Blog Etiquette & Commenting: They go hand in hand

"When you write comments on other people's blogs, is it okay to include a link to your own blog? If not, what's an acceptable way to give your blog URL?" Cheryl in Santa Clara asked in our Law of Action 2.0 program.

Recently several people have commented on this blog leaving their blog addresses and referring to their own posts on their own blogs. I had to go in and edit them in cases where I felt they were using the comments section primarily to market their own stuff.

I had a hard time deciding and each comment needs to be discerned on the basis of the intention.

Look at it this way: if you were having a conversation with someone at a party, would you jump right in, start talking about your own stuff, tell everyone why they should go read your post, turn around and leave? Would you think that would be smart and effective?

This is a great question Cheryl asks and there are no easy answers. Here are some smart ways to use comments on other blogs:

1. Make sure you write something meaningful in the body of your comment
2. Don't just say 'nice post' then start talking about yourself and your stuff
3. Contribute something new to the conversation
4. Stimulate readers to think and stir things up if you can
5. Always be respectful but don't hesitate to express a different viewpoint
6. Leave your real name, real email, and blog URL in the comments section where you are asked for them
7. If you can, sign your name with your business branding: Patsi, aka The Blog Squad

If what you have to say is interesting and people want to know more about you and what you have to say, they will click on your name and be taken to the url you've indicated as you signed up to make the comment.

You don't need to blatantly talk about your blog and give the URL in the body of the post. That's overkill.

However, Denise suggests that if you've recently written about the topic you are commenting on, then in that case, it is appropriate to give that link. Put the emphasis on what you have to say in the post, however, so that you really want to add to the conversation, not just drive traffic back to your site.

Remember, when you comment on someone else's blog, you're a guest at their party. They own the site and can moderate, edit, and delete your post if they don't like it.

Comments

[Mimi]

This is really sound advice. As a new blogger I have broken some of the unspoken rules but I am really passionate about what I write about. I guess using your analogy, it would be like walking into a party and shouting out "check me out" before even getting to know anyone or saying anything meaningful. Thank you for this post! Mimi