It’s exciting when a comment you make on a blog inspires the blogger to blog about it.
This recently happened to me when Zen Zoomie wrote How the Great Blogs Began: The First Posts, and my comment there lead to What Makes a Successful Blog as a response.
Over the years, I’ve tried to follow the why and the how a comment becomes inspiration for a blog post.
There are two issues at hand. There is commenting in a way that gets your comment blogged about, and then there is commenting in a way that gets you and your blog blogged about. Both are generated the same way.
Here are a few tips I’ve learned about writing a comment which inspires the blogger to blog about it, and, in turn, you.
- Say something intelligent. The odds are people will pay attention more to intelligent contributions to the conversation than short, useless comments like “Good work” and “You’ve made a good point. Thanks!”
- Spelling and grammar count. A comment gets noticed when care is taken in the basics of the language structure and form. Use complete sentences. Spell it right. Honor proper punctuation,. Make sure that every word makes sense and every sentence says what you want it to say, as it should be said. Think of your comment as a blog post, with the same quality control.
- Comment as if you know what you are talking about. If it’s clear from your comment that you know what you are talking about, odds are readers will pay attention, and click on that link to visit your blog to find out if you do comment from expertise.
- Add to the conversation. It’s that simple. Don’t state a complete statement. Don’t stop the chat. Add to it and encourage others to contribute. Thoughts and opinions added to a conversation that encourage others to think can often inspire others to blog.
- Add value to the blog post. Comments are content, so make your comment add to the value of the post by contributing more information or a perspective that expands upon the original intent. The more your comment complements the post, the more likely it is to be noticed.
- Challenge the blogger to see another perspective on the issue. Don’t slam them with a totally opposite stand on the issue, but help them see things from another point of view. This might encourage them to take your comment one step farther and blog about this new perspective.
- Make all your comments count, no matter where you make them. As you grow into being a better blogger, commenting on other blogs becomes critical to your success. People remember if you said something intelligent, worthwhile, and of value, and how you helped the conversation along. In time, you build a reputation. People like to blog about bloggers with good reputations.
- Be humble while being honest in your comment writing. People can tell when you are faking, forcing, or just commenting in order to get attention or link juice. The more sincere you are in your comments, the more likely you are to get attention, and possibly get blogged about.
You cannot compel a blogger to blog about you or your comment. You can only comment the best you can, and your comment may inspire them to take the next step.
As for bloggers looking for content, do check your comments. By honoring comments on your blogs and giving them credit for your blog ideas, you encourage more comments on your blog.
These comment-inspired posts help you continue the conversation in a series on your blog, and shows the world that you are willing to take this issue a step farther in your thinking.
