Written By Henri Junttila46 Vibrant Responses

Your Guide to Comments That Get Noticed

Commanding Influence: Build A Strong Online Presence
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This is a guest post by Henri Junttila. If you're interested in getting in front of the readers of Site Sketch 101, check out the guest posting guidelines here.

When your blog is new, no one wants to hang out with you, but this can be turned around. You too can become the popular kid by knowing how to leave awesome comments that get noticed. If you have your own blog, and you get comments, you know what you like to see and what you want to avoid.

I don’t know about you, but getting those weird comments with horrible grammar and a link to you know what isn’t something I like to see. Leaving thoughtful and remarkable comments is easy, because we all have something to say.

How often have you had things in mind that you wanted say but once you read the whole article you somehow forgot it all?

3 Bullet-Proof Tips to Make Your Comments Stand Out

The tips I am about to share with you are so mind-blowingly simple that you’d think they were written by one of those not-so-bright children that picks their nose and makes faces at you for hours (if you’re reading this, I’m going to get you one day). That said, here’s your bullet-proof vest:

  1. Take notes. What I do is I keep a notepad window open when I’m reading a post and I jot down anything that comes to mind, because sometimes when you’re reading one of those gigantic 2,000 word posts, you just can’t remember everything you wanted to talk about once you get to the end. Write down your ideas as you go, it will be much easier, I promise you that!
  2. Be you. Speak your mind and don’t be shy about injecting some of your weird humor into your comment. Even if most people don’t know what you’re talking about, at least you have a personality, compared to the other “hey, nice post!” drones. You know who you are! Stop it.
  3. Be wise. When you write a comment, think about what kind of comments you would like to see on your blog. Do you really think you can get away with a half-assed comment? Bloggers are (usually) smart and they know when someone is just trying to get traffic by commenting. It doesn’t have to be hard to be remarkable, all you have to do is be yourself.

Comments, Comments, Comments

When I started my blog, I went crazy with comments. I subscribed to all the blogs that I was interested in and started commenting on their latest posts. I made my best effort to leave amazing comments and it paid off. I made an impression on a lot of bloggers and they in turn came to check out my blog to comment, which was awesome, since I had no friends at that time.

As you can see, leaving remarkable comments is relatively straight-forward. I know you have thoughts running through your head right now on what’s right and what’s wrong. You’re torturing yourself for no reason at all.

The next step is to start commenting just a little bit more on the blogs you like, and implement the tips I gave you. Commenting is an awesome strategy to get your blog off the ground and make new connections, so use it well. Now go make some friends.

Henri Junttila

Henri Junttila is an amazing freelance blogger, who also runs the Wake Up Cloud, a blog about self improvement for conscious people. If you want more life-changing tips, subscribe to his feed now. Henri Junttila has 1 post(s) at Site Sketch 101

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44 Vibrant Comments

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  1. January 20, 2010

    Eric B. said:

    Awesome post, Henri!

    I too, find that I can often tell when people are commenting just to get a link to their site. But at least they’re often sort of related to the content of the post. I usually delete comments that are simply “great post” like if they’re spam.

    Like I said in a comment on another post: If you’re commenting just to get a link to your site, at least try to make it look like you read the post. Even if you just read the title.
    My Latest Blog Post: Hack Your Own Site

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    • January 20, 2010

      Henri Junttila said:

      I completely agree. I don’t delete the great post ones though. I’m still unsure of if I should start doing that. I believe in the freedom of comment-speech even if people aren’t good at it ;)

      However, if it starts getting out of hand and everyone’s saying great post and nothing more, I might start taking action, but it’s one of those 80/20 actions that doesn’t really yield a lot of results but can waste a lot of your time.
      My Latest Blog Post: How to Be Successful Online: Eliminate and Discriminate

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      • February 1, 2010

        Derek Jensen said:

        But, do you think that having those comments in your discussion that do not add to your discussion and are just self promotion bog down the activity that could continue to happen in the comments?

        I find it that there are more ’spammers’ in blogs that help bloggers or others trying to succeed at something rather than blogs that either tell life stories or provide tips to provide tips.

        Reply to this Comment

  2. January 20, 2010

    Don Gilbert said:

    Great post – keep it up. I have recently discovered your blog because of a guest post over at Blogussion, and I haven’t found anything to dislike.

    I have never thought about having a notepad window open, which is probably better than just scrolling all the way down and editing your comment as you read through the post – as I usually do. Thanks for the tip!
    My Latest Blog Post: Top 10 Tips to Dominate Your Niche for SEO

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  3. January 20, 2010

    Ileane @Blogging said:

    Hi Henri, nice seeing you here. Nicholas is lucky to have you. It’s funny that you and I met while leaving comments on Jordan’s (@notaproblog) UStream. That has to be the ultimate form of commenting – live interaction with someone on UStream. Jordan was fun too because he didn’t mind all of our sidebar conversations.
    Interaction through commenting is the primary reason to have a blog instead of just having a website. It gives your blog personality.

    Thanks for the chat.
    My Latest Blog Post: Say Goodbye to Family, Friends and A Good Night’s Sleep!

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  4. January 20, 2010

    Lee Ka Hoong said:

    Henri Junttila, I’ve seen your guest post in few other blogs, all of them were great! I wonder when do you want to submit a guest post to my blog too, lol! Just kidding…

    I’ve recently written a blog post about blog branding, I’ve stated that blog commenting is one of the ways to build our brand as well. Blog commenting definitely would bring countless advantage to our blog if we do it the right way. Spam comment is a no no attitude, try to be real human and leave genuine comment, that would bring your blog to the next level.

