Pin It
Creative Ramblings > Blogging > 5 ways to promote your blog by commenting on others

5 ways to promote your blog by commenting on others

27 Nov, 2012 Blogging Tips Permalink
English: Comment icon

English: Comment icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you have favorite blogs? If so, you are probably subscribed to them, and read their articles regularly.

But what happens after you are done reading? Do you share the articles you like on social networks? And / or, do you add your two cents to the conversation? If not, you should start doing it today.

Let me tell you why.

Benefits of commenting on other blogs in your niche

  • You get to connect and build relationships with other bloggers
  • You “meet” new readers that are relevant to the topics on which you write
  • You stay in the know about trends in your field
  • You create opportunities for guest blogging
  • You give your blog a promotional boost and increase your chances of people engaging there

How you can turn comments on other blogs to your advantage

  • Add a link to your blog at the end of your comment. This is especially easy to do if the blogs use third-party commenting systems. The best example is CommentLUV, which allows you to link your name to your blog (top of the comment), promote your Twitter handle, and show off your latest article at the end.
CommentLUV
  • When leaving a comment, do not just say “Thank you” or “Great stuff”. Add value to the conversation. For example, quote a couple of sentences from the article and explain why they are important to you. Share your experience, ask questions, etc.
  • If you feel that one of your articles could complement the one you have just read, make sure you link to it in your comment. However, do not just drop a link and leave. Include a short introductory blurb to give people a good reason to click and read.  You do not want others to flag you as a spammer.
  • Try to comment regularly on the same blogs. The more people see your name (especially if it is attached to relevant and useful interactions), the more likely they are to check out your blog.
  • Comments are not limited to the comment section of a blog. A lot of readers like to add their thoughts when sharing content on social media sites. I know I do, and in this case, I like to tag / mention the authors to let them know that I am promoting their blog for them. It is really easy to do with Google+ and Twitter, for example.

Tagging

It is good practice to tag bloggers when you share their content, anyway. The more you do, the more they will notice and return the favor.

Now, it’s your time to speak. What are your tips to turn comments on other blogs to your advantage? 

eBook

, ,

Creative Commons License
This article by Cendrine Marrouat is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

About The Author

Cendrine Marrouat is a journalist, blogger, content curator, author, and workshop facilitator located in Canada. She is the founder of two social media blogs: Social Media Slant and Creative Ramblings. On March 6, 2012, she released The Little Big eBook on Blogging: 40 Traffic Generation Tips, a comprehensive resource that provides bloggers of all levels with essential information and precise guidance to attract quality traffic to their blogs. She is currently working on an eBook on social media strategies that should be released before the end of 2013.
  • http://www.todaysfarmwife.ca Faye Fossay

    Thank you so much for this GREAT article Cendrine! Your expertise is GREATLY appreciated and I will most def be applying it go-forward to my own blog posting and reading go-forward! Excellent article! Thank you! :)

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Thank you so much, Faye! I figured it would be nice to share my answers from the panel on Saturday!

      Let me know how the tips work for you.

  • http://blog.charlotteboyer.fr Charlotte

    Enfin je peux commenter un de tes articles en disant : je le fais !

    Ah mince, erreur de langue… : Finally, I can say about one of your article : I do it !
    I’ll inquire about CommentLuv.

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Pas mal, Charlotte! ;-)

      Tu vas voir, CommentLUV, c’est vraiment bien!

      • http://blog.charlotteboyer.fr Charlotte

        Il y a des heures où je parle plus ou moins bien anglais (pareil pour le français d’ailleurs lol)… Là, euh… Mais merci Cendrine et merci Friends pour avoir considérablement relevé mon niveau !

        Je pense que CommentLuv va bien me servir. Et il est très simple. Tout ce que j’aime !

        • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

          ;-)

          The pro version is much better than the free one, actually. It’s a little pricey but very effective, if you want to check it out: http://www.commentluv.com/?ref=clp-moody_mo105.

          • http://blog.charlotteboyer.fr Charlotte

            My GOD ! 67$ ! Maybe one day…

          • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

            Yes, but it is a good investment. I have been using the pro version long enough to tell you that it is definitely worth it.

            A plugin, like another tool, requires many hours of work…

  • http://www.tweakyourbiz.com Sian Phillips

    Love this Cendrine and thanks so much for including me in your example. If I hadn’t commented on your post ages ago we wouldn’t have “met” online and become friends. I know this friendship is going to lead to lots more good things including guest blogging and more social shares. And I’m looking forward to it all. Again, thanks so much for sharing on Bizsugar.com

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Absolutely Sian! You and I have become great friends, and it is all because of blogging!

  • http://www.internetbillboards.net Tom George

    Thank you Cendrine for a great post. What I admire about you is that you always give great information and it is something that is actionable with great result’s.

