good practice to also read what others have written. Not only may you be able to learn something, but it may also lead opportunities for you to ask further questions, or maybe even share your knowledge and actually answer them!
I appreciate you sharing your ideas here. Have a great week!
Hi Catherine,
It’s funny, but I always “control F” for “Ryan” to see if I’m noted in comments. I saw Dennis did so above
You know how I feel. I just released an in-depth eBook: How to Build an Online Empire through Blog Commenting. Why? I’ve build my Blogging from Paradise brand quickly through commenting.
Such an easy, simple way to make friends and prosper IF you comment with the right intent. Give to receive.
I’m commenting here to add value to your post. That’s my prime intent. Sure, I like getting traffic and pub, and that intent is mine, too, but it’s like 90% giving, and 10% getting.
No need to be 100% altruistic because we can’t be, anyway
Just help, slow down, make an impact, and like Harleena, you can really expand your brand awareness through the comments field.
Newbies can do it. Pros can do it. Anybody can do it.
Focus on reading posts, sharing your take, being thorough, and yep, you’ll be on your way in the commenting world.
Good point in your comments too Catherine; comment length means nothing without value. Say something of note, and be thorough, to make an impact.
Thanks CH.
Tweeting soon.
Ryan
Blog commenting is certainly a great way of building a profile and drawing new readership to a site. You are certainly proof of that! I think the more you give, the more you will naturally also receive, but the intent should be on giving first.
Your right, anyone can do it, but you need to be committed to it and take positive action by leaving a thoughtful and meaningful post.
I appreciate you sharing again with us Ryan, have an awesome week!
Hey Catherine,
Great post. Alot of these things I do implement and try to implement. Probably the toughest thing for me, at times, is being the first comment. Especially if it’s a popular blog I know how being that first commenter (that leaves a great comment) can bring some decent traffic to your site. However it doesn’t always work out that way for me. So now, I don’t focus on being the first. I try to just do my own thing and write quality content.
And that’s what really matters. Quality comments that add value to the conversation.
Great post here, Catherine.
Hope you have an awesome day.
- Andrew
Not everyone can be the first commentor Andrew and it’s really not something to stress about. I guess, if the opportunity is there to be in that #1 spot then don’t shy away from it, as that is what a lot of bloggers do. For some reason bloggers only like to comment when there are already comments present.
The main thing is leaving a thoughtful and meaningful comment, whether you are in that #1 or #10 spot. Providing value to the post is what we should all br striving for.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us today6
Oh my goodness, I’m so glad I found this BLOG. With me being a newbie to this community I need ALL the help I can get. I guess it’s fair to say I’m an Interior Designer first, and a blogger second. I’m very interested in learning how I can take the BLOG to another step, so I’m a sponge right now. Keep the information coming . . . it’s great!
I am so pleased you found me too Susan…welcome
An interior designer…well you can certainly be creative with your blogging and your site! Don’t worry – you can learn this gig no problems. 3 years ago I didn’t even know what a blog was!!
Great to hear that your enjoying these posts and please let me know if there is anything I can help you with. Looking forward to hearing more from you
Hi Catherine
Another wonderful post with lot of new tips.
It is good to be the number one commentator to get the attention of all those who follow you to comment.
As another option if you can guess how much comments a blog may get, you otherwise should try to be in last numbers as to be near to the comment editor and equally get more attention because those who scroll the page must go to the last.
It is also not a good marketing strategy to point out any blunder of the post through your comments and instead should point it out directly to the blogger with Conact page. It puts good impression on him and you will add a new connection in your contact list ultimately.
Also a good commentor needs not to give so many suggestions to further add in the post. It gives an impression as the post has lot of shortcomings. One must avoid putting so many suggestions.
Thanks a lot for sharing this useful post to improve quality of blog commenting and get huge response from it.
Hi Catherine,
I’m so glad to see a post on this topic. You give great food for thought. I’m fairly new to blogging and am also learning how to engage well within the blogging community. I think the word engage is key. Somehow through comments, we’re interacting with each other and forming relationships. I know how much I appreciate it when someone writes a comment that gets me thinking and considering other aspects to what I’ve said. As you said, it can also give ideas for future blog posts. I find it exciting when readers really engage with me and so want to learn to be that kind of reader for others.
Your doing well with the engaging Rachel
It’s the comments that really excite me, and with each comment it is a way of gaining a deeper relationship with your readers. That is what blogging is all about. The more interaction on and off the blog you can have with your readers the better
Hi Catherine,
Thanks for an excellent look at this topic. Blog commenting is definitely one strategy for standing out and getting some exposure for yourself. Personally, I don’t do a ton of commenting because of time limitations but I do like to use comments as a way to start to network and build connections with particular bloggers.
I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment here Marc
Whilst blog commenting can be a great way of connecting with others, it can take up a lot of time and attention, so this is something that needs to be balanced out.
[…] Successful bloggers participate in blog commenting. There are so many benefits that regardless of your niche you should leave thoughtful blog comments. […]
Hey Catherine,
Great look at commenting! For networking, it may just be the best method for increasing your blogging connections. I’m far more likely to notice someone who comments on a post of mine than I would someone who Tweets it, for example. (Though I’m REALLY likely to notice someone who comments AND Tweets, haha!)
I do wish I had more time for comments. I’m way behind! Going to try to catch up today.
Great post, Catherine!
- Kevin
Hey Catherine.
Blog commenting is one of my main strategies to get backlinks. Many try to comment on a blog without reading the post. The only way to give meaningful comment is after reading the full post. Otherwise, the blog owner can identify whether you commented after reading the post or not. So be an intelligent and smart blog commentor.
Commenting without reading the blog post is just lazy and can certainly be shown up in the comment section. Whilst commenting as a strategy is great for helping those backlinks, it is important to remember that each and every comment should be providing value. If it’s not, then it is wise to think twice about it.
I appreciate you sharing your ideas here today
Hey Catherine,
Thank you for releasing this awesome article on blog commenting. I just shared your article on twitter.
I would love to be blog commenting superstar in the future just like Ryan and Harleena.
Considering the points you have raised in this article, one of the best way to reap more benefit from blog commenting is to be the first comment author especially if the blog is run by a popular blogger e.g. anytime i see updates from people like Neil Patel, Jeff Bullas i usually run to their articles to comment. This has been helpful to my blog traffic.
With the help of Enstine Muki plugin, blog authors can reward their comment authors with a link back as well as traffic back to their blog.
Regards,
Oloyede Jamiu
Commenting on authority blogs can certainly help raise your profile Oloyede. It sounds like you are doing this well
Ha, great minds think alike. I was actually sitting here pondering writing a post about Enstine’s new plugin and then I see this comment from you. It must be a sign….lol
Thanks for taking the time to share with us
Hey Catherine,
This is awesome! Commenting is an awesome tactic and should be utilized by everyone in my opinion.
I think once you get your head rapped around the time investment you can fully see that the benefits outweigh the time investment.
That is when you do things the right way and you post if the perfect guide for that!
Have a great rest of the week Catherine!
[…] really add anything to the conversation. If you’re looking for some guidance please see the Beginner’s Guide to Writing Awesome Blog Comments by Catherine […]