Blogs and forums are the new water cooler. Except they’re better because you get to talk to a mass of people, instead of just the same blokes at the office. If you run your own website, commenting on other blogs can even be a very helpful way of driving traffic to it.
How do you write comments that add positive value to the ongoing conversations?
1. Stay on topic. If you’re going to comment on a specific post, you’re expected to add value to the topic at hand. Got something else on your mind? Then best keep it to yourself (or write about it elsewhere).
2. Expand on information in the original post. In real-life, picking up on keywords and following up on it is a very effective technique for extending conversations. You can either ask for clarification, expand on the topic or offer up your two cents.
3. Expand on information in the comments. Same principle as above, except you choose to focus on items from the comments section. Be careful to keep your responses on topic, though. Commenting on comments is a slippery road that have many online conversations astray.
4. Share personal experiences. Your opinion is valuable, but your experience is even more so. If you have successes, failures and other similar real-life stories that are relevant to the subject, be willing to share them.
5. Write clearly. If you want to use commenting as a way to get people to your own website, make sure you write in a way that they will understand. Poor writing skills are only likely to encourage people to stay away. Use a grammar-checking software if you have doubts.
26
02.10
9:08
How To Write Good Comments On Blogs And Forums
Blogs and forums are the new water cooler. Except they’re better because you get to talk to a mass of people, instead of just the same blokes at the office. If you run your own website, commenting on other blogs can even be a very helpful way of driving traffic to it.
How do you write comments that add positive value to the ongoing conversations?
1. Stay on topic. If you’re going to comment on a specific post, you’re expected to add value to the topic at hand. Got something else on your mind? Then best keep it to yourself (or write about it elsewhere).
2. Expand on information in the original post. In real-life, picking up on keywords and following up on it is a very effective technique for extending conversations. You can either ask for clarification, expand on the topic or offer up your two cents.
3. Expand on information in the comments. Same principle as above, except you choose to focus on items from the comments section. Be careful to keep your responses on topic, though. Commenting on comments is a slippery road that have many online conversations astray.
4. Share personal experiences. Your opinion is valuable, but your experience is even more so. If you have successes, failures and other similar real-life stories that are relevant to the subject, be willing to share them.
5. Write clearly. If you want to use commenting as a way to get people to your own website, make sure you write in a way that they will understand. Poor writing skills are only likely to encourage people to stay away. Use a grammar-checking software if you have doubts.
Tagged with: blog commenting • commenting