One of the reasons why I blog here at Adversity University is to turn my own personal experiences into solutions for you and make new connections along the way. The other is to brand myself as an adversity expert, leading me to professional speaking and life coaching opportunities.
It goes without saying that leaving comments at other blogs is one way to get your name out there but only if it is done correctly. The right way, in my opinion and something that other bloggers probably agree with, is to leave value-added comments. That means going beyond one liners like “Great article!” or “I disagree with you.” (Photo Credit: algo)
One-liners rarely foster authentic conversation because they aren’t really adding much of anything. if you liked the article, why did you like it? If you disagreed with it, what are your opinions? When you engage in the conversation fully, you are helping the blogger create a stimulating intellectual atmosphere for all kinds of people to partake in.
Blogs are perceived to be successful not necessarily by how many subscribers they have (although that is certainly one yardstick) but how active their comment sections are. In fact, I recently got an email from someone who mentioned that she thought Adversity University was successful. Curious to know why she thought so, I emailed her asking what criteria she was using to make that call. She wrote back and said it was because of the number of comments generated here. I thought that was particularly interesting.
Think about that for a moment……suppose you came across a blog that had only a couple of comments or none at all, what would be your first impression?
Here are 4 ways leaving comments at other blogs could benefit you:
Effective Self-Marketing Tool
The more you leave authentic comments at other blogs, the more your name will be seen by those who might not have otherwise known about you. If you left a particularly engaging comment, readers and bloggers who notice it are more than likely to want to find out more about you by clicking their way to your blog/website.
Here’s a quiz: Which comment would make you more curious about the person who left it?
- Great article!
OR
- I thought your article today was very interesting because for one thing, I could identify with the fear of taking a leap of faith into the unknown. I once had to face that toward the end of my career on Wall Street. One day, I had a spiritual awakening and made the decision to quit a lucrative six-figure career to pursue my dreams of becoming a motivational speaker, author and pilot. If it wasn’t for faith in God, I might not have taken that leap. Thanks for letting me share!
A Way to Make Money
I wish I could say that I made money every single time I left a comment at other blogs but it actually happened to me recently. Just think of the possibilities. If you have an opportunity to make it known what you do for a living and it’s appropriate, then by all means, put it in the comment!
One day, I came across an article entitled “The Movie Director’s Guide to Effective Teaching.” When I read it, I knew immediately this was a golden opportunity to mention that I was a professional speaker because as a speaker, I’m also a teacher!
Here’s an exact replica of the comment I left that eventually made me $2500:
Since I’m a speaker, I find that one of the most effective ways of teaching is by sharing personal stories. People remember stories, not dry facts. For each point I want them to learn, I tell a story.
As an example, one of my programs is the HEAR Principle (Have a passion, Entertain the possibilities, Authenticity (or take Action) and Remember who helped you. For each point I want people to learn, I tell a story behind each principle. It helps them remember.
Do you see what I did there? While there was nothing “earthshaking” about it, not only did I mention that I was a speaker/teacher but I also added value to the conversation by specifically explaining why I thought sharing stories was an effective way of teaching. I didn’t just say, “Hey, great techniques!”
While I certainly hoped that this would lead me to a speaking engagement, I did not expect it to happen so quickly.
Two days after that comment went live, a meeting planner from a very large trade organization based in Texas contacted me. She wanted to know if I was available for a keynote presentation later this summer for a conference to be located in Ohio that she was putting together. Two emails later, we booked the engagement with a check in my hand for $2500! Had I not left that comment, I would not have had that opportunity.
Imagine attracting ready-made clients simply by leaving genuine comments. You never know.
Foster Goodwill with the Blogger
If you are a person who is in business for yourself, sooner or later you are going to want to call in favors. Perhaps someday you’ll want some assistance from well established bloggers with the plugging of your new book or maybe you’ll need help with spreading the word about your products and services.
Who do you think would be more than likely to help you out when that time came? That’s right, bloggers who you’ve already developed relationships with. If you’ve gone out of your way to leave heartfelt comments at their blogs over a period of time, they are more than likely going to want to reach out to you in gratitude.
