Comments

Can commenting on other people’s blogs be an amazingly effective marketing strategy?

Many years ago, commenting on blogs was a great way to build links and increase your search ranking, nowadays however, posting a link on a blog doesn’t give as much traction as it used to. In fact, this practice is bound to get you labelled as a spammer and maybe even get you blacklisted on certain sites.

Sites like Google have really cracked down on those who try to place their links in comments in order to boost their ranking, causing the practice to become somewhat of a dying art and a time waste, however there are some little-known tactics when it comes to commenting that can help you to gain sales, increase your traffic and boost your ROI.

Why You Should Consider Commenting on Other People’s Blogs

Commenting on other people’s blogs does take a little effort and time, however the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. Need proof? Here are some of the benefits:

  • It showcases you as an authority and promotes your personal brand
  • It helps get you in front of your target demographic
  • It gets you on the radar of influential people or people in your field
  • It shows that you are engaged in your area of expertise
  • It helps to generate discussions or new ideas
  • It showcases your awareness of things happening in your industry or field
  • It helps to build an online community
  • It directs traffic to your site, thereby helping you to increase leads and sales
  • It provides you with the opportunity to add value

Taking the time to comment on other people’s blogs is a great way to build you personal brand, especially if you are just starting out.

Not convinced?

Think of commenting as a way to create additional content which can support, enhance or offer a different outlook on the content shared on your site. This helps to create a stronger impact and makes you appear more accessible as a leader in your field.

One thing to ensure however is that when you are commenting, you are doing so as a person and not as a brand. Blog commenters are people, not businesses and readers can instantly detect if you are being genuine or just trying to get traffic.

This is also why sharing a link in a blog comment is often flagged as spam. Because it has been such an overused practice, most blog followers and owners will instantly disregard or even delete your comment if it contains a link.

So, how can you effectively use blog comments as way to boost your sales?

Tip #1: Add Value to the Conversation

Your intention when it comes to commenting on other people’s content is to add value. In other words, it’s not going to be helpful to simply state- “great job” or “this is uneducated” unless you have substantial information and evidence to back it up.

Remember, that your comments are going to showcase not only what your brands stands for but also what you as a person stands for. Keeping that in mind, ensure all of your comments add value in a positive way and are supportive towards the bloggers work.

Even if you may not necessarily agree with the content, there is always a positive way to spin words. Blog commenting is not about starting an online war, instead it is about showcasing your worth by offering something of value.

Tip #2: Don’t Just Ask Questions

Most organic blog followers ask a lot of questions. This is because they view the author as an authority and want to find out more information to help their own personal situation.

While this is a good strategy to help you blend into the crowd, asking a lot of questions as an influencer may give the wrong impression.

If you do have to ask a question, try to blend it with some additional information and also aim to build engagement with other followers. This will help you to stand out in the stream of comments and will help you to establish your authority in the industry.

Tip #3: Answer Questions Left By Other Commenters

Helping other people is a great way to build a following and get customers, which is why answering other people’s questions is the perfect marketing move.

When you can offer value and also genuinely relate to your target audience it puts you in the perfect position for gaining new followers, leads and customers.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you want to override the blogger and respond to all of their fan questions before them, but weighing in can definitely be appreciated.

Tip #4: Engage with the audience and not just the blogger or author

Engaging in discussions from other commenters is a great way to also help build your own following and to get your name out there. It also showcases that you are a team player and are actually interested in supporting your target audience.

While connecting with the blogger is great, at times connecting with their fans can be more effective when it comes to marketing purposes.

Tip #5: Optimise your commenting profile

Whether you are using a site like Disqus or Gravatar, having an updated profile can help your potential fans to identify with you better and gives you a sense of professionalism.

In order to ensure your profile is optimised, you should use your real name, include an image, your website and links to your social profiles.

If you are planning on doing a lot of commenting, it may be helpful to have an account with numerous commenting platforms like IntenseDebate, LiveFyre, Facebook Comments and Google+ comments.

Tip #6: Try to Leave the First Comment 

Leaving the first comment is the best way to ensure that people are going to see your comment. Especially if you are commenting on a very popular blog, having your comment twenty posts down will definitely decrease the visibility.

If you don’t happen to be the first commenter, try to be the first to respond to an interesting question or discussion started by another community member.

Try to keep in mind with this one however, that offering value is better than being first.

Tip #7: Don’t Comment Unless You Have Read the Blog

Don’t assume you know what the blog is about just because you have read the title. Commenting without having read the article first may seem like a clever idea, but eventually it will come back to bite you.

Offering comments that are either irrelevant, off topic or repetitive can also very quickly get you labelled as a spammer and can ruin your reputation in the industry. It also portrays the image that you are either uneducated, uniformed or not interested in reading what other people have to say.

In fact, for best commenting practices it is important to have a detailed understanding of the bloggers message and vision. Before commenting, read at least 4-5 of their posts and visit their profiles so you have a clear understanding of who you are dealing with.

Tip #8: Read all the Comments Before Posting Your Own 

Another mistake when it comes to leaving comments is repeating the same comment or statement that someone has left before you.

If you are going to leave a comment, ensure that your comment hasn’t already been answered or asked by another community member. If you do have a similar question than another commenter that hasn’t be answered, consider replying back to them in order to create a discussion.

Otherwise, typing the same comments not only makes you look like you are not paying attention, but it can also get you labelled as a spammer.

Tip #9: Be specific when Leaving a Comment

Comment threads can sometimes be subject to bullying or crude remarks and of course, you never want to fall into this category when your intention is about building your brand.

When it comes to leaving comments, other than providing value you should also ensure that you are leaving specific information that is relevant but also to the point.

If you are stuck on what to write, aim to discuss a specific point that was made in the article. Either you can offer your opinion, suggest an alternative or state why you agree.

Whatever you do however, don’t waffle on or go into a long-winded explanation about it as those types of comments are likely to never be read.

Tip #10: Post About Your Comment on Social Media

Posting that you commented on a blog on social media is a great way to draw attention to your followers that you have offered an opinion or another snippet of advice.

For example on Twitter you could say-

“Check out my comment left on @Bloggers post about Whale Watching: insert link”

This is a great way to showcase to your fans your interests, your expertise and also your thoughts and opinions on topics that mirror what you talk about on your own blog.

Tip #11 Create a Link Only If It Feels Natural To Do So

Ok, so if you really want to leave a link the good news is that there is a time and a place to do it.

Leaving a link is not instantly going to get you labelled as a spammer as long as you ensure that the link is completely and 100-percent relevant to what the blogger or another community member is talking about.

This is definitely not something you want to abuse- in other words, you definitely don’t want to be adding a link to every comment you leave, however if it feels relevant try it out and see how the community reacts.

You may also want to consider only sharing a link when you have become an active and respected commenter on the site.

Blog commenting is no longer the dead art it was once believed to be. In fact, by spending a few minutes of every day leaving relevant and inspiring comments you can help to grow your business and add value to the community that you work in.