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How to Write Comments That Stand Out (for the Right Reasons)
- by Kevin J. Duncan
- Updated: Apr 15, 2020
- 468 Comments
Kevin J. Duncan
Living the dream as Editor-in-Chief for Smart Blogger. Neglectful owner of Be A Better Blogger. Catch him online at @kevinjduncan and @smartbloggerhq, or at his personal website.
468 thoughts on “How to Write Comments That Stand Out (for the Right Reasons)”
I dunno Bob, personally I think No Way Out was Kevin Costner’s best movie.
BLASPHEMY!
(Haha. Hi, Tim. Thanks for the comment.)
Ok maybe Dance With Wolves – but only if watching it on the bid screen.
I’m rather partial to Tin Cup.
Both excellent movies. I should stick up for two under-appreciated ones, though: Mr. Brooks and Open Range.
Open Range is one of the best westerns ever. Love that movie.
As for Mr. Brooks… How can you NOT enjoy a movie where a murdering Kevin Costner offs the inexplicable and unfunny Dane Cook? ?
Hi, Kevin, Tim and Glen!
My vote for Kevin Costner’s best movie is “Tin Cup.”
Probably because my husband decided to pull a Tin Cup move on the 18th hole (Par 5) when we were playing with our banker in Denver. The guys were driving from the blue tees and had to cross a 120-yard canyon to hit the fairway. The banker made it across on the first try. I remember him swaggering back to the side after his shot and leaning on his driver.
My husband (who was the better golfer and 8 strokes ahead) teed off, and the ball fell short into the canyon. So did his next 3 shots. His 5th shot hit the other side but rolled back down into the canyon. Technically, he could have driven to the other side and dropped a ball, but n-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o, he was determined to hit a clean shot. He kept reloading. His 11th shot made it. Now the banker was ahead by 2 shots with the rest of the hole still to play.
Fast forward onto the green. The banker was ahead by one stroke. My husband’s ball rested 20 feet from the hole; he stood behind the hole, lined up his shot and rolled the ball in. The banker shook his head, took off his cap, wiped his brow and then slammed his hat back on his head.
Everything rested on this final shot. If the banker missed it, the game would be a tie. He walked around assessing the shot from several angles. He crouched down and studied the grass. Finally he sunk his two-foot putt for the win and eternal glory including a red cape.
What seemed like a dumb move when my husband kept hitting his drive over and over turned into a smart business move because our banker won!
Great post by the way, Kevin. I plan to write a separate reply to thank you for sharing your wisdom about writing effective comments on blogs.
Hi again, Mary Lou.
I’ve already responded to your main comment (as you know), but I couldn’t completely ignore this one!
I love Tin Cup, too, and I could mentally picture your husband (though I have no idea what he looks like) doing his best Roy Mcavoy impression. 🙂
Confession: I’ve never before played a single game of golf. This was partly due to not wanting to mess up my baseball swing, but also partly due to the reality that if I found myself in a scenario like your husband’s I would have thrown all my clubs into the water!
Thanks for the fun story, Mary Lou. Hope you’re having a great day!
-Kevin
Haha, Tin Cup does it for me too. Loved that movie 🙂
Pooja
Hi Pooja,
Yes, Tin Cup is a personal favorite, too. (And I don’t even like golf!)
You know… I am pretty sure my wife has never seen it. I must remedy this soon!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for writing this in depth post. You covered every angle. The great thing is you can reference different parts. It’s not just a skeleton but this things “got meat on her bones.”
It’s easy to forget the social part in social media and that’s the conversation. You do that. Not only in the posts but the comments.
I’m going to mosey on over to your blog and take a look under the hood. I’m sure it will be as good as this post.
Once again Kevin,thanks for continuing the conversation.
Hi Troy,
You’re welcome! Thank YOU for the kind comment. 🙂
I really did try to cover every angle, but I’m sure I missed one or two or twenty. Haha. Thankfully, this comment section is a great place for fleshing out more ideas!
Hope you enjoy (or enjoyed) yourself at Be A Better Blogger. Would love to see you commenting over there, too.
Hope this comment of mine finds you doing well, Troy. Thanks again!
-Kevin
Really, with Dances With Wolves just sitting there on the table?
Hi Connor,
Dances With Wolves was awesome. Loved that movie. Haven’t seen it in ages, though…
Guess I know what I’m doing this weekend! 😉
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Absolutely great post here. It has a lot of key elements that truly makes it work.
First off, the greeting is very important. If you don’t even bother to mention the person’s name, what does that really say? I mean, how hard is it to scroll up and get the person’s name?
But the most important thing is the part about contributing to the conversation. I learned that early on from Adrienne Smith, who really and unknowingly helped me get better at writing comments. And even though comments can open doors with popular bloggers, you can’t just expect it to happen right away. You have to be persistent with it.
I’ve done that for 5 popular bloggers now and I’m either now on their radar, or made a connection with them. Just takes persistence.
You know, you’re right. Most blog comments DO suck. And I hope that people who leave those sucky comments read this and change their ways … and start adding to the conversation with their opinions. And not just “great post”.
Thanks for the mention here, buddy. You did it again.
Off to share. Have an awesome rest of the week .
– Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thank you, my friend. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Yep, if this post accomplishes anything, I hope it convinces readers to say “hi” at the beginning of their comments. Let’s class up this joint! Haha. 🙂
That’s awesome the way you’ve used comments (and persistence) to get on the radars of 5 popular bloggers. I’ve always enjoyed your comments, and it’s no surprise you’ve had so much success.
I hope they read this, too! Thanks for helping spread the word with your shares on Twitter and G+. I really appreciate it, Andrew!
And, as always, thanks for the great comment. Hope you’re having an awesome week!
-Kevin
Andrew,
How’s it going?
I like the fact that you are everywhere.
Every time I come over here to read something, I see you more than I read Jon.
Good one, and keep it going.
I agree, Josh.
Andrew IS everywhere, isn’t he??
Smart man.
Hey Kevin!
Superb article. When I saw Jon’s email, I know the post will be good and I am surprised that you wrote it man!
Absolutely good stuffs and keep it up! Can’t agree more and bookmarked this on Pocket as well!
Keep it up man.
Hi Reginald,
Thank you! That is very kind of you to say. I know what you mean… every time Jon’s email shows in my inbox (every Thursday right around 10 AM), I know the post is going to be great.
How Jon, Glen and the gang are able to churn out top quality posts each and every week is beyond me!
Glad you enjoyed the post, Reginald, and I’m glad to hear you bookmarked it for reading later. Please feel free to share it with friends who need help in the “comment writing” area. 🙂
Thanks again, and I hope you have a great rest of your week!
-Kevin
I just found your blog and I’ve found every article I’ve read very helpful. My problem is that I get lots of visitors, but very few comments!
Hi Michelle,
Glad you’ve found the articles here at BBT helpful!
It’s good to hear you’re site gets lots of visitors. That’s the hard part. 🙂
If you want more comments, the best tip I have is to make it as easy for your visitors to comment as possible. For example, I just visited your site. It’s very pretty with lots of nice photos, but it was not 100% clear to me where I should go to read your posts. And when I found one to read, it wasn’t clear if commenting was permitted.
If you provide a “comments” link beneath the post’s headline, it’ll help first-time visitors a lot. If someone has to scroll down to the end of a post to discover, “Oh…look, here are comments left by other people”, it’s going to impact the number of comments you receive.
Hope that helps!
-Kevin
Hey, Kevin-
Great post. I’ve been commenting a lot on a few blogs recently, but I hadn’t thought about my approach until you brought it up. (Other than trying not to sound like an idiot and actually participating in the conversation.)
I’m going to refine my approach now that I’ve read this.
And yeah, I’m definitely sharing this on Facebook and Twitter, too.
Thanks,
Randy
Hi Randy,
I’m glad my post was able to give you a few ideas! (Although, I must say, “trying not to sound like an idiot” is great commenting advice for bloggers. If only EVERYONE followed it!) 🙂
Thank you for the kind words. And a huge THANKS for sharing the post with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. That’s very awesome of you. I appreciate it! 😀
Good luck going forward on those few blogs you mentioned. Go write some great comments and knock their socks off!
-Kevin
I TRY, my boy…I SWEAR I try not to sound like an idiot…
But what can a fellow do when someone puts words in your mouth?
Hi Chuck,
I guess I never realized how difficult it must be to be a figment of Jaime’s imagination! I’ll have a talk with him… will that help? 😉
Figment of Jaime’s imagination?
…I have prime real estate in here!
Cabin in the woods, swimming pool, ice cream bar…heck–he’s even thrown in a complete Earth, Wind & Fire collection on the home entertainment center.
All I want is an upgrade on the speaking gigs….
Chuck,
You have an ice cream bar?
Sweet…
Hey, I just read your comment this is the same situation that I’m going through but now with this help, I’m more focused. Thank you 🙂
Hey Jon, Loved this post. Very insightful.
These rules can also be applied to commenting on social media posts too, for the same reasons. Influencers will often get tons of comments on their posts, but if you want to stand out and get noticed, follow these strategies when you reply. 🙂
Will be sharing this with my tribe too.
Hi Veronica,
Thank you for the kind words, but it appears you have me confused with Jon. Don’t worry, it happens all the time. (Probably because we’re both so gosh darn handsome!) 😉
Great tip. Yes, these same rules can apply for social media comments, too. Twitter requires a good bit of brevity, of course, but it’s doable!
Thank you for sharing the post with your tribe! I (and Jon) really appreciate it!
Hope you are having an awesome week, Veronica. Take care.
-Kevin
I just realised that when I got your email! You should add a sub section to the “read the post” tip to include “double check if it’s a guest post so you address the author correctly!” LOL
#FirstDate’Fail 🙂
Hi Veronica,
Haha. It’s okay. Happens to the best of us! I once referred to a female blogger as “Kevin.” I guess I had my own name on the brain. (Does that make me egotistical? Wait, don’t answer!) 🙂
-Kevin
OOOO! ROYALTY!!
….wellll helLLLOOO there m’lady. Need a topper for that tea?
(I brew a mean Chamomile…)
*wink*
Chuck,
Be cool now. Don’t make me ask Jaime to spray you with a water hose!
WELL now….didn’t realize TEA would get folks riled up!
Chuck,
OF COURSE tea gets folks riled up. It has caffeine in it!
Goodness boy, I heard something about that “America” place being all riled up about tea at one point…..
Must be something I’m missin’ here…..wrong BRAND of tea, perhaps?
“Hey Kevin,
awesome article. It’s been a while that I actually read an article about blogging to the end. I never really thought about “strategic commenting”, but it sounds like it’s worths it.
When you searched for common mistakes, did you hack my Gravatar account? I am afraid to admit I did some (fortunately not all) of it wrong. But I guess that’s why I’ll start to read your posts regularly in oder to avoid those mistakes in the future.
Another thing that’s really annoying after a first date is when the other person keeps stalking you even though you obviously have no interest. What do you say about that? Should you keep writing comments on the same page, even though that person is not responding?” – end of comment
Was that anywhere close to being a decent comment?
Hi Jessica,
(By George, I think she’s got it!)
That was an excellent comment, Jessica. You even added humor, which I love (being a former humor blogger and all). 🙂
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the post and learned a little from it. If this comment is any indication, your future comments are going to rock. 🙂
To answer your question (great question, by the way): The right answer probably varies depending on the situation, but I personally wouldn’t let “person is not responding” deter me from commenting on a blog I enjoy (that’s owned by a blogger I want to connect with). Sometimes, bloggers are busy. In fact, the more popular they are, the busier (and slower to respond to comments) they will be.
As Andrew mentioned in a comment above, sometimes you have to be persistent.
Should you draw the line somewhere? Absolutely. Eventually it will be time to move on and devote your time to commenting on blogs with owners who WILL respond and notice you. Where that line is will be up to you. 🙂
Just my two cents. Hope it helps!
Appreciate the great comment, Jessica, and I hope you have a great day!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Thanks for pulling this together. Like Randy Ray, I’ve been trying to be more active and comment on more blogs. This information will help me to be more effective.
My question is – do you feel these strategies are appropriate for Facebook comments as well? I think I may give it a try as I participate in more Facebook groups.
Thanks again! I’m off to share with my blogging friends…
deb
Hi Deb,
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
That’s an excellent question. As Veronica mentioned in an above comment, these strategies can absolutely be used for social media (Facebook and Google+ especially!). Greet, compliment, add something valuable, and make a promise. Wash, rinse and repeat. Haha.
Let me know how it goes, okay? As soon as I hit SEND on this comment, I’m going to email you and let you know I responded. You’ll then have my email address on file. 🙂
Thank you for sharing the post, too, Deb! Really appreciate it.
Hope you have an awesome Thursday!
-Kevin
*slams foot in the door”
MARKING MY SPOT!!
(be right back….)
KEVIN DUNCAN, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!??
(…and to be politically correct here, ‘good morning’.)
So THIS is where you spend all your extra time? Writing for the big guys?
“No, no…I won’t forget you when I become famous,” Kevin thinks to himself….
THAT’S BECAUSE YOU FORGOT EVERYONE!
I’m the one with 12 kids, remember? I should be the one suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Wait,…what were we talking about again?
Oh, Right. Comments!
This is another…no, I don’t want to say ‘epic’ again. That word is over used.
[Chuck—grab me a thesaurus. Oh shut up, i don’t care what they call it—that book where you find other words!! Yeah. No, second shelf….come ON, they’re waiting!]
Wait,…there’s nothing for epic? Nothing for awesome?
*sigh*
Fine, we’ll do it the Buckley way…
Kevin, this post is as big as my belly after a Thanksgiving meal with Samoan food as a side dish!
(mmmmm….pulled pork and fish heads…..)
Funny you wrote about commenting, when it’s one of the biggest irritations and passions of mine. First off, you’re totally right in that many (if not most) comments usually suck.
What’s crazy is–they don’t HAVE to! I mean, exert yourself a little more than a politician trying to tell the truth and you’ll ace it every time.
You want people to notice you? Here’s the short list:
1. Be nice (and graceful).
2. Be authentic.
3. Be interesting (to OTHER people)
4. Be thoughtful and CONTRIBUTE (look up that word).
5. Be aware that commenting is about other people, not you (a.k.a. talk WITH people and not AT them!!)
Now some may think me a hypocrite. I’m okay with that BTW–better than being a Hippo… My method of madness is about engaging everyone who shows up. It’s about complimenting the whole of the post, so more people will come back.
Think about that–YOU could be the kind of person that provides more traffic to an article due to your interaction and point of view. Readers like what you have to say and consider the article again. Your comment may even get people to read it again.
“Why did Jaime say this article was as mind-blowing as a monkey in a sequin dress and high heels eating Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream???”
You know what, Kevin? Here’s the biggest trip up of all, in my opinion:
Too many bloggers—even the pros–comment more from habit than from heart…and it shows.
Now to be perfectly fair, we all do it from time to time, especially when we get tired, busy or we’re simply burnt out and yet determined to meet some personal quota of interaction (bad move, BTW). What we don’t always realize is that there are patterns in speech that others can pick out on the blogs you frequent. When someone finally notices that pattern, their brain tends to got numb to what you have to say thereafter.
Sad, but true.
Only when you step back into the light and leave a heartfelt comment which breaks that pattern will you earn that much desired attention and respect again.
(BTW—the best way to break that hum-drum streak is to do Value Tactic #2: Ask Thoughtful Questions, so…right on for including that one, Kevin!)
Just my opinion here, but look on your own blogs and see if you discover what I’m talking about.
Great points, Jaime!
Especially: “too many bloggers—even the pros–comment more from habit than from heart…and it shows”. I’ve been guilty of that myself, at times, especially when extra busy and tired.
You know what? Sometimes I read through all of the comments on another person’s blog post and find myself replying to one or two of those. Often that stimulates me in a different way and produces a unique comment. Perhaps that’s another tip to promote. (Hmmm, that’s given me an idea).
Nathan.
…that’s a key point, Nathan! Interacting with other folks in the thread.
You and I are doing it now—and who ever said that the only people we get to talk to are the authors of the post?
Bah. I’m here to parTAYYYY.
Jamie, I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much at a comment. Well, smiled enthusiastically. But still, closer to an actual ‘lol’ than any other comment before it. Now my good sir, where’s this parTAY you refer to?
Hi Jaime,
Well… Where do I begin?
You know how when their is a “dynasty” team in sports (think Jordan’s Bulls, Patriots during their 17-0 season, Alabama football, etc.) and all the teams try to raise their game when they play them? (“Let’s show those guys what we’re made of!”)
I feel like that sometimes when you leave me comments.
You’re comments are SO entertaining, SO original, SO personal… I feel like I need to raise my game when I sit down to write a response!
That isn’t hyperbole either. It’s true. You’re a fantasy author, for crying out loud! I’m amazed by what you can do and how your mind works. And if it were possible to become rich solely by leaving epic, entertaining comments; you’d already have retired by now. 🙂
The one thing you do I marvel at, and it’s something you mentioned in your comment, is the way you engage EVERYONE who shows up! You don’t simply leave a comment for the author. You will respond to someone else’s comment. And someone else’s. And someone else’s.
You’re like the kid on the playground who couldn’t stand the idea of ANYONE being excluded. “Sure, you can come play with us! Hop on board.” And if a kid was shy? No problem. You’d coax them out.
It’s little wonder then why I asked you to contribute a quote for this post, and why I used you as my “personality” example. You have it in spades, my friend, and we all could learn a thing or two or ten from you.
(How’s THAT for a compliment?? Haha.)
Appreciate your support, Jaime, as always. If you’re ever down about blogging or writing, think back to this post and this comment. Let it serve as a reminder for how others see you…
…as a rockstar.
-Kevin
HEAR THAT SUCKERS?!?
…I’M A ROCK STAR!!!!
Big freakin’ whoopdeedoo.
…the peasants would cheer…if they gave a cow dung.
Grow up.
You know what? If Mary Collings was here, you boys would be toast.
She’d back me.
Jaime,
Speaking of Mary, where is she? Her smiling face is featured in this post! I tagged her on G+, but I should go do the same on Twitter.
Thanks for the reminder!
-Kevin
ooohHHHOOO….mister FAAAAmous now, are we?
Want us to get you your slippers, M’Lord?
….Champagne? Shall I pack your pipe now?
*snort*
Chuck,
You do realize being friends with Jaime makes YOU famous, too, right? You’re famous by association!
So you’ve got that going for you. Which is nice.
-Kevin
BWAHAHAHA!! *snort*
My boy, I want you to think good and hard about that remark…
I’m famous because of association? ….to Jaime?
Think not.
What makes HIM famous, hmmMMM?
That’s right….OUR story! Dax, me…Wendell.
So, in reality, isn’t it Jaime who is famous by association?
-The Smart Old Guy
Fantastic stuff, Kevin. Added the post to Buffer.
I used to do a lot of blog commenting when I first started blogging, now not so much. Mostly because, I started focusing more on other strategies, but after reading this post, I am thinking of getting back to commenting on other blogs.
P.S Believe it or not, when I saw Jon’s email, I was thinking this post must have been written by Kevin Duncan. Because no one does blog commenting like you do :). Keep up the awesome work.
Hi Dev,
Awesome! Really appreciate it, man.
The perceived importance of blog commenting definitely has ups and downs for most bloggers. Like you, I did it a lot when I first got into blogging. Then I slowed down, then I picked it back up.
What I’ve found is different bloggers react in different ways. With some popular bloggers, Twitter is the best place to reach them. For others, it’s Google+ or a Facebook group. But, for many, comments are still the best way. That’s been my experience, at least. 🙂
Oh yeah? Wow. You’re too, too kind, Dev. Thank you so much!
Hope this comment finds you doing well.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for the post. Most bloggers I talk to complain about the lack of comments on their blog. I believe this is due to the lack of education on the value of commenting.
The benefits you listed are fantastic: especially attracting the attention of great bloggers. That definitely appeals to me.
I would add that the benefits extend beyond that for the individual leaving comments. For leaving substantial and thoughtful comments can:
– Sharpen their critical thinking skills
– Spark ideas for them to blog about
(for example: I am thinking of writing a blog post about the benefits of leaving comments to everyone)
– Build their communication skills
– Establish them as an authority in the topic they are commenting on
– Develop their feedback giving skills
– And many more
Keep up the good work. We need to educate more people on the value of commenting.
I will share this article on my social network to help spread the word☺
Peter,
You are spot on. I’ve recorded your comment to be used in the next employee session of the G.R.R….but I did have a question:
How are some folks to ‘sharpen their critical thinking skills’ when it’s like trying to shove a bowling ball into a meat grinder?
(JUST…CAN’T….PULL IT OFF WITH THIS EQUIPMENT!!!)
*grin*
Thanks Jaime*
I believe that there is hope even for the most dull of equipment 🙂
Awesome video on your site as Harry Potter: that’s the first thing that got my attention.
Peter
I take time out of my hero-babysitting, saving-the-world, crochet lecture tour schedule to make a comment to you…and you attribute it to HIM?
(I won’t even say the “J” name at this point…)
BTW—I was against that Potter character being put on the website. This whole nonsense of using a wand for magic…it’s juvenile! For goodness sakes, who in their right mind would ride on a broom?
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE EPIC WEDGY YOU’D GET???
Think, people. Think.
Ha – so this is what you get up to when I’m not around. Does Jaime know you’re here?
Crochet lecture tour? I guess some people could get hooked on it…
As for the wedgy – you’ve put me right off my pulled pork and fish heads sandwich…
Hi Peter,
You’re welcome and thank YOU for the great comment. 🙂
You’re absolutely right: The benefits of writing great comments extend far beyond what I discussed here in the post. Your list is great, but I would add one more: Great comments also get the attention of OTHER commenters — not just the owner of the blog. You might be hoping to woo Darren Rowse or Jon Morrow, but you’re just as likely (if not more so) to woo the blog’s regular readers!
Thank you for the kind words, Peter. And thank you so much for helping to share the word!
Hope this comments find you awesome and blessed!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin – as always, you provide such useful, to-the-point tips and techniques regarding commenting. I’d like to add that I often reply to newsletters in the same manner and almost always get a thank you comment in return. I can add other personal remarks that I may not want made public. Another tip to get noticed is to send a note of thanks with comments when you download an item, especially a freebie. One lady responded it was the first time anyone had contacted her. We all want to be acknowledged; reaching out is so simple.
Hi Virginia,
Why thank you! That’s very kind of you to say, Virginia. I do try to provide useful tips whenever I write, and I usually try to provide them in a slightly humorous/entertaining way. I’m glad you enjoyed this post!
That’s an excellent tip about replying to newsletters in the same manner. Ditto responding to PDFs and other freebie bonuses! Many bloggers check their email far more frequently than they check blog comments, so this is a wonderful suggestions.
Reaching out IS so simple. Thank you for reaching out to me, Virginia, and letting me know you enjoyed this post. Even though this isn’t my first rodeo (I wrote for BBT last November), I’m still amazed by all the comments I’m receiving and all the kind words.
It’s definitely been difficult not to sit here with a goofy smile on my face all day. 🙂
Thanks again, Virginia. Hope you’re having a great day!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
No pressure. Just write a wonderful, witty comment on a fantastic site to a guy who just threw down the definitive guide to commenting. I got this.
Seriously though, one of the first things that drew me to your site were your prompt comments and responses to those that commented on your articles. It showed that you were engaged and just as interested in adding value to each of your readers. In addition, your comments helped show your personality.