Running around and leaving a bunch of worthless comments at a slew of other blogs across the blogosphere isn’t going to cut it. Sooner or later, well read bloggers are going to notice your spammy behavior and by the time you leave a comment at their blogs, they’ll either ignore, mark them as spam or otherwise delete them.
Create goodwill by sticking with your favorite bloggers and become one of their genuine contributors. You will reap what you sow.
Make a Difference by Sharing Your Experiences with Others
If you’re looking for a way to give back, this is a great way to do it. Subscribe to blogs that resonate with your heart and become a frequent participant. Nothing is more powerful than sharing your own life’s experiences with others. What a great way to inspire and uplift others by giving a piece of yourself! What you give away, you get back.
Food for thought: Share with us some of the experiences you had by leaving comments at other blogs. Did you make money (directly or indirectly)? Did it cause a ripple effect within that community? Did you make friends with the blogger? Did it lead to an off the wall experience or did it transform your life in unexpected ways?
If you liked this post and you want to be notified of the next one, subscribe via Email or Full Text RSS Feed. I would love to have you as part of the community!
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4:41 am on April 17th, 2008 1
Great article!! I know one thing I have set myself to do is make more effort to build a dialogue with commenters to my blog - plus keep “networking” with people like yourself whose blogs I enjoy reading and find useful. I have learnt, when posting, that it helps not to make a post totally complete - leave room for others to add thoughts and ideas. David
David Rogers’s last blog post..Dealing with Bullying Behavior
7:00 am on April 17th, 2008 2
I noticed that at your blog, particularly the one where you wrote about becoming an authority blogger by writing longer articles and encouraging people to leave comments at your site.
Yes, “networking” with other bloggers whose content you enjoy is the best way to build goodwill with them, share a piece of yourself with other readers and give back.
You made a very good point about the importance of leaving room for others to add thoughts and ideas.
By the way, I noticed in one of your articles, you mentioned the possibility of going to SOBCon08 in Chicago next month. Are you going? I am. Maybe we’ll meet in person for the first time?
8:06 am on April 17th, 2008 3
Nice blog post!
9:38 am on April 17th, 2008 4
Stephen,
I love this post. I agree with you on many points and think I display some of the items you discuss. I love doing things “the right way” which screams integrity.
Since I have just begun networking in the blogosphere, I feel that you have some timely advice for me. While you point out that leaving comments that are more than a one-liner is important (and I agree)I also think that responding to your audience is critical. You display this quite well here. It is an important aspect that keeps me coming back.Can you be a leader in this industry without leaving responses to posters?
I’ve learned quite a bit here and plan to explore the community that makes up Adversity. I recently was successful in getting responses to my blog that went beyond my imagination. They were deep and thought provoking.
One more thing… I sure am glad I’m a part of your community, can’t wait to call in the first favor! (wink)
Lisa Callsen’s last blog post..Do people really want to learn to sign, or is it something more?
10:12 am on April 17th, 2008 5
Karen:
Alright, you got my attention with your “one-liner” of a joke Karen! You naughty girl!
(Note to community: I know who Karen is and she has actually become one of my strongest advocates here at Adversity University, leaving value-added comments so this was her idea of a joke, which is why I’m leaving it in but that’s exactly something I would have deleted because well, ask yourself this question:
Would that one-liner add much of anything other then the possibility of stroking the blogger’s ego?
10:17 am on April 17th, 2008 6
Lisa:
You’ve touched on a very important part on why you keep coming back (and why I keep going back to other blogs that I subscribe to):
The blogger responds back to comments.
I agree with you 100 percent. But what happens when the volume of comments become so overwhelmingly large, then what? Surely, that’d be any blogger’s dream but it’s certainly something that could happen.
Look at what happened to Seth Godin - he actually turned off the comment section.
Steve Pavlina created a forum.
Personally I don’t care for forums but maybe that would be something I’d have to consider down the road? Well, it doesn’t matter because for right now, the volume of comments and emails I get are manageable. I’ll deal with it when I cross that bridge.
