The Fine Art of Blog Comments

From the moment blogs became an accepted means of information-gathering and sharing, the comments section became a crucial piece of the success puzzle. Not only does it give bloggers a way to see who is reading their blogs, it gives readers a chance to make connections and voice their opinions. To this day, leaving quality comments on others’ blogs is one of the very best ways to gain links and traffic.

For every person who diligently offers helpful and insightful comments, there are most likely several who are trying to exploit the comments section, using it solely for personal gain. At this late date – about four or so years into the life of blogging as we know it – we are lucky to have many helpful applications that weed out the baddies. However, nothing is foolproof (no pun intended) so we still have to keep a vigilant spam-watch.

There is no harm in being conscious of the fact that each comment you post is a potential advertisement. The key is to be sure that you have something worthwhile and original to contribute. An occassional “Nice post” is not going to kill your reputation, but it is not going to help it either. Where and how you choose to comment can have a huge impact on your overall image in your niche and in the blogosphere as a whole. In this article, I am going to discuss a few ways you can maximize the positivity of this impact.

1. Write Clearly and Concisely

You know when you are at a conference and the speaker starts to mumble or jump around to different topics? Suddenly you realize you are writing your next blog post or your grocery list in your head? That’s what comments can be like. Even if you have a great point, no on is going to get there if you don’t make it clear.

Though the comment section is informal, be sure that your writing isn’t sloppy. Just think, if you are commenting on a popular blog, your comment is likely to be read by more people that your own posts. That may be a bit depressing, but it’s the truth. So make sure you take your time to make a good impression.

2. Stay On Topic

Focus in a comment is just as important as focus in a blog post. If the post you are replying to is about affiliate marketing, don’t start babbling about your favorite band in high school. Okay, so that’s an exaggeration, but, seriously, don’t go off on tangents. If your comment is not directly related to the topic of the post or you are going to branch off into unrelated topics, then send the blogger an email or use his/her contact form. If anyone does happen to read your comment, they will just find it (and you) annoying.

3. Be Subtle

In some blogs’ comment sections, it is completely acceptable to include links in your comments. Before you do this, though, I suggest you get to know the blog to be sure it is something others do. If it isn’t, I would refrain. If it seems like links are widely used, the go for it. However, be sure that whatever you are linking to is relevent, original and well-written.

The most important rule when posting comments that include links is to make sure that your comment does not seem like an ad. Something like: “If you like this post, you will love my post on wheatgrass smoothies” is about two set-it-and-forget-its short of an infomercial. Add your opinion, make it complete without readers having to follow the link. The last thing you want to do is piss off a fellow blogger by traffic-jacking in the comments section. It is great if they are intrigued enough to check out your blog, but your comment should not be overtly urging them to do so.

4. Skip the Valentines

My favorite history professor in college put us in groups for paper critiques. He made us write these monstrous papers and then essentially write three more critiquing each group member’s essay as well. Our critiques were expected to be very in-depth, thorough and substantive. If we included too many compliments (“Great paper!” “Nice point!” “I really liked this paragraph!”) and not enough solid critique, he would bark at us, “We are not here to hand out Valentines!”

Though I am not going to bark it, I would like to pass that advice along in relation to commenting on blogs. Your comments should be substantive and pointed. If you are going to comment just to say “Good job!” then just send the blogger an email or a message on Twitter or something. Not only are you wasting readers’ time by posting fluff, you run the risk of looking like an a$$-kisser if all you do is run around telling bloggers how great they are.

5. Disagree and Debate

Much like passing out Valentines, comments that consist of little more than, “Me too!” ought to be few and far between. I am not suggesting that you create strife, but there is nothing wrong with playing devil’s advocate. Oftentimes, counterpoint is a great way to engage the blogger and, therefore, draw more attention to yourself.

Just be sure that if you are going to disagree, your argument is sound and you can back it up. Popular bloggers are known for doing their research, so don’t ever just pull opposing viewpoints out of the air and expect them to support themselves. Being called out and proven wrong is a surefire way to become labeled as untrustworthy and just plain stupid.

“There is no such thing as bad publicity” was said by Brendan Behan. Behan died in 1963 so he definitely did not have the internet in mind. Though bad publicity might spike your traffic briefly, your trashed reputation will catch up with you quickly. Behan’s entire quote was actually: “There is no such thing as bad publicity, except your own obituary.” Regularly making an a$$ of yourself in comments on popular blogs could very well mean the death of your own blogging success.

In the long run, one or two poorly planned or executed comments are not likely to negatively affect your reputation. However, well-thought-out, intelligent comments can really go a long way to drawing interest. If you have several smart, original comments on the same blog, people will start to recognize your name. The next logical progression is to see what else you have to say.