As much as a blogger enjoys seeing his or her comments add up, it is also nice when you comment to be able to engage with someone that has made an impact on you. This is the benefit that the commenter receives.
I am in process of setting up a new site for men who are intentional about strengthening their families and I will absolutely use these techniques to help me get noticed by the influencers in that area. I want to make sure that I can help as many people as possible and commenting is a such a great way to do that.
Thank you for all that you do and for the value you have added to me and my growth as a blogger. It’s good to hear your voice again my friend.
Take care,
Jesse
P.S. Thanks for including me in your post. I’m honored.
Hi Jesse,
Haha. Exactly! No pressure. No pressure at all! (True story: I told my wife I was worried this post wouldn’t receive nearly as many comment as the “Blogger’s Bucket List” guest I did for BBT back in November. “People will be scared!” I told her.) 🙂
That’s very kind of you to say, Jesse. It also makes me feel bad… As you know, my job has monopolized my time lately. As such, I’ve had little time to write — much less comment and respond to comments. Besides being training material to others, it’s a kick in the butt for me. It’s a reminder of how I used to do things, and how I need to do them again!
Your new site sounds awesome. I will be very interested in checking it out, so please let me know once it’s live. I hope the techniques I discussed in this post will help you get noticed by those influencers. Call me biased, but I like your chances!
You’re too kind, Jesse. Thank you. It’s good to be writing again!
You are very welcome regarding the inclusion. I only regret I couldn’t include all the bloggers I admire in this post!
Hope you’re having a happy and blessed week, Jesse. Thanks again!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Uh-oh…I think I left a comment on your blog before reading this post! Will follow these guidelines next time.
I particularly agree with your points about taking the trouble to read the post and (the opposite) just regurgitating what was said. It’s a dead giveaway: somebody read the first line of the commenting rule book and skipped the rest.
One thing I’d add is that (as a fairly new commenter on blogs) it’s so heart-warming when the blog’s author writes back to say thanks for the comment. Such a good feeling and makes me want to go out and write more!
Hi Cathy,
Haha. That’s okay. Your comment had personality, and that (usually) trumps everything else! 🙂
Yes! To me, those are the two biggest issues with comments. Either the person clearly didn’t bother to read the post (but is answering as though they did) or they repeat everything in the post. Of the two, the (re)Pete Comment is the one I find most irksome. When someone comments without reading, at least it’s funny reading what they say. Well, sometimes… 🙂
I agree, Cathy. I love it when a blogger responds to me or — even better — emails me personally to thank me. It warms the heart, doesn’t it?
Thank you so much for commenting, both here and at Be A Better Blogger. I really appreciate it, Cathy!
Hope you are having a wonderful and blessed week!
-Kevin
“The Return of Kevin Duncan”, huh?
This comment won’t give me any reputation at BBT, but I think this post is the least pushy one I have read here. It’s a very touchy subject – how to provide a template without hurting disciples’ sincerity.
I doubt I will use greeting by name much, it’s awkward for me to do it IRL.
Praise… From where praise turns to flattery?
Adding value… If I had a value to add, I’d already have written about it.
And promise… The only thing I could promise is that I’ll add the offender to Feedly. I’m not a social networks type of guy, so sharing won’t change anything.
Hi Roman,
Well, I suppose if *everyone* liked the post I might get a big head. Then I’d probably go home and inadvertently say something smug to my wife, which would make her angry. And that would mean I’d have to sleep on the couch tonight, which would mean I’d have a sore back tomorrow. And that would mean I’d have to use an ice pack for my back while driving to work. And if I tried to adjust the ice pack, I might take my eyes off the road. And that would mean I might drive into oncoming traffic.
So, it’s quite possible your comment just saved my life. Thanks! 😉
In all seriousness, I’m sorry to hear you couldn’t take anything away from my post, Roman. Can’t win them all, right?
Hope you’re having a great week.
-Kevin
I didn’t say I couldn’t take anyting from this post. I just said that it’s not easy to apply it. And if I said it, then let me be blacklisted by Google!
Hi Roman,
Shhhhh! You shouldn’t joke about “The Google.” They might see this and blacklist all of us just for sport! 😉
Sorry for the misunderstanding. Still… Thank you for saving my life yesterday!
Hope your Friday is an awesome one.
-Kevin
Yo Kevin,
I’ve written a rap verse for you.
Have you got any beat? Now let’s do that later as we’ve an important task to deal with.
That’s writing a comment.
My gosh how awesome this post is… It’s tremendous.
The power of comments is super amazing. Let me tell you my little experience.
In April the author Pam Grout wrote a post. One of her readers wanted to understand something. In fact she asked a question. And what did I do?
Acted as Pam’s assistant and wrote about 333 words to answer that lovely lady. The next day something unexpected happened.
I had a tremendous traffic. I was mentioned on Twitter, my posts were shared on Facebook and most of all… I doubled my subscribers.
Oh, there’s one more thing. I gained lots of friends
What happened was that Pam Grout turned my comment into a blog post. But there’s more.
The post title talked about George Washington… Yep. That’s what younger from a sincere comment.
All I did was answer somebody’s question.
And do you think Pam Grout remembers me?
Well, let me just say this Kevin, I was running when I received this post from Jon… And as I scanned the content, I couldn’t wait to get back home to share my thought and most of all say thank you.
Still want that rap verse?
It’s pure hardcore.
Hi Josh,
Haha. Sadly, no, I have no rhythm. It’s sad, really. And a shame because my wife is so musically gifted! I hope our children take after her and not me. 🙂
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. And, wow, thank you for sharing your story. You are absolutely right — Pam Grout absolutely remembers you. That comment of yours was such a homerun she used it in a blog post?? Awesome. That’s how you know you’ve really nailed it.
Glad you came back to comment after scanning the post earlier. It’s fun to know someone enjoyed a post so much they come back just to leave a nice comment! It’s music to my ears (so to speak). 🙂
Sure! Respond to this comment and share the rap verse. No one’s ever written a rap for me before!
Hope this comment finds you doing well, Josh. Thanks again.
-Kevin
You know what Kevin?
You are one diligent blogger.
You are going far brother.
Please, let me know where you go next… apart from your own.
Oh, about the rap verse. Well, I think since there’s no beat in you… I better keep it away from you as you might not get it as you should. But here is the good news.
I’m told people who want to develop their rhythm, if they haven’t got any all they have to do is learn to play an instrument. Then everything else will follow.
I’m sure your wife will get you into one.
Just don’t forget to let me know.
Hi again, Josh.
Thanks! I hope you’re right and I do go far. I’m trying, my friend. I’m trying…
As for learning to develop rhythm, if anyone can teach me an instrument it’s my lovely and talented wife. Sadly (for her) she has her work cut out!
Hope you’re having an awesome Friday!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Nice to see you here.
Wonderful and deep post you’ve written here.
For the most part I’d say commenters do start with a greeting, and usually follow it with a compliment. Kind of what I’ve done here 🙂
I think that’s very important to add value to the comment. Some people don’t realize how a turn off it can be to read a 2 sentence useless comment. I know I don’t like those too much.
At times I even take notes during my reading so I can remember the point by the time I do write my comment, because more often then not I would forget about at least some of the points.
Telling the blogger that we would be sharing is a good thing to do which I use often as well.
Great job!
~Sylviane
Hello lovely!
(see….that was a good greeting…)
I think you’re one of the best people in the blogsphere, so THERE!
(2 sentences….was it useless???)
Hi Sylviane,
Good to see you here, too! Thank you for coming over, commenting, and supporting me. It’s always nice to see familar faces when guest blogging. 🙂
I like your tip to take notes while reading posts. You’re right, sometimes you’ll be half-way through the post, have a thought, but then totally forget it when you write your comment. Notes would help remedy that. They wouldn’t have to be detailed at all… just a little shorthand to job the memory!
Thank you for the kind words, Sylviane! Glad you enjoyed the post. Hope this comment finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I sit here licking my wounds. As someone who is guilty of violating almost all of your excellent edicts, I vow to take your blog post to heart and become a better commenter. This is a new world for me, one that has rules of decorum that only seem logical when pointed out by someone like you. To compare blog commenting to first dates is ingenious, because it makes perfect sense from that perspective. As a newbie in the blogosphere (my artist blog has celebrated its 15th follower), I have much to learn. I appreciate your breaking down each element separately, then putting it all together with concrete examples. Very helpful. I also like Anne Allen’s advice to “Read the blog” before submitting comments or pitches. In my world, it’s “Know the gallery before submitting your artwork to them.” It seems obvious, but almost no one does it.
Kevin, you’ve provided a wealth of (free!) information here. I won’t put you on my CV just yet, but I will share your post on Facebook in appreciation for teaching me something. I look forward to future posts.
All the best, Nolan
PS: I don’t even know how to add my photo avatar to a post yet, so forgive me if I’m represented in silhouette.
Hi Nolan,
Don’t worry — we all were new bloggers at one point. Even Jon Morrow and Darren Rowse!
I’m glad you found my post helpful, and I’m thrilled to hear you’re going to take what I wrote to heart. If you were someone who truly violated each of these edicts (love that word), you’ll be amazed with the kind of responses your comments will receive by incorporating even a few of them. Heck, look at this comment of yours right here! It’s awesome. Well done. 🙂
Let me see if I can help you with your gravatar photo. Do you have a free WordPress.com account? They own gravatar, so you’ll need an account.
Try this: http://en.gravatar.com/support/how-to-sign-up/
The good news is once you have signed up and once you have associated a photo with the email address you use for comments, OLD comments you’ve written will show your gravatar photo, too. How cool is that?
Thanks for the awesome comment, Nolan. Hope you’re having a great week, and good luck signing up for that gravatar!
-Kevin
Thank you, Kevin! Hopefully my new gravatar will start to pop up on some other worthy blogs. I am impressed how you respond to each and every comment. Knowing how busy you must be, this clearly demonstrates how important this is. I look forward to more of your posts.
Hi Nolan,
You’re very welcome. And congrats on getting your gravatar account set up!
Want another cool tip? Your one gravatar account can “house” multiple email addresses and photos.
So, for example, you used one email address to leave me your comment yesterday and a different email address to leave me today’s comment, right? The email address for today’s comment is connected to your gravatar account, so your picture appears next to it. Score! However, your email address for yesterday’s comment isn’t connected with gravatar (as of this writing). That’s why no picture shows up for it.
Solution?
Log into your Gravatar.com account. If you don’t go there automatically, click the “My Gravatars” tab at the top. You should see a link for “add email address” under the email address you’ve already set up for gravatar. Click the link, add your other email address, and then choose a photo for it.
That’s it!
You can have multiple email addresses with multiple photos if you so desire. That’s why I’ve done. 🙂
-Kevin
P.S. You’re very welcome, Nolan. Glad I could help! And yeah, I’m trying to respond to each comment. There’s just so many! Good problem to have, though, right? 🙂
Hey Kevin,
Good to see you here on BBT. I have followed your posts around the blogosphere – seems like you are active everywhere!
I don’t recall reading a more in-depth guide on blog commenting ever. Agreed it is quite basic to put Gravatar and real name, along with avoiding dropping links in the comment body – but the actual comment needs to be of a far superior quality. And I guess you have nailed that part well comparing it with dating.
Generally when I guest post for a popular blog, I spend weeks writing, tweaking, editing and fine-tuning the content before sending the first draft – that kind of polishing is not possible on a comment. Still basic proofreading isn’t a bad idea.
Replying to comments had always been my favorite part of A-list guest blogging. While that is no longer possible on copyblogger, we can still enjoy the comments section here on BBT.
Long live blog commenting,
thanks,
Uttoran Sen,
Hi Uttoran,
Wow. “I don’t recall reading a more in-depth guide on blog commenting ever.” That is high praise, especially coming from a top blogger like yourself. I think I’ve read most of your posts on Copyblogger. You know your stuff! 🙂
It wasn’t mentioned in the post, but you’re right – not proofreading comments is a common problem. Usually the mistakes are harmless, but sometimes they make you want to crawl under a rock and hide!
Agreed. I’m so glad BBT’s comment section is still alive and thriving. Writing the post and working with Glen is only half the fun. The rest happens when the post is published and the comments roll in! So much fun. 🙂
Appreciate your kind thoughts, Uttoran. Hope this comment of mine finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Such an awesome post, Kevin! (Greeting? Check!)
I especially appreciate the examples of actual comments people have made. I’m such a visual person that having little pictures and screenshots along the way really help drive home the points – and it’s always a fun surprise when my own mug is in the mix. 😉 And, of course, you made me laugh so bonus points there, too! (Compliment? Check!)
I absolutely agree that asking thoughtful questions is a smart move. It not only makes for a great comment but can be very helpful for the blogger, too. I know that I’ve been able to get oodles of new blog post ideas from people asking questions in my comments section. And, as we all know, coming up with post ideas that people actually want to read and share can be a struggle at times so I love my community for helping me out like this.
And I’m sure other bloggers appreciate when their readers ask thoughtful questions that inspire more blog post ideas (which definitely puts you in their good books). So I up-vote asking questions in the comments. (Value? Check!)
Now you bet your bananas I’m off to share this fabulousness on the twitbookverse! (Promise? Check!)
P.S. It’s slightly nerve-wracking writing a comment on a “how to not be a lame commenter” post. How am I doing?! 😉
Hi Jenna,
How are you doing?? This is a textbook comment, Jenna. Textbook! You knocked it out of the park.
Glad you enjoyed the post. Glad you made it laugh, too! Glen Long was kind enough to let me keep most of my silly references. 🙂
Glad I was able to surprise you by slipping your mug into the middle of the post! My hope is readers are genuinely surprised when they read the post and find their likeness. I know *I* would be surprised!
Is twitbookverse the new social media craze? Sign me up!!
Thank you for the entertaining, textbook comment, Jenna. Hope this pedestrian comment of mine finds you doing well!
-Kevin
P.S. Loved how you checked off each technique as you did them! Haha.
Haha! Glad to know I textbooked it!
And yes – twitbookverse is for those who feel there just aren’t enough social media doohickeys out there and they need to sign up for just one more. 😉
Hi again, Jenna.
Yep, you textbooked it! In fact, I noticed in a later comment a nice reader asked me to give them a template for comments. I’m just going to tell them to read your comment above. It’s easier! Haha.
I need to get on twitbookverse ASAP then. I hope it isn’t invitation only!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Totally worth the read! A lot of things I’ve been doing already, but just never gave much thought to the greeting… probably because I don’t see a lot of others doing it. I’ve totally bought in though due to your great date analogy. To be honest, at first, I was reading through the common mistakes or what not to do section and wanted to skip ahead to the meat…. but I stuck with it and realize the point is to help us identify if we’re making these unintentional mistakes. Good work there.
Specifically, I will continue to state that I am sharing their post when it knocks my socks off. This post is being pinned to my blogger board so I can reference it again and I can share with my fellow blogger friends. Several people I know are recently jumping into blogging with both feet (i.e. making this our full time gig) and I don’t know that any other article about blogging has laid down the structure of how to comment effectively. I mean what’s the point if it is just some words to fill space? The idea is of course to STAND OUT, make new connections while learning along the way. Everyone mentions to comment on blogs, but just commenting is pretty much a waste of time. Clearly there’s the right way and the wrong way. I’m half tempted to link your post at the bottom of each of my posts now to discourage those who like to post “Great idea! Thanks for sharing!” from bothering at all. Even though it might be seen as a bit snarky at first, for those that click through, I think they’ll be grateful to have such a big take away.
For me the take away is that I’m much better off reading fewer blog posts and leaving a valuable comment rather than racing to read and comment on 50 blog posts in a day. As I stated already, a lot of these things I was already doing intuitively, but have a few things to fine tune.
The best thing? I’m not going to let my recent past of following what others are doing in blog comments become a habit…. short, vague and regurgitating what the author wrote.
I’ll be keeping this tab open today to re-read some of points since there were plenty of
Thank you again for the well crafted post…. I’m ready to do this thing!
Hi Joann,
It feels like forever ago I was thanking you for sharing this post on Twitter. It feels as though I’ve read and written a thousand comments in the past four hours! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the “common mistakes” section! At one point when writing, I questioned whether to even have that section. It seemed to go on and on, which is dangerous when the “meat” of the post is where most readers will find the most value. I’m glad Glen (BBT’s awesome managing editor) and I were able to make it work!
If you’re half-tempted to link this post at the bottom of each of your posts to discourage bad comments, I’m half-tempted to encourage you to do it. That would be a super badge of honor. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more with your takeaway. It IS better to leave valuable comments on a handful of blogs than “filler” comments on 50 blogs. Quality over quantity. Amen to that.
This was such a hearty, detailed comment, Joann. Thank you! If all comments were like yours, the blogosphere would be a magical place.
Thanks again for the tweets. Hope you are doing well!
-Kevin
Kevin, this is one of the best posts I’ve read in I-don’t-know-how-long, and I was nodding the whole way through. You nailed it, sir.
I’m one of those rare probloggers who LOVES to interact with readers in the comment section of my post – more so each day, as social media sharing (read: tweet a link and say nothing of value) increases.
I want comments. I want discussions. I want engagement. I want to talk with people and chat about their problems and offer solutions and get to know them more.
I can’t do that if they leave me a shitty comment – or worse, a Like, share or tweet and no comment at all.
That said, I think I’ll go like, share and tweet this post for you… but at least I left you a good comment. 😉
Hi James,
What a great compliment! I’m a huge fan of your site, Men With Pens, so any kudos coming from you is music to my ears. Thank you!
It’s good to hear there are probloggers out there who still enjoy interacting with readers. That’s awesome. I’m betting you are a big “people person” in real life, too. Am I right? 🙂
Thank you for commenting AND liking AND sharing AND tweeting AND making my day, James. I hope YOUR day is going splendidly! 🙂
-Kevin
Wow this is by far the most comprehensive guide I’ve ever seen on writing great comments.
Great work Kevin and thanks for linking to WPBeginner 🙂
Hi Syed,
Thank you! Coming from such a well known and influential blogger as yourself, that is super high praise! 😀
You are very welcome regarding the link to WPBeginner. It’s such a useful site for blogging newbies and veterans alike.
Thanks again, Syed. Hope you’re having a great day!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
This is a topic you are definitely well-qualified to cover. Very interesting article with lots of great examples. I’ve always done some blog commenting but never used it as a major strategy to grow any of my blogs. For me the biggest hangup is time. Like you mentioned, you have to actually read the post in order to leave a quality comment, multiply that by a lot of blog posts per day and it can be quite time consuming. I think it is an excellent approach when you want to brand and position yourself as an expert and you want to catch the attention of popular bloggers, as you have done.
Hi Marc,
Thank you, my friend. I appreciate that. Long time no see, by the way! That’s my bad, of course. My job has encroached on so much of my time lately.
Speaking of which, you’re absolutely right about the primary flaw in writing great comments: they take time.
You have to read the post. You have to spend at least a few moments gathering your thoughts. You have to write and then (hopefully) you have to proofread it. Do this for dozens and dozens of blogs and time will certainly get away from you!
But, like all things worth doing in this world, great comments don’t come easy. 🙂
Appreciate the comment and tweet, Marc. Hope you’re having an awesome Thursday!
-Kevin
Kevin,
You’re right, there is no easy way to promote a blog, every approach will either take time or money. Congrats on the success of this article, it seems like it has generated a lot of discussion and sharing.
Hi Marc,
Wouldn’t it be great if there WAS a great promotion strategy that didn’t take time or money? Sigh…
Thanks, man. Yeah, I’m amazed by the feedback the post has received. Amazed and happy! 🙂
Hope you have a great holiday, Marc.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I really did enjoy reading your post on how to comment on blogs, and I was happy to see that I already did a lot of what you said.
You are right … if one does go to a blog, then they saw something they were really interested in … let them know it. I think sometimes, when we follow someone … we take for granted they are there, forget or not think to always comment.
I notice that on my blog … just when I think someone isn’t reading … a comment comes in at the strangest time … but, it makes everything okay! 🙂
I enjoyed how you put everything here … I didn’t become bored thinking ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’. 🙂
I will definitely be more aware when I comment … you are right, it is like dating! I am always sincere … I just need to comment more. Thank you, Kevin. It’s nice to meet you. Gloria
Hi Gloria,
It’s nice to meet you, too! Thank you for your wonderful comment. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and didn’t find it boring. Honestly, I think that would be the worst review I could hear: “The tips and strategies were really good, but that Kevin guy’s post was just SO boring!” Haha.
Isn’t it neat how comments (or emails) come in at the strangest times… usually when we are down or thinking our work isn’t being read? Those are such nice boosts!
Appreciate your comment, Gloria. Hope mine finds you doing well. Take care!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I always knew you were a great writer, but this…
is freakin` awesome 😉
Many people think that getting to know other people online is one of the biggest mysteries since Jimmy Hoffa disappeared.
The secret is that BASICALLY getting to know people online is the same as getting to know people in real life.
Do you want to get to know another influential blogger?
What do you do?
Well you actually invest your most precious asset…
your TIME and carefully crafts some well written words that provide REAL value.
Few people do that nowadays.
And the best way is of course to write a great comment on their blog post (or even better…on their guest blog post).
Writing a great comment on their blog post is like sending them a well written SMS telling them how great they are and show them that you care.
While writing a great comment on their guest blog post is like knocking on their door (in a non-creepy way) and tell them how awesome they are, giving them a flying high five and telling them that you care.
Well done, my friend.
I will now be sharing this awesome post.
Keep up the good work.
Best,
Tor
[…you…what?….Are you sure?]
Right.
Hey Tor?
Jimmy says you’re wrong, it’s a bigger mystery.
What can I say….I know people.
Hey Jaime…
*Psssst* I did`t think we were allowed to share that by the guys in the black suits…
I got your back, man.
* Clears his throat *
Anyway, say hello to Jimmy`s evil twin 😉
(points boldly at the old wizard)
…WAS NOT ME!
If you two really know what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, I may have to pretend I don’t know you. It’s for my own safety. You understand.
(gets into character)
Who are you two? Get off my lawn!
(points boldly at Tor AND the old wizard)
….WAS NOT ME!
Hi Tor,
Appreciate the compliment! It’s nice receiving praise from bloggers you respect. 🙂
Getting to know people online really is a lot like getting to know them in person. Heck, just imagine if people acted in real life like they do online. (Actually, some people do, don’t they??)
Though, I think we can all agree, having someone knock on your door, tell you you’re awesome, and give you a high-five would be pretty sweet. Let’s make that happen!
Appreciate the great comment, Tor. And thanks a bunch for the share! You rock.
-Kevin
Yeah, and one more thing…
thanks for including me in this article 😉
Have a great day.
Tor
Of course, Tor!
You are very welcome, my friend. 🙂
-Kevin
OMG, now I have to carry out all those recommendations HERE?
I have one comment: in Value Tactic #2: Ask Thoughtful Questions, your examples all match exactly the spam that I get that is cleverly constructed to be generic yet appear personal. For example:
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular article!
It’s the little changes that make the most important
changes. Many thanks for sharing!
Here’s my trick with these: if they really appear to help the article, I’ll occasionally approve them, but remove their website link.
Hi Phil,
No pressure or anything, right? Haha!
You think so? I thought the examples from Andrew, Pooja, and Gertrude were great! Of course, I do know each of them. Bias, perhaps? 😉
I like your trick. It’s one I’ve used before. Usually, at least on my blog, the answer to the “is it spam, yes or no” question is pretty obvious. If it’s generic, like the example you gave, I honestly leave it as spam. That’s another way greeting me by name in a comment comes in handy. (“At least the commenter took the time to find my name!”) Haha.
