Commenting 101: How to Leave a Good Comment

Welcome to Session #3 in my Commenting 101 blogging series! (To start at the beginning, click here)

We discussed how commenting on other blogs can actually be beneficial to your blog, how commenting can be an encouragement and community builder, and the fact that's the easiest way to grow your blog (beyond displaying good, consistent content).

Today, we'll focus on How to Leave a Good Comment.

Yes, there is a difference between "Good" Comments and "Bad" Comments!

1. Be Genuine
No one is asking you to wax poetic or to have perfect grammar, but a few words from the heart go a long way.

• Read the post.

This might sound ridiculous, but you'd be amazed at how many times I've received questions about things that were very clearly spelled out within my post. One blogger mentioned to me once that a commenter told her what a "cute boy" her DAUGHTER was!

By taking the time to read what the blogger has to say, you'll be much better equipped to leave a genuine comment. Not reading the post and making a silly comment only makes you look bad.

• Look for Details.

Find a few details that stand out and try to mention one or two in your comment. It shows the blogger that you were paying attention and took the time to read the post.

• Name Calling!

Using the blogger's name (unless it's The Nester--wink!--) is also nice because it is a nice, personal touch.

• No Spam

Steer away from canned or spammy sounding comments. (More on that next week)


2. Comment Consistently
If you have a favorite set of blogs, give them feedback on posts you really enjoy. This is great for networking! I've been known to notice a comment on another blog and click the person's profile to check out their site. Sometimes I find a new blog to love!

Creating a Blog Roll of sites you love and admire and commenting regularly can lead to blog friendships. These are the girls you can approach in the future to write guest posts for you when you go out of town for a week.

If you're a regular commenter, I'm more likely to remember you and take the time to visit your blog when I can.

3. "But I don't have anything new to add."
I've heard that several times throughout the series. All I can say is most bloggers (myself included!) read and appreciate each comment. Any effort you make to let me know you enjoy my blog or like my work is a huge encouragement to me!

4. At a loss for words?
Many of you with new, smaller blogs probably (hopefully?) make an effort to visit the blogs of those who are leaving you comments. Sometimes you'll come across a blog that is so completely different from yours that you're not really sure how to comment. Are the posts poorly spelled, or is the content just plain out there?

When that has happened to me, I try to find one positive thing (whether it's the blog design, or something--anything!-- I have in common with the writer) to comment on, thank them for the visit, and go my merry way.

5. Make it easy for me to return your comments!
You made the effort to leave me a fabulous comment...now how do I get in touch with you? More on that in the weeks to come!

Let's end with a little game, shall we? I will grant you 10 points if you can pick the GOOD comment out of this batch I cooked up:

I really hope you can see which of those comments was a keeper!! Hint: it's the last one. That comment would make me much more likely to visit your blog.

Thanks for joining me today. Next time, we'll be discussing Commenting Etiquette!

Any questions or comments? {wink}