Are You Committed To Commenting On Blogs?

If you blog, then you know how wonderful it is to have engaged readers who frequently comment on your thoughts and ideas. You may not own a blog, but are instead the type of person who leaves comments on the blogs of others. Either way, the chances are that you realize the value of the participation and conversation that takes place on blogs.

Perhaps you are not the commenting type, and this is o.k. too. If you are like me, shyness is not the issue; it’s just something you don’t do for whatever reason. I challenge you to make a change today. Before I became comfortable as a frequent commenter, I really didn’t understand the game, so to speak. It took some time and explanation before I looked at it as more of a responsibility and privilege. Below are some interesting articles on the topic. Take a minute to read through these, see if it doesn’t change your outlook a little!

How to comment on a blog – A beginners guide

Is Commenting on Blogs a Smart Traffic Strategy?

I Came, I Saw, I Commented: Was It Worth It?

How to comment like a king (or queen!)

10 Reasons Commenting is Good For Bloggers

 I comment on blogs, and I will admit that there are times when I have to force myself to do so. Why would I do this? Because in my own mind, I think that commenting is an important part of an equation. Therefore, I consider it a responsibility. I’ve made a commitment to it. Comments are the voice of the readers who are impacted by the thoughts and ideas expressed in a blog. A blog is a broadcast channel, to be sure, but I feel like a blog as a two way conversation is a much more effective tool for all who may be involved.

In this space, the social media circle, I know that influential bloggers and thought leaders shape some of the movement and changes that occur on a daily basis. I can only speak for myself, but imagine that others are influenced by the reactions that they receive by way of the comment section. Comments and interaction in general, often shape the things that I write about. Comments provide almost everything I know about the audience that I address. Topics are sometimes born, and are often affected by the input that I receive.

Blogs in any industry are a vital part of the ebb and flow of the industry itself. This becomes more evident each day it seems. I feel that powerful commenter’s also play an important role in this. It is a system of checks and balances to some degree; accountability exists largely due to those committed to commenting. Do you have such a commitment?

**UPDATE: The page mentioned below has been removed. Leaving the comments open has somehow invited 4000 spam bots EVERY day! I’m working to get this resolved with the great folks at WordPress and IntenseDebate, who handle my comment system.

Today, as I wrote, and read, and commented…I had a few ideas. This post is primarily to satisfy an inner voice that tells me to act. I felt that I should speak to the importance of commenting. And so here we are. This seemed too little actually, so I went to the drawing board, quite literally. I’ve created a badge, and I’ve come up with some guidelines for a committed commenter.  I added a whole separate page here on my blog to house these.

I invite you to partner with me to make blogging and commenting all the more valuable. If even a few shifted from commenting by happenstance to committed commenting, I feel that it would have an impact. Please visit the page I’ve created and see if this simple project is a good fit for you. I can only offer the words and a badge, but I assure you that you will be rewarded in many ways for making the effort.

Maybe today it goes without saying, but just in case…Leave me a comment with your thoughts. I’d love to know what you think about my thoughts!

Related posts:

1. Let’s Ignore Women, Social Media, And Blogging…And See What Happens
2. Social Networking Sites And Our Lives (Latest Report from Pew Internet & American Life Project)
3. Social Media, Blogging, And Email – A Right And A Wrong Time For Everything
4. …But Do You Have A Coherent Social Media Strategy?

Tagged as: Blogging, Commenting, Community, Networking, Resources, Social Media