When you finally hit “Publish” after pouring your heart and soul into your latest blog post, you’re still not done. Writing is half the battle on the way to success – promoting is the other essential half.
One of the most important steps in promoting your blog posts and also in building a community is knowing when to leave comments on other bloggers’ posts.
Why to Leave Comments on Other Bloggers’ Posts
Leaving comments is a time-consuming process, so you may be wondering if it’s worth the time and effort.
The reason as to why to leave comments on other bloggers’ posts is because it sparks the connection between you and another blogger. It’s the first step in networking and potentially creating a new brand advocate for your own blog.
A thoughtful comment may in turn create a blog comment response on your own blog. If they didn’t know of you before, they definitely will after the start of this process.
Comments are the social currency of bloggers! You’ve got to earn them to get them.
How to Leave Comments on Other Bloggers’ Posts
Follow your Favorite Bloggers on Bloglovin’
Create a dashboard that’s easy to use and keep up with by using a tool like Bloglovin’. Bloglovin’ is like a social network for bloggers. You create your own profile, attach your blog via RSS to automatically populate new posts, and find other bloggers to follow.
I use this tool to both keep up with my favorite bloggers and also to follow bloggers relevant to my topic and niche. There’s a mobile app so you can stay up to date on the go!
Another tool you could use for this with many customization and organization options is Feedly, or your favorite RSS reader.
Join Blogger Facebook Groups
There are a number of Facebook groups with daily or weekly comment threads and other blog promotional opportunities. You can use these both to leave comments on other bloggers’ posts as well as find other bloggers who will help you get comments on your own posts!
- Brave Entrepreneurs
- Blog + Biz BFFS
- Freelance to Freedom Project
- Freedom Hacker’s Mastermind
- Bloggers Supporting Bloggers
- The Blog Loft
- Blogging Boost
- Grow Your Blog + Biz
- The Badass Solopreneur Society
Some of these groups have a focus on entrepreneurs and freelancers, but do support social shares and have blog commenting threads. Join the ones that make the most sense for you and your blog.
If your blog is hyperlocal, do a Facebook search to find groups specific to your area. If your blog is about a very specific niche, you may also be able to find an existing group that supports your niche!
Each group usually has its own rules, but here are some general things to keep in mind:
If you want comments, you need to be giving them as well. In fact, if you’re just asking for comments or post shares and not reciprocating, you could be banned from the group!
You may not always have time to read complete posts, but try to read enough to leave an insightful comment. The blogger may be more likely to reciprocate if they think you spent genuine time on their post.
As long as you keep those two things in mind, you’ll be well on your way to building your blog and your connections in the blogging world.
Are there any other tips you have to leave comments on other bloggers’ posts? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
This post is spot on Maddy! Great work!