Oh oh, you’re going call me on the carpet when the first favor comes along, huh? ACK! Just kidding. Well, I meant it. I always remember those who helped me along the way. You already know how big I am in thanking people who reached out to me when I needed it the most.
People like my fifth grade teacher, well known bloggers, my Mom and Dad, some good friends, etc.
3:54 pm on April 17th, 2008 7
I try to make it a rule to always add value to the comments I leave along with being pretty consistent on making comments at any particular blog. Consistency builds repoir. It’s easy to spread yourself too thin though, so picking a few really successful blogs like this one and staying consistent is my advice.
If I see an opportunity to promote myself specifically and make it meaningful to the conversation then I will, but it has to be part of the conversation (like you did Stephen). When the opportuntiy presents itself go for it, if you’re just adding a one liner and a link, don’t bother.
One of my favorite things to do though is promote other people’s blogs in the comments section of other blogs. I love helping other people get subscribers and comments. It’s a great way to make friends and it just plain ole makes me feel good!! If I have come across another blog post that is relevant to another one then I will leave their link there or a comment about their blog.
You are the one who inspired me to comment back to all of my commentors. It makes a huge difference and builds relationships. Thanks for setting the pace. My friend, Shilpan, at Success Soul also does an excellent job with this. He also has great wisdom that he passes along.
Jennifer’s last blog post..A Look at True Wisdom and How to Obtain it Beginning Today!
5:27 pm on April 17th, 2008 8
Stephen
Sadly I’m not going to SOBCon08 in Chicago, much as I’d like to. That post was also a competition entry to win a place at the conference, which sadly I failed to win - although it was a good discipline writing a different type of post!
Today my twin daughters have started driving lessons - so I’m broke. I hope you enjoy the conference, I look forward to hearing about it. David
David Rogers’s last blog post..Dealing with Bullying Behavior
5:51 pm on April 17th, 2008 9
Hi Jennifer:
Yes, I’ve noticed how you have become a consistent contributor to a blog like mine! You gave great advice and it’s because of your mention of Shilpan, at Success Soul, I’ve gone over there for a visit a few times.
Thanks for continuing to be a part of this community. I love getting to know people more through engaging conversations. God Bless You Jennifer!
5:55 pm on April 17th, 2008 10
David:
I also tried to enter that competition too but like you, I didn’t win. Still, I waited until the very last possible minute to make up my mind. When I saw that arrangements were being made to provide interpreters, I realized that it was God’s way of saying to me, “Go for it!” So I booked myself for an entire weekend in Chicago and then some.
It helps that I have a few major speaking engagements lined up the next couple of months.
Best wishes in helping your daughters learn how to drive! I remember when I went back to driving school in an effort to replace a license that I had lost and then let expire. I even wrote an article about it. I’ve since not let my driver’s license expire because nowadays I need to drive everywhere I go! When I was living in New York City, I saw no need to have one. So for nearly 15 years I was without a car and a license because I didn’t need one. Available to me were plenty of transportation options including taxicabs, my own two feet (I walked around the city a lot in those days), my bike and of course, the buses and subways.
Thanks for sharing - may you continue to have a blessed year David. I’m grateful to have you among active participants in this community.
6:21 pm on April 18th, 2008 11
Hey, congrats for getting the lead, Stephen!
Leaving comments is a good way to be noticed. These days I am often surprised by people who says “Oh, I saw you at XXX’s blog. . .”
And I do my best responding to comments on my blog in a timely manner. I think it encourages quality commenters to come back.
In terms of building rapport with other bloggers: I think you are doing far better than you say in this post. You gracefully took the time to do interview with me when the series just took off and was hardly known. I can’t thank enough to people like yourself.
Akemi - Yes to Me’s last blog post..Learning To Love Networking
6:51 pm on April 18th, 2008 12
Akemi:
Thanks! The speaking lead, when it came in, was a nice surprise and I think if I keep commenting and let people know who I am and what I do, more will come as long as I have the right frame of mind.
Yes, if the blogger takes the time to respond back to the people in their communities, they definitely want to keep coming back because they feel valued and appreciated. Don’t we all want that?
