“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.