Hi! I'm a drawing of Catherine. She does most of the writing here, including this blurb. (Does this count as writing in the third person?) Catherine believes that websites don't really run on technology, they run on emotions. If you agree, then she wants to help you rock it out and be awesome online.
photo credit: woodleywonderworks
This sounds unimportant, but it’s one of the most effective uses of your time. When you comment on the blogs you read, you:
- Build your relationship with the writer.
- Connect with other commenters.
- Advertise your website for free.
- Engage more with the topic: you’re more likely to get results from whatever wisdom you’re responding to.
It’s hard to write a good comment and not just add “Great post!”. I’m one of the most talkative, gotta-tell-you-what-I’m-thinking people you’ll meet and I still had to deliberately schedule this in my daily diary so I wouldn’t squirm out of it. Here’s the recipe:
1. Read the entire post first. (You don’t want to be the commenter that everyone eyerolls about.)
2. Spend a minute thinking about the idea behind the post and your thoughts on it.
3. Does some part of the post not make sense to you? Start your post with a polite request for clarification. (“I don’t quite grasp what you were driving at in the second paragraph where you said blah blah blah. Do you think Doohickey is the new key metric we should be measuring?”)
4. If you disagree, add your opinion and reasons why. Don’t be strident or angry, just let your voice be heard.
5. If you agree, add an example from your own experience or talk about any further implications.
6. Don’t sell anything.
7. Follow up on any further comments. Get involved in a conversation. Make some new contacts. Enjoy!
Want somewhere safe to start? Come leave a comment here!
Did this one today – my fave blogger let me know that she'd actually returned from hiatus, so I rejoined the conversation. It was very nice to be back in touch.
Question… if the comment form doesn't allow it already, is it considered tacky to put your website info at the end of your comment?
Thank'ee's!
Heya Birdy, that's perfectly acceptable. I would add “Just don't be pushy or obnoxious”, but I'm sure that's advice you don't need!
Kyool!
Was thinking just a simple listing after the closing/name.
Which reminds me – what's the etiquette there these days? I may be showing my age, but was raised in the days of letters & emails where greetings and closings were considered must-dos. Have they gone the way of all good things???
I'm not quite sure. I like putting them on, but I worry that it might be seen as adding unnecessary length to the page.
It's entirely up to you. I tend to use them more when I don't know the author or commenter I'm replying to, but that's just me. Go with whatever you feel comfortable with, and try not to yell at all the young'uns and their lack of manners!