Top 7 Ways To Be A Great Commenter

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If you’re like me, you like to comment occasionally on the posts you enjoy while wondering if you’re ever going to get a response from the post’s author. I think about this almost every time I’m about to offer my two cents because frankly, I don’t want to spend a few minutes making an insightful comment on something and never hearing back from the author. (That’s lame!)

So here I offer the top ways that could help make you the kind of commenter that bloggers LOVE to see. These are based on both things that I’ve done and that have worked for me and things that I’ve seen other commenters do on my blog that make me want to reply to them.

OK ready? Set? Go!
(Btw: All the sample comments are ones I’ve made up based purely on my imagination or stuff I’ve seen on my blog/elsewhere. And as always, feel free to reach out if you have any Qs.)

1. BE GENUINE and thorough
Short and shallow comments (e.g. “Cool outfit!”) are THE worst. Instead, call attention to a particular point (or points) the blogger made and write about that. If you don’t like to write a lot, then at least be witty or highlight a little something that many before you may have overlooked.

     NO: “Cool outfit!”
     YES: “I love how you made the color of the polka dots on your flats match your nail polish. I wish I could think of little touches like that. I always enjoy how you play with details.”

2. Along those lines, SHOW that you read the actual post
… And/or bring up a story that’s similar to it. If you can’t find any commonalities on that one post, find them on another post. (Because bloggers love to see visitors to their old posts.) But make sure that blogger sees the connection you’re trying to establish. (In other words: Don’t B.S. them!/us)

     NO: “Cool outfit!”
     YES: “Your eyes totally match your necklace. That’s so adorable! I should do that. Actually, I remember one time when I wore green skinny jeans and was working on my laptop (which has a green cover) and a bunch of people complimented me even though I hadn’t matched these on purpose. It felt great! I should do this more often. Keep it up!”

2A. And if you can’t find ANY commonalities elsewhere, then go back to #1 and be genuine and thorough w/whatever you do come up with. Come up with a cool compliment and expand on it. Don’t be shallow.

3. Include AT MOST ONE link but NEVER use a “follow me” tone:
I get comments from people asking me to follow me all the time and I can’t tell you how much of a pet peeve this is. I can’t stand it! Now don’t me wrong: I’m not in any way famous, or a celebrity, or someone who’s “too good” to follow anyone else because I love discovering and following people. But I do take myself seriously, and I value who I follow, because I’m more about quality than quantity. I want to feel like I discovered someone, so I won’t follow you if you tell me to.

So don’t ask the blogger to follow you! Be a wise reader–not a groupie..

ALSO: When you ask me or any other blogger to follow you, you sound like you’re begging. And nobody likes beggars. Ninety-nine percent of us ignore those who don’t contribute anything to this world, and if you aren’t bringing in anything interesting to the conversation that I worked hard to start, then you won’t get any reciprocation from me.

     NO: “YES! Cool outfit! Follow me! , , , , etc.”
     YES: “OMG I love how you matched your nail polish to the bow on your shirt. In fashion, it’s the little things that count, huh? We worry so much about making such big, bold statements, when really, it’s the things we tend to overlook that get the most feedback. Much love from a long-time fan and keep it up!
     XO, Jane <Link>* “

*Notice that this commenter’s one and only link** is in her signature. Always keep your link in your signature, as that’s part of your brand. If you put it in the body of your comment, then “annoying” becomes part of your brand.

**And no, displaying only ONE link in your signature doesn’t mean that your online presence is made up of just one outlet. (Which it’d still be OK, anyways, so don’t worry.) Instead, it shows that you were nice enough to show me your door and give me the option to open it if I so desire.

4. Know when to STOP commenting because YOUR time is very valuable too
What should you do when a blogger whose site you’ve commented on a few times won’t reply to your comments?

– FIRST, check to see if you’re a “no-reply” blogger.***
– AND if you aren’t one and they CAN reply to you but simply choose not to, it’s pretty safe to say they won’t. (But what if they’re busy? You might think. Well, hey, as a FT student and PT employee, I’m pretty busy too. But I still took the time to read a post and comment on it. So be fair..)

So switch your focus onto bloggers whom you’ve noticed have replied to you. They are my fave as they always make me excited to comment some more. (PS- I reply!!)

*** If you’re a no-reply blogger, post authors CAN’T reply to your comments because they can’t see your email address–i.e., they can’t see your blogger info. To check if you’re a non-reply blogger and fix it if you are, go to your Blogger profile >> Edit profile >> Privacy: Show my email address >> If UNCHECKED, you ARE a no-reply blogger. Simply uncheck it and you’ll have fixed this!

5. Be among the FIRST to comment
If you commenter #50+ (depending on the blogger), your comment might never get a reply. This is because you can assume that the busy blogger just got tired after #20.

But didn’t you just say that bloggers have to reply to my comments? You might retort. Well yes, but this is different! Let me put it this way: You know how on FB you get (hopefully) a TON of comments on your wall for your BDay? Some ppl (me included) choose to reply to each comment individually. Now imagine having to do that four-five times a week! See, it can get exhausting!

That’s why I recommend you be among the FIRST to comment. (Remember to also be genuine, thorough, etc.) That way, you can be more sure that you might get a reply if you want one.

6. Be courteous and/or nicely agree to disagree if you must
A blogger who wrote a post on a certain possibly controversial topic will likely not care that you, one of maybe a few of her readers who cared to comment, didn’t agree. So nicely and courteously bring up your questions or comments. As Guy Kawasaki’s put it, be nice or shut up.


     NO: “This is so unfair! Don’t you remember that Representative Smith actually created a bill to prohibit people in hospitals from eating sandwiches a long time ago? He’s such a flip-flopper! I guess you ignored this fact and instead decided to write about how amazing he is now even though he changed his mind super quickly, right? You’re lame.”
     YES: “I see what you mean. This was an interesting post on Representative Smith and it certainly taught me a lot that I hadn’t considered before. However, I do remember that time when he created a bill to prohibit people in hospitals from eating sandwiches. So I hope you understand that I’m a bit hesitant about his newfound support for sandwiches in hospitals and why it seems fake.
     Keep up the good insights. XO, Jane. <Link>”

7. Your comment has to RELATE!
Again, this has to do w/almost ALL of the tips I included above and it’s perhaps the most important tip. However, making your comment relate isn’t enough. You must also, like I’ve said earlier, make it relevant and interesting. Don’t be a troll. Be genuine!

     NO: “Cool outfit!” [If the original post is about fashion, then this comment would totally relate to it. BUT how trolly and spammy is it? Way trolly and spammy.]
     YES: “What a cool outfit! I especially love how your bag matches your nail polish. I always try to make parts of my outfit match like that, but I’m sometimes concerned it could look matchy matchy, you know? So I try to keep my matching to a minimum. But your posts are always so inspirational and they give me wonderful ideas. You look very well put-together. Thanks and keep it up!
     XO, Jane <Link>”

Hope this guide helped you learn a thing or two about properly commenting on blogs, and that they will help you become a top commenter and get more replies. In sum, simply make sure to KEEP THE GOLDEN RULE IN MIND and KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING with your comment!

Again, feel free to leave a comment and/or contact me if you have any Qs, and hope you enjoyed this!