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Thank you, Tom! I always share tips that have worked for me. Speaking from experience is always more credible than anything else. :-)

  • http://tiroberts.com Ti Roberts

    Wonderful post, Cendrine. I agree blog commenting is one of the very best ways to drive traffic, build relationships with other bloggers and get more comments and interaction on your own blog posts. When I relaunched my blog at the beginning of October, blog commenting was one the top ways I drove traffic. It also led to several mutually beneficial relationships with top bloggers and unsolicited guest posting opportunities. I believe blog commenting by far is a top notch online marketing strategy. Plus, the benefits are limitless. Thanks for sharing this post and you insights on BizSugar.com. I enjoyed reading it and I’m glad to have you as a part of our community!

    Ti

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Hello Ti,

      What a wonderful example for this article! Really glad you stopped by!

      What were the other tips you used to drive traffic to your blog?

  • http://small-biz-101.com/ Julia LaSalvia

    Great article! I am currently working on a small-biz advice blog and have been trying to get more traction on it. I will definitely try to comment more and be more engaging in the blogisphere. I’ve also found that twitter has been really helpful in terms of getting more readers. One strategy that I use is to reply to people’s tweets when they are relevant to a post I’ve recently written. It’s especially helpful when replying to someone with a really large following.

    Thanks and I look forward to reading more of your posts! :)

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Hello Julia,

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Your idea of responding to people when they tweet content that is relevant to your posts is a great idea. Twitter is really a fantastic platform for that.

  • http://www.wonderoftech.com Carolyn

    Hi Cedrine, You’re so right. Commenting on others’ blogs is probably the best way to grow a loyal readership. The benefits you list are spot on. I have made some great friends in the blogging world simply through commenting on their blogs.

    These bloggers have come to my blog to comment and the relationships have flourished through mutual support.

    I would caution people about leaving links back to their blogs apart from CommentLuv. If I have a first time commenter on my blog, I will usually either delete the link or reject the comment if a link is in the body of the comment. Too many people just want to leave a comment to get a link back.

    But that comes back to your wise advice about leaving a meaningful comment. I hope all bloggers follow your guidance!

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Hello Carolyn,

      You raise a very good point! Do not just leave a link at the end of your comment, create a conversation. Which ties into the following tip.

      Thank you for stopping by!

  • http://blog.divadigitaldesigns.com Jacqueline Cook

    Thank you for sharing. I usually share or tweet a blog post, but don’t usually leave a comment. I really need to get better about this, especially since I am a new blogger. I’m sure I will get the hang of it eventually. Thanks again.

  • http://www.diamondlight.net/http://www.diamondlight.net/ Fatima

    Thanks for sharing these great tips; they are always a success, at least for me :)

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Glad to know that, Fatima!

  • http://www.bagheeramedia.com Tony

    Thank you! This is great. I had never heard of CommentLuv before I read this article. I’m going to have to check into using it myself.

    As a company just starting out, we’re always looking for ways to get more people to notice us, and get more engagement. I know, there’s that term again.

    But these are some great tips on how to do it!

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Glad you found the tips useful, Tony! Stop by again soon.

  • http://www.shopurbanoffice.com/shop-by-style/modern-office-supplies Aayna

    Hi Cendrine,
    Must say this is a great one from your kitty!! Commenting is a way through which the blogger gets the views and thoughts of his audience. It is a means of connecting with the audience. And, yes, each and every blogger respect and appreciates the valuable and genuine comments. Thanks for the share.

  • http://toptiertadd.com tadd

    great article, ive heard of commentluv b4, will look into using it soon. thanks 4 the reminder!

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Glad you found the article useful, Tadd! I hope you visit again.

  • http://www.praverb.net Praverb

    Great article Cendrine, I think that brands need to consider the power of blog commenting.

    Commenting on someone else’s website establishes credibility, expertise and it can lead to guest blogging opportunities.

    We need to understand our material spreads via word of mouth and the best form of promotion is free promotion. Blog commenting is free and requires the suppression of ego and a little time.

    Thank you Cendrine

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Hello Praverb,

      Thank you for stopping by and your great comment! I really like what you said: “Blog commenting is free and requires the suppression of ego and a little time.” It’s very true!

  • http://www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com Joyce Feustel

    Thanks, Cendrine for all these tips. The one that stood out the most to me as a relatively new blogger and relatively new person to Twitter is the importance of commenting regularly on a handful of blogs as a way to get noticed and build relationships. I am a person who tends to be rather scattered, so this advice is especially meaningful for me.

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Hello Joyce!

      Glad you found the tips useful!

  • http://www.fiorecommunications.com Jeff Machado

    This is solid information right here. Blog commenting isn’t exactly one of the most “trendy” strategies out there. I’m sure we can agree on that. But for the power to actually build relationships and get to know others online, you really can’t beat it. Thanks for bringing us back to the basics in many ways!

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Hello Jeff,

      I’m so happy you found the information useful!

      You are absolutely right: You can’t beat it.

      I hope you visit again!

  • http://commmentluvAndypandie@yahoo.com Andria Hiselman

    Good suggestion. With me wanting to start my own comedic blog this is helpful. Any advice on blogging camera’s or equipment you love? Mine would be a video. I’m a funny girl. :))

    • http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com Cendrine Marrouat

      Hello Andria,

      I don’t use any camera, as I don’t really have time to create videos. I am not sure what you mean by equipment. Could you please explain? I may be able to help if you do. :-)