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Joel Williams

Blog Tech Guy

Taking care of the
technical side of blogging!

Why You Should Leave Blog Comments

107

This was originally just going to be a list post of reasons to leave comments on other people’s blogs (and still will be), yet a couple of incidents has made it more timely. Recently I had a very interesting discussion about internet marketing over at my post about the Third Tribe.

[Sidenote: I encourage you to read that post if you have time, as I received a couple of comments (via email not in the Comments) about how I was unfairly dismissing the Third Tribe and how I should be more understanding. Perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly or they hadn't read my article fully. While there have been a lot of posts slamming the Third Tribe, mine was not one of them. I applaud the idea behind it, I just think the communication behind it and the implementation could have been much better - though no doubt that will improve in time and probably already has. The fact I'm mentioning it in the second post in a week proves that is has good traction, and at over 2,000 members at $27 per month (now at $47 per month) I'm sure members will receive plenty of great stuff for their money.]

What was also interesting besides the discussion itself was the issue around the comment system on my blog. I have DISQUS installed and it just so happened that they had issues on the morning of the post. This caused one commentator to get an approved message while I was fast asleep only to come to the site to see it missing and then think it was deleted. And then complain about it.

Engadget

It was all sorted out in the end, but then I saw Engadget, probably the biggest gadget blog on the web, has turned off comments for a while. Some large sites like YouTube and Digg can attract the most atrocious comments you’ve ever seen, the veil of anonymity (or illusion of it) seems to take some people to places I’d rather not go.

However after a long break from regular blog commenting I’ve returned to be a daily commentator and I’m loving it. There are plenty of posts out there to encourage more blog comments, how to use blog commenting for your own benefit, and lots of “rules” about what you should and should not do when leaving comments, but I wanted to look at the reasons for leaving comments on other sites.

  1. It’s fun! Honest, I think I had forgotten just how fun it is to leave a comment and start or join a discussion.
  2. Get to know people. I don’t just mean big bloggers in your niche (though that can happen), but everyone, new and established. In your niche and other niches
  3. Sharing your opinion helps you think through what your opinion is. I’ve often been halfway through a comment and realised I’m no longer actually sure I think that. Putting something down “on paper” has had a cognitive effect that I don’t think would have occurred otherwise.
  4. Get inspiration. Often a discussion brings inspiration for writing posts yourself. Also the fact you’re reading more widely in order to comment more means you’re exposed to more places to get ideas.
  5. Get links back to your site. If you need a straight business reason in addition to the above you can get links back to your site. Most sites have a NoFollow policy for the URLs you leave as your site on comments, this reduced the amount of spam comments out there (though not by much I don’t think), but there are plenty of DoFollow sites out there. Also, even if you don’t get a “backlink”, people who read your comment may come and visit your site anyway, I know I do.

Stop thinking of blog commenting as a chore

I don’t know where the myth came from that the best reason for commenting is to drive traffic to your site, but it’s not for me. #1 and #2 should be enough for people to leave comments, it’s not a painful task that is just another chore that is to be completed each day. At least it shouldn’t be.

Are there any more reasons for people to comment? Why should people take the time out of their day to go and make a comment on your site about something you’ve said? What are the reasons that you go to someone else’s site and make a comment? If it’s just for traffic then I think you’re missing out .

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  • This might be a bad example, but some people have started posting photoshopped pics of Sarah Palin on funny bodies or backgrounds to make a controversial political point.
    This may not be a very positive thing, but it sure gets a lot of comments.
  • I never really like posts designed deliberately to create a lot of comments from controversy as it's not really sustainable. It's good for one off traffic though.
  • :) Look i have started commenting.. :) Direct impact of ur post.... :)
  • I like it!
  • I liked the part about commenting not being a chore. I have actually found that when I run across a post that I know nothing about, or have no interest, I have to spend some time thinking about what I am going to say. This helps in many ways as it gets the brain juices flowing and helps to unclog blockages and such.
    off to make a comment on another post. :)
  • I should have used the phrase "brain juices" as I like it a lot! Very true, thanks!
  • jan_queenofkaos
    Hi Joel, commenting really is fun, part of the fun is getting to know other people and it always feels good to receive a comment back from the site owner. It's a big perk to blogging that I often over look.

    I really liked your list and find the exact same thing. I haven't done enough commenting to be able to say if it increases traffic, but I can happily agree with the first items on your list.

    I really like your blog and how you are so helpful, you've got a lot of fantastic resources here.
  • True, it is a perk! Thanks for the kind words Jan :)
  • Hi Joel - I hope you're doing good!

