Blogs have exploded from their beginnings as a one-way means of communication into one with many levels. A lot of blogs have blossomed into communities built around their posted replies.
There are many reasons comments are important, but it all depends how you do it. Some people do it terribly wrong and it’s just a waste of time.
To get most out of your commenting let’s see what really matters.
The last reason why you should comment is for getting more traffic
Many new bloggers go around to every major blog and leave a comment like “Nice post, thanks for sharing”.
Do they really mean those words of praise?
Probably not.
They just want their comment to appear first, with hopes of getting more traffic back to their site.
I don’t think I’ve ever clicked through to a site from a commenter that said “Nice post!”
If you post comments that add value to the conversation, people are more likely to pay attention to.
I have, however, clicked through on comments that add insight and value, so in either case you’re always better off leaving comments that are valuable and applicable to the conversation, no matter what your intentions might be.
Don’t get me wrong, comments that leave appreciation are always welcomed.
Problem #1: Weak and unproductive traffic but…
The traffic from commenting on blogs probably isn’t going to be substantial.
However, the combined traffic from many posts to different blogs may create a fair stream of traffic simply from the links alone.
That doesn’t even include the impact of these links on any search engine rankings or the traffic coming from those listings.
The problem with blog post traffic is that it drips in click by click. It takes a great number of such links to even create a trickle. Weak traffic tends to be poor quality and unproductive traffic.
That type of traffic has a lower likelihood of converting into clicks, signups or sales.
Traffic is traffic, however, and any amount of traffic is a good thing.
With proper traffic management, any kind of visitor can be persuaded to produce.
Problem #2: We all hate spammers
Spammers created a real problem for bloggers.
When the blog posting software began posting all over the Web, many bloggers had to install plugins or other ways to combat the spam infestation.
The bar has been raised substantially for what makes up an acceptable reply on a blog. For that climate to change, there needs to be more responsible use of the blog commenting feature.
Solution #1: Turning comments into real traffic
What will keep the “curiosity reader” to stay arround if your content sucks?
In my recent post I explained How Content Marketing Can Work For You – nothing drives more traffic than good content.
It’s better to spend some time to write a compelling piece of content that will add value to your readers rather than traying to be first or second commenter to every new post of a larger blog.
I know, it takes time but with meaningful content you will gain more readers coming back for more.
That’s what I call a real traffic.
Solution #2: What a commenter must do
Because of the damage done by blog spam software, it is much more difficult to have a blog post reply approved now. Even relatively cogent posts with links attached may be deleted and the poster banned.
In order for your posts to be cleared by the blogger as real non-spam replies, you have to prove to be a regular, valuable commenter with insights or informations that are relevant.
It’s usually best to not post links at first, preferring to establish yourself as a member of the blog community, just as experts do on message boards.
Once you have been accepted into the community, a well-worded and careful mention of your business should be well-received.
One of the best examples of a good commenting community is on Copyblogger.
In conclusion
While commenting on blogs is still a good idea, the negatives are high enough that one has to be careful about the way it’s done.
I think leaving a comment is a great way to engage and the community pointer is the main one for me. The more engaged you can become with people of interest the better.
Can it result in more traffic? Sure, and it’s great.
But the main one is networking and sharing with like minded people. The benefits of those seeds being sewn can be huge.
So, what do you think? Am I right, wrong, or middling?
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