As for doing the interview with you when you were just getting started, well, I did it because your story of overcoming the odds inspired me plus I had others reach out to me when I was getting started so I was just “paying it forward.”
4:24 am on April 19th, 2008 13
Stephen, I’ve been a lurker for a while now. Just to busy to engage so to speak. I had you on my Goggle reader. That’s not good enough any more. So I signed up for a daily email update. That way I can stay more engaged. I read each and every email everyday. So far I can keep up with that.
I don’t remember now how I found your blog.But your an inspiration to me and I will be back. Keep up the great post.
Another Interesting blog you all might want to check out Is Tom’s at Tom Stine.com. Have a great day!
Mark Krusen’s last blog post..Justa having a day together!
6:30 am on April 19th, 2008 14
Mark:
I know what you mean when you say you’ve been a lurker for a while. It seems a lot of people behave that way until they are convinced that the blog in question is worthy of an email subscription. That’s like making a relationship commitment.
Hey, I just thought of that!
Until you told me how you went from a lurker to an email subscriber, I never really thought much about it. It’s a lot easier to subscribe via RSS.
But you just made me realize that signing up via email is a lot harder than signing up via RSS. In fact, I sometimes find myself hesitating when trying to decide between subscribing via RSS or email. It comes down to whether or not you trust the blogger.
Bottom line? Signing up via email is a sign of commitment. Isn’t that an interesting way of looking at it?
Having said all that, thanks for taking the next step and developing a solid relationship with me at Adversity University. I appreciate it.
Speaking of Tom Stine, you’re the second or third person to mention his name to me this week. I guess the universe is nudging encouraging me to learn more about this guy. Thanks for the reminder.
Have a great rest of the weekend!
7:56 am on April 19th, 2008 15
Stephen,
I like your point regarding fostering goodwill. Just holding the intention to add to a discussion and not just comment on one is a wonderful way of doing so. Relationships are built by honoring agreements. These agreements can be as simple as setting high commenting standards and following through. Thanks for this thoughtful post that tells it like it is.
Tom
Tom Volkar / Delightful Work’s last blog post..Massive Inspired Action - a Recipe for Success
8:35 am on April 19th, 2008 16
Tom:
And thank you for your feedback and stopping by today. Welcome! I enjoy being a host here and greeting new people.
I agree that it’s a matter of setting high commenting standards and following through. There’s a reason for comments and one of them is not to be self-serving (particularly on the high traffic sites).
They’re there to engage in meaningful, impactful discussions. It’s amazing what happens when people are fully engaged with each one another as if they were all sitting in someone’s living room.
Thanks again for honoring us with your presence. I look forward to getting to know you more as we move forward.
9:43 am on April 19th, 2008 17
Stephen - I liked what you shared in this post on commenting. It really resonated with me. I’ve realized that if I’ve written something that touches the heart or sparks a different perspective it stimulates the comments your talking about. Likewise if I’ve read something that’s interesting or thought provoking I want to comment.
There are so many blogs with value out there with their stories and I’ve found it hard to keep up with. I want to contribute but come up short sometimes.
I’m happy to be a part of your blogging community. It feels like extended family sharing and experiencing similar things in blogging. People out there trying to do the same thing with different stories.
How we comment and respond to comments gives value to the process of what we’re intending to do and is a reflection of who we are.
You always seem to pour your heart and soul into your comments and posts and that’s why I keep coming back.
Pat R’s last blog post..20 Things to Be Thankful For
10:14 am on April 19th, 2008 18
I love it when people leave great comments, because, that is when your blog truly becomes a community! And I’ve noticed that almost every single successful blog is not just a blog, but, a community!
Lisa Marie Mary’s last blog post..Great Big Alabama Snowstorm
11:43 am on April 19th, 2008 19
Lisa Marie:
Me too - I love it when people participate in a community. That’s been my mindset from the very start - to create a vibrant community where people can “hang out,” learn some new things and offer their thoughts to keep the energy flowing.
Welcome!! Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the time you took to offer your thoughts on the value of leaving comments around the blogosphere.