Really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment, Phil. Nice to “meet” you here! Hope you’re having a wonderful day!
-Kevin
Hey Phil,
You know what—I do that too!
In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret about me AND Kevin….
Once in a while, we like to approve a spam comment (usually from spinning article software) and then leave clever remarks =D
Remember those, Kevin? LOL
Hey Kevin–How fun to be scrolling through this great piece and see my own comment highlighted. I’m glad I made the grade! 🙂
I keep hammering new writers about leaving comments on better known blogs. I tell them they’re going to do much more to get themselves into the search engines by leaving a comment on a blog getting 4000 hits a day than on their own fledgling blog that has had 40 hits since it started and those are all their own visits.
But I’ve never talked about HOW to leave a good comment. And you’ve done it for me. I will be linking to it from my next “how to blog” post. Thanks!
Hi Anne,
Glad I was able to surprise you! I like knowing I was able to surprise quite a few people today. 🙂
Writing great comments on well-known blogs is certainly time well spent. Besides potentially getting onto the radars of the blogs’ owners, look at all the other bloggers you might attract. Other readers see the comments you leave. If they’re really good and beneficial comments, readers will wonder what ELSE you might know. And, sometimes, they’ll click your link and check out your blog. At the very least, your chances will be better than if you’d written a hastily-put-together comment of little relevance!
Thank you for the future link, Anne! That’s awesome. You’ll have to let me know once it’s published so I can check it out. 🙂
Appreciate the kind words and great comment, Anne. Hope you’re having a great week!
-Kevin
hey kevin,
this post is really helpful for new bloggers like me. have really got good amount if visitors when i have commented on a big blog.
much thanks. 🙂
Hi jyoti,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 How long have you been blogging?
Hopefully the tips in this post (and the many shared on all the great posts elsewhere on Boost Blog Traffic) will help you continue to grow your blog!
You’re welcome, jyoti. Thank you for commenting! Hope you have a great rest of your day.
-Kevin
I’m honored to be included in this post, Kevin and I certainly remember the blog post where I felt the altruistic desire to share the post. 🙂 My English Teacher at school drilled parsing into our young heads and yes, the Comma continues to be a point of consideration.
Hi Vatsala,
I’m glad I was able to honor you by including you in the post! It’s fun surprising blogging friends. 🙂
How are you doing? How are things with Karmically Coaching these days??
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Great post, and really helpful. I never realised there was so much of an art to commenting!
I’m going to put your techniques into use, as you can see…
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Rhiannon,
Thank you! I’m glad you found it helpful. 🙂
Oh yes, there’s definitely an art to commenting. Heck, I think there’s an art to most blogging tasks. A well crafted anecdote? It’s a thing of beauty!
You’re welcome, Rhiannon. Thanks for commenting! Hope you’re having a great and blessed week.
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Spectacular post my friend, you really did give us ALL the scoop on how to stand out through commenting. I’ve been telling my readers this for years…
When they don’t address me by my name or they misspell it although I have it all over my darn site, that says to me that they’re just really there to be seen. Like they don’t even have the time to say hello and mention me by name! I find that so very odd.
As you also know, commenting is what put me on the map and started getting me a lot of attention all because I took the time to read their post, I did appreciate what I was learning from them and let them know, I usually shared some of my own experiences and at times had more questions and of course because the content is SO awesome I have to rush and share it. We need more of that online because most of it is a huge waste of our time.
Gosh, thank you SO much for mentioning me here and that my comments have all the elements that a good comment should have. I wish I had your quick wit and humor but that’s what makes you so darn unique and stand out. I think I’m genuinely caring and nice so I’m okay with that being my unique qualities.
I’m going to have to hang onto this post now. I mean it’s the perfect “how to” guide for a proper comment that won’t suck. They do take practice though so no one should give themselves a hard time in the beginning but the one big key takeaway here is just be genuine and comment because you dang well loved the post. Don’t comment because you want to make those connections. I believe they’ll start to happen naturally because of who you are. I’ve been rather shocked myself as to how they’ve progressed for me. Man it’s so much fun to.
Thanks again Kevin for the mention and yes, you know I’m off to share this one too. How can I not! You wrote it and it rocks! 😉
Have a great day and enjoy what’s left of your week. Heading over to your place next, I’ve missed you.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
You are VERY welcome for the mention, Adrienne! Would you like the quick story of how I settled on you and Carol for my “has each of these elements” examples?
I originally had you and Carol mentioned elsewhere in the post. You were a “greeting” example and Carol a “compliment” (or I might have it backwards). Anyway, when I reached the section of the post to show examples of comments that owned all the elements, I opened up my “Bucket List” post on BBT and began reading the comments.
I was looking for comments that greeted me by name, complimented me and/or the post in some genuine way, added a little value, and then made a promise at the end. MANY comments had the compliment and value. Some even had the greeting. But most were missing the promise (and those that had the promise were missing something else).
Then I got to you and Carol. Greeting? Check. Compliment? Check. Value? Check. Promise? Check. Once I had your two examples, I stopped looking. 🙂
Of course, this meant I needed to go back and replace the earlier sections in the post that had you as examples. It was quite the juggling act!
So that’s the story.
I definitely was not surprised to discover you and Carol had all the elements I was writing about. I’ve always been impressed with the way you each interact with your followers. And I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing that interaction first hand this past year of Be A Better Blogger’s existence.
Thank you for the kind words and great comment, Adrienne. And thank you so much for all the social shares you’ve given this post!
I hope you are having an awesome week, and I hope your Fourth of July weekend is a fun one!
Thanks again, Adrienne.
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Well I appreciate you sharing that story and so sorry we made you go to all that trouble.
That’s so cool that you had specific elements in mind to look for and those that stood out the most were mine and Carol’s. I have to be honest with you, I’m extremely flattered. When I started this process I really didn’t have anything in particular in mind. The one thing Carol and I definitely have in common though is we like to treat people the way we would like to be treated so I think that’s why our comments ended up being that way. I mean when someone comes to my blog I would want them to share this much with me each time. Not that they will but gosh, that would be awesome right!
I’ve definitely had the pleasure of getting to know you these past few years Kevin and you are one very special guy. So glad we’ve been connected in that way. I also just love your writing style and still want to be like you when I grow up!
Thank you again for the mention and I’ll be sure to enjoy what’s left of this week and have an awesome 4th. You be sure to do the same.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
You and Carol definitely have that in common. You treat others with respect and the way you like to be treated, and that shows in your interactions with them. Observers, such as myself, can see how and Carol interact with your commenters. You’re great with them.
Haha. So you want to be like me when you grow up, huh? Well, you still have lots of time. 😉
Thank you for being you, Adrienne.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
These types of posts are EXACTLY the reason why I subscribe to your newsletter!
Never before have I read such an in depth article describing how to compose meaningful comments.
You’ve made some really valid points here which I will definitely be applying moving forward and that I’ll be happy to share with others.
Goodness, I couldn’t agree more than with #1 and #2! (with that said, let’s hope my Gravatar shows up once I hit ‘enter’ 😐 )
Look forward to the next post!
Hi Trudy,
You’re too kind! If only every subscriber was as nice and complimentary as you. 🙂
Is this really the most in-depth article you’ve read on meaningful comments? That’s great to hear! Maybe I’m my own worst critic, but I was a little apprehensive about this post and how it would be received. These comments have been wonderful.
Kudos on having your gravatar show up! Haha.
I’m looking forward to the next post, too. Do you think Jon and Glen will let me write a THIRD post for them?! 😀
Thank you for the kind comment, Trudy. Hope this comment of mine finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Hello Kevin,
Wow! You really got me thinking! And that’s tough to do with this ADD brain!
Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m probably older than most of you in the room. I find it interesting that your post brought me back to an English class in grammar school in the 1960’s!
Your suggestions smacked of a well constructed letter. For many years I’ve tried to fit the popular mold of a text or tweet. You don’t know how relieved I am to be coached to write what I believe to be a polite letter of appreciation!
Thank you so much for taking the time get this information to me and everyone else. I’ll be sharing this with as soon as I hit the Post Comment button!
Teena from Beautiful NH!
PS Now if I could only figure out how to add my photo!
Hey Teena,
I believe you just have to create a Gravatar profile. Go to Gravatar.com and add your email address + a photo. And Voila! Wherever you use that email for comments, your photo will follow.
HTH! 🙂
Pooja
Thanks so much Pooja! Headed there right now…
Gravitar done – check!
Hope it shows up on this response…
Hi Teena,
I was going to direct you to the comment I wrote for Nolan Haan above, but I see Pooja swooped in and beat me to it!
Hooray! You have a gravatar now. Welcome to the Cool Kids Club. 😉
-Kevin
Hi Teena,
I used to teach high school freshman… I’m USED to getting ADD brains to think. 😉
How cool that my suggestions reminded you of letters! Gosh, I can’t remember the last time I wrote an ACTUAL pen-to-paper letter to someone. Sad, isn’t it? It’s all email, email, email these days.
“Polite letter of appreciation” is an excellent way to look at blog comments! This “skip the formalities” culture we live in thanks to tweets and texts doesn’t work for me. Be brief? Yes please. Forgo greetings, pleases and thank yous? I’ll pass.
Thank you for sharing, Teena! I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the post, and thank you so much for your kind comment.
Hope you have a great Friday and weekend!
-Kevin
Hello Kevin,
Thank you for writing such a comprehensive blog on this topic. It is easy to think commenting is just that, “commenting,” but there is so much more to it than I had anticipated. Luckily we got knowledgeable people like you around to let us know what’s up!
Lately I have been struggling with this very topic. To build up subscribers for my YouTube channel I have begun to comment on all other channels that are similar to mine and contain an audience that would be interested in the content I release, but I am finding that my comments were gaining ZERO traction in the conversation and this blog CLEARLY listed out why. I was parroting and summarizing the videos rather than adding something interesting to the conversation.
I find this mentality is the same as creating quality content. We begin to think consistency is the most important thing, and then the quality of what we release takes a hit. A great recipe for failure.
Alright Kevin, I’m out of here. Time to share this gem on Twitter, and not just because this article says this is a perfect way to end a comment. I just think this is too valuable to not know!!!!
– Brian
Hi Brian,
You’re very welcome. Thanks for writing such an insightful and kind comment!
You know one thing I found interesting about your comment? It is so well written, and yet you don’t own a blog (at least not that I can find). You’re a video/photography guy! I’m impressed. 🙂
Sorry to hear you haven’t been seeing results for your commenting efforts on YouTube. Hopefully these strategies will help!
I do wonder… Granted, I am very much a novice when it comes to YouTube, but I wonder if the comments sections for YouTube channels are the best place to find subscribers? From my experience, the comments section in YouTube videos are where thought and decency go to die! Haha.
Maybe give these a try:
– Google Plus communities use the same commenting system as YouTube. You could find communities related to your niche and make some friends.
– Facebook communities could work similarly. The commenting system is different, of course, but the idea is the same. Find likeminded communities/groups, join them, and start making connections.
– My favorite idea: Go to AllTop.com and browse their alphabetized topics. Each topic will list the most popular blogs in that particular niche. So if you wanted to leave comments on popular photography blogs, you’d go to AllTop, click the letter “P” and select “Photography.” Then you’d have dozens and dozens of blogs to choose from!
Just some ideas. Let me know if they help!
Appreciate the share on Twitter! Hope you have an awesome Friday and weekend, Brian.
-Kevin
Thank you Kevin! I do write, just got an article accepted onto the goodmenproject website! Just taking the time to build up social media before I take on the behemoth project of a blog! I am very flattered. Those ideas you listed out sound great, I will definitely try them.
Didn’t know about the facebook strategy, which is intriguing because I found Facebook to be a challenging platform for me to use. I will definitely take you up on your advice and let you know how it works out. Thanks a ton!
Hi again Brian,
Ah, well now I’m not so surprised. Haha. 🙂
Congrats on getting your article accepted! How are you coming along on building your social media profile?
Yeah, Facebook is hit or miss for a lot of bloggers. I use it far less than I do G+ and Twitter. And there are some sites like Copyblogger that choose not to have a Facebook presence at all.
But, for some it’s hugely successful. You should definitely give it a go and see how it works for you!
You’re welcome, Brian, and thanks for the follow-up comment! Hope you’re having a great weekend.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
this is one of the best posts I’ve read in a long time.
I have some questions-
1. Is it necessary to write my Blog link in the comment?
2. what are the reasons behind writing comments?
(I mean how will that be increasing my blog traffic)
3. Will that writer genuinely try to help me?
4. Can you write me a complete sample comment to refer to?
5. I want to start a blog now, can you tell me the basic points to follow which I can understand
(I have watched the video ‘how to grow your blog to six figures’ but I didn’t understand a thing)
can you explain me those 5 stages in simple language in which a person like me can understand
going to share this link with my friends
thanks
-Prince
Hi Prince,
Thank you very much! That’s very kind of you to say. 🙂
Hopefully I can adequately answer your questions. Let’s see…
1. That depends on what you are referring to. Are you referring to the input field alongside “Name” and “Email” when you’re writing a comment? If yes, no, that’s not necessary. Some people don’t have blogs or websites. Some people choose to link to their Twitter page. The blog’s owner, because he can see the email address you entered, will be able to contact you if he/she wants to regardless of whether or not you supplied a blong link. It’s OTHER readers that won’t be able to reach you (because there was no link for them to click). So, if your goal is to increase traffic, you definitely want to include your blog’s URL.
2. Gosh, there are so many reasons. Maybe you want the blogger to notice you. Maybe you want other readers to notice you. Maybe you enjoy interacting with people. Maybe you like complimenting writers and their hard work. Maybe you want to sharpen your writing skills. Maybe you want to ask a question. Maybe you have an idea you wanted to share with the blogger and other readers. Maybe you’re just bored. 🙂
The list goes on and on!
3. It depends. Some bloggers will genuinely try to help their readers and answer their questions and concerns. Do all bloggers try to help? No, sadly. Some may want to help, but not have the time. Some may be forgetful. And some, it must be said, are selfish. In short, it just depends. There ARE a lot of good, helpful, selfless bloggers out there! 🙂
4. I can do better than that — I’ll show you a comment right here in this post’s comment section that hits all the marks. Scroll up and read Jenna Dalton’s comment. Your comments don’t have to be as long as her’s, but Jenna wrote a textbook example for the kind of comments I refer to in this post!
5. I’m unfamilar with the video you mention, so it’s not fair for me to comment on it. But maybe I can point you in the right direction?
If you just want to have some fun blogging and not commit any money, I recommend WordPress.com. Just go there, sign up, and create a free blog. They have tons of tutorials to help you, too!
If you want to be serious about blogging (make a little money, gain some fame, etc.), go to my blog (just click my name above) and select “START A BLOG” on my navigation menu (it’s the button with a star). It’ll go through a few options to get started. Also, the “Blogger’s Bucket List” post I wrote for Boost Blog Traffic in November might be really helpful. (I link to it a few times in this post, but you can also find it by using the search feature at the top of the site.) That post is filled with DOZENS of links to help you throughout your blogging journey.
Hope I helped, Prince. Good luck getting started! You’ll do great. 🙂
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
What a great detailed post on commenting. This post is not only great for newbies but also for all of us veterans. We can still learn a thing or two despite the fact we’ve been commenting for a long time.
But one thing I got out of this which I also practice is to just keep it simple. Like you mentioned about dating you don’t want to start talking just to be talking, boring the other person to death. Greet the blogger, make your points about the topic and then end it right there. This helps with those bloggers that get a lot of comments, especially if they don’t have a lot of time to answer all of them.
Thanks for the share! Have a good one!
Hi Sherman,
Good to see you here. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Very true. Bloggers of ALL experience levels can stand to learn new things from time to time. I know *I* am learning almost every day (and I’ve been doing this over 10 years)! Haha.
Simplicity. I love simplicity. Be polite, know what you’re going to say, say it, and move on. It’s good advice. 🙂
Thanks for commenting and sharing the post, Sherman. I really appreciate it! Hope you are having a great Friday, my friend.
-Kevin
Kevin,
I loved the PRACTICAL and easy to follow nature of this post. I think you are so right. People want real engagement, not shallow small-talk. At least the people I know do. Thank you for taking the time to make this a quality offering to us. I, for on, will be implementing as many of these steps as possible.
Hi Miriam,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I did try my best — in spite of the length of the post and the random bits of humor I tend to throw in — to make everything as easy to follow as possible. So it feels being commended for it. 🙂
Good luck implementing these steps! Let me know how they work for you, okay? Thanks again, Miriam. Have a great Friday and weekend!
-Kevin
Hello Kevin,
I’ve been reading you for a while and now this gonna be my first comment I make on you blog. I will try to do this according to your tips.
So… This article was exactly what I needed. I’m from Poland and blogging area is a bit different here – usually other bloggers are forcing links to their blogs when making comments. Are you reading some international blogs that are coming from different country than yours and have you ever spotted something that would be strange in US blogosphere?
I already shared your article on the group for Polish bloggers we have on Facebook, hope a lot of people will change their attitude after reading it.
Many thanks,
Wiola
Hi Wiola,
So you’re a long-time reader, first-time commenter? Awesome. 🙂
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the post and took the time to comment. I love it when I get to connect with new readers.
So in Poland, everyone insists on forcing links inside their comments? I didn’t know that. Of course, sadly, this isn’t a “Poland only” thing. Haha. I see a lot of commenters do that. It’s a great way to end up in a blog’s “spam” folder, that’s for sure.
Thank you so much for sharing the post with your Facebook group! Who knows, maybe you can help change how Polish bloggers comment!
Thanks again, Wiola. Hope you have a wonderful and blessed weekend.
-Kevin
Hello Kevin,
This is such a WELL EXPLAINED article. I’ve been searching a lot for such a post, but all the others were just telling to not spam. I was literally pissed off! This post is a life saver to me. Thank you for all the information, explained beautifully.
Hope you have a great day ahead.
Hi Harshita,
THANK YOU! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Yeah, posts telling you simply “don’t spam” aren’t very helpful, are they? That’s not exactly clear advice!
Glad this post was able to clear up a few things for you. I hope it helps!
Appreciate the comment, Harshita. Hope you have a great Friday and weekend!
-Kevin
Kevin,
A little concerned. Yes, your content is easy to follow for a very complicated web of communication. 99% of the human population seem to be ill-equipped to hold a conversation, hence Facebook is as successful as it is.
When I read your posts or Morrow or whoever, it is like getting a stock tip. Meaning, I am late to the party.
It seems the high traffic bloggers already know this and would already defend themselves from us aspiring publicity hounds. Yes?
Hi Dale,
Your comment gave me a chuckle. 🙂
It does feel as though 99% of the population is ill-equipped, doesn’t it? Or, it feels like that many days. (For example, any day I have to go to the DMV or post office.)
I wouldn’t worry about the advice in this post being akin to a stock tip, though. (Again… made me chuckle.) Stock tips have VERY limited life spans. As you alluded to, by the time the common man hears about them, they’re past their expiration dates.
As Teena mentioned in an above comment, writing a great comment is really no different than writing a letter of appreciation on pen and paper. It’s like subway tile. It’s timeless.
Plus, the more years we get into Facebook, Twitter, email and texts; the more RARE it’s going to be for bloggers to exhibit proper manners. So, those of us who DO bother to greet bloggers, compliment them, get to know them, etc. will stand out.
And if the day comes where “being friendly” has completely gone the way of the dodo, well… I won’t be blogging anymore, so what will I care? 😉
Thanks for commenting, Dale. Hope you’re having a great day!
-Kevin
P.S. As for high-traffic bloggers keeping tips like these to themselves, I hope that’s not the case. Otherwise, Jon might hire someone to silence me!
Hi Kevin,
Excellent article on blog commenting as a strategy! As you may remember just one short year ago, it was my one and only strategy to build my audience and BAM… it worked phenomeneally well.
An entire community came around me and support me as I did them in a very short period of time. That alone propelled me just six months into it.
Because of the social validation my community brought (again all through commenting) I was published several times in SEMrush’s blog, podcast, webinar and I’m doing another webinar with them in a few weeks.
In addition I’ve featured in a Fortune 500 company blog (Interstate Batteries) and my business is now exploding.
It all started with commenting and it’s something I intend to do for a very, very long time. It’s just a great way to meet our secondary audience who serves the same audience we do but in a different way and can introduce us to those who may be in our primary audience and are able, willing and ready to buy.
It’s a great feeling!
Thanks so much for including me. I appreciate the mention. It seems like it has been forever since we last connected.
Have an awesome end to your week!
~ Don Purdum
Hi Don,
Good to see you here, my friend! It’s been a while. 🙂
Oh yes, I remember. Unveil The Web and Be A Better Blogger debuted weeks apart. It sounds like you’ve had some AMAZING growth! That’s awesome, Don.
SEMrush is big time! And for them to invite you back multiple times shows how impressed they were with you. Can’t say I’m surprised, of course. And a feature in a Fortune 500 company’s blog? Wow. Sounds like I should have been spending less time working at my job and more time following your blog these last six months! 😉
You are very welcome for the mention, Don. Happy to do it. Hope you have an awesome end to your week, too!
-Kevin
P.S. It really DOES feel like forever since we’ve connected. I’ll be sure to stop over once I catch up on all these comments! Haha.
Hi, Kevin.
Great to see you back in business!
What a good idea to write in depth about the quality of our comments. Even the basic first step of greeting the author by name is often amiss, even with some pros.
It was interesting that you picked up about the promise at the end of comments. I have used it, as you pointed out in your post, but I’m sure that I don’t do it nearly enough. I always do share posts that I have commented on, but usually do not mention my intention of doing so.
So, here it is. I promise to learn from this and be more aware of telling the other that I will share his or her post, before doing so.
Thanks for the tips,
Nathan.
Hi Nathan,
Thansk! It’s good to BE back in business! 🙂
I have to Glen Long all the credit for suggesting I write about this particular topic. My initial idea was going to have “great comments” be one of several topics discussed in the post. Glen had the foresight to say, “Hey… Why not focus on ‘great comments’ and really dig deep?” He’s a smart one, that guy.
I think many commenters do the same thing as you’ve done. They won’t SAY outright they are going to share, but they do share. That’s better than no share at all, right? 🙂
But yes… Shout your good intentions from the rooftops! It’s a great feeling to know your work was enjoyed SO MUCH your readers are running off to Twitter as soon as they hit submit on their comments. For me, personally, it brings a smile to my face.
So thank you, Nathan, for helping bring a smile to my face. Thank you for the great comment, and the promise of the share. 🙂
Hope you’re having a great weekend, my friend.
-Kevin
Hello Kevin,
May I first thank you for this elegant and comprehensive post.
However, may I ask your kind advice? I’ve always tried to at least try and thank these bloggers for their very useful information, for the clarity of their thought and for their considerable efforts in producing articles for us. I don’t think I did so strategically and now I feel I might have had an ulterior motive that I was unaware of. I hoped I was just being polite in expressing my genuine appreciation.