    No-follow only affects PR juice, so the backlink left by commenting is still valuable as (like you mentioned) it draws traffic and search engines to your site.

    Another reason I like to leave comments is to establish a relationship with the blog owner. When they read my comment, they usually click through my link to check out my blog. More often than not they will end up leaving comments on my posts during their visit and may even become a regular reader.

    It's wise to get out there and talk if you want to be a blogger. Great post Joel!
  • Thanks for stopping by Keller, all is great! You're right about no-follow of course, it's still worthwhile getting a link back to your site. Hope your new theme is going well!
  • jeffkay
    Thanks Joel. I need to be better about leaving comments, and maybe I'll print out your article and post it beside my computer as a reminder. This comment, right here, proves you've already inspired me.
  • Glad to help Jeff!
  • Hi Joel,

    I'd honestly say I like posting comments as well because it all goes on expressing your ideas and relating to how your part as a blogger has been touched with how this post has shared its own ideas as well. For me, it's all about connecting people by allowing them to react on it, talk about it and suggest other things which can supplement the post's value. So all in all, commenting is helpful not only in gaining traffic but to see and feel that your blog has been valuable to people. :)
  • It is a good feeling to see people reply to your post and comments and discuss your position on them, so connecting with people is extremely important, thanks Tyrone.
  • Hi Joel,
    I like the way you think about comments. Andrew kept telling me I had to make comments. Yes, I was looking at it as a chore to do on my do to list, I might add. Now that I have been in this group it is getting fun. It is like sitting in a room full of people and taking part in there in the conversation. I am loving the new people that I am meeting. I had to stop thinking and wandering if people would really be interested in what i had to say. I think that is why most people don't make comments. They really don't think anyone cares what they have to say or think.

    Now I feel if they don't like what I have to say they really don't need to finish reading it.
    That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
    Happy Valentine's day everyone.
    Debbie
    Thanks for having a comment area so I can comment.
  • Happy Valentine's Day to you (and everyone else) too! People like conversation, they like to be heard and like to discuss things. As you say, people have a choice, no-one is forcing them to read the whole article, and no-one is forcing them to leave a comment, so it's even better when they do.
  • Get o know people and getting inspired are my reasons!

    I agree the backlinks (deep in the site) are quite important.

    My niche is healthy eating, but I've found ideas/angles from other blogs I've visited and that's important to me. I'm also able to see what other bloggers are doing and learn from that as well.

    It's true it can be seen as a chore, but even booking 15 minutes a day to do this will really change your mind once you start reading all the good advice that is out there!

    Thanks for a great post and reason to leave a comment!

    Krizia
  • 15 minutes a day isn't much I agree, I suppose just after a long time of doing it I felt it was becoming too much of an effort. Now I have changed my perspective of it, and like you say, I often comment on blogs not in my niche too. Thanks Krizia!
  • inservo
    I like the idea of commenting as well because it puts

    a) the whole interactivity thing to a new level. From my point of view, this is one of the core functionalities of a blog otherwise it's a little bit the Wikipedia style
    b) the compressed knowledge of your niche (and other if you post on them) into your view. There are a lot of other people (gurus I must admit) posting in my niche and the interaction between these often brings new ideas into my mind

    Unfortunately I must admit I have not done the whole commenting thing as intense as I should. I receive a lot of blog posts in my inbox as I have subscribed to them and then don't go to their websites to comment. But when I read Jonathan's post of building a list of 1000 subscribers within only two months (wow!!! congrats, dude!) I should more often do this because I enjoy the posts of other bloggers in my niche very much.
  • It is a great way of building a list, that's one thing I didn't mention. I get about 5 more signups per day to my list now I comment more, and while I don't know if that is cause and effect, it feels like it!
  • Thank you, Joel!

    I liked all the reasons you gave for commenting, but I have to say that #3 is the most profound for me.

    I really do have some poorly thought out ideas sometimes... and I just don't realize it until I'm reading it on paper (or computer screen).

    It seems that the ability of discernment is vastly different between our 'internal' eyes and our external eyes. :-)

    I like #4 as well, because the interaction of my thoughts with those of others frequently brings up things that never would have occurred to me from my own thinking/practice alone.

    A thought inspiring post!

    keep smiling,

    Ben
  • I'm glad you like point #3 as the more I think about it the more it's true for me, and it may even be my #1 reason too. I like the phrase "external eyes" too, I may use that :) Cheers Ben.
  • When you own a blog you cannot wait until you start to get some comments from people other than your friends.

    Why?