11:53 am on April 19th, 2008 20
Pat R:
I’ve been seeing your value-added comments at various places and am often struck with the realization of how we like many of the same places. Very interesting!
Glad today’s article resonated with you. Don’t you love it when that happens? I get this rumble in my stomach when I’m reading something and it gets my creative juices flowing. Ever have that feeling? Granted, it doesn’t happen very often but boy, when it does, I LOVE IT.
1:49 pm on April 19th, 2008 21
Pat, Yes, it does seem like extended family doesn’t it?!
I think it has become my favorite blog - aside from mine of course.
Stephen, it looks like you have done a good job here of getting even more comments and creating a stronger community with just this one post! Was that part of the plan? Looks like you may have to start worrying about how to respond back to every commenter!
Great job! Keep up the good work! Thanks for leading the way!
Jennifer’s last blog post..A Look at True Wisdom and How to Obtain it Beginning Today!
9:33 pm on April 19th, 2008 22
Hi Jennifer:
Actually I didn’t “plan” for the comment section to get more comments but I can see how you might think that way. I was inspired to write about it for 3 reasons:
1. to share how I truly feel about the importance of value added comments here and elsewhere
2. in a way the article sort of served as a comment policy for this blog to let others know what I am looking for
3. since I’m a blogger, I know how it feels to get comments that have “meat” versus empty one-liners - I guess you can I’m sort of on a one-man crusade in the blogosphere to promote the value of active, vibrant blog communities.
It just so happened that it generated a healthy response because it resonated with people to the point where they felt inspired to write in. A natural by-product, if you will.
Perhaps you’re right that I might have to start worrying about how to respond to every commenter but not just yet! It seems that right now it’s manageable and I’m enjoying the give and take process.
I will deal with it when I cross that bridge. In fact, just for the fun of it, let me ask you and everyone else who happens to be reading this response, what would you do if it physically became impossible to respond to every commentator? How would you handle it? I’m curious, actually!
Anyone?
4:35 pm on April 20th, 2008 23
Stephen, I didn’t really think that you intended to get more comments from this post. I was just pickin’ on you a bit.
I do like how you established your comment policy. So Often that is needed.
How would I handle that…. I think the first thing I would do is go the the blogs (like Problogger) that have that same problem - too many commenters to respond to - and see how the bloggers there handle it… I would probably start just commenting back to the ones that 1. were very loyal and 2. asked questions and 3. added REAL value to the discussion….. I’ll have to think more on that question….
Jennifer’s last blog post..A Tribute to a Man of Men
4:58 pm on April 20th, 2008 24
Lisa Marie,
I too love this community. Such educated, thought provoking and interesting comments. It lends to such a great community. I love reading what others are saying to those that posted comments.
For those that have gotten “big” in the blogosphere, I think forums are great, just not a by-product of a successful blog. Turning off the comments, hmm, not a fan of that, but understandable.
So, here comes my plug (ahem)… So what would you do if you have too many comments than time? Hire a virtual assistant. Should one want to keep the integrity of having a real person reading the responses allowing emotion to still be a part of the blog is critical. After laying out ground rules as to what comments should be reviewed personally, then a virtual assistant can still keep your blog connected on a human level. It’s not the actual blogger, but the assistant that is part of their team.
Lisa Callsen’s last blog post..Do people really want to learn to sign, or is it something more?
7:12 pm on April 20th, 2008 25
Jennifer:
Oh, I knew you were having some fun with this - that’s why I let it stand. I feel like I’ve gotten to know you and appreciate your humor.
Good suggestions! Like I said earlier, I’ll deal with the prospect of an explosion of comments when I cross that bridge. But one thing is for sure, I’ll never close down the comment section. I think that is like choking off oxygen - I don’t know how other bloggers do it and get away with it.
Thanks for your input!
7:14 pm on April 20th, 2008 26
Lisa:
When I visit other blogs, I also like to see what others are saying too. It makes for an interesting read over and above what the blogger wrote.
Thanks to you too for your suggestions - seems like the virtual assistant industry is poised for fast growth going forward. I welcome your little “plug.” Wink, wink.
11:22 am on May 13th, 2008 27
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