I try to comment on blogs that I’m interested in but not because I wish to establish some preferment with the writers. I simply wish to associate and communicate with people who are motivated, strategic and interesting. Where I come from these qualities are sadly lacking. If I didn’t try to interact with these writers my IQ would fall even lower than it is – probably to that of a fruit salad. But I do have a problem. The content of some blogs is way above me and yet, out of politeness and genuine appreciation, I wish to thank the writers. I am thinking in particular of Neil Patel’s Quick Sprout. True, I can’t think that I should ever use much of his wisdom but occasionally I can spot little gems that I can understand and will use but I feel obliged to comment on every post because he is such a generous and gifted chap.
I’m sure I sound like a sycophant, or an elderly groupie or maybe worse.
Any suggestions, or soothing words, would be much appreciated. In the meantime, thank you again and kindest regards.
Zara.
Hi Zarayna,
You are quite welcome. Thank YOU for writing such a kind and eloquent comment. 🙂
No worries — you aren’t doing anything wrong! Commenting to be polite and express genuine appreciation is awesome. I do it, too. There are many bloggers I enjoy who write on topics nowhere near related to my own. There is no professional gain for me in “getting on their radars.” So why do I comment? Why do I tweet them? Because I enjoy them and their efforts. I want to express my thanks.
That’s one of the things I love about the commenting strategies outlined in this post. No matter your motives — a genuine expression of thanks, the desire to boost your own profile, or a combination of the two — a great comment is a great comment. 🙂
Now, in regards to your problem, first let me agree with you about Neil Patel. He IS a generous and gifted chap. He’s one of the absolute best out there!
There’s no harm in commenting on every article of Neil’s, but there’s also no harm in skipping the ones you don’t understand (or that aren’t applicable to you). That’s another great thing about Neil and those like him: He won’t think ill of you or feel unappreciated if you miss a particular post. Instead, he’ll be grateful for the posts you DO leave comments.
If you want to comment each time, just keep it simple. Mention how the post was over your head, but how you appreciated the time and effort that went into creating it. Mention how you will pass the post on to a particular friend who is more knowledgeable with the post’s info (and who could better benefit from it). Mention how you look forward to his next post.
But the main thing I want to tell you is this: Don’t stress over it, Zarayna. From what I can tell, you’re doing just fine. 🙂
Thank you for your great comment. I really appreciate it! Hope your weekend is going splendidly.
-Kevin
Hello Kevin,
Just a quick response – thank you for your valued reply and putting my tiny, but still useful, mind at rest.
You seem to have lit a match in a firework factory – and unleashed an explosion of angst, info and gratitude!
Good for you!
Maybe Jon will consider employing you on a regular basis for an advice column – you would be his Agony Uncle advising on the etiquette of commenting and corresponding in general.
Hope you can find time to put your feet up and chill out now.
Thank you and please accept my kindest regards.
Zara.
Hi Zarayna,
You are very welcome! I’m glad I could put your still-useful mind at ease. 😉
Yes, I’m thrilled with the responses and comments this post has received. It’s pretty remarkable!
I’d be a pretty lucky guy if Jon wanted to do such a thing. Maybe you should email him and demand it! Haha.
Oh, I’ll find time to relax pretty soon. Once the NEXT Boost Blog Traffic is published (on Thursday) and this post is now longer “the latest” its activity will die down. Or, maybe not? This post does seem to be an unforcable stop of nature right now. 🙂
Hope you are having a wonderful day, Zarayna. Thank you for the kind words.
-Kevin
Hello Peter,
How very nice to hear from you.
Unfortunately, I am not on twitter – to be frank I am one of those ‘old folk’ who can just about manage email.
Strangely enough, I have a similar financial profile to what many Greeks have at the moment i.e. impoverishment but I am, in fact, English (French grandfather).
I am gratified that Kevin and I’s exchange interested you. I think that if we are honest, even if we are not on the level of the blogger we are commenting on, then our contribution can still be useful in some way.
BTW, at the moment I am focusing on fiction writing, having put aside more philosophical and investigative interests for the time being. Thus, I doubt if I would be of much interest to you but I am delighted that we have met. Let me know, please, how that fits with you.
Kindest and best wishes for your endeavours.
Hi Zarayna,
Just a quick side comment:
Personally, I find Twitter much easier to manage and keep up with than email! (The 144-character limitation forcing me to condense my words might have something to do with it.)
You should try Twitter one night when you’re feeling particularly brave. You might like it! 🙂
-Kevin
Hey, Kevin, what an incredible post. It’s so chock full of information, and I’ve been sitting here taking copious notes. I had a blog once and became so frustrated because it wouldn’t grow so I “killed” it. But I couldn’t stay away so I started a new blog in the past year, and alas it’s barely growing, too. On this second go-round, and after reading your post here, I can see I have boatloads to learn. I plan to read through your blog and keep taking notes and see just where it takes me. Thanks for sharing. I’m going to tweet about this post, because who knew any of this?!
Mary
Hi Mary,
Thanks! The mental image of you writing down notes while reading makes me smile. 🙂
I know the feeling. Be A Better Blogger isn’t my first blog. My first one, started in 2005, died a slow death as “life” got in the way. It was a silly humor blog, but I definitely wish I knew then what I know now about blogging. I could have really built it into something!
Glad you dived back into blogging last year. Hopefully, this post, the others at BBT, and my own over at Be A Better Blogger can lend you a helping hand. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Mary. And thank you so much for the tweet!
Hope you’re having an awesome Saturday.
-Kevin
Kevin
Welcome back, long time no see. I also follow your blog, and share everything that you post.
I will keep it short and sweet. (Im one of those people who loves to hear my southern draw.)
The best kevin Costner movie by far is Open Range
Thanks
jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you! It feels good to BE back. I miss doing this. 🙂
So you have a southern draw, too? Haha.
I love Open Range. Love it. Possibly the most underrated western of all time. That final fight scene that goes on for like 20 minutes? Movie magic.
Thanks for being a follower of my blog, Jason, and coming here to support me. Those of you who have taken the time to do so are awesome.
Hope you’re having an awesome Saturday, Jason. Thanks again.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin, wow, what a great post!
I love how you shared the examples of many commenters visually. (That had to take a long time and some hard work!) Now we know why it’s been a while since we’ve seen a post from you 🙂
It does amaze me when people either call your by the wrong name, or no name and then leave a comment that has nothing to do with the post.
This one will be shared for sure Kevin and thanks for the mention too. Have a great weekend ahead.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you! Yes, it too me a little while to put together all those visual aids. What’s funny is my first BBT post (“The Bucket List” last November) had ZERO images in it. So, partly because this topic required it and partly because I didn’t want to repeat myself, I made sure this one had lots of nice images! 🙂
Gosh, I know! Sorry about that. My job promotion in December, while a blessing, has zapped my free time. It’s made blogging time very difficult to find. But, knock on wood, I’m back now! (And there’s a brand new post over at Be A Better Blogger, too, if you didn’t know!)
Haha. Agreed. I once had a comment refer to me by the wrong name, and discuss his/her favorite food. (Note: My post had nothing to do with food.) Some people… But, what can you do? 🙂
Thank you for the share, Lisa. Hope you have a great weekend, too!
-Kevin
OK, Kevin,
Did I die and go to heaven – no, I just pinched myself, I’m still here and I was quoted on my mentor’s blog!
Thanks so much for the shout out.
Sue
P.S. I LOVED Mr. Brooks
Hi Sue Anne,
🙂
I remember after my “Bucket List” post was published at BBT in November, you relayed to me the news that Jon had shown the post to you and other students in a video conference. You told me he had commented on how pleased he was with the number of comments it had received in just one day.
That made MY day.
So how could I not return the favor and quote you? 🙂
You are very welcome for the shout out, Sue Anne. Happy to do it. Hope this comment of mine finds you well and blessed!
-Kevin
Great memory, Kevin!
I’ll head over and read your newest post on Be A Better Blogger now.
Have a great weekend!
Sue
Sue,
Well, I’m not sure it’s so much me having a great memory as it is being easy to remember “Jon Morrow talked about your post!” 😉
Hope you enjoy it! It begins with my favorite blog intro: a story. 🙂
You too, Sue!
-Kevin
Kevin,
Thank you so much for your insightful post about commenting.
I knew that commenting was important, but I wasn’t sure of the best way to go about it.
I really like the analogy of a “First Date” when writing a blog comment.
In addition to this, I personally like visualizing writing to my best friend when I comment.
I have one important question:
In your opinion, is it ever a good thing to include a URL in a comment?
OR
Is it always bad karma?
Your feedback is appreciated.
Thanks again,
Jack Later
Professional Blogger
Hi Jack,
You’re very welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
As I’m sure you know, many bloggers DON’T consider commenting very important. To some, it’s seen as a nuissance and time drain. That’s why many popular blogs and websites have made the decision to disable comments the past couple years.
They’re not necessarily wrong for doing so… But that doesn’t mean they’re right either. One man’s trash is another’s treasure. And, for many bloggers, commenting is an EXCELLENT way to connect with others and build a following!
Just look at this very post as an example. If Jon Morrow and Glen Long had made the decision not to allow comments at Boost Blog Traffic, you and I wouldn’t be connecting right now. Ditto for all the other readers here who have commented. Sure, they may have tweeted the post after reading it. But the interaction probably would have ended there.
With comments, we get to know each other a little better. We get to build a relationship. 🙂
To answer your question, I believe it’s all about context. For example, in an above comment, Nolan Haan asked about setting up gravatar. In my response to him, I wrote a detailed comment that included a link to instructions.
Even if this hadn’t been a post I’d written, my offering such a link in my comment would/should be welcomed by the owners of the site. Hopefully, they’d see I was trying to help a fellow reader and not simply promote my own work.
In short, I think you have to be careful. Never say never, but realize — good intentions or no — you run the risk being viewed as a life insurance salesman when you embed links in a comment.
Just my two cents, anyway. 🙂
Appreciate your comment and question, Jack. Hope my response finds you doing well. Enjoy your Saturday!
-Kevin
Kevin-
Awesome post! I especially loved the dating analogy. It was very apt, and entirely on point.
I struggle with the idea of commenting on blog posts, especially with big names. One thing that concerns me is the idea that I might repeat the same comments someone else has made. I know maybe I should not only read the post, but all the comments made previously, but honestly, who has time for all that? If a blog is engaging enough for me to read the full content, do I have to read all the comments before I can make my own?
I read some really great blogs where I would love to comment, but I don’t necessarily want to read every comment on the blog myself. I usually just scan through and see if anything jumps out that makes me want to look farther.
Again, thanks for the great post. So many talk about blogging, but this is the first I’ve read about commenting. I’ll definately share with my social media
Hi Melissa,
Thank you very much! I’m glad you liked the dating analogies, especially since I’m going to use another one to answer your question. Haha. 🙂
Should you read — not just the post, but also — all the comments made previously before commenting?
Before answering, let me thank you for the original and interesting question. No one has asked me that before!
My short, one-word answer? No. 🙂
Imagine you’re a guy who has asked a nice gal out for a first date. You want to take her to a nice restaurant and impress her, but you worry you might choose a destination she’s been to on previous dates.
So, you Facebook stalk her. You dig through her bags of garbage. You interview her friends. You find the names of every restaurant she’s ever been to with other gentleman callers.
Armed with this information, you take her to the only restaurant in a 50-mile radius that would be new to her: Burger King.
Now, obviously this is an extreme example. And, yes, as I’m prone to do, I added crazy details for comedic effect. But the takeaway is clear: No, just take the girl to a restaurant you think she would like. If she’s been there before, she won’t care. “Besides,” she’ll think to herself, “it’s not like he KNEW I had been here on another date.”
Blog comments are the same way. In your quest to leave a great comment, might you touch on a thought already mentioned by another commenter? It’s possible. Should that matter? I don’t think so.
Just write a great comment you believe the blogger will enjoy and appreciate. Let the chips fall where they may.
That’s my thought on the matter, anyway. What do you think? 🙂
Thank you for your great comment and question, Melissa. And thank you so much for sharing it on social media.
Hope you are having a great Saturday!
-Kevin
Awesome! I love that answser. I will definately follow your suggestion. Also, thanks for the fab dating analogy again.
Hi again Melissa,
Glad you enjoyed it! My wife can attest to this, I chuckled a little while writing my comment to you. I do that with my own writing sometimes. 🙂
Hope you’re having a great week!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Now we know where you have been hanging out! Your newsletter with the heads-up about your guest post *just* squeaked into my Inbox moments before Jon’s did :D. And of course I had to come on over and check it out…
BTW, this topic meshes really well with your Howdy Neighbour technique post over on your own blog. (Of course it does — you’re not a split-personality — duh). And as always you’ve made it super-comprehensive with the examples and screen-shots that really bring your posts to life…
I have a question about the “Off to share this with my own tribe right now” advice. I hear that, and it certainly makes sense from the point of view of building relationships with other bloggers. But what if you are not in the same niche as the blogger? Popular bloggers are prolific publishers, and I worry that I will just start contributing to the ‘noise’ out there and turn my own followers off.
I’d love to hear your insights on that. What do you think?
Thanks again for the time and effort that went into this 10-miles-deep post. I’ll hold off on sharing it till I hear your advice 😉
Great question Alison, I second this. Although I’m a big fan of blogs like this I predominantly write about fiction. I’d love to know whether or not it’s counterproductive to share this with my followers.
Hi Daniel,
Yeah, I’m hoping Kevin will chime in here when he has a moment. I’ve been giving him time to wake up, seeing as I am at least 5 hours ahead of him in timezones 🙂 …
Hi Daniel and Alison,
Hope my response (below) helps!
Haha. Thanks for giving me time to wake up and get some coffee, Alison! I needed it after yesterday. 🙂
-Kevin
Daniel & Alison, trust me—it’s productive, I promise.
I’m a decent example of this.
I’m not really a blogger. I write for a living—middle grade epic fantasy, so this is NOT my audience. People from here, when they come to see me (IF they come to see me) don’t really interact (not usually—there ARE exceptions, like Kevin, Sylviane, Sue Anne and a few others)…
BUT the information shared is valuable in any niche if you’re interacting online and trying to establish relationships. What we’re talking about here will work just as well on a message board…or a fantasy forum.
Just my 2 cents.
Great thoughts, Jaime.
You ARE the perfect example for this, too. Our niches couldn’t be more different, and yet you and I were able to build a friendship.
Thanks for the two cents!
-Kevin
Hi Alison,
Haha. Yep, now all of you know where I’ve been hiding! With my blogging time limited the past few months (thanks to my job), I’m embarrassed to say it took me QUITE A WHILE to finish this post (working on it little by little as I had free time). Glad it turned out okay!
I’m glad you noticed similarities between this post and my “Howdy Neighbor Technique” one. That post is so engrained in most things I do, it’s hard NOT to have it shine through a little bit when I write a guest post. 🙂
(Are you SURE I don’t have split personalities? It would explain so much… Haha.)
That is a great question, Alison. Let me do my best to answer it for you (and Daniel Rose)…
For starters, when you’re dealing with a prolific publisher (someone who blogs multiple times a week, daily, or MULTIPLE TIMES PER DAY) I wouldn’t worry with or even try commenting on every single post they write. It’s just not feasible for most people. Unless you have lots of free time, or unless theirs is the only blog you follow, you’re only going to have so much time to devote to commenting.
With that said and out of the way, no, I don’t believe you should routinely share posts that will alienate your followers. Imagine a celebrity chef on Twitter who tweets about politics all the time. Would followers of Giada De Laurentiis really care what she thinks about healthcare? Of course not. They want links to recipes! 🙂
So, that begs the question: When writing comments, how do you make a “promise” to bloggers in a different niche than you and your followers?
One easy way would be to simply promise you are going to go read more of their posts.
Another way, a method I really like, is to have your promise be very specific regarding who you’ll share the post with. For example: “My friend Tom just started a blog, and he would love this post. I’m going to share it with him right now!”
The idea is… All your followers may not care about a particular post or its niche, but it’s highly likely you know SOME people who could benefit from the post. So, share it with THEM (and only them).
This way you’ve made a promise (a promise bloggers don’t see as often in comments), you’ve helped out your friend Tom (or whoever), and you will have avoided alienating your followers.
Just my two cents on the subject. Hope it helps! 🙂
Thank you for the great comment, well wishes, and great question, Alison. Hope this response of mine finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Thanks for your answer Kevin. Very helpful, and it’s clear that you put some real thought into that. Thank you.
Hi Daniel,
You’re welcome! Glad you found my response helpful. 🙂
Hope you’re having an awesome Saturday…
-Kevin
Ha! It’s Monday and I am back at my keyboard 🙂
Thanks for that answer, Kevin (plus the nudge of Twitter that it was here – nice touch!). It was worth hearing your take on it. And I have often shared stuff with individuals that I thought it could help. I guess it comes down to being human: being both helpful (passing on relevant info) and also appreciative (by helping the person who created said info).
All in all, it was good to see you put the anatomy of a good blog comment into words.
Thanks again for your writing, and your diligent comment responses!
(And thanks Jaime for adding your 2c as well!)
=D
Hi Alison,
If you that’s bad, I never got off the keyboard when the weekend arrived! It’s been a hectic five days since this post was published. 🙂
You’re very welcome. (And for the Twitter nudge, too!) I think you’ve got it: Just be human. Be helpful and appreciative and you’re ahead of the game.
Hope this response of mine finds your week going well!
-Kevin
P.S. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also thank Jaime for his two cents. Thanks, buddy!
Hey Kevin,
I was directed to your post by John Morrow as I’ve just joined his email list. I must say that blog commenting is something that I never thought of doing until now.
in fact I believe that this is my 2nd or 3rd blog comment EVER. I’ve been reading blogs on digital marketing and the like for over 5 years.
The advice you’ve given here is excellent and really has sparked a willingness to write more comments. Hence this comment (my first this year!).
Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed post, I enjoyed it and will share with my community.
Steve
PS – hope I hit all the right notes in this comment 😉
Oops, Auto-correct bit me again. – *Jon Morrow*
Hi Steve,
Good call on joining Jon’s email list! He, Glen Long and the gang really know their stuff. 🙂
Wow… Your second or third comment EVER? And your first of 2015? I’m simultaneously shocked and flattered. Haha.
Glad to her this post has motivated you to give writing comments a try. I really think you’ll enjoy it, and I know you’ll make some great blogging friends by doing so. It’s going to open up a whole new world to you. 🙂
Thank you for sharing the post with your community! And yes, you hit all the right notes. Haha.
Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, Steve! Thanks again.
-Kevin
I’m inspired even more Kevin, now that I’ve had a response 🙂
Hi Steve,
Well, if one response further inspired you, how about a SECOND response?! 😀
Hope your week is off to a great start!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
What a Great Post. I will definitely go out and preach your post. 🙂
Pretty cool to see that your post is been like more.
Hi Kingsley,
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for preaching the post and the virtues of great blog commenting. 🙂
Hope you’re having a great Saturday!
-Kevin
Heya Kevin,
Great in-depth and practical post. Can’t remember reading such a helpful post dedicated to the humble art of the comment. On the other hand, now I’ve got no excuse for leaving a sub-par comment. Well, ‘spose I better give it a shot…
I think the hardest part of the whole process there is knowing how to add value. Sometimes it can feel like anything you have to add is pointless in comparison to the post itself. That’s where your post really helped the most, pointing out anecdotes and questions can add value. If you can’t contribute to the discussion, then it makes sense you probably have questions to ask!
Hmm, guess I should leave an anecdote or question at this point then? 😉
Thanks again. Naturally, I’ll share this and help spread the good word
VALUE
…see how easy that was to add?
(smirk)
That was funny, right there—I don’t care who you are.
Jaime,
Few people are able to successfully integrate Larry The Cable Guy references into blog comments. Kudos, my friend. 😉
-Kevin
Hi again, Daniel.
Thanks! I’m really glad you enjoyed the post.
That IS the hardest part, you’re right. Sometimes adding a point not mentioned in the post isn’t possible… Have you ever read Neil Patel? He covers every possible angle!
And that’s where anecdotes and questions come into play. Adding a personal experience is probably my favorite way to add value to a discussion. It helps that I like to tell stories, but I digress. 🙂
Appreciate the share, Daniel, as well as your comment/question from an earlier. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
-Kevin
P.S. Kudos on hitting all the marks!
Hi Kevin, and so good to see you here at Jon’s blog 🙂
Awesome! This is an awesome guide on blog commenting!
I agree with everything you have written and all your examples are so apt. Thanks so much for mentioning me and linking to my blog, that’s so kind of you.
You know blog commenting is my passion and I could go on writing in length about it! I guess I better make this one short as you already have SO many comments to reply to, and I too am on a blogging ‘work’ break (working on my new blog), so was late in coming here this time!
The common mistakes of commenters are spot on and I’d like to add that some commenters try to lengthen their comments by writing many short lines consisting of a few words- I just don’t understand why they do that!
Regarding the basic anatomy of a blog comment, you’ve rightly mentioned the structure, however, I believe that the commenters should be creative and not stick to one universal format. Overall, their comment should be helpful, valuable, and impressive. Above all, the comment should be honest and truly made from the heart.
Ask me about the rewards of blog commenting! I agree with you – it’s worth it. You have been successful with commenting and I’m sure the readers too will take your tips by heart and be successful themselves.
Thanks again for your time and effort to put up this wonderful guide, and thanks for Jon having Kevin over on your awesome blog. I never mention in any of my comments that I’d be sharing the posts, because I always do. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Oh my… How on earth did i miss this comment of yours?? I responded to the ones above it and I responded to the ones below it. How did I miss it?! It’s not like your comment was short either. Your comment, as always, was long (and awesome). Sorry about that, Harleena!
I’m in total agreement that there’s no one size fits all for anything related to commenting, and that includes blog commenting. In fact, that’s possibly the biggest mistake I see bloggers make. They try to be like everyone else. They write like everyone else, their blogs look like everyone else’s, etc.
Thankfully, this “blueprint” I talk about here is very flexible. The parts can be moved around in any order, and not every comment requires all four parts. I do believe every comment should begin with a greeting, though. It’s no different than meeting someone on a first or talking to someone on the phone — don’t dive right into whatever you want to talk about; greet the person!
Appreciate the great comment, Harleena. And the shares! You are great at what you do, and I enjoy it every time you grace me with your presence.
Hope you’re having a great weekend. Sorry again for missing your comment!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
thanks so much for such a great post.
This is the first post of yours I’ve read on BBT (I’ve been severely lacking in my follow through of mailing list reading lately, I blame the ease of one a day roll-up emails with unroll.me) and I love the use of all those graphic examples.
Isn’t it astonishing that people don’t add a simple greeting to their comments?! Not only is it plain bad manners but it also makes me wonder how these people have conversations in the ‘real world’!
You’ve also turned me on to several bloggers I’d not heard of – Nerdy Girl Writers especially, so thank you for that too.
I’m always keen to share great advice so retweeting this now and I’ll be keeping a better eye on my BBT rolled up emails from now on 🙂
Have a fab day,
Suse
Hi Susan,
Welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Haha. Don’t worry, you haven’t missed many! This is my second post for BBT. Though, if the graphics a big part of why you enjoyed this one, I almost hesitate to refer you to “The Blogger’s Bucket List” post I wrote in November. It contains ZERO graphics!
I agree. I know proper manners are going the way of the dodo, but surely GREETING ONE ANOTHER and saying hello isn’t being phased out, right? (Or has it? Maybe I’m living in a bubble…)
Glad I was able to introduce you to several new bloggers! Brittany Bullen, Jaime Buckley, Sue Anne, Adam… there’s too many great bloggers to mention in this post. 🙂
Thanks for the tweet, Susan! Really appreciate it. I hope this comment of mine finds you doing well. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Great post and nice to see you on BBT again. I liked that there are real-world examples of comments in action. I’ve shared it on Twitter etc.
