Blogging Tips

I’ve been trying to be a good little online marketer lately. I’ve been using social bookmarking software, making “friends” on mass freelance writing (my niche) sites, diligently publishing a newsletter and commenting on other blogs.

I get a little befuddled on how to effectively go about the last part though – commenting on other blogs. I mean, I want to comment because I have something to say, but how do I decide when it’s “worth it” to comment, or should I just take myself off to bed (I usually do this type of marketing late in the evenings and am usually dead tired).

Following are some “rules” I outlined for myself to get the most marketing bang out of my blog commenting buck.

Rules for Getting the Most Bang Out of Your Blog Commenting Buck

Relevancy: While this may seem obvious, I’m putting it out there anyway because relevancy applies in two areas: (i) your comment should be relevant to the post and hand; and (ii) you should post to relevant blogs in your niche.

This last point bears pointing out because, while you may run across a post on a blog outside of your niche that you can make relevant commentary to, it’s kind of like giving away your time for free.

Remember, we have a goal here – we’re trying to drive traffic to our little online fiefdom. So, focus, focus, focus. This is so hard to do when you’re surfing and run across a post that you’re just dying to chime in on.

Popular: I’m becoming somewhat of a blog commenting snob. “How?” you may wonder.

Well …. I don’t want to be in unpopular neighborhoods, which in the online world translates into not wanting to be on low-traffic sites. Give me those with Alexa rankings under 100,000 or PR ranks of 3s, 4s, 5s and above. No PR 1 or 2s for me, thank you very much (you must be a 3 to even attract my attention). Otherwise, your little traffic just doesn’t suit my mighty marketing needs.

Okay, every once in a while I’ll go “slumming” and stoop to do the poor ones a favor and leave my high-brow opinion on their little no-traffic corner of the world. Perhaps my commentary will bring them up a notch or two.

Deep: When I do drop by your blog to comment, I try to lift the IQ of the conversation. My intellectual musings are more for your benefit than mine, after all.

Those who come after me are sure to click over to my corner of the world to get more of my pearls of wisdom after I’ve so impressed them via your little virtual space.

Non-snobby Translation: Try to leave insightful, original posts that cause readers to go “Hmmm, I hadn’t thought of that before.” That will make them want to know more about you, hence they are more likely to check out your blog/website.

Travel the Blogosphere: I try not to visit the same blog over and over again. After all, my comments are very much in demand and many are waiting for me to grace their blog with my presence.

Daaaarrrlllliiiinnnnggg, I don’t possibly have time to come back to YOU again and again. You didn’t really expect me to, did you?

Non-snobby Translation: I like to comment on as many different blogs as possible, not constantly post to the same ones. I’m thinking of link building here. All the experts say, the more the merrier. They’d better be right!

I’ve added blog commenting to my marketing strategy – to be employed on a regular basis. While time consuming, I’m banking on it paying off over time.