Leaving comments on other blogs is a great way to connect with other bloggers, build relationships, and drive traffic to your blog. But it’s essential to do it the right way to be effective.
Here are nine essential points about comments (including what kind of comments to leave) that will help you get the most out of this strategy:
- 1. Read the blog post first. It may seem obvious, but ensure you’ve read the whole blog post before leaving a comment. This will help you avoid leaving comments that are off-topic or that have already been addressed by the blogger. If you have a question unrelated to the post’s topic, contact the blogger via their contact page.
- 2. Be thoughtful and constructive. When you leave a comment, add something of value to the conversation. Share your own thoughts and experiences, Ask questions and start conversations. If you think the post is excellent, expand on why rather than saying, ‘Great post’ and rushing off.
- 3. You can build relationships with other bloggers. When you leave a thoughtful comment on another blog, you show the blogger that you appreciate their work and are interested in what they say. This can help you build relationships with other bloggers, leading to the possibility of guest posts, interviews, and other forms of collaboration. Friendships can also be made.
- 4. You can drive traffic to your own blog. If you leave a helpful or insightful comment on another blog, other readers may be interested in checking out your blog. This can drive traffic to your blog and increase your readership. However, ensure you’ve linked your blog to your Gravatar; otherwise, it won’t work.
- 5. You can improve your own writing skills. When you leave comments on other blogs, think about your own writing and how you can improve it. Don’t rush to leave a comment; check for any mistakes before leaving it. This can help you become a better writer overall. Other bloggers and readers will determine how much time you have for them by the type of comments you leave.
- 6. You can learn new things. You are exposed to new ideas and perspectives when reading other blogs’ comments section. This can help you learn new things and expand your knowledge base. It will also open up ideas for new blog posts.
- 7. You can have fun. Leaving comments on other blogs can be a fun and rewarding experience. It’s a great way to connect with others who share your interests and learn new things. However, always ensure your comments are thoughtful and constructive. And only leave comments if you are genuinely interested in the post’s subject. Don’t force yourself to leave comments or feel obliged to leave one.
- 8. Be respectful. There’s a difference between constructive criticism and just being rude or negative. If you have a genuine issue with something in the post, try to approach it in a respectful and constructive manner. If you can’t find anything positive to say, it’s probably best not to leave a comment at all. The same goes for rude comments to or about other bloggers. Be respectful.
- 9. Be patient. It may take some time to build relationships with other bloggers through comments. You may see results later. Give it time; remember that not everyone will be interested in your blog’s content. Just because you comment on other blogs does not mean they’ll enjoy and want to leave comments on your blog.
An important message to new bloggers about responding to comments
I’ve recently followed a handful of new bloggers. However, although I’ve read their posts, left them thoughtful comments, and asked questions about their posts, only two of them replied.
To those that didn’t respond: Don’t ignore comments left on your blog posts. Always reply to them or acknowledge them. You’ll gain more followers and readers by engaging with other bloggers rather than lose followers and probably end up abandoning your blog when followers fail to materialise.
Now an important message to all bloggers about leaving comments
Avoid leaving spam comments on other people’s blogs. This includes comments that have nothing to do with the post or are clearly just an attempt to promote your blog or product. Not only is this annoying, but it can also damage your reputation and credibility as a blogger.
If you need help with something, contact the blogger directly rather than leaving a link to your blog asking for help.
Don’t have time to leave comments?
Some bloggers will tell you they don’t have time to leave thoughtful and constructive comments.
I say – If you don’t have time, click the ‘like’ button and move on. After all, isn’t that what the ‘like button is for?
Nobody will care if you don’t leave comments on all their blog posts. I certainly do not expect everyone who reads my posts to leave a comment.
What’s the worst type of comment somebody can leave?
My answer: Bloggers who leave nothing but a link to their blog as a comment. Those comments all go straight to my spam folder.
Leaving a link as a comment shows that you’re only interested in promoting yourself and not adding value to the conversation. Instead, leave a genuine comment that shows you actually read the post and have something meaningful to contribute.
Let’s wrap it up
In conclusion, leaving the right comments on blogs is essential for building relationships, engaging with other bloggers, and growing your own audience.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your comments add value to the conversation and help you establish yourself as a thoughtful and respected blogging community member.
What’s the worst type of comment somebody can leave you? Do you have any tips you’d like to add about leaving comments on blogs? Leave them in the comments section?