I wonder if you’d any thoughts on Disqus vs. the WordPress commenting system?
On a side note, I enjoyed your recent review on the Rainmaker platform.
Hi Bryan,
Thanks… It’s good to be back!
Glad you enjoyed all their examples I gave. Appreciate the share! I’m thrilled with the social media love this post has received so far. 🙂
Good question. I’ve looked into Disqus in the past, and of course I’m used to it from commenting on other blogs. I’m a traditionalist, though. 🙂 WordPress all the way.
Disqus does have some amazing features, but my main issue is I don’t like asking readers to login in order to leave me a comment.
I don’t mind logging in to comment, but I know many who do not feel the same way. So, since I don’t want to exclude anyone, I like to keep commenting simple. 🙂
That’s how I feel, for now anyway. Who knows what the future may hold!
Awesome! Glad you liked my Rainmaker review. That was definitely my most “personal” post today. I’m happy it’s received good feedback!
Been seeing you around BBT a lot. That writing formula post you wrote a few months back was great!
Appreciate the comment, Bryan. Hope you are having a nice weekend!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
I Salute you for this mind blowing article. I got this link from my Facebook wall and it made my day.
Spamming is a irritating problem of my blogging life. Daily I get 150+ spams. I also wrote an article on how to comment effectively back in 2014 but found your article much more interesting.
I just can’t wait to tweet it :). Waiting for your next valuable articles.
Hi Sakib,
Thanks for the salute! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Please thank on my behalf whoever was responsible for the post displaying on your Facebook wall. 🙂
Yeah, spam is definitely a huge nuissance for bloggers. There are some good plugins that can curb them, but they’re always be an issue. That’s just the price we pay for popularity! Haha.
Thank you for tweeting the post! I really appreciate it (and I’m sure Jon Morrow does, too).
Hope your week is off to a great start, Sakib. Thanks again!
-Kevin
BOOM! You did it again!
You just keep on making me feel inferior…I wish I could write like you Kev.
I won’t stop though!
I know I’m not the best guy when it comes to commenting. I’m the guy that just sits in the corner and stays quiet but even with my bad communication skills, I still managed to get to know all of you guys through engaging in the comments area. Just shows how awesome you all are for giving this guy a chance! 😀
Buffering this now (Promise)
Dennis…you LIE!!
Sorry buddy, but I’m stepping in here to give you a loving slap upside the head.
(is that possible?)
You have a killer sense of humor, and you’re timing is better than most.
(PSSST! Did you bring any cat videos with you???)
YOU have a spot at MY campfire any time buddy.
Refusing to Buffer,…but I DO luffa on occasion.
OOOOOoooo, bad.
“your”…NOT ‘you’re’….
(Everyone hush—like you haven’t erred in the spotlight of the public before.)
Bugger…wearing pants–it’s not a dream.
Preach it, Jaime.
Dennis rocks whether or not he wants to admit it!
-Kevin
P.S. Whats a luffa?
Pffffftt!
How many you’re/your mistakes did your editor spot in your book??? Haha, I really appreciate the kind words from you two.
BUT…let’s face it…
Being Asian, English not being my first language and an introvert = not the best combination for having great communication skills LOL
Anyway….wait…WHAT?? There’s a campfire? Is there a secret blogger community that you guys have that I’m not aware of?? I want in!
Yessssssss, with hot dogs, smores, …and Kevin’s famous Ramen and Hot Dogs for the TRULY desperate (laugh)….or the don’t like my smoked brisket.
….wait…waaaait a second. I have an editor?
OH, I DO actually. He just gave me ALL my books back…and they’re (hmmmm, they…are…..YUP) going into print again soon.
Uhhh, have you even READ my books, Dennis?
(PSSST! BTW…I have a fun plan…last one to fall asleep around the campfire get a trail of honey up their sleeping bag and to the corner of their mouth……hehehe)
Jaime and Dennis,
Two questions:
1) What is this “campfire” the two of you keep speaking of, and
2) Will there be S’mores?
Assuming the answer to #2 is yes, I have a third question:
3) May I have all the S’mores?
I anxiously await your replies.
-Kevin
Hi Dennis,
Ah, you flattery me, my friend. Thank you. 🙂
I think you’re too hard on yourself! Like Jaime said below, you’re great. Bad communication skills? That’s not the Dennis Seymour I’ve seen! I’ll never forget the time on Be A Better Blogger when you and Jaime turned the comment section of one post into your own personal playground. Haha.
Appreciate your comments, Dennis. This one, the one you left on my “Bucket List” post, the ones you leave over at Be A Better Blogger, and the ones you leave elsewhere on the web I come across. Keep up the great work! 🙂
Thanks for the buffers! Hope you’re having a great weekend, Dennis.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Loved your post. Now I’m feeling pressure to come up with the perfect comment. Let’s see…first, I loved the dating metaphor. It brought home all the points real well. I also loved how thoroughly you delved into this subject. I do some of these suggestions already, but there’s tons of room for improvement. You’ve given much food for thought. Thank you and can’t wait to read more!
Hi Laurie,
Thank you! Ahhh… Haha. Don’t feel pressure. This is a pressure-free environment. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the dating analogies! I really like how they all turned out in the end.
Appreciate the kind words, Laurie. Hope this comment of mine finds you doing well. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Great to see you here writing about my favorite subject: Commenting. We have to address the writer by name. It’s only proper isn’t it?
We also have to read the post. One can always tell when someone comments that has not read it. Usually that comment goes into my spam or trash lol. Giving feedback on something that resonated with you and complimenting the author for that is always good practice.
I like the way you illustrated Adrienne’s comment where there was a Greeting, Compliment, Value, and Promise. That is the perfect way to comment and we all know she is the comment queen lol.
Thanks for this useful post that I can now share especially with those who may be new or just the one liners kinda folks.
-Donna
Hi Donna,
Good to see you here! Agreed. Addressing the writer by name is a must. Plus, it’s so simple to do.
I sometimes find it funny to read comments from “readers” who clearly didn’t read the post. It’s like a game of Mad Libs or something. Haha.
Adrienne and Carol were natural choices when it came time to find screenshots of comments that put all the strategies together. Of course, there are lots of other great bloggers that I could have used, too — wish I could have used all of them! 🙂
You’re very welcome, Donna. Glad you enjoyed the post! Definitely feel free to pass it on to all those newbies and one-liner folks. 🙂
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I had to chuckle at your response of those who don’t read are like a game of Mad Libs lol. So true. Whenever I get a comment like that I have to read it twice. Did I miss something?
A total unrelated comment that might slip through will be deleted on my blog. Maybe they want a good back link, but it doesn’t fly with me.
The only exception to the one liner folks are those who I know are new and some who cannot speak English well. They are my loyal readers.
When someone is new, I will message them via Facebook or email and explain about commenting. I actually have a document on my desktop to copy and paste. As I deal with more and more newbies as clients, I do run into this often.
But, it is part of my responsibility to keep on teaching them.
-Donna
Hi Donna,
Haha. What happens with me is I wonder for a moment if I’m on the wrong blog post. Like, I THINK I’m reading comments for ONE blog post, but in reality I’m reading comments for a different one. So I scroll up and confirm I am, in fact, reading the post I thought I was reading. Of course, then I inevitably realize the comment wouldn’t make sense for ANY of my blog posts! Then I sigh and go get another cup of coffee. 🙂
That’s an interesting (and fair) distinction you make for readers whose first language isn’t English. Your practice of messaging new commenters who are breaking or bending the rules is a good one. It allows you to get a handle on things before they get out of hand. Plus, as an experienced coach and blogger, it enables you to guide them behind the hand and show them the ropes. (After all, the rules for your blog will apply to most other blogs, too!)
Thanks for the great follow-up comment, Donna. Hope your week is going well!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Wow, this is a truly amazing post and, like I expected, it has triggered some truly amazing comments. I really loved how many examples you shared to make your point really hit home. Also, the formula of “greeting, compliment, value and promise” is super valuable! That formula alone makes this worth the read. You really can’t go wrong doing it that way.
One important point that I want to make clear (and I’m talking to myself as well) is this: Step 1 before you ever comment on any article, make sure you’re actually clicking on an article you want to read. My blog is about finance and productivity, but that doesn’t mean I should read every article about those subjects. If you’re truly interested to start with, it will be much easier to read the entire article and comment thoughtfully.
Of course [insert promise here], I’m off to share! No, seriously…I am! 🙂
Hi Kalen,
Yes, there have been some REALLY amazing comments for this post. As you can probably imagine, I’ve been grinning since around 10 AM last Thursday (when this post was published). 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the formula! I really wanted to strip things down to a simple, easy-to-remember takeaway: “Greeting. Compliment. Value. Promise.” Even if someone forgets the details, if they remember these four words they’re ahead of most when it comes to writing comments!
That’s a good point; I relate it to the “garbage in, garbage out” idea. If it headline doesn’t sound beneficial, interesting or uplifting, I don’t click on it. My brain is filled with too many thoughts as it is — no need filling it with things it doesn’t even want! Haha.
Thank you for the promise to share! Haha. I appreciate it.
Hope your week is off to a great start, Kalen. Keep the great comments comin’!
-Kevin
Hey, Kevin,
You’re right, hardly anyone is explaining how to write an unforgettable comment. . .until now! Jaw-dropping article, my friend – you definitely delivered massive value here!
Love the dating/commenting analogy, Ha ha! So many parallels can be drawn, it’s obvious to me now as I read through each thought-provoking point.
Yeah, I feel a bit sad when I see a comment with a “Mystery Man” avatar. I’ve chosen a beach scene for my mystery person image in Disqus, but to be honest, wish folks would just take two minutes it takes to set this up. I did a video tutorial on how to benefit from using Gravatar dot com, maybe I should share that out more. *Wheels are turning about how I can encourage more folks in this.*
Number 5 is an interesting point. I feel the same way about blog posts, most of the time. There are bloggers who pride themselves in churning out a weekly 7k-word article, when in my opinion, 2k would have sufficed. Talk about putting an emphasis in the wrong metric!
I think you’re spot on with the observation that some people like to hear themselves… I couldn’t agree more. A thoughtful, concise comment wins out over an unnecessary looooooooooong comment that reiterates the same points over and over again.
Thanks so much for mentioning my quote and for featuring one of my comments as a “BEST Practice” example – I’m truly humbled.
Your Ultimate Guide is epic, and I’ll be referencing this article on my blog in the near future. Thanks for doing all the work to prepare such a helpful resource – it shows you really care.
Ciao Ciao,
˜Carol Amato
Hi Carol,
It’s taken me a week, but I’m falling (almost) completely caught up on comments. I waited to respond to a few (yours included) until I knew I’d have time to give them their proper due. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words, Carol! I’m really glad you enjoyed the post and all the dating/comments analogies!
I somehow missed your video on Gravatars. That would have been a good link to share! :-/ Does Disqus allow customized mystery person images? If so, I wonder if creating an image with the text “Add Your Photo At Gravatar.com” on top of a slightly transparent ‘Mystery Man’ avatar would help give commenters a nudge? 🙂
I know what you mean — and I say that as someone who has written epic-length (as in 8,317 words) posts in the past. Some topics do need more depth. But most? Nah, that many words is overkill. Especially since, to reach those high word counts, most bloggers fill their posts with filler that doesn’t add any value! That’s a recipe for posts that turn readers into sleepers. Haha.
You’re very welcome for the mention, Carol. If you didn’t see it already, check out the comment response I left for Adrienne earlier. It gave the history of how I settled on you and her as my “best” examples. 🙂
Thanks again, Carol. Hope the readers you show this post to in the future will find it helpful and valuable.
Have an awesome and blessed Fourth of July weekend! Talk to you again soon, I’m sure.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for writing such a detailed and engaging post. I love reading your blog posts because although you fill them to the brim with valuable info, you break it up with examples and images so it doesn’t feel like I’m reading a huge essay. Great tool for keeping the reader’s attention.
I have shared it with a facebook blogging group I’m involved with, as one of the keys to the ever important “making connections” in the blog world.
Keep up the great writing and have a marvellous weekend
Cassie
Hi Cassandra,
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoy my posts and the examples/images I (usually) add to them. I’m a blog reader as much as I’m a blog writer, so I try to make my posts as easy to absorb as possible. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing the post with your Facebook group! That’s awesome. I really appreciate it.
Hope this comment of mine finds you doing well. Did you have a great weekend? Hope your new week is even better!
Thanks again, Cassandra.
-Kevin
Incredible post, Kevin. I’ve bookmarked it.
I’ve often found it tough to comment on posts where I disagree with the author’s argument. I could probably use the comment examples you’ve shared as my templates, even when I’m disagreeing with someone. Similar structure.
Although, would I promise to share if I disagree with them? Maybe, but if I share I would do so without being bias in my status update when sharing the post on social media.
Definitely sharing this one with my fellow bloggers on Facebook.
Hi Rhonda,
Thank you! I love hearing readers have bookmarked a post of mine so they can reread it later. 🙂
You bring up an excellent question… If you disagree with a post to the extent you believe the advice to be dangerous, I definitely wouldn’t share the post on social media. But if we’re talking about a post with which you disagree but still recognize its value, I think your measured, unbiased approach is the right call.
(Of course, it’s difficult to say without a specific example. Did you have one in mind?)
All that said, sometimes it’s just best to “skip” commenting or sharing a particular post. There’s nothing wrong with disagreements (and many bloggers appreciate constructive criticism), but if you’re hoping to woo the author it’s probably not the best first impression. The longer the relationship’s duration, the more disagreements can be weathered. But in the beginning (imagine being on a “first date”), disagreements rarely go over well!
Just my two cents, anyway. 🙂
Thanks again for your great comment and share, Rhonda. Hope this comment of mine finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Thanks, Kevin.
Usually, bloggers in my local network share opinions about political issues, including war, elections, parenting, school, and now the same-sex marriage issue, as examples. They invite us to comment – “please read my post, would love some comments” — that kind of thing. So as their ‘supporter’, I want to participate even when I don’t agree with what they’re saying.
Hi again, Rhonda.
Thank you for providing follow-up examples.
It sounds like the measured, unbiased approach mentioned earlier makes the most sense. The only thing I would caution is the reality your followers on Twitter, Facebook, G+ and so on will take whatever you share as an endorsement. So, when you share an article on a particular topic, people are going to assume you share the opinions of that article.
Now, maybe sometimes you do and that’s fine. But if you don’t, it might make sense to find other ways to “support” them in those instances.
Just my two cents.
Hope you’re having a great week, Rhonda!
-Kevin
Hi, Kevin!
I read your post four times so far. The first was for content, the second was for sheer enjoyment, the third was to analyze structure, and the fourth was to imprint it on my brain.
I really appreciate your formula for commenting—Greeting, Compliment, Value, Promise. I am new to blogging, and I crave finding formulas with the promise of proven success. Thank you so much for sharing all the examples to reinforce your points.
I have a question. What programs and techniques do you use to achieve such outstanding visuals to add to your posts? For example, how did you fade out the background and highlight the single sentences in the comments by Vatsala Shukla and Nathan Abrose? How did you add the red arrows and words to the comments by Adrienne and Carol Amato? If there is a course I can take or YouTube videos to watch, please point me in that direction. Thanks!
I signed up for your Be a Better Blogger newsletter, and I’m heading to your site now to catch up on your past posts.
Hope you have a chance to come up for air this weekend and spend time with your wife since you are so busy answering all of us who felt compelled to comment.
Take care,
Mary Lou
Hi Mary Lou,
Wow! Have you really read the post four times? That’s awesome. I’m glad you enjoyed it that much and were able to get so much out of it.
Since you’re new, allow me to formally welcome you to the wonderful world of blogging! Like any uncharted land, you’ll discover blogging has some WONDERFUL areas, but also some not-so-wonderful ones, too. Don’t let those latter ones get you down or discourage you, though! There’s a lot of great of information to discover. The posts here at Boost Blog Traffic are wonderful. Many of the comments you see here from other readers are written by bloggers I know and enjoy. And, I should throw my own blog, Be A Better Blogger, into the ring. 🙂 Thrilled that you decided to subscribe, by the way!
Haha. Well, the program I primarily use for graphics is one I’ve had for ten years. I’m not sure it’s even around for purchase anymore. But, no worries. There are lots of great FREE programs available to bloggers these days.
Two very popular ones are Canva.com and PicMonkey.com. I use PicMonkey from time to time, and I can attest to the fact it’s easy to use. I have only dabbled with Canva, but many bloggers love it. It has every feature you’ll need!
There are many articles (and videos I’m sure) teaching Canva, but probably the best tutorials are the ones Canva itself created. Google “graphic design tutorials by canva” and the first search result will be the link to click. (I WOULD paste the URL here, but doing so would mean my comment will be held in moderation.) Canva offers 30 tutorials total, which should be more than enough to show you the ropes. 🙂
(I hope my answer to your question was sufficient! Graphic design is a difficult concept to explain in a comment!)
I had a few minutes to come up for air over the weekend, but it was still a hectic two days. I’m amazed by the number of comments the post has received since Thursday. I’m setting personal records left and right. 🙂
Thank you so much for commenting, Mary Lou. I hope this response of mine finds you well and blessed!
-Kevin
Hi, Kevin!
Thanks for giving me so much time in your reply here and on Twitter. I am thrilled for the success of this blog post and the incredible responses it generated. I will look forward to your next post here as well as what’s happening at BeABetterBlogger.
I signed up for Canva and find it much easier than Gimp. Thanks for the tip. Canva’s videos are excellent, and I love the way I can drag and drop in their system. I’ll have to create something in Canva and send you a tweet!
Please don’t feel the need to respond to this reply, so you can focus on all the other comments coming in. Be well and enjoy the ride!
Hi again, Mary Lou!
I’m thrilled (and pleasantly surprised) by the success of this post, too! Can you believe it has more comments than any other guest post in the history of Boost Blog Traffic? Only a few posts from Jon himself have more! Crazy.
Glad my Canva tip worked out for you! Did you send me that tweet? If so, I missed it. Could you resend?
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend, Mary Lou.
-Kevin
Hey Kevin, Thanks for the incredible value. I can’t stand it when somebody loves to hear themselves speak. I know exactly what you mean. I see this a lot in the technology as well as political world. he he! I’m definitely sharing this post. God bless, Curt
Hi Curt,
You’re welcome — glad you enjoyed it!
Yep, exactly. If you’re going to be long winded, you BETTER be entertaining. There ARE bloggers capable of writing epic-length comments and keep them interesting (several of the commenters in this space fit that profile), but those talented souls are few and far between.
Thank you for the share, Curt! And thanks for the kind comment. Hope you have a blessed Sunday!
-Kevin
Hello Kevin,
This post is epic.
As a beginner blogger I couldn’t have asked for a better post on this topic.Some of the points you have enumerated hits home. The importance of commenting and conecting with other bloggers was brought to my attention via Harleena Singh at AhaNow.
Since then I have been brushing up my commenting skills. But your post just made me realize there’s so much to commenting than just typing in a few words just for the sake of commenting.
I want to admit something here. I get slightly nervous while commenting. (I am nervous right now) I know exactly what I want to say but sometimes I feel stuck.
Well your post will certainly help me in this regards. Already bookmarked and certainly sharing with my circle of blogger friends who I honestly believe would also benefit a lot from this awesome post of yours.
Do let me how I fared with this comment.
Thank you.
P.S Subscribing right after posting this comment:)
Hi Hema,
Thank you! Given the time it took writing it, the post certainly FEELS epic! Haha.
So you’re a beginner? Allow me to formally welcome you to the wonderful world of blogging! I’m glad the points in my post hit home for you.
You picked a great blogger to learn from in Harleena. She’s one of the absolute best at commenting and building relationships!
Awwww… Don’t be nervous! I get how writing comments on blogs (especially big, popular blogs) can be nerve wracking, but let me fill you in on a little secret: You have all the time in the world to think, write your words, and tweak your words until they are *just* right. No one else will know if they took you two minutes or two DAYS to write — all we will see is the finished product. 🙂
What I like to do is open a blank word processing document (like Notepad, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc.) and write my comments in there. That way, if I need to take a break, I can just save the document and come back to it later. Even if it’s HOURS or days later, my comment draft will be there waiting for me. And once I have it just right, I copy the text, paste it into a comment on the blog post, and click submit.
So, no worries! Just take a deep breath and do your best. If you feel stuck, just try again later.
As for this comment, you did a wonderful job! See? That wasn’t so hard. 🙂
Thanks a bunch for sharing this post with your friends, as well as for subscribing to my mailing list! I’m happy to have you on board.
Hope this comment of mine finds you doing well, Hema. Have a great week!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
wasn’t sure about your credentials to write this post, then i caught the Psych reference and i realised, thats messed up right. Its a great article thanks and it worked, im already looking at your website. Keep up the hard work
Hi Mark,
Kudos on being the first to catch the “Psych” TV reference. (Well, others may have caught it, but you’re the first to comment on it!)
Glad you enjoyed the post, and I’m thrilled you decided to visit Be A Better Blogger! Hope you find some more helpful posts over there. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words, Mark. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!
-Kevin
G’day Kevin,
I’ve been busy for the last couple of days. I did notice an email from both you and Jon suggesting that there was some goodness to be read, but I’ve only just had the chance to read said goodness.
I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I got the the part where you very kindly mentioned my comment on your OTHER BoostBlogTraffic article 🙂
Thank you !
(Aside: is it really, really cool to be able to say that you’ve got another article on BBT as well as this one here ?!? I’m guessing it is.)
I am honoured that you have included my little comment in your amazing list of examples (**blush**).
I have learnt soooooo much from all of the comment-ers that have added their two, three and four cents worth in this blog and yours at BeABetterBlogger. As you and several others have mentioned, the sharing of ideas and adding to the discussion is a no-brainer.
A simple, decent human conversation is all it takes. Sometimes the jokes provide a laugh, sometimes the references to SpongeBob tattoos are cause for concern, but the banter is usually learning cunningly disguised as fun.
I’d like to make a promise about Tweeting and Facebooking (or is that Liking ? I can never remember…) this post, but I’ve already done it.
I will, however, continue to explore the wonderful links and people that you have generously referenced in your exceptionally enjoyable post.
Thanks again Kevin.
Matthew.
P.S. I recommend getting one of those fake, fist sized, hollow rocks to hide your spare house key in. Hanging it from a tree way up high and out of reach might seem like a good idea at the time, but the practicalities aren’t the best when it is needed.
Hi Matthew,
No worries! I know what it’s like to be busy. Haha.
Glad I was able to surprise you. I loved the comment you’d left me on the “bucket list” post. As I began writing this one, I knew I would use it somehow as a “good” example. Once the post was fleshed out and it was time to add examples, I knew just where to put it!
(Aside: Yes, it’s VERY cool being able to write for Jon, Glen and BBT a second time. “Once could be a fluke,” I told myself. But twice? Twice must meany dig what I do! Haha.)
Oh yes, the comments here have been great. SO much extra discussion going on. It’s great. We’re just a bunch of people having human conversations with each other. It’s as simplistic as it is awesome and refreshing. 🙂
Thanks for tweeting and Facebooking (I suppose people do call it liking, but that’s far less fun sounding). You’re the best.
I hope you enjoy the links! There aren’t as many in this one as in The Bucket List (I imagine few, if any, posts have more links in them than the Bucket List post!), but the ones here are good ones.