    Because you want people to agree (or disagree) with what you are saying. You want the interaction. You want your work (i.e. blog post) to been seen as worthwhile and getting comments make it all worthwhile.

    The main reason I add comments is to try and add some of my own advice or experience to the blog post. That way I feel I am contributing.

    And that's what I like when people add a comment to my blog posts. I certainly don’t have all the answers in my chosen blogging niche and it's great when someone adds another tip or some experience via a comment.

    Good debate - thanks, Joel.

    Andrew
  • Thanks Andrew, I do like constructive debate on my blog, and others, and that is half the point I guess. Everyone likes to share their opinion and thoughts and feel like someone is listening and taking notice.
  • I comment actively when I first started out my blog and it really makes me a part of the community
  • Welcome to my community Raymond!
  • Great post -- I do notice that leaving comments regularly leads to increased traffic on my blog. Also, commenting and getting involved in blogs and posts that interest you is fun. Plus, it's always nice when the blog owner responds to your comment -- makes you feel good!

    I noticed someone posted that they had a goal of leaving five comments per day on blogs. What a great idea. I am going to try to do that as we..
  • I like that as well Lisa, though on some blogs there are so many comments it's impossible for the owner to reply to them all. That's why sometimes I prefer commenting on smaller sites.
  • Commenting let folks what you want more of on their blog. I often use them for post ideas.
  • Post ideas is something I haven't used comments for that much myself but I know a lot of people who do.
  • I must confess I've been slow to learn to both comment and respond to comments on my own blog. It is the lifeblood of blogging. I did have Disqus on my blog for a few months but have now reverted to the more conventional style. Didn't seem to add and looked messy! david
  • I like Disqus because I control how it looks and make it look nice, but you're right the default on some themes does look messy. If you know CSS though, you can "pretty" it up quite easily.
  • Joel,
    You have a great business model. You and Michael Martine are the only ones that I am familiar with that make a business of helping people fix their blogs. Good idea and needed by many.

    Commenting seems like a natural thing to do and it could be looked at as a very generous offer. Most people that publish, say in dead tree media, have no way to interface with their readers. To have a spot right on the blog that is open and beckoning to all comments, good or not is really exceptional.

    Discus interferes with other plugins and it is not on my favorites list.
    To your success.
    Rich Hill
  • Thanks Rich, appreciate that. Often to very new bloggers I compare comments to a newspaper or magazine Letters page, but for every article, and is interactive.
    I've used Disqus on about 20 client sites before I used it on my own and I've never seen it interfere with any other plugin. Of course CommentLuv won't work with it and Subscribe to Comments is not required, but I haven't seen any actual plugin conflict problems with it yet.
  • Amy LeForge
    Great post, thanks!

    Just kidding, lol. You make excellent points and they're both a good reminder and an encouragement to keep commenting. I have gotten away from it lately, partly due to time constraints. But I'll do better!
  • Haha, made me laugh, thanks!
  • You're right, blog commenting can be fun! And it's a great way to encourage someone, because how do they know you read the post if you never comment? If you like what someone had to say, tell them so, and better yet, why you liked it. Without comments, you feel like a voice crying in the wilderness, and wonder if it's worthwhile to continue. I think if you can give someone a honest compliment, it's sad to leave it unsaid.

    So hey! Joel, that was an interesting post and made me think!! Gives me a little more boost to get out there and comment on other people's blogs. Thanks! ;-)
  • It is always great to get constructive feedback, good or bad, at least someone is listening! Thanks for taking the time to comment :)
  • I leave comments if I think I have something to add to the conversation. I know I benefit, because I have gotten new readers for my blogs this way and was offered a regular posting gig on another well known blog in the health sector. I agree that sometimes while thinking through my opinion, I realized a new slant on the subject.
    I also think that commenting is a lot like planting. Giving without expectation of return is a good way to help others and I believe you can't escape rewards from unselfishness.
  • That's a great way of putting it Bruce, I like your outlook on it, very positive!
  • I have a goal to leave 5 comments per day. To make that happen, if I read a blog post, I comment on it. I'm very conversational and can usually think of something to say besides "nice blog" on a variety of topics. I - really like - getting comments on my blog. It makes me feel like someone out there is paying attention. What goes around comes around. It's kinda like waiting for that first guest to show up for your party. I go through agonizing thoughts about "what if no one shows up?". Somebody always does. Yay!
  • I used to have a goal of leaving 5 or 10 comments a day and I think that is what wore me out and turned me off, the pressure of leaving comments when I perhaps didn't feel like it or had nothing relevant to say. Now I don't set a goal so don't have the pressure and it feels much more natural.
    Very true about waiting for the first comments, perhaps that's why some people like to be the first commentator on a post as well, just as much fun as receiving them!
  • Hi Joel -

    I like to comment, especially if I am not #199 on the list. Then, I am inclined not to bother because nobody can respond to that many - and that is the fun.

