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Home » The Famous Blog » What NOT to Do in Blog Commenting

What NOT to Do in Blog Commenting

July 13, 2011 - Last Modified: August 4, 2011 by Nikki Romero 1,800

Blog Comments

“1 New Comment.” That line is one of the most exciting things a blogger can read and can make his day. It shows that someone out there is actually reading his blog, and taking some time off to comment on his article. It is like a gold star on the workbook of a preschooler, applause after a recital or a medal after a competition. For those who spend their time isolated in their homes and chugging away in front of the computer, this is their way of socializing and meeting new people. After all, that is what blog comments are about – it’s an online conversation.

Posting a comment on someone’s blog is equivalent to initiating conversation with the author, and the rest of the people in the blogging community.  It is a way to be heard and to voice your opinions. It is a way to make people aware of your existence. Then again for some, it’s only a way to spam and collect backlinks.

And that is what bloggers hate the most. When they check and see that it is indeed just a spammer or someone collecting backlinks, they get annoyed and immediately delete the comment, if it hadn’t been filtered by their spam filters yet, that is. It is a waste of time, clutters his blog and disrupts the conversation in his blog.

So is there a proper way to comment on blogs? There is no strict rule when doing it. A lot of posts have already covered blog commenting etiquette.  Some mention step by step methods on how to find blogs that are worth commenting on, while the rest talk about tips on how to do it.

However, some people just can’t get a hold of themselves and still try to practice the things that shouldn’t be done in the first place. So instead of writing a post that will show you how to do blog commenting, here are 5 things to avoid when we type down our comments:

1) Don’t use bold or italic characters to make your comments noticeable

This may seem minor but some people actually use these attributes so that they can highlight their ideas on a certain blog. Don’t fret, your comments will be noticed. The blogger always takes the time to read the comments and reply to those worth replying to. So you don’t need to do this to highlight yours. Your comment is equally important as the rest of the 75 comments above.

2) Don’t write a novel

In blog commenting, there is no need for flowery words. Lay down your cards right away.  Not everyone has the time to read your storybook comment no matter how beautifully crafted your words are. Keep it simple.

3) Don’t pretend

This is actually connected to the reminder mentioned in number 2. When your comments are simple and straightforward, you give the impression that you actually know what you are talking about. Long comments that try to beat around the bush make the author and the commenters think that you don’t have any idea what the article is about, and that you are just there pretending to have a say so that you can put back-links. Treat other people’s opinions as sacred. If you have no idea what the article is about or have nothing important to say, let it go and move on to the next one.

4) Don’t be a bore

Duh. Who wants to hang out with a boring person? It’s the same in the online world. We will not know how witty or funny or smart you are unless you say something. If you want to join in on the conversation, you better write more than just “Nice post!” or “Keep up the good job.” So say something worth replying to or choose a conversation starter. You can even connect it to an article on your blog,  as long as it makes sense. Sure, as a blogger, it’s always nice to have a pat on the back and receive compliments on your writing.  But if you don’t have anything more to say than that, then you just ended the conversation right there. Leave something valuable and people will remember you for it. They might even go to your blog to check you out!

5) Don’t just kick ass

Kiss it too. One of the things I learned when giving comments is to kick and then kiss. It’s something you can use no matter what the situation is. If you don’t agree with the author’s perspective about things, go ahead and disagree. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t coincide with the views of everybody else participating in the blog. It adds more fun to it, and can serve as a conversation starter. Do make sure though that when you do this, you end it by complimenting the author for putting up a thought-provoking idea. After all, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Commenting is the best way to tell the author of the post that you found his article and that you enjoyed reading the post. It also tells him that you learned from him, were affected by his opinions and insights and that you appreciate his effort of sharing his ideas with the rest of the online world.

Blog commenting is a powerful marketing and networking tool. Abuse it and you get labeled as a spammer. Use it well and you will reap the rewards after.  So hop in, join the party and enjoy.

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Filed Under: Blog Comments

About Nikki Romero

Follow @nikkisurfs

Nikki Romero is a proud mom of an adorable little boy and the head of an indispensable virtual assistant team - Pepper Virtual Assistants.

