Do You Comment on Blogs You Read?
If you follow @mrfrostings on Twitter you know his passion for motivating people to comment on blogs. (Earl Anderson is @mrfrostings, and the other half of Leslie Maynor of world-famous cake design Fantasy Frostings.) Earl has good reason for his insistence. Commenting on blogs is a win-win-win-win-win for all!
5 Reasons Why You Should Comment On Blogs:
1 – To Improve Networking
If you want to establish a relationship with someone, start the conversation. This may be another colleague in the industry, or someone you look up to. If you want to get noticed, read their blog and comment from time to time.
For example, in the two years I’ve been writing this blog, I read and notice every single comment that people write. If I’ve never heard of the business owner, I’ll click on their website to learn more about them. My natural curiosity is spiked when someone takes the time to add to this community.
2 – It Sets You Apart
If you want to be recognized for a specialty, make sure to seek others who are writing about the topic on their blogs. Share your thoughts and opinions. Not only does the writer notice your comment, but others read the comments. Comment on enough blogs with this topic and you will start to be known as an expert on this issues. Commenting on blogs sets you apart from others. It strengthens your place as an expert in your field.
3 – The Odds are In Your Favor if You Have a Blog
In Chris Brogan’s book Trust Agents, he shares that commenting on blogs is very rare. He states, “It’s commonly said that of all readers of all Web content, 10% comment and only 1% are genuine content creators (bloggers).” With only 1% of bloggers commenting on other people’s blogs, you have a really great chance of standing out. He goes on to say, “The numbers are approximations, but it is meant to show the great disparity between the number of people reading about you and number of people writing about you. Due to the rarity of those comments those who comment are remarkable and are noticed.” I definitely notice comments – on my own blog and those of others – particularly when they are providing valuable insight.
4 – It’s Kind
If you’re reading blogs, commenting is the nice thing to do. The authors spend a lot of time sharing what they know about their expertise. It’s only right to leave a little love.
5 – It Strengthens SEO
When you leave a comment on someone’s blog, you are leaving your stamp: your name and/or business name and a link back to your site. This is a direct link back to your site and improves your SEO (search engine optimization.) Now, I don’t agree with the practice of commenting only for the self-serving purpose of strengthening SEO, but this is an added benefit. By commenting, giving a little love, you get a little something back in return. It’s win-win!
A few more thoughts…
It doesn’t have to be an earth-shattering or life-changing comment, but add insight to the post by sharing your experience or beliefs. Comments like “Love this!” or “Thank you!” are kind. (I love getting any comment in any shape or size.) But, it will benefit the community greater if you can add something with a little more depth. Again, try to continue the conversation in the comments you make.
Want to get more insight on HOW to comment and WHAT to comment on… here’s a great post on SocialMediaExplorer.com on blog commenting.
What are your thoughts on blog commenting?
Not every one, but as many as I can, yes!
I’m guilty of commenting less than I’d like. I know it’s good for networking and I enjoy receiving comments, but there are only so many hours in the day. If I do leave one, I want it to be insightful, not just “great post!” as you said above. So thanks for challenging me to make an effort to comment more often.
This is such a fabulous post, Michelle! I’ve been reading a ton about commenting on blogs lately and have also seen many articles on blogging etiquette floating around (I actually did one myself here: http://www.heygorg.com/2011/03/how-to-be-better-blogger.html ) and I have to say I wholeheartedly agree. I make it a point to check out other blogs as much as I can and to always comment just because I know how special it is for ME when people take the time to do so on my site. Commenting makes the blogging world go round 🙂
I love getting comments on my blog (non-spam ones anyway) but I don’t comment on other blogs as much as I should. Sometimes I want to comment, but the forms are too much of a hassle to fill out… sign in, type in the crazy looking word, etc. It needs to be quick and easy!
I love @MrFrostings, I also LOVE blogs. I am a “bloggers blogger” basically just meaning that I not only love reading blogs but I also love to get in the conversation while writing my own blog. LOVE this post! We need more people getting the word out there that it is worth leaving a comment!
if you’re interested, here’s my blog! http://www.haphotoes.wordpress.com
I try and comment when I can! But it’s sooo easy to be lazy, especially when using Google Reader and clicking out to comment is an extra step 🙂 I love it when bloggers write content so interesting that I feel COMPELLED to comment!!
This couldn’t be more true. I appreciate thoughtful comments. It’s almost a reminder that all of those “impressions” are people, people who READ and take in the content. It’s nice to see other bloggers taking the time to spread the love and learn more about the community they are writing in. Great post!
Great post! I try to comment as time allows. I get so excited when a good (not spam) comment is left on my site and love when others appreciate it too.