    If you want people to comment, they are due a reply from you. That is the etiquette I feel is most followed by people I associate with in the blog world.

    I have made so many good friends just by commenting on their blogs. But, not by saying "Great post. Thanks." Most of us delete those.

    Yeah, you have to read the post and really say something abou it!

    Most bloggers thrive on comments that contradict when they have said. I love it. If there is no discussion, what's the point?

    Sometimes, if I get a lively string of comments, I make a whole post out of it.

    Can't wait for the sequel to your "Tribe" post.

    I am definitely a fan.
  • That's true Corrine, I always try to reply to any comments left, though it's not always possible. You're right, commenting does mean you have to read the post more carefully too! Not sure I have a sequel to the Tribe post planned, I don't want to post about it just for the sake of it and comments/traffic but rather if I have something worthwhile to day (in my opinion at least).
  • lancenelson
    Hi Joel

    A ver ytimely article for me.

    I too had rather got tired of posting comment on ski websites, unfortunately many forums have trolls and are not reulated too welI. But I will, after reading your article, add meaningful info where I can and start enjoying it again.
  • My reply seems to have been swallowed somewhere Lance, so apologies if this comes twice. I think you're right about the lack of moderation on some forums and sites can be very off-putting (YouTube is a big example as well), but I think if they can be picked carefully and a relationship fostered on good sites it is more than worthwhile. Perhaps take a break like I did and the enthusiasm may come back!
  • Sometimes it seems like pulling teeth to get people who don't understand commenting to leave a comment. Many people who will leave a Facebook post won't leave a comment - maybe they find it too 'public'? But I love leaving comments - and fostering some discussion.. Thanks for the thoughtful post.
    p.s. I've thought about Disqus... maybe I'll try it! Thanks
  • I'll admit years ago I too was nervous about leaving public comments and what people would think of what I said, but it's usually worth it, thanks Michelle.
    Oh and Disqus has been 99% good to be honest, has all the features I like and is better than Instant Debate or Echo in my opinion as it easier to use.
  • tombabinszki
    I think I would start with why I like comments on my site. My best posts are encouraged by commenters and their questions. So, if I care for a blog, I would like to return the favor, or contribute to it's success. I believe my comments will make it a more useful site, and worthwhile for me to keep reading it.
  • That's a great reason Tom, and one I'm sure a lot of people agree with, thanks for sharing.
  • Yup, blog commenting is loads of fun (at least I love it). Quick, easy and fun way to share my thoughts and view on something I just read or watched...

    Blog commenting is networking at its best, getting to know people like you said. The links and traffic is sort of bonus, as I've talked about this before, there is so much more to blog commenting than "building links". It's about building community and discussion, not about getting a link to your own site (which is why comments with left with real name are so much more powerful).

    And I like that you mentioned inspiration... for me it's sometimes hard to get started with writing, but when leaving a blog comment I automatically turn on the "writing mode", and numerous times I've actually ended up writing a blog post or a draft right after commenting.
  • I agree Antti, thanks for adding your thoughts. Inspiration often hits me when commenting too, it must be something with getting my brain out of first gear and into consideration mode or something.
  • remarkablogger
    The reason to comment is not to get traffic, though that can be a great side effect. But you're only going to benefit from that side effect if you comment simply because you want to and you want to participate in the discussion.
  • Exactly, thanks Michael. I do believe a lot of people don't get taught that way though, it's seen as all about "me" when it should be about the person's site you're commenting on.
  • I built my first mailing list by leaving comments on blogs. I gained 1000 people over about two months. I always left something useful or thought provoking, and if possible a link to a relevant resource or information.

    My advice is to keep chipping away at this business, because it's the little steps that do the trick. (Agree?)

    Many sneer at this way of building a list as slow, junky or scrappy, but it just plain works. The first 500 people on my current list joined up that way. I have now turned that list into viewers of my online TV channel. A built in audience.

    I might also add that this encourages me to make a TV show about the subject.... in fact, I will :)

    Jonathan
    Traffic Cafe TV
  • That's a great effort Jonathan, and shows that hard work and relationship building can pay off! Plus you're getting targeted subscribers and readers, not just anyone you can. Thanks for stopping by.
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