You’re welcome, Matthew. Hope your week is off to a great start!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Epic post – and the comments are really helpful too! Talk about over-achieving. Excellent post. Text book comments.
Hope I’m not about to ruin your strike rate. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a teensy bit intimidated thanks to a) the subject matter of your post and b) all the other far more experienced people commenting above. By ‘teensy bit’ I obviously mean ‘massively’.
I’m new(ish) to blogging and have to hang my head in shame and say that I’ve always been fairly rubbish at commenting. It’s not because I don’t read any other blogs – my Feedly feed(?) is full. It’s more about wanting to avoid looking like an idiot (hmm).
In fact, your advice on adding value with comments is one of the main reasons I am not great at commenting. Do you think that telling someone that what they’ve written really resonated or that you’re sharing it (or both) is worth writing as a comment – or should you not bother unless you have a specific question or something to add?
Great post – and I will be sharing. Going to head on over to your Six Months to Boost Blog Traffic post right now too.
Best,
Heather
Hi Heather,
Thanks! Between the post itself and my comments, I’ve got to be approaching 10k written words. I never imagined I’d write so many words about the humble art of blog commenting. 🙂
Ah, don’t be nervous! Your comment is great. Though, I do understand the intimidation factor considering the topic of this particular post. Before it published I told my wife: “I wonder if it will get many comments? The topic might scare people from commenting!” Guess I was wrong on that one. Two hundred comments and counting…
That’s a good question. Yes, if it’s a post you enjoyed (and/or one written by a blogger you’d like to know), I think it’s worthwhile to leave a comment even if you have no “value” to add. A comment that has a greeting, compliment and promise is better than no comment at all. You would just need to be sure you personalized the compliment sufficiently so it doesn’t come off as a generic “copy and paste” comment.
That said, don’t let “wanting to avoid looking like an idiot” (an impossibility!) deter you from asking a worthwhile question. Something as simple as, “Are there any other posts you recommend on (this topic)” can add to the discussion. 🙂
Thank you for sharing, Heather. (And for following me on Twitter!) I appreciate it.
Hope your week is gotten off to a great start. Thanks again for the great contribution!
-Kevin
MuahaHAHAHA!!!
…she just called you a text book!!
Heather, dear…don’t feel intimidated!
Especially from short, stupid, green skinned twerps who run around in polka-dotted boxer shorts and reek of peanut butter and raw tuna.
(I’m not mentioning names, Dax)
Just BE YOU!
Orrrrr…..someone you’d LIKE to be when you grow up, right Jaime?
Grrrr.
Shut up, Chuck.
…just sayin’.
Hi Kevin,
I love how you broke out how to comment on blog posts in easy to follow segments!
I have wavered back and forth on closing the comments on my blog simply because of the amount of SPAM and the mere fact there are no questions being asked. How do you keep SPAM to a minimum?
I’m ready for a new era of better commenting skills. I will start by going to a few of my favorite blogs and apply your process. Before I do that though, I’ll share this post via Facebook and Twitter to do my part to contribute to sharing great relevant content to my fans and followers.
Hi Kim,
Thanks! I know what it’s like to read posts that aren’t formatted well (making them difficult to read), so did my best to make this post as user friendly as possible. 🙂
Spam is annoying. I’m with you on that one! There are WordPress plugins that can keep them somewhat in check (I’m fond one of the ones that require readers to click a checkbox to confirm they aren’t a spammer — it’s easy on the readers, and it does a decent job at blocking spambots), but it’s probably not possible to eliminate all spam.
The good news is… Even IF you decided to eliminate comments on your own site (though I would encourage you to keep them), that doesn’t mean you can’t utilitize the tips in this post when commenting on OTHER blogs. 🙂
Thank you so much for the tweet and like, Kim! I really appreciate it. Hope your Monday is going well, and I hope your week is a great one!
Thanks again.
-Kevin
Howdy Kevin! On the one hand, you’ve articulated exactly what I mean to say to other about commenting. On the other, it’s a though you’ve just revealed a precious secret. It’s already evident as people have made outstanding comments!
Last year, my second biggest traffic source after Faceboom was Carol Tice’s blog as a commenter. It’s crazy but it works. It is about being meaningful. Also, of a blog post from my site pops up under my comment, it helps to have an intriguing headline.
Thanks for making me edit this very comment! Will definitely share.
Howdy Williesha!
(I’ve been waiting for someone to greet me with a “howdy!” Haha.)
You know, you’re not the first to express their belief this post was revealing top secret info. That’s a HUGE compliment! “This content is so good… Why aren’t you keeping it to yourself??” 🙂
I can relate. The first few months of Be A Better Blogger’s existence, referrals from comments left at Adrienne Smith’s blog was my third or fourth biggest traffic source! That set the tone early on for me… Write great, meaningful comments and people will notice!
Excellent tip regarding the need for intriguing headlines. Naturally, there are many reasons your blog posts should have intriguing titles, but the fact they show up under CommentLuv-enabled blog comments is a big one!
Appreciate the kind words, Williesha. Thank you so much for sharing this post with your followers. 🙂
Hope this response of mine finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Forgive me for all of the mobile typos and grammar problems. Wow. 🙂
No worries, Williesha.
I’m not any better when it comes to typing on my phone! (Which is probably why I rarely use it…) 🙂
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
I did this post after it had gone live, but I was short of time to comment! But here I am now after enjoying it again.
Great in-depth article with real value.
I’m familiar with most of the industry giants you’ve featured in this post – They are the greatest.
Will be coming over to your blog soon because I noticed you from Carol’s blog. So far you’re doing a great job – keep up!
Thank you!
Hi Enock,
I’m thrilled to discover you enjoyed the post so much, you came back later to comment after you found some free time. Thank you!
Yes, the bloggers I linked to and mentioned in the post are all great. Some are already hugely popular, some will be one day soon. But all are great. 🙂
Hope you enjoy the posts over at Be A Better Blogger. I’ll have to send Carol a “thanks” for referring you to me!
Hope you’re having a great day, Enock. Thanks again!
-Kevin
Wow Kevin!
Thanks for saving my datin… sorry, blogging life.
As a beginning blogger, I knew that reading other bloggers’ posts and leaving comments was helpful but I didn’t know how. I didn’t even think there was a strategy.
I mean, I’d read the whole post but then just comment something drab like “Thanks for this post”No greeting, no value-added, no promise. This has been eye-opening for me.
Lemme hop on to your blog now to learn some more cool things.
PS-I loved the use of real-life illustrations. Thanks again!
Hi Roxanna,
You are very welcome! (Although, I’d like to think this post might have saved a few people’s dating lives, too. Haha.)
Since you’re a beginner blogger, let me welcome you to the wonderful world of blogging! Are you enjoying it so far?
Yeah, unfortunately many comments ARE of the “thanks for this post” variety. Glad I was able to open your eyes. 🙂
Hope you enjoy yourself over on Be A Better Blogger! It’s not nearly as big as Boost Blog Traffic, but then again what is? Haha.
Hope you’re having a great day, Roxanna. Thanks again!
-Kevin
G’Day Kevin,
Wow!! What a post… it should be mandatory reading for all small business owners who delve into the online world (which should be all small business owners).
You often see “shortcut to success”, but I think you can truly credit the content of this post as being one of them.
I have two bug bears – time wasting, and not doing the job right the first time (though, granted – sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know).
If you’re not following the structure you’ve laid out when commenting, you may as well save yourself a whole lot of time and put it towards other activities in your business.
Cheers,
James
G’day James,
Thank you! Mandatory reading, eh? I like the sound of that! 🙂
Yeah, I hate not doing a job right the first time, too. Such a time waste… I’d rather exert a little extra effort and do it right. But, as you said, somethings you don’t know what you don’t know. That’s where great learning sites like Boost Blog Traffic come in handy!
Wow. So follow my advice or don’t bother commenting at all? It’s harsh, but I like it! Haha.
Thanks for the kind comment, James. Hope your week is going well!
-Kevin
Harsh – maybe, but not in the way you are possibly thinking.
If you’re not contributing anything of value, you’re wasting YOUR time… (you’re not really wasting anyone else’s time, because they wont get much past the first sentence).
There are certainly better ways you could spend your marketing time that would generate a stronger return.
James
Hi James,
I gotcha. And I totally agree…
There are LOTS better ways a blogger or business owner could spend their time. Heck, opening your window and shouting, “Hey… Check out my website!” would likely be more effective than a mediocre blog comment. 🙂
Hope you’re having a great Thursday so far, James. Thanks for coming back to comment!
-Kevin
Vow Kevin, you rock really
You rock by nailing down the last post on blog commenting and I can’t expect anything new is possible in a follow up post of this kind.
It shows your keen interest and passionate leaning to this topic which you well mentioned that this one of the underutilized weapon of blogging arsenal.
People want to know more so they are right to expect something new in every piece of writing and blog commenting is not exception to this. That is why it really nice to put some more value in a post with commenting.
Like every kind of communication it must have a preamble and conclusion depending upon the body of the prose so it is very right to begin a comment by appreciating the great work of the writer and finally give a conclusion of his opinion about the post.
Thanks a lot mate for the mention and sharing this wonderful post.
Hi Mi Muba,
Good to see you here, my friend! I haven’t seen you in a while. My fault, of course. I’ve been terribly busy these last few months with my job promotion. I’m afraid it’s left little time for blog reading. Hopefully I can remedy that soon!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. Did you notice your gravatar used in one of the examples? Pretty cool, huh? 🙂
It’s always a treat when you comment on one of my posts, Mi Muba. Hope you are doing well, and I hope this comment of mine finds you blessed!
Take care.
-Kevin
Hey Kevin, Great advice on being the person you hope others see you as. I’ve always had heroes who show up on a Wheaties box. To convey that idea I use a pic of me with a Wheaties box.
For anyone commenting on blogs, follow Kevin’s advice and you’ll be a blog hero on your own box. Great work,
David
Hi David,
Thanks! Appreciate the kind comment.
Love your gravatar with the Wheaties box. I remember a Wheaties commercial when I was a kid that had a catchy jingle I had memorized for the longest time. Now, I can only remember the end: “Eric Dickerson he’s as fast as a fox; I got Walter Payton, he’s on this box!”
Corny as can be, but I thought it was awesome at the time. 🙂
Thanks for commenting, David. Hope this response of mine finds you doing well. Enjoy the rest of your week!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Tremendous post! It was just what the doctor ordered.
Something that I have done is repeating what the post just said and thank you for steering me away from that one. I never would have known that had I not read your post.
I came to your site from Adrienne’s Magical Monday’s post and boy am I glad I did.
I’m 63 years old and love blogging but never knew there was a proper way to do it. Thank you so much for this valuable information. You now have a new follower. How long have you been blogging?
I tweeted your blog post. I think it will help a lot of people like me in my journey of internet Marketing.
You have a wonderful holiday,
Linda
Hi Linda,
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Oh, no worries! I’m sure that (repeating what the post just said) is something we ALL have done at least once. I certainly did it before I knew any better.
So you’re an Adrienne reader? Awesome! She is wonderful, isn’t she? And she certainly has referred a lot of readers my way over the past year. She’s nice that way. Haha.
When I’m 63, I hope I’m half as enthusiastic about blogging as you are. That’s great to hear! 🙂
I’m estactic to have you as a new follower, Linda. Thank you. I hope you enjoy my posts over at Be A Better Blogger. I do love to tell stories!
Thanks for the tweet, Linda. And the great comment! I hope you have a WONDERFUL Fourth of July holiday.
-Kevin
Haven’t watched Field of Dreams yet, and I like Mondays haha! Anyway, I never thought I’d see a comprehensive post about making blog comments. This was a very interesting read. Normally, I wouldn’t comment unless 1) I absolutely find the idea incredible (like in this case), OR 2) I have something else to contribute. Well, you’ve covered all bases here, Kevin. Highly enjoyed this post and hoping I have put your advice to good use 😉 Cheers!
Hi Al,
You haven’t seen Field of Dreams?? Oh, man, you need to remedy that this weekend, my friend. Great, great movie. Even if you don’t like baseball, it’s a great movie. Best sports movie of all time, in my humble opinion. 🙂
(How can you like Mondays?!)
I hadn’t seen too many posts tackle “blog commenting” in a comprehensive way either. Judging by all the comments this post has received, I guess there was an audience waiting for someone to write it! Haha.
It’s fun to discover someone who rarely comments decides YOUR POST is worthy of a comment. Thank you, Al. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the great comment. And definitely go watch that movie! You’ll thank me later. 🙂
Have a great week and weekend, Al!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
What an awesome work you’ve done here. I mean, it’s really a long one well enjoyed.
I have been reading BBT for a while now and wouldn’t be sure if you’ve done any earlier. But will this, the name “Kevin” now rings a bell.
Even as a newbie blogger, many of your points here resonate with me.
I however have learnt a great deal. Kevin, you won’t be believe your topic truck me hard. I couldn’t even check who was authoring this before consuming the piece like a hungry lion. And the only thing i could do afterwards was hit hard on the sharing buttons.
As i quit banking for blogging soon, i hope to not only read more of Jon, but you as well.
Warm Regards,
Bonire Abdulrahman Femi
Hi Bonire,
Thank you. I’m really glad you enjoyed the post!
Yes, I had the pleasure of previously writing for BBT back in November. If you haven’t read it yet, check out “The Blogger’s Bucket List.” I’ve been told it’s really good. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing the post with your friends and followers! I really appreciate it, Bonire.
Hope this comment of mine finds you doing well. Have a great Friday and weekend!
-Kevin
Hey, Kevin. It’s great to see you have made such strides in the blogosphere in such a short time. I know it’s not ALL due to blog commenting, but as Adrienne says, it’s because you built up one relationship at a time.
I know Carol Amato, Ryan Biddulph, Adrienne, Harleena, and many of the other great bloggers you mentioned in this post, too. They all rock, and always leave super comments on the blog posts they read and share. I know because I’ve read most of them, too!
It’s kinda neat how you end up running into the same awesome bloggers over and over across the web.
I still remember you from when you guest posted on Adrienne’s blog last year. That’s when I first met you and visited your site.
I’m not sure if I ever told you this, but I love your Be a Better Blogger logo. It’s pleasing to look at, it makes sense, and it’s a neat idea for using the B to include an image of a person at a computer.
Anyways, I met a lot of wonderful people (and many clients) through blog commenting, including a blind entrepreneur named Maxwell (Max) Ivey. Now THAT guy is inspiring to the nines!
Imagine, being a blind man, losing over half your body weight, owning two businesses, and attacking the blogoshere and the podcastsphere with a vengance!
Talk about a great work ethic!!!
The one comment he left on a guest post of mine led me to interviewing him in an epic post on Wording Well. I also helped him edit his book, Leading You Out of the Darkness Into the Light, and then turn that ebook into a print book.
Now Max is not only a great client, but a wonderful friend, too.
I am sure you have run into him at some point during the past year, haven’t you?
Totally inspiring guy, to say the least.
Then again, most of the people you’ve met along your journey have been super-great. 😉
And your blog posts remain awesome as usual, too.
Good seeing you again. I’m going to have to pop back over to your site after sharing this post. 🙂
I’ve not been commenting on too many posts lately, as I’ve been on a bit of a vacation (and will be for the rest of the summer). The weather where I live in Canada is only nice for about three months of the year (now!). I’ve only been working for my clients… and enjoying the weather but it’s storming out today so I’m online again. 🙂
Keep rockin’ it, Kevin.
Hi Lorraine,
Thanks! It is nice to look around and see the progress I’ve made, but I know I have much, much, much, MUCH farther to go. 🙂
Carol, Ryan, Adrienne, Harleena, and the gang definitely rock. And they’ve proved as much with the amazing comments they’ve left for this post. In retrospect, that’s one of the cool things about this blog post. The post itself talks about how to leave great comments (and provides a few examples), and the commenting section is loaded with comments from bloggers who put what the post discussed into practice!
I loved getting to guest post for Adrienne. (Was it last year? I thought it was earlier in 2015? Gosh, my mind has been so scattered most of this year. Who knows! Haha.) It was a blast getting to write for Adrienne’s audience and getting to “meet” lovely people such as yourself!
Thank you! No, you’ve never told me you liked Be A Better Blogger’s logo. Heck, I think my wife was the only person who has told me. Not that I expected people to notice my logo and sing its praises, of course. (That would be pretty bad if everyone paid more attention to my logo than my writing! Haha.) Thank you so much for the compliment.
Oh yes, I am familiar with Max Ivey. We’re Twitter friends! And we’ve commented on each other’s sites a time or two, too. He IS an inspiration. No doubt about it. I’m definitely out of touch, though, because I had no idea he’d written a book! I will have to check out that interview you did with him. 🙂
Thank you for taking a break from your blogging vacation and stepping away from your clients to leave me your great and kind comment, Lorraine. I really appreciate it. Hope you are having an AWESOME week. I hope to talk to you again soon.
-Kevin
Quality Content!
From you, Jon, really not surprised!
Hi Heitem,
Thanks for the kind words, but you apparently have me confused with Jon. Don’t worry. It happens all the time. (Probably because we’re both so gosh darn handsome!) 🙂
-Kevin
Wait…wait…hold the bus for me! Phew, thought I’d missed it. Yay – my smiling face is here.
So much has happened since I got back from the mainland. That would be mainland Scotland…I live in the Outer Hebrides and am married to a bona fide Crofter. Ah the romance of it all…
I’m so sorry that I missed all of your notifications about this post, Kevin. My mojo had completely left the building. I blame Elvis.
Well, what can I say? Let’s start with Howdy Neighbor!
In recognition of your humanitarian act of including lil’ ol’ me in your stupendous post, I hereby confer upon you, the honorary title of Sir Kevin of Duncan.
No doubt Sir Jaime of Buckley will have something to say about that but I’m ready for him *flexes fingers and cracks knuckles in a most unladylike fashion*
I must thank Sylviane for her suggestion – “At times I even take notes during my reading so I can remember the point by the time I do write my comment”
My notes are your wonderful lines that actually made me LOL : namely
“Do you have any hobbies?” they’ll ask despite your profile’s thousand-word tribute to paper mache.”
and
“Your SpongeBob tattoo is awesome!”
Classics.
I’m incredibly impressed with your meteoric rise to Blogging stardom. And yet I’m not surprised. It was written in the stars, foretold by the Runes and dowsed for by a crone with a dried up stick.
Plus, you do write a mean Blog post which probably has something to do with it.
And guess what I’m going to do now? Just to confirm that I earned my place here, I’m going to Tweet the post – even though I’m late to the party.
Hi Mary,
Welcome to the party! We waited for you as long as we could, but we had to get started. 🙂
No worries, Mary! Elvis has caused me to miss a notification or two or ten, too. Haha.
“Sir Kevin of Duncan”? I love it. I’m going to insist my wife calls me that from now on! (In related news, thanks, Mary, for being the catalyst for me sleeping on the couch tonight!)
Yes, Sylviane’s suggestion to sometimes take notes while reading is a good one. What I usually do is open a text editor on my computer (Notepad) and take a few notes as I read. It helps me not to forget the good stuff!
Haha. Glad you enjoyed the paper mache line. I was trying to think of a random hobby to use, and it came down to paper mache and underwater basket weaving. Paper mache won. 🙂
Ahhh, you’re too kind, Mary. Thank you. And thank you for the tweet, too! I hope you are having a great week so far. Talk to you again soon, I’m sure.
-Kevin
Good morrow Sir Kevin of Duncan *wobbly curtsey*
Underwater basket weaving? That is fabulous. Where can I sign up? Does this mean that lobsters are making their own pots now? We need to know this stuff…
Maybe you could tell your wife that she is now Lady Duncan. Just tryin’ to get you off the couch…sorry about that.
Seriously though – R. E. S. P. E. C. T. to you my friend (it’s ok, I bought the copyright off Aretha).
This post is EPIC. I have never seen so many comments. And really good ones too. What fun!
The bar is being set higher by the minute…pressure…performance anxiety…*breathes into paper bag*
Hi again, Mary!
“Lady Duncan”, huh? Yeah, I think my wife could go for that. 🙂
I know! I’ve never seen so many comments either. I’ve run the numbers… This post has more comments than any other guest post in the history of Boost Blog Traffic! Isn’t that crazy?
No pressure, Mary. Just knock it out of the park every time. 😉
Hope you’re having a great weekend!
-Kevin
Kevin,
First off, I want to mention that I think you did an amazing job breaking down the components of a great blog comment. That being said (and not because you told me to), I want to point out that a great comment will not only catapult you into the line of sight of an influential blogger; but also place you center stage in front of tons of other bloggers that may not be quite so influential but could take notice of your knowledge in something they find useful and just may become ardent subscribers.
I have always been of the mindset that a comment should be like a letter to the author (or personal email, for those who aren’t old enough to remember what a letter is…I guess I’m a bit of an old soul!) I loved that you pointed out the importance of spelling their name right and reading the post rather than just skimming it…there aren’t many things more insulting than someone who doesn’t “listen” to you.
Quick question: Is there any circumstance where posting a link in a comment would be considered okay?
I tend to shy away from it myself, but rather mention to the author that I have a great resource that pertains to what they’ve written and they can contact me if they would like to check it out. I feel that it is more thoughtful to give them the option to decide what goes on their blog page, but I have seen some instances where people have included links to helpful resources in their comments and let the blogger decide whether or not to make the comment visible. Thoughts?
Anyway, I’m off to share this before I overstay my welcome (sorry if I have already!) Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Andrea
P.S.: If anyone crafts a lame blog comment after reading this post, they should truly be ashamed!
Hi Andrea,
Thank you very much! You’re absolutely right: Great comments won’t just help you get noticed by influential bloggers, but they can help you get noticed by us regular blogging folks, too! 🙂
Random FYI: Originally, that angle (regular blogging folks) was part of this post, too. We decided to take it out in order to tighten the focus/message. Seeings how the post still ended up at 3,405 words (plus lots of graphics), it was probably the right call. Haha.
Absolutely! Teena mentioned something similiar in an earlier comment. Comments really should be like personal emails or letters of appreciation. They shouldn’t be cold. They shouldn’t be impersonal. They should make the recipient feel as though you wrote it just for them. 🙂
That’s a great question. Jack Later, in an earlier comment, asked something similar. Here’s what I told him:
“I believe it’s all about context. For example, in an above comment, Nolan Haan asked about setting up gravatar. In my response to him, I wrote a detailed comment that included a link to instructions. Even if this hadn’t been a post I’d written, my offering such a link in my comment would/should be welcomed by the owners of the site. Hopefully, they’d see I was trying to help a fellow reader and not simply promote my own work. In short, I think you have to be careful. Never say never, but realize — good intentions or no — you run the risk being viewed as a life insurance salesman when you embed links in a comment.”
Your question is related to leaving a link for the blog owner’s benefit, though. In that instance, I like your approach. Mention you have a great resource, and tell them they are welcomed to contact you. The other approach (including those links in the comment) is risky…
You might see it as being helpful, other readers might see it as being helpful, but the owner of the blog might see it as self promotion. Even if you aren’t linked to yourself, they might assume you are.
So, to me, it goes back to that last line I wrote to Jack: “Good intentions or no — you run the risk being viewed as a life insurance salesman when you embed links in a comment.” Best to play it safe.
Just my two cents anyway. 🙂
No worries about overstaying you’re welcome, Andrea. Thank you for the quality comment and kind words. I hoe this response of mine finds you doing well. Have a great week!