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Yeah, I agree that leaving comments on other blogs is a great way to connect with other bloggers, build relationships, and drive traffic to ones blog. Keep going and enjoy. Have a great day.
Thank you. Engaging comments are a big part of driving more traffic and followers to a blog. SEO see blogs that have lots of comments as active, so will rank them higher too.
You’re welcome. You can visit my blog too if you have extra time. I hope you will like and follow it.
This is very helpful. I really agree that once you’ve read a post, leaving comments are very important for both the writer and the reader. Once you’ve tried it, you will enjoy leaving comments and enlarge your blogging community as well.
Thank you, Gillan. I agree, although I should add that we have to make the comments we leave count. They need to be engaging. Dead-end comments like ‘nice picture’ or ‘great post’ don’t add any value when all we can respond with is a ‘thanks.’
Yes. It has to have substance as well that is related to the writing. :)
Thank you, I must admit I’m new and I am guilty of many I’m blogging errors because I was unaware however, I’m growing and seeking out people like you to help me be a better, healthier, helpful and positive blogger. I appreciate you for sharing and I will put into practice your suggestions but please hear this when I say practice unfortunately I really mean practice because really do I get and things right the first time. I bumped my head at least three times a day on the same thing in my house and yes I could move it and yes I could duck but no oh no I don’t I plan to and then I forget so then I write it on a list of things to do move blah blah blah blah blah or duck when you are near blah blah and then I lose the list so thank you for mentioning be patient and kind. I have never been embraced is so lovingly as I have been in this community on this site and I appreciate the genuine compassion knowledge Talent and helpfulness I have found here was definitely a good representation of that by the way. Again thank you :)
These tips also provide a great reminder to those who may have fallen back into bad habits in the blogging world. We all do it from time to time.
I’m glad they have been so helpful to you and others who have read the post.
Thank you for your comment.
You always share such useful and helpful information Hugh, so thanks for doing what you do! I agree it’s a good thing to actually read the post you’re commenting on – this tip made me smile :)
As to the worst type of comment someone could leave me – this would be a derogatory or rude comment about my post. Commenting can certainly build blogging relationships and is a great way to extend the conversation and learn more about the blogger.
Hope you’ve had a good Easter :)
I’m drafting another post, and you’ll be amazed by how many bloggers have told me that they do not read blog posts but still leave comments on them, Debbie. However, all those comments tend to just confirm they visited, not read the post.
Any rude or derogatory comments are marked as spam and sent there.
Hope you had a good Easter too. I’ve still a bit more chocolate to consume.
Yes this is a supporting tool. I mean comments appreciating of bloggers
Yes, I’m glad you agree. Thank you.
When they only ‘like’ your comment but like and respond to every comment but yours…
Makes me regret wasting my time to read/respond/offer insight
I guess it depends on what the comment says. If I can’t respond to a comment with anything but ‘thank you’, I now click the ‘like’ button next to the comments, as I take it that whoever left the comments doesn’t want to engage.
However, if the comment is engaging, then I’ll always respond.
If everyone has a comment but me, I block the site or user.
:-)
I always find your posts useful and of a lot of value. I love visiting to see what new topic you’re discussing and what I can learn next from you. Thank you for visiting us and sharing your links at Senior Salon Pit Stop.
Thank you, Esme. I’m delighted these posts help so many who read them.
Comments are essentially a way of knowing that you are accepted and your blog has been enjoyed. But most is establishing a repertoire with fellow bloggers.
Engagement is what it is all about, although it should be as if you’re having a discussion rather than just a passing comment that adds little value.
Great advice as always Hugh. I get irritated when people consistently only leave comments on the lines of ‘great post’ – I do wonder if they’ve actually read it? I’d rather have no comment and simply a like, as you suggest :) I’m lucky though that most people commenting on my posts do have something interesting to say or at least show that they’ve read it and/or looked at the photos. I enjoy it when people tell me which photos they like best as it’s always interesting to see how tastes and opinions vary!
Thank you, Sarah.
I’m glad that most of your readers tell you what they liked about a photo or post rather than simply saying they liked it. After all, if we like something, there has to be a reason for liking it, so feed that back to the blogger rather than leaving a comment that does not explain anything behind it. And if we’ve no time to say why, click the ‘like’ button and move on. We can always come back when we have time to comment. In my books, if a post is live, then it’s open for comments being left.
