The importance of blog commenting is a necessity for the life of any website. While content provides a means for sharing information, it is the reader that can have a hand in making or breaking a site. A comment is feedback for what is being said and often works like a forum. If you have no feedback, then maybe you are not reaching people in the manner you desire. The same goes for you visiting and commenting on someone else’s website.
Maybe they don’t understand what you are talking about? Maybe they are not sure what to comment about on your article?
You as the blogger have to encourage discussion somehow. This is a big reason why bloggers need to end their articles with questions in order to prompt readers to answer and provide that necessary discussion. Your readers might actually have something you can learn from.
In order to talk about the importance of blog commenting, it takes stepping away and seeing it from both sides of the field.
Content is King, but Your Visitors are Queen
“Content is King, but Your Visitors are Queen” is something that I say and blog about a lot on my own website. I also explain why and will express it in this article as well.
We all know and have heard “Content is King” to adnauseam. Yes, it IS indeed important. How can anyone doing anything like commenting, subscribing, buying, and in general… doing SOMETHING on your site without anything there to prompt them? They cannot.
However, just having that content there and doing nothing is not going to cut it. You want people to see it and have them react in some manner, so you have to promote it. Once you have promoted your website, you still need to reach out and connect with others… otherwise you just seem like an annoying spammer.
This is where blog commenting comes in.
When I say “Your Visitors are Queen,” I am not saying they are any less valuable than the content is. We all know that even in marriage, someone is making things happen and it is the queen. Even in a game of chess, the queen does a lot as well.
Your queen is the one talking with you, learning with you, while also educating you. Yes, you might learn something new from your own commentators! It might be a new angle of thinking, but it definitely opens your eyes to something you can use to learn more about your blog, your business, and your niche.
The Importance of Blog Commenting
As a blogger, even if you are some blog rockstar, you should be playing two roles: the blogger and the commentator. This is very much a circle of communicating in where you should give and receive information… not just give or not just expect to receive.
You should be blogging regularly and you should be commenting regularly on websites. You also should try to make an effort to engage in conversation on both your blog and on other blogs. Now, when I say that, I mean you might want to interact with the other commentators on other blogs as well. The bonus to doing it is that you could end up widening your own blog circle in the end, as well as learning a great deal more.
How important is blog commenting to you? How often do you comment? What other advice do you have for other bloggers when it comes to blog commenting?
Hi Nile.
Amen to this!
I was asked to speak at NYU about blogging and I received 2 endorsements from Chris Brogan – he of NY Times Best Selling Author status – through blog commenting.
Preaching to the choir here lol 😉
Really though, I advise my readers, clients and anybody willing to listen that blog commenting is the quickest, simplest way to leverage your presence online if you do it right.
Thanks for the share!
Tweeting through Triberr.
Ryan
Hi Nile,
I always refer to Blog Commenting as the backbone of our business. We, as bloggers must answer each and every comment. If someone takes the time to read your blog and comment on it, it is only good manners to reply. Besides that, this is how we start building engagement with our readers.
On the other hand, when visiting a blog, commenting is Queen! After your read…I mean read that post lol, leave an intelligent comment. Never a one liner like “good post” because that only shows you don’t care or even worse, your there for a back link.
Leaving a good comment on someone’s post can also benefit you. Someone out of the blue sees your comment, resonates with what you have written, then comes over to your blog. It’s a win win situation. If you are going to be a blogger, then you have to do it all the way! That’s my two cents lol.
-Donna
Thanks for the post. I’ve been commenting on other blogs for a while now, and interacting with bloggers on my own, but was unsure of the value to the commenting. After reading this post, I’m convinced that the value does not just come with commenting, but the content of the comments. I think too often people don’t really know what to say in comments, so they offer insincere praise. Something like “Thank you so much, this is the best blog post I have ever seen on the subject. [insert more flattery] etc.”
If people don’t really connect with what I’m saying, I would much rather they ask questions than try to offer some meaningless comment (also, the insincere and vague praise is exactly what spammers do in their comments). Was there some question that resulted from reading my blog that the post did not answer? Was something confusing?
Feel free to disagree with me, too. I have no problem having a discussion, and don’t expect all my readers to be sterile robots. Indeed, it is better if my readers are real human beings with real thoughts.
I actually do know how you feel and for me… I’m not on this Earth to give lip service. I have been abrasive over the years while commenting, but I’ve also learned how to try to tone it down. It’s not taken away from my message… just makes sure they are left angry or crying… lol
Thanks so much for this Nile!
I actually think our blogs could turn into actual social media sites if we would comment more often.
Great post!
Hi Nile.
I agree strongly with your article.
Not so long ago, I rarely commented on blog articles. I always knew it was the decent and proper thing to do, but didn’t appreciate it’s extended value.
Since I’ve been making more of an effort, I can say that although I read plenty of good articles, I now comment on most of them. That has enabled me to provide valuable feedback, and connect with people like Donna and Ryan who have already commented here.
It is something that I now recommend all the time. I do not usually add links to my comments, but as you asked about what other advice I’d give, I’d recommend to your readers two of my recent posts that have helped a lot of people:
http://www.nathanambrose.com/business-noticed/
http://www.nathanambrose.com/what-to-say/
Thanks for your tips. Sharing on Google+.
Nathan.