-Kevin
Kevin,
Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it! I am glad that you agree with my approach…I was confident that was the most respectful way to share helpful material in a blog comment but I wanted to be sure that my best practices ring true for others (while further clarifying for those who are newer to blog commenting.) I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!
Sincerely,
Andrea
Hi again, Andrea.
You’re very welcome! I really appreciate you stopping back by and leaving me a reply.
Hope you’re having a great weekend!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Wow…268 comments! I must be the 269 one. LOL. 😀
You know I’ve seen you numerous times in Carol Amato’s blog. And just now I read the latest post from Adrienne Smith’s post mentioning your post of “The Ultimate Guide to Writing Comments That Open Doors with Popular Bloggers” and since I see you everywhere I thought I’d say a quick hello.
Your post is packed of great tips and advices for both amateur and advance bloggers. This is an excellent post. Tons of examples. It’s really super!
I’ve been online now for a couple of years and I’ve learned how to comment right from Adrienne Smith, she is the Queen of Comments. Of course, I’d say Harleena Singh is great at this too. In a way, I’m like her. When I have things to say, I can easily write a 300-500 words in a comment.
One thing I’ve learned on blog commenting is, if you want to get exposures and connections, you have to sincerely read other bloggers’ posts and leave a sincere comment. Right from the heart. No B.S. Say what’s in your heart and mind and people always appreciate what you have to say. You’d be surprise that if you read their posts, they’d read yours too! Network Relationships is all about supporting your fella blogger friends. The friends that follows you might not be your buyer of your service but friends of friends might be! So that’s why blog commenting is the heart of our business specially when you do it the right way.
Anyway, I thank you for sharing all your knowledge. I have learn more from you. Wishing you a wonderful week. May God bless you…
Always,
Angela
Hi Angela,
How did I miss this great comments of yours! Sorry about that.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. And yeah… “wow” to the number of comments it has received. We’re well over 300 now! We’re breaking BBT records!! It’s crazy. 🙂
If you’ve learned how to comment from Adrienne and Harleena, you have had two EXCELLENT teachers, Angela. And it shows — this comment of yours is a great one.
Does it really feel as though you see me “everywhere”? That’s awesome. It doesn’t feel like that on my end, but it’s nice knowing others believe they see me a lot. (Unless they are tired of always seeing me. Then that would be a bad thing. Haha.)
I agree with you. READ the post and leave a heartfelt comment. Do that and you’ll be okay. It’s nice to hear from someone who has built their business around this concept.
Thanks for your great comment, Angela. Hope you’re having a happy and blessed weekend!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
You have some very good advice here but I admit I was disappointed not to see the time-honored tradition of offering cat recipes.
Really, if you go around the blogosphere providing people with the best way to cook their cats you can guarantee you’ll get attention. Provide them with the secret sauce and add a spicy cat tale and the commenters will come visit your blog without hesitation and in droves.
Just ask PETA.
Hi Jack,
Glad you found the advice helpful, but I’m sorry to hear I didn’t meet this evidently-growing demand for cat recipes.
I didn’t know this was a thing to be honest. How is this possible? Beats me…
Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and I’m not as “with it” as I used to be?Maybe it’s because I’m allergic, so the idea of including cat recipes didn’t jump to mind? Maybe it’s because I’m not insane? Haha. 😉
Thank you for the humorous and very outside the box comment. It’s definitely the most unique comment I’ve received for this post!
I checked out your blog. Very nice. I liked your About page:
“The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart.”
Sounds like something else I know! 🙂
Hope you’re having a great week, Jack. Good luck fighting for truth, justice and the American Way! I salute you.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Sometimes you just have to mix it up a bit, especially when you now 2,903,093 other people are going to leave a comment too.
Got to run now, thank you for the cool post, cool comment and just being cool.
Hi again, Jack.
We’ve fallen a tad shy of 2,903,093 comments, but this post HAS received a crazy-huge number. You were right about that. 🙂
The 14-year-old version of Kevin still living somewhere inside me appreciates you calling him “cool.” Thank you for that, Jack. Haha.
Have a great weekend.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
This is the first post I’ve read of yours and I am now a fan! You’ve really broken down the art of commenting into it’s necessary and essential components. I took a class in guest posting and this material was not covered, so I’m very happy to get it now (before I too, make a fool of myself).
I have been commenting on the blogs I am following for almost a year now and this post will definitely help me get better value out of the practice, as well as those who read my comments. Hopefully, that will start getting more visitors to my blog, too.
Thank-you for making a major contribution to the eradication of lame comments! I’ll be sharing this with my LinkedIn group and list.
-Jeannette Koczela
Hi Jeannette,
Awesome! I love it when first-time readers turn into fans. That’s music to my ears. 🙂
Congrats on taking a class in guest posting! (Was it Jon Morrow’s class, by chance? He and his team really know their stuff.) I’m glad I was able to expand upon the knowledge you learned and provide a few helpful tips for commenting. (Though I’m sure you wouldn’t have made a fool of yourself!)
Way to go commenting on the blogs you read for the past year. That’s great. Hopefully this post will help you and, as you said, bring back more value for you. 🙂
Appreciate the LinkedIn share! That’s the one network I’m not on yet. I should probably remedy that. Haha.
Hope this response of mine finds you doing well, Jeannette. Thanks again for commenting!
-Kevin
WOW this is incredible stuff. Lots of value from this post. Thanks! 🙂
Hi Nathan,
Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
-Kevin
Hey there, Kevin!
Such simple, practical stuff, but honestly most of it never occurred to me. So thank you–especially for the specific examples.
Looks like this is comment # 274, so I think you’ve got your work cut out for you. I’m off to see what other good stuff you offer on your Be A Better Blogger blog.
Peggy
Hi Peggy,
I’m glad I was able to teach you something new! 🙂
You’re welcome, and thank you very much for the kind words. I think we’re up to 293 comments now. Closing in on 300! Unbelievable. This is definitely a personal best for me.
Hope you enjoyed your visit to Be A Better Blogger! Hope to see you there again soon. 🙂
Thanks again, Peggy. Hope you’re having a great day.
-Kevin
Hi,
I have found this to be a most valuable resource. I have seen many persons making comments that hardly make any sense and do not add any value to the material presented, so even the author at times cannot find anything tangible to respond to.
This will go a far way to give ideas on what is meant by quality comments and not just for the sake of saying something. I recommend this to all of us who read posts and do other engagements online.
Thank you.
Vinton
Hi Vinton,
Thanks! I’m glad you found this post to be such a valuable resource.
I know what you mean. I’ve come across comments that made no sense, too. The blog owner will try to respond (sometimes) in a respective manner, but it’s obvious he/she doesn’t know what to say because the comments made so little sense!
Appreciate the kind words, Vinton. Thank you for your comment and your promise to tell your friends about it. Hope you have a great day!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Love this post! So true! I enjoy responding to comments but find it difficult to know what to say when the comment is generic or vague.
New to blogging the BEST lesson I learned, recently too, is to BE social, you can’t DO social media and succeed.
With a smile, Carlyn in Tampa 🙂
Hi Carlyn,
Thank you! I’m glad you loved it. 🙂
Agreed. There really is no good way to respond to a generic or vague comment. Such comments take all the fun out of responding!
Being social as a blogger is a great tip. Or, as I put it in “The Howdy Neighbor Technique” post I wrote over on Be A Better Blogger: be friendly! It goes a long way. 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Carlyn. Hope the summer heat in Tampa isn’t too bad for you!
-Kevin
Jealous you are TAmpa, beautiful weather probably!
Viv,
I’ve been to Tampa — beautiful weather, for sure. Humid, but beautiful! 🙂
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Sorry for replying late. I was busy with the exams.
Anyway, I like the way you presented the mistakes and how I could avoid them. I liked more the step-by-step guide to make helpful comments.
Something I learned from Danny Iny is that when you’re starting out, you need to be commenting on other blogs/forums and so on.
This makes commentators be more familiar with you + it helps you when building relationship with top bloggers.
After that you could contribute to the community by guest posting. You’ll have much more better results because people are already familiar with you.
Thanks for this great post. Off to spreading the word about it.
Regards,
Ahmed Safwan
PS. how did I do? What is your grade for my comments 🙂
Hi Ahmed,
Not a problem. Hope you did well on those exams!
Thank you! Yes, I enjoy step-by-step guides, too. They make learning a lot easier.
Danny Iny’s lesson is a good one. And commenting on other blogs isn’t just helpful for new bloggers — it’s helpful for those of us who have been doing it a while, too. All of us want to build relationships. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words, Ahmed. And thank you so much for sharing the post with your friends and followers.
As for how you did, I think you did a great job. “A” for sure. 🙂
Hope you’re having a great week. Thanks again for commenting, Ahmed.
-Kevin
Great post kevin,
Its always overlooked skill as most bloggers go on overdrive to link build. Of paramount importance is to understand the post before commenting as always an off topic of general comment is often taken as spams.
Hi Bramwel,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
You’re right… For many bloggers “commenting the right way” is the last thing on their minds. They’re trying to get backlinks, social media shares, whatever. What many of them just don’t realize is writing a great comment can aid in those endeavors! 🙂
Hope this comment finds you doing well, Bramwel. Thanks again for commenting.
-Kevin
Hi Zaryna,
really loved your question and would love to connect with you.
If you are on twitter you can reach me on @compellinadvert.
One other thing, I had love to know if you are Greek.
Hope am not trespassing?
Thanks,
Peter
Hello Kevin,
What a post! Something that opened my eyes to something that I was doing without giving much of thought – blog commenting.
I was researching for my book on blogging and landed on your post. I’m so glad I did. I am going to include a para on blog commenting in it as I know its going to help my readers a lot.
Thanks a ton, just tweeted this to my readers. I’m going to deep dive into other posts now. 🙂
Hi Shiv,
Thank you very much!
You’re not alone — I used to put the bare minimum into my blog comments, too. “Going through the motions” is how I used to refer to it!
You’re writing a book? Awesome! I’d be thrilled if you included a paragraph to the post and linked to it in your book. (I wouldn’t mind being mentioned by name either. Haha.) Hope your readers find it useful!
Appreciate the tweet and kind words, Shiv. Hope you are having a great day!
-Kevin
It’ll be an honor Kevin. I will keep you posted on it.
Btw I learned another gem from you – you tweeted letting me know you left a response on my comment. And sort of solved my problem – I used to send individual mails to my readers letting them know I responded to their comment on my blog. With low mail-open rates I wouldn’t think it was effective. Tweet seems like a cool idea.
How’d you do the magic – finding twitter handle of people who comment and all that? 🙂
-Shiv
Hi again, Shiv!
Well, find everyone’s Twitter handles isn’t exactly magic. Just takes a little hard work. 🙂
First thing I do is visit the person’s blog. If they advertise their Twitter handle somewhere on there (the sidebar, About page, footer, etc.) it’s pretty easy. Where it gets tricky is if the person doesn’t advertise their Twitter on their site.
If they have a unique name, I’ll often have success simply searching for their name within Twitter. If they have a common name, I have to look at their bio photos. If they match the gravatar used in their comment, I can be reasonably sure it’s the same person.
Of course, sometimes I can’t find it. Sometimes the person doesn’t have a website, sometimes they do have a website but don’t advertise their Twitter handle, and sometimes I can’t find their Twitter handle through Twitter search.
I just email those people. Best I can do. 🙂
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Kind of you to notice and to care! Thank you. I shall have a think.
Kindest, Zara.
You’re very welcome, Zarayna!
Hope you’re having a great week. 🙂
-Kevin
Hi Kevin, helpful post of course or why take the time to write in about it. I see another blogger here who says commenting really helped her. So thanks for lighting a fire for me. It’s really about adding to the conversation and that is hard to do each time. I think that’s why I refrain sometimes from commenting. I also find Twitter a great way to make at least an initial contact with influencer’s in ones niche.
I’m going to schedule time to comment on the sites I already enjoy, like problogger, and Jon Morrow’s site, Carol Tice’s and so many others.
Duh to myself this is Jon Morrows site! It’s easy to get lost in cyber space……
Hi Viv,
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I hope this post helped many readers (and lit a fire under some of them)!
That’s understandable, but never be afraid to add to the conversation. Even if you’re unfamiliar with a topic, you can add to the conversation by asking a question. Who knows… Maybe other readers had been wondering the same thing, but were afraid to ask? Your asking would benefit them. 🙂
Good luck commenting on other sites you enjoy! Problogger, Boost Blog Traffic, and Carol Tice’s are great ones. Feel free to give mine (Be A Better Blogger) a look as well. 😉
Thanks for commenting, Viv. Hope this response of mine finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Kevin, as a ex- professor you would think I would have thought of “asking a question.” Isn’t that what all good teachers say- “ask, as someone else very likely has the same question.” I guess from the article I only took away add in terms of “expertise.” But clearly a thoughtful question is worthwhile.
Well with that you’ve freed me up to comment on blogs where I really might be like “hmmm.”
Thanks and I do know it helps so it will be a priority.
And I’ll add your site too!
Hi again, Viv.
Well, even us ex-teachers (I used to teach high school) forget to ask questions sometimes, so no worries. 🙂
Good luck commenting ProBlogger, Carol Tice’s site, and others. I’m sure you’ll do a great job.
-Kevin
Hello Kevin
Thanks for teaching me how to comment. I appreciate you.
Hi Sam,
You are very welcome! I’m glad my post was able to help you.
Are you ready to get out there and write some awesome comments? 🙂
-Kevin
Great article, Kevin! It was recommended to my by a friend and I am very grateful to her for that. As I was reading your post, I remembered a blogger who started commenting on my blog a while ago. It was obvious to me she was doing it because she wanted to be noticed, but it was also obvious she wasn’t actually reading my posts. Her comments were ridiculously short and vague, like “great post” or “beautiful pictures.” I usually like to return the favor and comment back, so in her case I was very tempted to do it in the same manner she did. I wanted to teach her a lesson, but then I changed my mind. I decided to teach her a lesson by making lengthy and meaningful comments instead. To my surprise, in just a few weeks she began reading my posts and making great comments. She is now one of my faithful followers who always promote my articles and comments on them. So what does this have to do with your article? It proves that you are right. Making meaningful comments not only will help you being noticed, but also help you develop great relationships with other bloggers. So thank you for raising awareness about comments. Unfortunately, there are way too many bloggers who believe a comment can be just a short sentence.
Hi Anda,
Now THAT is cool. First off, I must commend you on your remarkable restraint and generosity. My reaction to receiving a one-sentence comment from someone who didn’t even read the post is not to visit the person’s blog and leave them a thoughtful, in-depth comment. I think you deserve an award or honorary sainthood. 🙂
But, secondly, your story shows the amazing power of quality comments. In your case, it turned someone who by all rights should have been marked as a spammer in a consistent, devoted, loyal reader of yours. That’s awesome.
Thank you for sharing your story, Anda. And well done!
Hope you are having an amazing weekend.
-Kevin
Fantastic stuff, Kevin.
I used to do a lot of blog commenting when I first started blogging, now not so much. Mostly because, I started focusing more on other strategies, but after reading this post, I am thinking of getting back to commenting on other blogs.
Hi Solanki,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
You’re not alone. “Used to do” is how many bloggers would describe their commenting efforts. What other blogging strategies did you use?
Absolutely, definitely give commenting on other blogs another shot! Just make sure they’re quality comments. 😉
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Solanki. Have a great day!
-Kevin
Hey, Kevin
Great post. I’ve been commenting a lot on a few blogs recently, but I hadn’t thought about my approach until you brought it up. (Other than trying not to sound like an idiot and actually participating in the conversation.)
Thanks,
Hi again, Solanski.
Wow, you left me two comments in two days? Thanks!
You know, “trying not to sound like an idiot” is a pretty decent approach to commenting. If only every commenter took that approach! Haha. 😀
Thanks again for stopping by, Solanski. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
-Kevin
Kevin you son of a gun!
Who on earth ever said blog commenting was dead? What a fantastic read my friend. I am a massive advocate for quality commenting and always make a daily ritual to go and read at least 10 engaging articles like this one of sites in my niche and where possible add in something constructive. I have a little trick whereby I use Majestic SEO to find these great blog comment opportunities.
Unfortunately on this occasion I am going to fall into #2 and pay you a sincere compliment! Keep up the good work!
Richard
Hi Richard,
Calling me a son of a gun is certainly the most interesting greeting I’ve received in a while! 🙂
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s great to meet a fellow advocate for quality commenting. I really need to find the time to do what you you do — visit a handful of blogs every single day and add valuable comments. Time just hasn’t been on my site lately!
That’s an interesting trick with Majestic SEO. I might have to take it for a spin.
Appreciate the kind words, Richard. Hope you are having a great Thursday!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin! (<– good student, see?)
I missed my bus stop because of reading this… :p It's the first article I read of your blog, and despite I am french and find it a little tiring and difficult for me to read in english, I must say that it absolutely catched me!!
I am starting a blog and will try to be really engaged in the process of serious webmarketing. Before I was doing SEO, but it appeared to me that backlinks funny easy hacks have now less value than a deep and real network that read and share your content.
I will definitely share this on Twitter! (some english spealing follow me :p )
Sophie
Hi Sophie,
Haha. Yes, well done! 🙂
Oh wow… Did you really miss your bus stop? I feel bad, but I’m also flattered!
Thank you for committing to read the entire post even though English isn’t your first language. Congrats on getting your new blog off the ground! Do you have a name picked out yet? What niche will it be in?
Appreciate the share, Sophie. Hope you found another bus, and I hope this comment of mine finds you doing well! 😉
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Nice post you’ve written here. You’ve made me drop my first comment on BBT after being a spectator for a few months. 🙂
I don’t know how you did it, but I’ve fallen in love with you (no homo pls!) especially your personality and diligence as a blogger. (I read halfway into the comments…couldn’t finish them all – over 300 of them sitting smugly, dropped by wonderful and pleasant people).
Really, I understand you’re a busy man but, I’ll love it if you could respond to a troubling question:
Is there a format bloggers should follow when replying to comments on their blogs?
You kept referring to The Bloggers Bucket List in your post. Hmmmn….I wonder what’s in it. I’m definitely going to read it. Trust me on that.
Off to smear Kevin Duncan all around the social network.
I hope my comment meets you well.
-Olayanju
Hi Olayanju,
Thanks! I’m really glad you enjoyed the post. I’m especially honored that — out of all the great posts written here at BBT — this is the one that prompted you to comment for the first time! 🙂
To answer your question…
I believe in responding to comments using the same (or close to the same) format I talked about in this post.
1) I’ll greet the commenter by name. Notice how I greeted you at the beginning of my comment?
2) Instead of complimenting (like I would if writing a comment on someone’s blog), I will thank the person for commenting. Though, if it’s a really good comment I’m responding to, I’ll make a point to say so. “That’s a great question” or “What an original comment” are a couple examples I might use.
3) I’ll provide value by thoroughly responding the thoughts/questions in the comment. If the comment talked about ten different things, obviously I won’t be able to touch on all of them. But if a question is asked, I’ll answer it. If a few points are shared, I’ll talk about them a little.
4) Instead of making a promise, I’ll wish them well. “Hope you are having a great Wednesday” or “Hope your week has been an awesome one” are a couple examples. Occasionally, I’ll mention that I plan on visiting their blogs, Facebook pages, etc.
As for the Blogger’s Bucket List post I kept mentioning, yes… you should definitely read it! (I wrote it, in case that wasn’t obvious. Haha.)
Thanks for sharing “Kevin Duncan” on social media, Olayanju. While you’re doing that, definitely look me up on Facebook (search for “Be A Better Blogger”). And be sure to subscribe to my email list, too. Lots of good stuff on there. 🙂
Thanks for the great comment, Olayanju. Hope you are having an awesome week!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Nice post you’ve written here. You’ve made me drop my first comment on BBT after being a spectator for a few months. 🙂
I don’t know how you did it, but I’ve fallen in love with you (no homo pls!) especially your personality and diligence as a blogger. (I read halfway into the comments…couldn’t finish them all – over 300 of them sitting smugly, dropped by wonderful and pleasant people).
Really, I understand you’re a busy man but, I’ll love it if you could respond to a troubling question:
Is there a format bloggers should follow when replying to comments on their blogs?
You kept referring to The Bloggers Bucket List in your post. Hmmmn….I wonder what’s in it. I’m definitely going to read it. Trust me on that.
Off to smear Kevin Duncan all around the social media. 🙂
I hope my comment meets you well.
-Olayanju
Hey Kevin,
I appreciate the reply and have taken my notes :-D.
Sure, I’ll make a stop at Facebook.
It seems you’ve won yourself another subscriber. Smart man. 😉
Have a productive day.
– Olayanju
Hi Olayanju,
You’re very welcome. Looking forward to seeing you on Facebook! And you subscribed, too? Awesome.
Hope you’re having a great day, Olayanju.
-Kevin
Thanks for writing this post. You covered every single aspect. The great thing is you can reference different parts. It’s not just a skeleton but this things “got meat on her bones.”
It’s easy to forget the social part in social media and that’s the conversation. You do that. Not only in the posts but the comments.
Hi Roshan,
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words.
Did you have a favorite tip? One that jumped out over the rest?
@kevinjduncan
hank you for the article. Very informative information.
Could you write more of this content? with illustrations and explanations – about how to write articles, how to blog, etc
Thank you in advance!!!
Hey Sam,
Thanks! I’d love to write more content like this here at Smart Blogger if Jon, Glen, Marsha, and company will have me. 🙂
Definitely browse the other posts already on the site. SB is a treasure trove of blogging goodies!
@kevinjduncan
Thanks Kevin! This was helpful for me as a blogger because honestly I hadn’t considered the return value in commenting on other blogs. I’m hoping you would share your thoughts on how important it is to reply to comments on your blog. If readers share sincere sentiments or ask a question I will usually reply, but often I will simply “like” a comment. What is your approach?
Lastly, I’m confused. Is this by you or by someone named Anne? I just searched for your blog on WordPress, and came across this. Or, maybe you’re a unit? (I’m breaking your rule of sharing a link!) [removed link]
Melissa, this article is by Kevin. Unfortunately, there are many bloggers who do not understand copyright infringement. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Hi Heather! How are you?
So it sounds like some blogger out there named Anne is being lame, eh? Boooo, Lame Anne. Booooo.
Hi Melissa,
Glad you liked it!
Great question. This is a “do as I say, not as I do” kind of thing. If someone takes the time to leave me a good, sincere comment; it definitely warrants a good, sincere response. Sadly, at least lately, I sometimes lack the time to respond to comments the way I should. But, I definitely recommend doing so. Every time someone leaves you a comment, it’s an opportunity. An opportunity to make a connection. An opportunity to earn a lifelong fan. I definitely recommend you take advantage of it. 🙂
Regarding your last comment: Yeah, as Heather Sanders helpfully relayed (hi, Heather!), this article was written by me. Sadly, too many people out there in the interweb have no qualms about stealing the work of others. Shame.
@kevinjduncan
Hello Kevin,
Loved this post about blogging. I thought I dove into blogging and social media to market my book, but turns out I barely tiptoed in! It’s not a pond, it’s an ocean ruled by the tides, trends and I need to pay attention, learn to navigate it.
Your article provided relatable and logical steps to raise the sails and catch the winds instead of paddling my little heart out heading into them and making little progress.
I will share this with my author’s group in our next get together, and on social media. Thank you again for the clear skies and direction!
