Leaving meaningful Comments

First, let me get some "house"keeping out of the way.

•  responding to your own blog does not count for the competition, but it would be a wise idea in order to foster an open dialogue  between you and your audience, therefore encouraging others to continue to leave comments
  
• you can look back at past blog posts and give yourself retroactive credit for legitimate comments (see below) on the Blog Log g.sheet in order to increase your chances for the grand prize

As far as the competition is concerned, remember that we are all responsible for creating a nurturing and respectful environment in my class so we can all grow and thrive.   So I want to thank you all for continuing to find ways to support each other.  But we should keep in mind that fostering of respect doesn't just happen within the four walls of B-25.  Our online presence needs to continue with this.  So when commenting on others' blogs, again, I remind you...THINK first (is it true, helpful, inspiring, noteworthy, and kind?)  So if you choose not to participate in the competition, that's totally fine.  Maybe you just want to focus on your blog and finding your voice.  But let's remember to stay supportive for those who are wanting to participate.  Deal?  Ok, good.  I'm glad we agree ;-)

Click "Read More" below to see the advice!

RULES for Commenting in 2H:  (1) include your first name and last initial AND period  (2) meet some of the suggestions below.  


Now for ADVICE on how to leave comments on others' blogs:
(source:  Problogger.com, Written on  11/20/2013   by  Darren Rowse)

• Be the Early Bird – earlier commenters will have their comments seen more than later commenters. However, being first on every single post can be a bit annoying.
• Share an Example – build upon the blog post with an example that illustrates what the blogger is saying.
• Add a Point – if there’s a point the blogger has missed, politely suggest it.
• Disagree – you may not want to do this on every comment you leave but courteously disagreeing and then adding constructive reasons why can make a good impression.
• Write with conviction, passion and personality – these things stand out and show you care about your comment.
• Use Humor – this can grab the attention of those scanning through comments.
• Ask a Question – I’ve long noticed that those who ask good questions often become the center of conversations in comments.
• Formatting Comments – be careful with this. Some commenting systems allow you to bold or italicise comments. But don’t go over the top here as it could look spammy. 
• Helpful Links – if you’re going to add a link make sure it is of high relevancy and value
• Comment Length – Are all the comments on a post long? Leave a short one – it’ll stand out. Are all the other comments short? Leave a long one – again, it’ll stand out.
• Lists/Break it down – think carefully about how your comment will look. Will it be just one big block of text? If so – consider breaking it into shorter paragraphs or even a list type format

One additional tip that I’ve used a number of times: when you leave a comment that you think adds a lot of value to a blog post – share a link to that post with your own social networks.  This shows the blogger that you’re not only willing to engage but promote their blog (which creates a great impression). It also has the side benefit of providing your followers with something useful to read (both the blog post and your comment) and shows them that you’re engaging beyond your blog which can only enhance your brand.

What to Avoid When Leaving Comments on Other Blogs 

1. Excessive use of Signatures – this practice was more common several years ago but it involves leaving a link to your blog IN your comment in addition to in the link field that bloggers allow you to link to your blog in.
2. Excessive Self Linking – only leave links that are relevant and not in every post you write.
3. One or Two word Comments – it’s ok to show some appreciation and say ‘great post’ – but more useful to the blogger is for you to tell them WHY you think it’s a great post. Add some value.
4. Not Reading Posts Before Commenting – this is pretty self explanatory. I would also advise reading through other comments already left!
5. Flaming and Personal Attack – not good form. If you disagree, be constructive.
6. ’Anonymous’ Flaming – if you have something to say, put your name to it.
7. Always Being First To Comment – I’ve seen a few people do this over the years and they’ve ended up annoying the blogger and other commenters. It’s not good manners to always be the one to say something… conversation is also about giving others room to speak.
8. Dominating Comment Threads – similar to #7, listen, allow others to contribute and let your comments bounce off them a little.
9. Not adding value to the Comments – Ultimately this one is what it is all about. If you’re adding value, you’ll get value back. If you add no value, you could be hurting your name and reputation.

One last thing to avoid – don’t comment just for the sake of commenting.

While leaving comments does have many benefits, I think that most people get into trouble with commenting when they are just going through the motions of leaving comments as a ‘strategy’ rather than leaving comments because they genuinely want to engage.

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