Welcome to the 2nd Back to the Basics class! If you missed the first class on inserting an HTML direct link to your blog into comments — make sure to check it out (much like this):
This week we are talking about the same thing but with an added bit of civilization: commenting.
Small Review brought up a good point last week — how to comment, leave a link, and not be spamming.
I replied with following but I want I think that she brought up a very solid point. It seems like every comment I get on my Friday Meme posts are spam.
The question then becomes how can you leave a direct link to your blog (to make it easier for the blog owner to return the comment love) but not be spamming?
Like I said last week, the point of many memes is to visit new blogs and get your name out there (especially for the Book Bloggers Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted at Parajunkee's View) . But you need to comment. Last week I pointed out that it was easier for the blog owner to visit your blog by leaving a link; what I left out was the apparent need to leave a valuable comment. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am talking comment etiquette.
These two comments, while they leave me direct links to their blogs, are not "content rich" comments. They tell me nothing about the blogger or their responses to my own post. They give the impression that they didn't even READ my post, just copied and pasted a generic comment in an attempt to gain me as a follower.
Well, sorry folks — life don't work that way (grammar cringe). If you're going to comment (and I hope you all do), leave a valuable, content rich comment. Not something generic that you leave on all 400 blogs that participate in any given meme. The second commenter at least tried, but really... that's all you're going to give me? Now, this does of course depend on the blog owner's ability to write a "content rich" post worthy of valuable feedback — but that's for another time.
When you leave comments like those above you do yourself and your blog a disservice by misrepresenting yourself. You think you are only leaving a harmless comment but in reality you are marketing yourself as a shallow, self-centered, and basically bad blogger (not to mention spamming). I'll admit it: when I receive comments like those above I don't waste my time visiting that blog (even if it easy to find via the direct link). Why would I waste my time to visit another blog (much less follow), when they can't even leave a legitimate comment! The inability to leave a valuable two sentence comment proves to me that blogger's inability to write a content rich post.
So what's a blogger to do?! It's simple: leave a good solid comment responding to the post's content (show me that you read it!) and then leave a link. Sonette from Sonette's Bookworm Blog has mastered this technique! I mean look at this comment! It's full of content and opinion and she even mentions a previous comment! Plus, she still makes it easy to find her and return the blog love!
So, please boys and girls, if you want to present yourself in a professional likable manner the next time you blog hop, take it from me and take the time to leave a "content rich" comment. Not only will your fellow bloggers be more apt to return the comment and blog love, but you'll be presenting yourself in a welcoming and warm manner. Yes, it's easy to copy and paste the same comment on hundreds of posts but it won't get you very far: do your blog a favor take the time to comment right.
If you have a question please fill in the form for next week!