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{ 38 Responses }

  1. Manish Joshi says:
    Suggestion given by you are excellent. I am trying commenting from quite some time to increase clicks but more important thing besides these are one should be very much aware where to comment and what to comment, so that its give them a good clicks without bounce rates which is major thing we have to consider for our websites and web pages.
  2. marissa says:
    I didn't know long and toughfull comments were bad. I always like to reaf really long comments if I am interested in the topic what the blog post is about. Those long comments are sometimes more valuable than the actual posts because some people really want to shine their knowledge in the comment section and never bother to write their own blogs.
  3. George Anderson says:
    I agree with all your points, Thanks for sharing.
  4. Suzanne Bowen says:
    I like this part the best: "Don’t just kick ass. Kiss it too." When I write or post any media on the Net, I don't mind when people disagree with me or critique my creation. A fair review is better than surrounding one's self with a bunch of "Yes Men and Women." I found your blog post via Stumbleupon, FYI.
    • Nikki Romero says:
      Exactly! It's always great to get a bunch of different views - there's always something new to learn from everyone. Thanks for letting me know about Stumbleupon too!
  5. Jomar Lipon says:
    I follow what not to DO in blog commenting. It looks spam comments if you a article comment.
  6. Peter, Sydney Group Dining says:
    I love that you're teaching the thought out comment. What most people don't realize is following these steps are part of the very backbone to building relationships with other bloggers. Think about it, if what bloggers are hungry for is comments, and you're feeding them with something more substantial than "great post" you're giving them exactly what they want. Take it a step further and add to what they were talking about, and you've made the comments section a very valuable place to read, and can extend the conversation well beyond the life of the original post. Well thought out comments over a longer period of time can often lead to guest posts, and even joint ventures too :-)
    • Nikki Romero says:
      Thank you, Peter! That was very well said. Whenever I read a post, I always automatically read the comments section too. It's very interesting to see what people think of the post and more often than not, they share very good ideas too. Sometimes, I get even better ideas and insights there or discover other useful sources of information. Other times, I just find it amusing to see the different points of view of people (and arguments! :D)
  7. Lalit says:
    I thinks all the points are well written except one where you have mentioned don't write novel. No one here comes for writing a novel, however many spammers will come and will start selling something else. A genuine argument can be one to two paragarph and in my opinion, it should be allowed. As the last pont is concerned, as a commentor I have full right to agree or disagree.
  8. Ryan Eisenhower says:
    It's really quite tricky to figure out. With the introduction of comment luv, it's a great way to essentially share the love, and network with other bloggers. On the other hand, it can be extremely annoying getting comments that have no value to your posts....
  9. marvic says:
    Its really quite annoying to received comment that are not related to your post. As a blogger you really appreciate good comments and happy to be able to help by the blog you posted. I love reading blog post and leaving comments. But I have as a respect to the owner of the blog. I see to it that what I posted is relevant to the issue. If I cant relate its better not say something at all.
  10. Giselle says:
    Hi Nikki, good points. If I may add too, that when you comment, please make it a little more relevant even if you are just trying to earn a cookie point (backlink) I just hate it when someone drops me a comment, I get all excited then bam! no relevance at all. It's close to insulting the author and that is not good. I can tolerate spammers just as long as they stay relevant to the post. lol :) Thanks and have a nice weekend y'all :)
    • Nikki Romero says:
      And that is my reason for writing this post. ;0
  11. Daniel Snyder says:
    Hey Nikki. I tried commenting before, but now I'm back to try again. I liked all your points, but yet personally feel that receive comments on your blog is over rated. I initially strove for comments as a measuring stick to see if my blog was doing well. However I've found that the vast majority (over 90%) of comments are being left by other bloggers interested primarily in backlinks as opposed to genuine interaction and conversation. There are very few comment threads that go beyond 2 comments. People don't subscribe, and don't come back to respond to the author. Comments are also not sales, and as such measuring a blogs success by them is probably not a good idea. I get a lot less comments now because I engage less in social media and other blogs, yet my blog makes way more income then it did when I was receiving triple the comments... My question to bloggers is, what are your priorities? Is your goal a lot of comments, or is your goal cash? Comments don't convert... though admittedly they do hold some weight as social proof, it is not a bottom line for me.
    • Nikki Romero says:
      Thank you Daniel for your comment and for sharing your insights. I think the bottomline for any blogger would still be cash and the blog is used as a means to that end. And an easy way to see if your blog is doing well is by looking at the comments and the type of people it is attracting. Yes, comments won't convert most of the time, but through them, you will get valuable insights on the type of audience your blog has. And that to me is very valuable. (I still have to reach the point where I get tons of comments and conversation though! ;p)