Alex Delon
Hi Alex,
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the kind words!
Yes, know matter how much you know or think you know about blogging, most of us are only just scratching the surface. That’s where great sites like Smart Blogger come into play. Read, absorb, and ask questions. Wash, rinse, and repeat. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the post with your group and on social media. Appreciate it!
@kevinjduncan
Hey, Kevin, loved this post – especially some of the examples you found to illustrate your points.
I was especially interested because it seems like blog comments are rare today compared with when I started… Getting comments at all – let alone good ones – is really hard. I realize it’s a different topic, but what do you do to encourage more commenting in the first place?
Thanks,
Susanna
Hi Susanna,
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the kind words.
You’re not wrong — getting comments (especially good comments) is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Personally, I view comments as a nice byproduct (a “bonus”) of what can happen when you write good content that connects with people, but it isn’t my goal. But if it’s yours, there absolutely are things you can do to encourage them.
The first one is pretty easy: ask for them. If you want readers to leave you a comment, ask them to do so. You’d be surprised how many bloggers don’t ask, but yet are surprised when their comment count stays in single digits post after post.
It’s the second tip that’s harder: don’t ask for anything else.
See, we tend to ask a lot of readers. Subscribe to our mailing list… Share our posts on all the social media channels… Leave a comment… Email the post to your friends…
The truth is most of us should feel fortunate if we can get readers to do ONE thing. So, we have to ask ourselves: “What do I want that one thing to be?”
If it’s “subscribe to my mailing list”, that needs to be your focus. Everything else will distract readers from doing the one thing you want them to do. Same thing with sharing on social media. Same thing with receiving comments. If that’s what we want, we have to eliminate distractions and make commenting as easy as possible.
Hope that makes sense.
Just my two cents. 🙂
@kevinjduncan
Hi Kevin,
I’ve heard repeatedly that commenting is dead. So, I am extremely excited to see this post that not only affirms that commenting alive, but gives a nice clear outline on how to do it well!
I’m just getting ready to make a fresh effort in blogging, so this was perfect timing me for me, and I signed up for your mailing list just now as well.
Thanks!
Christy
Hi Christy,
Nope, commenting isn’t dead! (It’s harder than it used to be. Haha.)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, and thank you for subscribing to my mailing list! Best of luck on your new blogging adventure. What’s your niche, by the way?
@kevinjduncan
Hola, Kevin!
I have a question about the first mistake (no gravatar): How DO you get your gravatar being used on sites when you comment? I have long puzzled over this.
Thanks!
Liberty
Hello Liberty,
Go to http://en.gravatar.com/.
After registering, you would observe that your picture would pop up after you add a comment on any platform that supports gravatar.
I hope this helps
LOL, this is hilarious. I just noticed my picture on my comment above. Classic “duh” moment! But the problem is, most of the time when I comment on other (small) sites, my pic doesn’t show up. So it must be they don’t support gravatar. Thanks for answering! Things are clarified for me now. 🙂
Thanks for the assist, fillipo!
Hi Liberty,
Bingo. That’s most likely what’s happening. Those other sites probably do not support gravatar. Shame, too… gravatar is awesome.
Thanks for reading!
@kevinjduncan
Hola, Liberty!
Looks like you had solved the gravatar puzzle without even realizing it! (Thanks for lending a hand, fillipo.)
@kevinjduncan
Hi, Kevin
this is great piece of advice. Very well written and lots of good examples. ( See, I’m already applying what you suggest 🙂 )
I have a question about leaving links in comments. Do you think it’s OK to leave comments to posts I wrote if they are relevant to the topic of the post being commented?
For example, if I wrote a post “How NOT to write blog comments”, would it be OK to link to it from comments, and not look like a spammer? I would really love to know what is the common etiquette.
P.S. Promise to share this 🙂
Hi Vladimir,
I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks for the kind words (and the promise to share).
Truth? I don’t believe it’s the right approach. If obeying common blogging etiquette is your goal, you shouldn’t leave links inside your comments. There’s a reason I listed it as “Mistake #3” in the post. Even if it’s a good link to a good, relevant post; it will be viewed as the act of a spammer peddling their own work.
Good or bad, that’s how 99.9% of bloggers will see it.
Probably not the answer you wanted to hear, though. The good news? There are LOTS of other ways (good, ethical ways) to promote your content. The posts here at Smart Blogger are full of great ideas. I’ve yet to read a post here that I couldn’t recommend to others!
Thanks again for reading, Vladimir!
@kevinjduncan
Hello Kevin,
This is a BRAIN BURSTING article, I love every bit of it.
I have become an addict of Smartblogger.com and a major reason I started my own blog.
I will most definitely share this article
Hi fillipo,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it (and are willing to share it with your friends).
I’m an addict of Smart Blogger, too, so you’re in good company (I think)! Haha.
Thanks again, fillipo.
@kevinjduncan
kevin,
This was a great blog.
I’ve read many articles about blogging, but never one about making effective and valuable comments. Thank you for that.
Patricia A. Guthrie
Hi Patricia,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it and found it to be so unique. Did you have a favorite tip or suggestion?
@kevinjduncan
kevin,
I NEEDED this.
I’ve read many articles about blogging, but never one about how to make effective and valuable comments.
Thank you for this
Patricia A. Guthrie
Hello Kevin!
Making time is not such an instructive post on how to interact with bloggers. Your text is rather discreet and instructive mainly because of the site of comment comments.
In these times of social networks, blog comments were relegated to a general plan and migrated to the United States as narcissists, at least here in Brazil.
Around here some blogs by prominent writers and great journalists are still limited to comment, but unfortunately the quality of the comments is quite dubious.
The most commented blogs are generally the blogs of journalists and personalities of the world, who attract the most current complaints, but who find themselves in an almost pathological polarization when the causes are a reason and a good sense.
But this is the scenario of the Brazilian political blogosphere. I think that in other countries the same thing should happen.
Going back to your text, I think it’s good for many bloggers and those who post more of their blog entries they enjoy, contribute more positively to the debate.
I’m passionate about blogging. It’s my favorite reading. Bloggers like you show a very original perspective regarding sometimes a media treats in a pasteurized and unattractive way.
I discovered your blog while traveling a search on quality blogs and your own concept.
Congratulations on the work you do. It’s really good!
See you later!
Hi Luiz,
Thank you for the kind words and the unique perspective. (I’ve never been to Brazil. Do you love it there?)
Blogging is my favorite reading medium, too. (Granted, I’m usually reading about sports, but it still counts as reading, right?) Those who do it well, like Jon, Glen, and the others here at Smart Blogger, are worth their weight in gold. To be able to take a complicated concept and break it down into easily digestible blog posts that are the size of a small eBook is a skill for sure.
Hope you have a great day, Luiz. Thanks again.
@kevinjduncan
Alreet Kevin (alreet is a common greeting in the north east of England, just in case you’re ever in this neck of the woods!)
I love this post. And you’re right, so many people say “Leave comments!” but no one tells you HOW. I get comments on mine that are just “Nice article”, which is nice validation, but I much prefer getting questions because it shows the commenter actually read the post – plus it’s a great source of potential topics that demonstrate an interest in THOSE areas!
I’m off to share this far and wide…
Icy
Alreet Icy,
(Thanks for the new greeting. I’ll be sure to use it if I’m ever in your neck of the woods!)
Thank you! I agree. I love it when commenters ask questions about the post they read. Not only does it demonstrate they read the post, but it starts a discussion. Some of my best blogging friends to this day came into my world via the humble blog comment question!
Thanks for the shares! Hope you have a wonderful day.
@kevinjduncan
Hey Kevin,
Thanks for helping me understand the inner workings of great comments. Many times in the past I would spend a bunch of time posting comments. And I tend to err on the side of a long comment as I try and add my own insight. Of course at that point you might as well write your own blog post and just link back to the other post LOL. I am one of your email subscribers and recently read something in your SEO101 that made me feel better about the amount of time I was spending on my blog posts. I was thinking I should be way faster and should be able to crank at least 2 articles a day, but after reading your article I realized I should spend even more time making sure most of my posts are strong and powerful rather than just cranking out post after post that will never gain much traction. Thanks for creating your SEO101 and also for providing insights in your blog posts. I’m definitely going to check out the “Bucket List” article as it must be worth a good read or two since it apparently is deserving of so many great comments. PS I usually sign my comments with my web address as my friend once put it… he calls me by my web name, but as I read the entire article here and you suggest we not do that, perhaps I will refrain this one time, though I must say it feels unnatural to me LOL. – DJ Emir Santana <- yes I am aDJ, I know you said not to sign with "Nicknames" but that is actually exactly who I am LOL
hey sir,
I am very happy to say that it is an interesting publication to read. I learn new information from your article, you are doing a great job
I love this post. And you’re right, so many people say “Leave comments!” but no one tells you HOW. I get comments on mine that are just “Nice article”, which is nice validation, but I much prefer getting questions because it shows the commenter actually read the post
Spectacular post my friend, you really did give us ALL the scoop on how to stand out through commenting. I’ve been telling my readers this for years.
Hi shivam,
Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Did you have a favorite tip or suggestion? Anything new that jumped out at you?
@kevinjduncan
Great and Unique topic! Thanks for sharing this article. it is really helpful for blog commenting.
Great Post!
Thanks for sharing!!
Great day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog previously however in the wake of perusing a portion of the posts I understood it’s unfamiliar to me. In any case, I’m unquestionably happy I discovered it and I’ll be bookmarking and inquiring regularly!
Hi Kevin!
This excellent, super comprehensive post could not have come at a better time for me, thank you!
I am a blogger who left the scene for a while, and now I’m back, and ready to make some new connections. I will most definitely be checking out your site!
Here’s my “added value”: I can’t stress enough the importance of being sincere in your comments. It would be easy for a reasonably intelligent person to use this formula and play the numbers game by commenting on as many blogs as possible. You MUST truly connect with the post–because when you do, everything flows quite naturally. The greeting, the complement, the added value…you ask the thoughtful question because it’s something you truly want to know the answer to!
You might gain a few followers by playing the numbers game, but they won’t stick around long if you’re not speaking your own authentic truth. Making REAL connections is what commenting (and blogging) is all about, right?
Thanks again Kevin!
Hi Kevin,
I really enjoyed this post about commenting on blogs. I had never thought about this being a way to help grow my blog! I am going to start using your methods and comment on other blogs – I mean, I have before, but they were probably just “blah” comments. Often on my own blog, I get people who will “like” my post, but they never actually leave a comment. That is frustrating, because I don’t know if they have actually read my content or they are liking it in hopes that I will come and visit them.
Anyway, I have bookmarked your blog and I will definitely be back for more tips!
Thanks for sharing this info. it’s really nice.
Nice article thanks for the sharing with us.
I found from long time this type of article, and finally i found it thanks for the sharing with us.
Thanks for sharing this info
OMG!! kevin, you are crazy man, replying to all your comments is not an easy task, you are so dedicated towards your passion in blogging.. you rock man!!
Hi Stella,
You’re not the first to call me crazy. Haha. Thank you for the kind words!
OMG!! Really your article is providing very valuable information for a blogger. Thanks
Hey Kevin,
Sometimes comments got rejected. Some people comment anything by using your website and that gets spammed sometimes. How to save your website from getting in the spam list?
OMG this is amazing people !
I would like you guys to reAD our blog about home improvement and repairs, like general contractors in houston and roofing !
well researched !!!!
Hey Kevin!
This is the first post I’ve read from you and I loved it! I really like your writing style– your humor shows through and I can’t help but giggle! Great way to show off your personality!
I have had a blog for about 7 years, but only recently have I been taking it seriously. I’m still trying to find my niche while building up a following.
Thank you for sharing this! I did not even consider that posting comments on other blogs would help me get noticed. BRILLIANT! I will be sure to share this when anyone asks me for tips on starting a blog!
also…
could you please explain to me how to add a photo to my comments?!?!
Hi Kevin
This is a great post just what i needed for sure as I’m starting to leave comments on other peoples blogs.This will surely help me in the future. Kind regards Martin
Thanks for sharing this type of depth post. I think, this post will be very useful for me in near future.
Well said Kevin, this article really help me shake off my shyness while teaching me the importance of interaction. I can’t wait to read more blog posts from you and other bloggers.
Hi,
I must say this is something that I have been wanting to read for a long time.I just really don’t know how to interact and start a conversation.Great tips.Thanks a ton!
My question is – do you feel these strategies are appropriate for Facebook comments as well? I think I may give it a try as I participate in more Facebook groups.
Such an important blog for all the content writer even for me also I have marked all the important point which are mentioned in the blog.
Thanks, Author.
Hello Kevin!
This is the principal post I’ve perused from you and I cherished it! I extremely like your written work style– your silliness appears on the other side and I can’t resist the urge to laugh! Extraordinary approach to flaunt your identity!
very nice
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Thanks for your answer Kevin. Very helpful, and it’s clear that you put some real thought into that. Thank you.
I like that for this website. it’s very nice information.
Hiii,
Great article! All the articles you have, they enjoy reading and learning a lot. Your article is very helpful for me. I hope you will continue to write such good articles as well.
Thank you
Really enjoyed reading your blog.It is highly informative and builds great interest for the readers. For the people like us your blogs helps to get ideal information and knowledge. Thanks for providing such blogs.
Really enjoyed reading your blog.It is highly informative and builds great interest for the readers. For the people like us your blogs helps to get ideal information and knowledge. Thanks for providing such blogs.
Really enjoyed reading your blog.It is highly informative and builds great interest for the readers. For the people like us your blogs helps to get ideal information and knowledge. Thanks for providing such blogs.
Extremely go through this article. I have never seen such beautiful article. Learn many things from this
Awesome! I have read many other articles on the same topic, your article convinced me! I hope you continue to have high-quality articles like this to share with everyone!
Great! Thanks for sharing this unique and awesome post.
Kevin J. Duncan
Thank you so much for writing such an informational post. At first I thought it would be like every other post that I’ve read pertaining to comments. But the more I read along the more I realized that you have some amazing advice.
The one I like the most is when you said, don’t post links in my comments. I’ve been making that silly mistake for a long time now without realizing how disrespectful it can be. If I’m not mistaken I think I started doing that after following the advice of another supposedly popular blogger I use to follow a long time ago.
Because of you though, I’m going to stop doing this horrible practice, and instead keep writing thoughtful, sincere comments.
I’d also like to share this post on my social media pages and even feature some of your advice on my blog.
I’m fairly new to blogging when compared to some of you guys but I guess we all have to start somewhere.
If there’s one thing you could suggest to a blogger that would help their traffic grow steadily what would it be?
I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it.
I have you saved as a favorite to look at new things you post…
Thanks Kevin
I blog frequently and I really thank you for your information. Your article has truly peaked my interest.
I’m going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information about once
a week. I opted in for your Feed as well.
Great stuff on how to build rapport with people, especially getting that one girl to like you!!! Lol…
wow, nice post. waiting for next post
Really enjoyed reading your blog.It is highly informative and builds great interest for the readers. For the people like us your blogs helps to get ideal information and knowledge. Thanks for providing such blogs.
Hi Kevin,
Commenting on blogs is a good way of getting backlinks Although it may not be as effective as writing guest posts for blogs, it has helped me to a large extent in my blogging journey.
Thank you for sharing this informative article.
Well written, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hello Kevin, another epic one!
With real examples that make your advice easy to follow. I have been wondering WHERE to leave comments, and in what way those platforms should relate to my own blog.
For example, leaving brillant movie and book reviews on amazon appears to yield nothing. Commenting on this blog gets a nice traffic boost but not from any potential customer for my services.
Comments on XING or LinkedIn appear to be more effective.
Shared this on Facebook.
Hi Kevin,
I enjoyed your article and since this post is about commenting on blogs I have a related question. I peruse the big blogs like this only about once or twice a year to see what’s going on and I have noticed a trend I would like to ask you about. I tried googling it and reading around but haven’t found any answer yet.
There is a website field to fill in when leaving a comment and I have noticed that many popular blogs no longer actually link the commentor’s name to their website. I had read that since it was (supposed to be) a nofollow link that it wasn’t really a backlink but that there could be some benefit to it but at least you could go look at the commentors website if you were so inclined. This is now mostly no longer the case. Can you tell me why this has changed? What happened in the blogosphere to make this change? Thanks for any insights!
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Thank you for this article and information
Blog commenting is the easiest tactics in SEO but that is the comment is not approved by the webmasters because the comment is seen like a spam comment so the website owner or webmaster is not approved the comment. In this article helped to do that tactic easily
Thank you for this article and information
Blog commenting is the easiest tactics in SEO but that is the comment is not approved by the webmasters because the comment is seen like a spam comment so the website owner or webmaster is not approved the comment. In this article helped to do that tactic easily
Good information article and waiting for another post.
i am new also and i learn a lot from here. thanks for share.
Thanks for writing this awesome article and examples helped alot..please keep on writing and please tell us how to create custom sitemap for blogger bcuz now days google search console don’t update sitemap and takes a lot time in indexing
I like your content. keep it up . i am really motivated.
This is truly a great read for me!! Once again, thanks for the quality articles you post on your blog!! That is very interesting You definitely made my day with this awesome post. I am always searching for informative stuff like this! I will check here often for more cool stuff.🙂
Hi Kevin, I’m Brazilian, and a fan of your work.
I was impressed by the content of your blog, rich in information and details. You considerably generate much value for your readers.
Here in Brazil many bloggers do not care about these points that you mentioned in the article.
I’m starting now in the world of blogging. And I’ll keep track of your posts and news.
Ahh .. like I said I’m starting now! Any tips for a beginner Brazilian blogger?
Soon I’ll be reading more of your articles and putting them into practice.
My English is not very good, I hope you understand! If possible give me a feedback.
Hugs!
Most informative all the time 🙂 along with screenshots of comments is making us more understandable about commenting on blog. Thanks 😉
Outstanding dear! I love this article. Keep it up!
Great article. Very well explained. Thanks for the share.
Thank you for sharing article and information. this is very helpful for seo begginer.
This entire post absolutely ROCKS! Thank you for the hard work you put into it. It really shows.
Hello, Thanks for writing this awesome article and examples helped alot..please keep on writing and please tell us how to create a custom sitemap for blogger buzz now days google search console don’t update sitemap and takes a lot of time in indexing
First of all, I wanna say I loved your writing. From beginning to end you nailed it totally. To write this you might have worked hard for research.
Thanks for sharing this good article.
This is a fantastic blog! Thank you so much for sharing great tips about blogging.
Hi Kevin, I have enjoyed reading this article, its well written,well presented and informative.Have learnt a lot about blog posting and i find it awesome. Thank you for the great tips!
hi kevin, i really enjoyed to read this article it is well organised and informative learned alot about the blog posting
Hope this comment does stand out from these 400+ comments… By the way great post
Super , thank for writing this blog. It really helpfull for me. For my blog.thank you 😊
You’re like a dictionary, you add meaning to my life!
thank you Kevin.
Hi Kevin,
It really called my attention! I’ve never seen a topic like this such well explained as you did.
It was very helpful as i’m studying in an undergraduate carrear in Argentina, where we have been told to see your post in order to learn those great pieces of advice.
Off to share this! (Despite the fact that It is in english, don’t worry about, we’re likely to use translator 😉).
Glad to meet you!
Great article filled with smart advice.
The only person that will follow these routes is someone who want to create an engaging blog faster than lightening. Not just your posts are brilliant but the comments are vow-some. 😌
I also check ‘Be A Better Blogger’ for new post update, seems like you’re busy with guest blogging.
Thank you for the great post Kevin. Looking forward for more.👍
-Rajat Chauhan
Great Collection Kevin , it’s really helpful for increasing blog commenting knowledge.
I like to read such a detailed blog for any topic, it gave me such a fruit full information for blog commenting trick and tips as well. After reading it i think this a great study for me :).
Thank you for sharing fruitful information. Keep sharing.
Hi Kevin,
I really enjoyed reading this post and the information really shows what makes a great comment!
I am a quilter and many of the comments I receive and/or give to other quilters share tips and questions to help each other.
I pinned this to my Pinterest blogging board, thanks!
Hi Kevin, thanks for the tips. I am a first time blogger and reading through what best to do that gets me started on a good note.
hi Kevin,
nice post about blog commenting. blog commenting is important activity to increase traffic in our website. comment must be original, meaningful thanks a lot
Thanks for sharing this great tips regarding blog commenting, now I can avoid some mistake that I made. Thanks again & keep coming with such a great post.
Thanks for writing this great article! It’s very informative, and you included some great points regarding blog commenting to the equally great article.
I like to read such a detailed blog for any topic, it gave me such a fruit full information for blog commenting trick and tips as well. After reading it i think this a great study for me :).
one of the best article on blog commenting.
this will surely help me.
thank you for providing such information.
Thanks, for such a good article to know about how to write the good comments. It is very useful to give feedback to the other article.
thanks for sharing valuable post on blog commenting. its really helpful
Thanks Kevin!
This is huge for me. It helps me launch my blog career having been timid to throw out my mundane ideas to the world since I’ve always felt you guys have written all the smart stuff there is to write about…..
So I’ve suffered from bloggers block before I’ve even began to blog!
I learnt a lot from you and from the tenacity of Andrew and other brilliant “commenters”. You’ll definitely hear more from me as I continually learn from your blogs.
You just got yourself an avid follower, Kevin. Great job!
Hello , Kevin
This is really helpful this is great post thank for share your post i really like
Hi Kevin, thanks for the tips. I am a first time blogger and reading through what best to do that gets me started on a good note.
Thanks for sharing these great tips regarding blog commenting.Thanks again & keep coming with such a great post
Hi Kevin,
I landed here to learn about blog comment tips, but now I want to say Hi to you because your tips is so true! Thank you
I’m really bad at blog comments, thank you for sharing such good things!
Nice. I recently just posted out a comment with 480 likes and comments. My first major comment experience. I learnt it from here. Thanks
This is really helpful. I will definitely apply this on my 2nd blog as I’ m just starting. I have a existing blog and its a month old and planning to have my 2nd blog and I could definitely use your post as my guide. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks Kevin for this inspiring post.
Up until now I did see comments as irrelevant. Will have another thought thanks to this post.
i love you how to write comments strategy. My problem is that I get lots of visitors, but very few comments!
Thank you, Kevin, for this article. it will help me really to decide whether I should allow to comment or not in my blog Publishing. Generally, I have started writing for tech subjects and it will help me to content posting and communicating with others in my blogs.
It is incredible how often I get comments on my blog that people do not take the time to write well, i.e. in the way that you suggest.
The idea of comments, as you have alluded to, is to add to the conversation and to build on the content so I always try and write a genuine comment and try and add value. As you say, it’s the best way. Great post, Kevin!
No doubt, clumsy mistakes on comments can act as spammy and Google is very strict on this rule.
Thanks, Kevin to this inspiring post.
Up until now, I did see comments as irrelevant. I will have another thought thanks to this Article.
Hey Kevin, Thanks for sharing this article. This is very helpful from an SEO point of view as many people are using links in their comments. They try to promote it directly which is not the correct way. I hope this article helps many of us change our way of commenting on articles and blogs. I have some takeaway from this article. Keep publishing a great and helpful article like this.
This is really helpful. I will definitely apply this on my 2nd blog as I’ m just starting. I have a existing blog and its a month old and planning to have my 2nd blog and I could definitely use your post as my guide. Thank you for sharing it.
Those are some great tips for startups!
Will be using this guide for future reference too.