Thanks for this blog post! I make sure to put comments on blogs to show my appreciation to the author. Most especially if I think they are doing a great job. =) I love reading comments on my own blog too, so I am sure it is the same way the other way around. Happy Wednesday to all! =)
Mr. Frostings always makes me laugh- but what he says is so true! Comments truly brighten my day and make me feel appreciated! I love to be able to make others feel like that too! Great post!
Thank you for this post Michelle! You are such an awesome supporter of our industry, in so many ways. From your blog to The Simple Plan to your infamous dinner parties!
I have been a very inconsistent blogger, and its partially because of past experiences. I truly felt that I was shouting in an empty room. Many might say that it was poor content, but I like to think that I was just misunderstood. (chuckle)
Blogging is a lonely task. There are so many great writers and content in the Wedding Industry Blogs, that its intimidating dipping a toe in that vast pool. Engaging comments are the only way to really tell if you’re on the right tract with your content.The other important thing that comments affirm, is your unique voice. Are we communicating with each other? Do I manage to voice something that you are thinking about? Do my words touch you in some way? Have I entertained you, or taught you something?
Comments are a public expression of admiration and respect.
Thank you for all that you do!
I am already a Mr. Frostings fan.. Glad to see that others are realizing the power of conversation and just being kind to each other. Kudos on the post.
i love commenting on my blog but sometimes I think that others wont approve it because of the reason that I just liked to be noticed. im trying it again : )
Funny how we got called out! hahaha, but it is SO true! I’m sure you were probably expecting that we would come out of the shadows and comment. I’m glad we did. I agree with the colleagues that mentioned the time constraint and also the difficulty of posting comments sometimes but I also know that we can make a little extra effort to contribute to the industry and those who dedicate time to sharing their insight with us in their Blogs.
great post and so true! i do love when i get a comment and try to leave them as much as i can…hoping to get back to reading my fave blogs again soon and will be sure to comment 😀
Thanks for sharing this!! I do try to comment on blogs as much as I can, mainly because I know how much I appreciate them on my own blog. But these reasons make me feel great about the commenting that I’ve been doing, and encourage me to comment more!
Thank you for posting this! I love reading blogs and always try to comment when I feel a connection with the subject matter. And I absolutely love it when people post on our blog as well. There is no larger compliment that that. By the way, looking SO forward to the workshop this May in New York! 🙂
reading this post reminds that i have not commented on this blog in ages, although it’s one of my favorite and most read. and i think it’s because i’ve stopped taking the time to comment on blogs in the last several months. thanks for the reminder!
Such good insight on this topic. I don’t comment much on blogs, but now I totally understand the karma of comments. Thanks for pointing it out!
I completely agree. When I first started out, nobody told me commenting was the thing I had to do. But I wanted to comment because I felt like the blogger would appreciate a response or opinion on their blog post. I guess I just always had something to say!
Thank you for this! We just launched our blog today! http://www.sqneventsblog.com/
We will be sure to comment on others. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I just discovered your blog, after speaking to another wedding vendor at a show this last weekend. I have already shared this blog with my other vendor friends via facebook. I’ll be back! (Probably daily) Cheers!
Great post as usual and a great reminder to keep on commenting, I know how excited I get when I receive a genuine comment and not one just blatently trying improve their SEO where you wonder if they’ve even read the post. Often I’ll comment on twitter when I retweet the post or as I read it in my Google reader I don’t always take the time to click through to the post. I know the best way to get comments on my own blog is by commenting on others so I am trying to remember to click through and comment. Thanks again! PS. when’s the Simple plan coming to the UK? 😉
Thank you for this post, Michelle! I am always excited to receive a comment on something I post.
Great, insightful post! We appreciate and love each and every comment that comes in. I make a point of visiting and commenting each morning over coffee on posts that inspire me and blogs I love or those I stumble upon. Comments are a great way to show your support for peers.
Commenting strengthens SEO? No. Not really. Because the link back is tagged with a “no follow” which tells the search engine robot to not follow the link, ignore it, so it doesn’t get indexed. If you look at your own page code you’ll see your comment links are tagged automatically that way by your blogging platform.
This is one of my biggest peeves about content on the net. People posting expert advice about things that they’re not experts in. Lots of bad advice being tossed around. One has to actually learn from verified sources, not internet blogs.
Thanks Mr. Me for the info! I had no idea. I do not claim to be an expert in SEO whatsoever… so I do appreciate you shedding some light on this. There is quite a lot of information that leads readers/learners (including myself) to believe this to be the case. Do you have any recommended sources where people can learn more about this? Where people can learn the *TRUTH* about this?
One of my fellow bloggers (and friends) send this my way as I’m new to the world of blogging. Thanks for these suggestions!