Last week as a gift to you, Patsi and I hosted a free Q&A teleseminar about business blogging (replay here if you missed it) and received dozens of excellent questions from newbie and advanced bloggers alike. One question was sent to us a couple of days ago and warrants a blog post and comment from you...Maria asks:
I have a question about commenting on other people's blogs. Sometimes I find a blog that deals with my topic (usually from a Google Alert). But then I look at the date of the blog post and see it's from one year ago. Or two years ago. Sometimes even from 4 months ago.
Do you see any benefit to posting a comment on an older post? Do you have a date cut-off as to what you will or will not comment on?
Excellent question and one I had not really ever considered. Blogging is about having conversations and interactions between the author and reader. I personally don't think the date of the blog post is relevant if the conversation is still relevant. In fact this may be a good opportunity to restart a previous conversation about a subject that may have evolved since the original date of the post.
The benefit to you, the commentor, is that you are engaging with the author. If the material is evergreen (not dated or expired), then the conversation is still worth pursuing. You may develop a new friend, colleague, partner or client just by taking that step to comment.
We frequently link to older posts as reference to new material. So we're not surprised when someone comments on older content. If there's value there, then it's worth having the conversation.
What say you? Any thoughts or ideas about commenting on "old" posts? Any reason NOT to comment or to have a cut off date for blog post comments?
you're last point is good - you can also provide updated info yourself, thus making you a valuable resource.
Posted by: Denise Wakeman | Monday, January 05, 2009 at 01:50 PM
Comment spam is usually pretty clear: "great post" "i lerned lots" -- lame stuff that creates no value. Those generally get deleted on this blog.
Posted by: Denise Wakeman | Monday, January 05, 2009 at 01:51 PM
I don't think the age of the post should matter. If it is a relevant topic and beneficial to others, then I'd say go for it ... especially if it will encourage more traffic. Relevant and beneficial information should never have a drop dead date if it still works!
Posted by: Terry Green | Monday, January 05, 2009 at 04:15 PM
I have wondered about that too. I usually comment if I think the material is timeless and relevant to what's on my mind.
Marcie
Posted by: Marcia Robinson | Monday, January 05, 2009 at 05:04 PM
Interesting response. I have often come across interesting posts and not commented because it was an old post.
Posted by: SEO Melbourne | Monday, January 05, 2009 at 11:29 PM
Denise, I am a new blogger- less than 60 days. And am learning a lot from comments old and new.
I like to see dates on posts so I know how recent it is. I want to find current topics and reply back.
However when I find an older post and even if my comment may not get read by many, if I have something I want to say-for myself- I will go ahead and comment, it is free practice for me.
Along theses lines and not completely related I just wrote a post( @ 2 am this morning): 13 Things To Learn About Commenting On Top Rated Blogs. It is a quick read.
I hope you have a look and comment back :)
I learned about your blog from my friend Jack Humphrey and am glad I did.
Posted by: Mark Ayers | Tuesday, January 06, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Hi! Some good info here. Thanks for answering my original question, Denise.
It's interesting that you mentioned spammers who comment on older posts. I've haven't had to deal with any spam comments... UNTIL this very week... on our current blog and on our old blog! Then we got two in a row, basically saying "Nice blog. I just started reading it. This is my first comment and I don't know what to say." It was signed a name and a URL to some website about foreclosures.
Since the business we work in has nothing to do with foreclosures or the housing industry (we do independent films), this seemed a little odd. And yet, it also feels odd to delete the comment! What if it is legit?
Posted by: Maria | Wednesday, January 07, 2009 at 01:14 PM
If it's the exact same comment on two different blogs (and it's the same I've seen on my own blogs as well!), it's spam. Hit the delete button.
Posted by: Denise Wakeman | Wednesday, January 07, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Personally, I love when someone has found one of my older posts and made a comment on it, for a couple of reasons. One, it shows me that even my older content can be impacting enough on someone to encourage them to write. Two, it tells me that my old posts are still being found in some fashion, and we all love our writings to acquire some legitimate longevity. I'll comment on an old post if I come across one myself; I can't find a single bad thing about it.
Posted by: Mitch | Thursday, January 08, 2009 at 10:43 PM
I comment on posts that I read so if the post is old and I read it then it is still important enough to make a comment. This is a great question and it leads to another question for me. Do you comment on posts that have tons of other comments?
I try to base my comments on how much my comment will contribute to the conversation. If I can add information to the conversation or have a question then I post.
I teach coaches how to grow and market their coaching business and I have learned so much about what my clients want by reading their posts. Comments help me know what material I need to include in my teaching.
Suzan Schmitt "Zee" The Coach Marketer
http://www.thecoachmarketer.com
Posted by: Zee | Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 06:17 PM