Commenting 101: Why Should I Bother?

Today marks the first post in a short (weekly) series on Blog Commenting. I hope you'll tune in, whether you're a rookie blogger or a seasoned pro!

When the girls over at CrafterMinds.com asked me to host a Twitter chat forum on Blog Commenting not too long ago, I was hesitant to accept at first.

I don't consider myself an expert at anything (other than my DVR), but after sitting down and making some notes, it occurred to me that some of my blog's growth over the past two years has been due to forming relationships in the blogosphere; and much of that comes from--you guessed it--Commenting!

*Disclaimer: These opinions are my own, and I know yours may be different. Each blogger has his/her own experiences that shape their views. Please take what I write with a grain of salt, and know that I'm sharing what I've learned.

So, why should you bother commenting on other blogs?

1. Build Community and Grow Your Readership!

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• Commenting on other blogs is the number one easiest way to grow your own blog. 

Obviously, you must first focus on producing solid, interesting content. If you have nothing to say, you have nothing worth commenting on.

In order to build a readership, you have to be approachable! The best way to show your fun, friendly personality outside of your blog posts is to showcase it by leaving comments for others.

2. It's an All-Around Encouragement

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• Good commenting (more on that in the weeks to come) lets the blogger know you appreciate his/her work. 

Unless you have your blog set to "private" for personal reasons, chances are you love receiving feedback just as much as I do. When a reader takes the time to leave her thoughts on something I wrote, it makes my day!

Positive comments encourage me to continue spending spare moments sharing my projects, recipes, and stories with you. You let me know that I'm on the right path; that someone out there is reading and likes what I have to say!

3. Establish Relationships with other Bloggers.

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• You aren't the only blog out there on the 'net. 

When I started blogging a few years ago, it didn't occur to me that a great way to make some connections was by surfing the blogosphere and commenting on other people's work.

That's hard for some new bloggers to read. Your blog is brand new. You have some neat projects--you want people to visit and comment. The best way to do that is by heading out to find other blogs you enjoy and admire and interacting with the writer and readers.

Doing some blog surfing early on helped me connect with other bloggers, and has led to some neat collaborations and friendships.
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Heather from Dollar Store Crafts and contributor to CrafterMinds.com has a fabulous guest post for us next week with some more detailed (spot-on!) reasons why you should take the time to comment!

Do you have any questions about commenting? Send me an email or leave a comment and I'll do my best to address them throughout the series. Some of the topics we'll be covering include how to leave good comments, commenting etiquette, and some technical how-tos.


Do you take the time to leave comments on blog posts you enjoy? Leave me a comment and let me know {wink}.

Session #2 in this series here. (8 Reasons to Comment on My Blog Post)
Session #3 here. (How to Leave a Good Comment)
Session #4 here (General Commenting Etiquette)
Session #5 here (Commenting and Link Parties)
Session #6 here (Responding to Comments)
Session #7 here (Fitting it All In)
Session #8 here (Technical How-To: Why Word Verification is Bad!)
Session #9 here (Technical How-To: Setting Up Your Email with Blogger)
Session #10 here (Series Wrap Up and Blogging Resources)

Linking to The Stories of A 2 Z.