Thanks for more great advice Hugh!
Hugh, good points. One thing to keep in mind about new bloggers is that with time they learn these strategies that you pointed out. Coming out of social media in particular, many people are used to scan reading, not replying to comments, and leaving short comments that sometimes come across as inconsiderate in the blogsphere. I know for myself that I have changed the way i write comments and respond to comments. Sometimes I have people drop in comments in the form of emojis or observations like “superb” or “awesome” and that tells me they didn’t really stop to read or look at the photograph. It is life. I try to reply with the same level of engagement communicated by the comment.
You’re right about the new bloggers, Alessandra, although I still see bloggers who have been blogging for many years, leaving many short, pointless comments all over the blogging world. However, most of them always reply to comments, although usually, it’s with the same response. The comments section of their blogs remains lifeless and not inspiring at all.
Rather than saying ‘thank you’ all the time, I’ve now started to simply click the ‘like’ button on comments that say nothing but ‘Great post’, Great tips’ etc.
Thank you for joining the discussion.
Some people are satisfied leaving pointless comments and not encouraging their comments section in their blogs.
I guess so. Not having the time for comments is one of the pitfalls of blogging.
Excellent post, Hugh! I try to leave sincere and meaningful comments when I can. Sometimes life gets in the way. LOL I’ve never had rude or nasty comments on either of my blogs, fortunately. My pet peeve is when someone drops their link in my comments just to promote their blog, which I promptly delete.
On the subject of broken links, which you discussed a while ago, I am most grateful for your sharing that information. I ran the program and it opened up a major can of worms. Seems I had a corrupt category which showed I had 2500 + broken links. So, I moved all posts from that category to a new one, ran the checker again and problem solved.
Have a great day!
I’m delighted the broken link checker helped, Eugi. Thank you for the feedback about it.
And I’m glad this post has helped too. Linkdroppers are not welcome on my blog either.
We like our blogs to run smoothly and every bit of information helps, Hugh.
Great advice as always, Hugh.
Excellent tips! Agree with your view on if you don’t have time to comment after reading, then click Like and move on, at least this shows some support and a little interaction. It’s especially hard to find that extra time when on the road travelling as there’s either not enough time to read every blog or the wi-fi isn’t great.
It’s very annoying when a newcomer to your blog (or to blogging) only comments with a link to their blog site and nothing more.
Thanks again for pointing out these tips!
Thank you.
I agree about those who leave nothing but a link to their blog in the comments section. I mark those comments as spam. They soon get fed up with leaving just a link when they see their comments not making it to my posts.
I’m unsure why, but WordPress sent your comment straight to my spam folder. Luckily, I check in there at least twice a day, so I was able to save it.
Thank you for joining the discussion.
I have the same problem with people that have followed me for a few years and they’re on WP but still end in my spam or trash folders – it’s bizarre and the reason I check these daily.
Just so long as it’s not happening to all the comments you’re leaving on other blogs, hopefully, it’s just something that rarely happens
I have no idea about that but it does happen to a couple of followers as they’re mentioned it before. WP can be pesky at times.
This was such a well-written and insightful post. Bloggers take note!
I get so many spam comments with just links and people writing cements that have absolutely nothing to do with the post or blog, it’s super annoying.
Rather hit the like button and leave it at that.
Thanks for sharing.👊🏾
I agree about hitting the ‘like’ button and moving on. Unfortunately, the majority of those who leave spam comments and those who leave uninvited links are looking for, is some free publicity. All I do with those types of comments is mark them as spam. They tend to soon get the message.
Another nail-on-the-head, or should I write “heads”, post, Hugh. I really hope lots of bloggers read these tips and observations, so they know the right etiket.
Not replying to comments people leave on your post is one of the rudest things in the virtual world if you ask me. It’s like ignoring someone saying hi to you on the sidewalk or trail. Except, someone leaving a comment does more effort – and shows more engagement – than someone nodding their head or ushering one word on the trail!
One of the reasons why I enjoy reading your blog is that your posts are not full of pointless comments, Liesbet. You have a readership who loves to engage to with you. Not surprising given the contents of your posts.
As for those who do not reply to comments left on their posts, I tend to unfollow most of those blogs. However, if I continue to follow (because their content is interesting), I stop leaving comments.