Commenting on other blogs is a must do activity

speechbubble-1.jpg (JPEG Image, 430x304 pixels).jpg Unless I have completely failed you, you know how important I believe leaving comments on other blog post is. Not only are you engaging in the conversation taking place in your particular niche. You are getting noticed and adding to the content already contained in the post you are commenting on.

No matter if you are a new blogger or an old used one, commenting is a practice you should include in your daily blogging activities.

And if you don’t think you have time to post a comment or two, take a look at what Warren Whitlock had to say in a recent post, “Why you want to comment on blog posts.”

The time to post an honest comment on a blog is a little as a few seconds, and certainly less than five minutes. If you weren’t reading blogs, it could be a major change in behavior, a learning curve and then maybe some time each day… but I know you are reading blogs, because you are reading this!

Seriously folks! Commenting on other blogs in your niche should be an activity you do for your blog just like posting to your own blog. The benefits you will get certainly outweighs the little bit of time it takes to do so.

Here are some previous post I have written on commenting here at BFP.

If you are wanting to kick your blog up a notch or two in 2010, this should be an activity you include in your editorial calendar each and every day.

Debra Askanase

Hi Grant- Comments are the bloodstream for extending the blog post. Many a post has iterated during the comment stream into something even more interesting. One additional point from both the blog writer and commenter's perspective: blog comments create community. We have the blogs we love to read, and we begin to recognize others who are regular commenters and readers, who we then tie into our other social networks. Likewise, regular commenters of a blog become the extended "think tank" of the blogger - people a blogger turns to for respected opinions. Your thoughts?
Thanks for starting this conversation!
@askdebra

Grant Griffiths

Debra-

Exactly. I have found often that the comments on my post do take the conversation further. And there are times when the comments might even be better than the original post. There is nothing wrong with that at all. The reason any business should be blogging is to build a relationship with their audience or target market. And comments on the blog aid this process. You are right too in your premise that bloggers notice repeat commenters. I know I do. And I have even asked a regular commenter from time to time to guest post here. It all adds to and extends the community and relationship we are building. Thanks for jumping in.

Sue Anne

I find that commenting on blogs does two things: a) it allows me to comment on a subject that I'm interested in that I either I don't have the time, interest or depth of knowledge to write a blog about and b) it allows me to engage in conversation in a way that's not possible on Twitter.

The only thing that annoys me are blogs that "require" a full registration / login that's not tied to disqus / openid / etc.

Grant Griffiths

Sue - Thanks for jumping in. And I completely agree. Those blogs who require me to go through a registration process don't appear to even want comments. I have never understood that. If they are worried about spam, all they need to do is us a plugin and moderate their comments.

frank

Commenting is what every blogger wants when they are starting out and what they strive to build as they grow. That's what makes blogging awesome - Interaction.

Commenting on blogs helps you build a relationships with the bloggers. If that's something that is important to you in some way then make sure you're commenting like crazy (leaving comments that are helping the dialog of course).

Commenting on blogs can also help you become a more educated blogger who writes better. Why? Because it means you are digesting what you are reading enough to be able to write something related to the post that keeps the dialog moving.

Lastly, commenting on blogs is just good. It encourages those who write good content and encouragement is something we all need daily. Go encourage a few bloggers!

http://franswaa.com

Grant Griffiths

Frank - Great points as always. And I love what you did with Posterous at frank barry too.

Jared P Little

I have met a lot of helpful and kind people via comments. Comments help fuel your blog and others.

I am running a comment contest this month at my site to help encourage it and boost comments on my blog.

Thanks for the links here. This is a must do activity.

Mitch

It's interesting to read this post because this has been a big discussion lately on a few blogs I've been visiting, and I've even written a post or two on it. Some A-list bloggers have been saying it's more important for them to give the rest of us their knowledge and such because they can help us much more than responding to our comments, while the rest of us are saying to not only throw us a bone, but to look back at their own previous posts where they tell everyone else how important it is to interact with their visitors as well as to comment on other blogs.

There's just so many more people writing this that it seems idiotic for anyone not to put at least a little bit of time into this practice.

Grant Griffiths

Mitch - I try to reply to as many comments as I can. My feeling on the subject is this. If someone has taken the time to read my post and post a comment. I owe it to them to engage in the conversation with them too. I have seen some of the comments on some of these so called "a-lister" blogs and to be frank, I would not approve some of them. It appears some bloggers are not moderating their comments and everything gets through. Even those comments that say, "great post I will be back again." Clearly spammers and link bait.

For any blogger to say it is not important to engage and interact with their audience, is not getting it. And for any so called "a-lister" to say

it’s more important for them to give the rest of us their knowledge and such because they can help us much more than responding to our comments

is really not a blogger doing anyone any good. Those bloggers I follow and who I consider to be some of the top bloggers out there, all engage and interact with their readers.

Thanks for taking the time to leave your input to this post. I feel it is such an important subject, I am sure you will see me write on it again from time to time.

Mitch

Good deal; I'll probably continue writing on the subject myself. It's all about community, right?

kirkoconnor

are you suggesting this simply as a fast and cheap way of getting backlinks (what if the site in question nofollows its backlinks) ?

or as a way of interacting with your community ?

probably both are relevant n'est pas ?

Grant Griffiths

Yes, the linkage is nice. But the key is the fact you are entering into the conversation. And if you do, people will check out your link if you provide something relevant with your comment. Gaming the system is not the key. Engaging is.

Teen Blogger

I also agree that commenting is a must. It brings you backlinks and most importent traffic. The good thing is that you expose yourself to new readers as well.

Commenting is also good for building new relations.

Christopher G. Hill

Well, I guess I'd better comment here then! I enjoy the give and take of commenting and the conversation that it generates. I also think it helps keep my blog relevant by making sure I pay attention to other blogs.

Happy New Year Grant.

Grant Griffiths

Thanks Chris and Happy New Year to you too. 2010 is going to be a kick butt year!

Lynne DeVenny

Grant, you are preaching to the choir :) Some of my best virtual professional relationships were initiated with comments - to or from me.

Plus, you forgot to mention that commenting on blog posts is FUN :D

Ching Ya

One of the most vital task to do indeed. I really don't see the point if a blog is closing the commenting system. Commenting is the best way to communicate and get feedback, while network with our readers effectively. You have my vote on this, a must do 'daily' activity for me. :-)

@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker

Grant Griffiths

Exactly As far as I am concerned, if you don't allow comments or if you don't engage with your readers, you are talking to yourself. Do you really have a blog at all?

Using a Blog and Social Media To Promote Your Business

Commenting on other blogs is a must do activity

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