Nile,
Very important post. Having been blogging for years and involved in blogging groups in which we share regularly, for me it is natural to respond to comments on my blogs and to leave comments on other people’s articles and blogs. I am continually amazed at how many people do not get the importance of responding to comments on their blogs and posts and reciprocating by leaving comments on other people’s blogs. Many people think that all they have to do is post their link on a Facebook page, in a group, or on someone’s blog or leave a brief comment like “great post” that provides no value.
What has been wonderful for me is all the very real responses to my blogs so that I know immediately how people are thinking and feeling, what their concerns are, what they want and need, etc. And I have made some real deep connections through reading blogs, such as yours, and knowing I can trust the blogger if I need their services as i did when I asked you for some technical help.
Warmly,
Dr Erica
Hi Dr. Erica!
I’ve been so busy that I’m guilt of not responding to comments at times. It’s something I’m working on improving this coming year as I feel it’s important. I also need to put an area up to subscribe to comments or receive new comments by email.
I review products on my blog and comments discussions helps a lot in my case. Users generally comment their own review of the products in the comments which helps me and other users to see the other side of the coin too.
Sometimes they suggests corrections in my post like any wrong specification I mentioned. I take them into account and can modify my post accordingly.
Blog commenting is hugely important to me. I’ve always been involved in blog communities and/or blog challenges and commenting is one of my favorite things. I LOVE interacting with the people who comment on my site. I think that’s the advice I have, actually – – reply to the people who comment on your site. Get discussion going. And use a plugin that lets people know you or others have replied (because replies get missed if you don’t know they’re there . . . people are busy and don’t go back to check).
I consider my blog to be my home base, my own social network site. Commenting is important to me not just for promotion but for getting to know my readers and vice versa. I can answer questions in comments or base posts on them.
I should widen my net when it comes to my comments on other blogs. It’s easy to get into the habit of just commenting on your friend’s blogs.
Hi Nile
After reading this post, it would be somewhat stupid not to leave a comment 😉
I agree that comments is important for any blogs. I try to take me some time to visit and leave comments on others blog from time to time. Reason number one is that it gives me some good backlinks and might drive traffic to my own blog. Reason number two is that it makes me aware of what is going on in other blogs and inspires me to change things on my own blog. Reason number tree is that I connect with many other great bloggers that inspires me to be a better blogger. Reason number four is that they might come to my blog and return the favor 🙂
Hello Nile! This is one of my New Year Goals that I set, I am going to start engaging with those who visit my blog more as well as reciprocate! I read somewhere that before leaving a comment on the comment to click on over and visit your guests site before hand then when you come back, you will have a better idea as to whom you are talking to.
It stated to do this even with those you do know as well.. I thought it was great advice and will be following this strategy as well.
Loved this post, Thanks for sharing! Happy new Year My Friend!! Chery :))
Nile
Great article, blog commenting is all important to the life and sole of the blog.
By people leaving great comments and then you a s the blog owner engaging with the comments we build that know like and trust.
Thanks Andy
Nile, I agree with you about the importance of blog commenting and responding to comments left on your blog. Interacting with your visitors and letting them know that you appreciate them taking the time to comment is so important. I also like visiting blogs when I have the time and leaving a comment. On my site I also ask a question at the end of each post to encourage discussion on my articles.
Hi Nile,
I agree with your views, content is king and visitors are queen. If you really want to have loyal and permanent visitors then you should start communicating with them. Reply each of their queries and give proper suggestions so that you can establish a connection like a friend.
Alas, I am also guilty of not responding to comments! It’s so easy to do it and yet it is also so easy to put it off… Ever since I started marketing my blog I have noticed that a small amount of visits come my way through the effort of commenting on other people’s blogs… BUT, if I don’t have anything valuable to comment I won’t do it as I believe that is the only way to really contribute to a conversation and not seem like a spammer.
I LOVE interacting with the people who comment on my site. I think that’s the advice I have get from my blogger friends. blog commenting is hugely important to me. I’ve always been involved in blog communities and/or blog challenges and commenting is one of my favorite things
Hi,
Thanks for sharing.
I never use to blog comment but I’ve started doing it a lot more. I realised the importance of it for the blogger and the readers.
I found a lot of popular blogs on my niche and got a lot of good ideas from other blogs.
I can see the importance of commenting on others’ blogs, and I love reading comments on my own. Where I fall short is responding to others’ comments on my blog. I run out of time after doing everything else, and that’s no good. People take the time and effort to express their thoughts on my blog, and I’m cheating them if I leave them feeling that I don’t care.
All I can say about this post is “Great info with great content”
Thanks for the post.
You cannot have stressed the importance of commenting better. It is indeed very important to get valuable feedback from your audience.
Yeah Well Said……… Readers comments are always important for a blogger to improve their writing skill.
This article caught my eye because I don’t leave blog comments very often and I was wondering if that was important. I love receiving comments myself and I think you are right I should work or commenting more often. Thanks for the reminder!
Blog commenting is so important for me. When I started doing it , my blog became alive and it also brought a lot of confidence in me when I saw other people’s comments. I also learned a lot from other people’s blogs as I read what they share. Thanks for the great share!
Hey Nile, love this_ Content is King, but Your Visitors are Queen…
🙂 Nice one. Totally agree!
Great advice Nile!
And I love your saying BTW, that “commenting is Queen!”
Because that is so true!
What good, does it do, to have
a ton of “problem solving” content on your site,
if your target audience isn’t motivated enough, to be
engaged by it!
And to other potential visitors, it looks like your content, has little or no value!
Great points! And thank so much for sharing them!