  12. Faissal Alhaithami says:
    lol^^ loved the 5th point, and I'm totally agree with you! because bloggers love to here something nice not only criticizes. Besides, bloggers always remember the motivator and would be willing to create a relationship with.
    • Nikki Romero says:
      Yep, exactly! :)
  13. Gerald Weber says:
    I'm going to go ahead and disagree with number 1. If you re talking about bolding an entire comment to make it noticeable then you should not do that. But using italics or bold to get your points across is perfectly fine. in my opinion :-)
    • Nikki Romero says:
      Yep, that's what I meant - when you have more words in bold or italics then regular font.Thanks for clarifying that. Otherwise is fine, like your comment. ;)
  14. Ramiro Rodriguez says:
    Thanks for posting this on Facebook. I left a silly comment on a blog the other day and found out that it was deleted by the blog owner. That hurt. I was tired and just wanted to leave a quick comment but it didn't turn out so well. I'll take your advice to heart so that my comments don't get deleted any more.
    • Nikki Romero says:
      Hi Ramiro, I think that just happened to me here! LOL. I replied to your comment last week, but checked now and it didn't show up. Anyway, I'm glad I was able to help. Silly is okay with me, as long it's related to the post and not completely off track. If it makes me laugh, I'll go ahead and publish it. But if it's just plain silly and detracts from the post, then yes, it will get deleted.
  15. Mircho says:
    get a hold of themselves and still try to practice the things that shouldn’t be done in the first place. So instead of writing a post that will show you how to do blog commenting, here are 5 things to avoid when we type down our comments:very nice..nice and popular..
  16. Avelina Marshall says:
    To comment on a post with more than three or four line means you have read the post and you know what the author is trying to convey. And this gives admin a message that you should approve this comment. While writing just a line in the favor of writer and blog caste a spammy impression. Also you should read comments of others to have a little knowledge what is going on there. Some time it happens that the comment section just changed the entire title and theme. They just start a new debate their. And if you comment on post it shows that you have no idea and commenting after just reading the title... spam again. But it disappoints you when you read entire post and comments like me and then add your remarks and your comment is not shown.
  17. Michael says:
    Yes, you got the whole idea right. Some people pretend a lot when they are leaving a comment. But they fail to realize that EVERYTHING you say or do online, is transparent. We all need to create the right values for ourselves. Generating traffic is has no shortcut, Determination and thinking of ways to make others succeed with their blog is the fastest way to getting what we want and that includes RICH, TARGETED TRAFFIC.
  18. Musthafa says:
    thanks a lot for your valuable sharing ,right from the beginning till end it was really very informative
    • Nikki Romero says:
      Thank you, Musthafa. You just made my day. :)
  19. Sabrina says:
    I am trying to learn how to leave constructive criticism. When skim though the comments section on a blog the comments that stand out for me are those that may not agree completely with the blogger.
    • Nikki Romero says:
      That's true, Sabrina. I also like those that add more information or relate to their personal experience. I find that it enriches the whole conversation.
  20. Mark says:
    I am afraid to comment on this article...LOL! Just kidding. My number one rule for accepting comment is that it has to be relevant. So, your number 3 basically..."Don't Pretend" Great read, Nikki...:) Mark
    • Nikki Romero says:
      LOL! :D Thanks Mark! Glad you liked it.
  21. Nikki Romero says:
    Thanks Tom! :) Dave, the kiss ass part was just a play on words. I just meant to be diplomatic even when giving negative feedback. Not to be an actual kiss-ass. :) Thanks Tony! Yep, never enough time in a day! I'm sure you'll catch up. Glad you found my post useful!
  22. Nikki Romero says:
    Thanks Wasim! Yes it is time-consuming, so I just choose the blogs that I like and comment when I like it (or not! ;-)) I don't comment on all blogs - just whatever strikes me.
  23. Bill Farrell says:
    There is also a role for the blog owner to play. I have often come across great comments that people have written and there are no responses from the writers. I could go on but risk failing on point 4.
    • Nikki Romero says:
      That's true, Bill. And I'm sometimes guilty of that as well. ;p In hectic times, I end up replying to blog comments days after I posted the article, although I try to check it daily and be more timely in my replies.
  24. Wasim Ismail says:
    I like the way you explained Kick Ass and Kiss. I try to comment often, but it can take time to go through posts and comment at the end, but when I do, there's always some sort of rewards. I guess just like everything on the net, if you abuse something you can end up on the wrong end of the stick, but if you use it well, and consistently provide good comments, than as you said, you will reap the rewards after.
  25. Tom says:
    Short and to the point is what I like.
  26. Dave Lucas says:
    Nikki! i totally agree - except for the last tidbit: NEVER kiss ass!
  27. Tony Hastings says:
    Good Advice Nikki and thanks for the reminder of the things to avoid. My problem is that there never seems to be enough time to keep across everything and my New Year's resolution to comment on at least 2 posts a day has fallen by the wayside. Thanks you for giving me the opportunity to start putting that right :-) Cheers tony

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