    Nice post Henri!

    Best Regards,
    Lee

    Reply to this Comment

    • January 20, 2010

      Henri Junttila said:

      Heya Lee,

      Well you never know. Keep blogging and I might just send a guest post your way. It looks like you’re doing a lot of things right, so keep keeping on and you’ll rock it for sure.

      Leaving genuine comments has definitely been a big boost to my blog in the beginning when no one even knew who I was. Jump in and start interacting with your community!
      My Latest Blog Post: How to Be Successful Online: Eliminate and Discriminate

      Reply to this Comment

  5. January 20, 2010

    Jordan Cooper said:

    Ok, so I got my notepad window open right now. Let me see what I jotted down while reading your post…

    Drivel.
    Hogwash.
    Blather.
    Awesome anchor text.
    Tripe.
    Rubbish.
    Nonsense.

    You’re right, Henri. This helps me out so much!
    My Latest Blog Post: Hope For Haiti is No Laughing Matter

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  6. January 20, 2010

    Brandon Cox said:

    I think of this in a similar way to conversation offline. If a friend tells you some cool story about meeting the President or something and you respond with “Nice story,” it’s a little insulting.

    Good content demands more – it demands an actual response of an engaged mind.

    Nice post. ;)
    My Latest Blog Post: One Cool Way to Grab My Attention

    Reply to this Comment

  7. January 20, 2010

    Davor Gasparevic @ Internet marketing ebooks said:

    I am often trying to make a “full-grown” comment.

    If I have nothing else to say but:”Wow, nice post!”, I won’t even bother to do that, because either that kind of comment won’t be approved, or if that comment even gets approved, then I simply know nobody would be interesting in reading all the “wow”-s and “good post!”-s.

    I would also add that sometimes it’s great to ask an additional question or more questions in the comment, which then creates a flow of answers and opinions, and that creates a certain focus around you, because I myself feel the urge to reply to a question someone asks (if I know the answer of course, or have my point of view)
    My Latest Blog Post: 13 Deadly List Building Mistakes

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  8. January 20, 2010

    Gabe | freebloghelp.com said:

    Be you is so powerful yet so underestimated. This is usually the biggest differentiator between one blog and another in the same niche.

    Bloggers who fail to create a brand identity will surely get lost in the mix.
    My Latest Blog Post: Stop struggling — 54 article ideas for ANY niche

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  9. January 20, 2010

    Jeff Young said:

    Henri,

    Thanks for this article. Very pertinent. I LOVE the suggestion to use notepad as you read. As a matter of fact, I am doing so right now! And you are right… it does help a lot.

    You know, I find that often my problem is not with making intelligent comments. It’s finding the time to read all the blogs that I want to read! I feel like my Google Reader is bloated. Too much there and too much to track. And that really slows down my reading.

    I don’t know about your other readers, but I would really like to hear your thoughts on effective ways to keep up with the blogs you want to keep up with. Is there a good way to keep Google Reader well-organized?

    Thanks again for a great post! I look forward to many more!

    Jeff

    Reply to this Comment

  10. January 20, 2010

    Kok Siong Chen said:

    Absolutely! Commenting can really help us to promote our blog and even get noticed from other bloggers too. Commenting is my routine activity now. However, i think i should start to learn how to leave a quality comment now. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply to this Comment

  11. January 20, 2010

    Teen Blogger said:

    Nice post.

    I think commenting is definatly a great way to exposure yourself and build credibilty. It’s a great way to get your name known. Commenting is a must for every webmaster as it also has many other benefits.

    Reply to this Comment

  12. January 20, 2010

    Glen said:

    I would never ever have thought of taking notes while I read a post. It’s a great idea though.

    So many times when I have finished reading something and then went to comment by the time I get past all the other comments I can’t even remember what I wanted to know..

    Reply to this Comment

  13. January 20, 2010

    Matt S said:

    I really, and I mean REALLY, love the idea of the “notepad window”. Like everything else in this post, it screams “commons sense”…but that’s what makes it brilliant.

    I generally find myself, when commenting on a blog, continually scrolling back up to “remember” what I wanted to say. Or, more likely, I end up leaving a bunch of comments – I’ll leave the first one, hit submit, and then say “Oh, man…I forgot I wanted to also talk about THAT…” and then leave another comment. You can ask Matt of Life Without Pants about my tendency to to do that.

    Reply to this Comment

  14. January 21, 2010

    Keith said:

    When I started my latest blog, I was commenting on the sites in that niche for weeks before it launched, the result: I got plenty of comments from the first post on.

    I really is amazing what you can do with some good comment techniques and site promotion.

    The problem is too many bloggers/webmasters think that comment links are some part of SEO. They are not in my opinion. The value of those links comes in the advertising/promotional value, not in a backlink. Comment links are literally worthless for building rankings in my opinion.

    Nice read Henri, headed over to your blog now…
    My Latest Blog Post: Why Blog For Business

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  15. January 21, 2010

    Shane said:

    Solid guide on commenting. :)
    I’ve got to say that you seem to be doing a good job of leaving many good comments, since I’ve noticed you on quite a few blogs already.

    Cheers,
    Shane
    My Latest Blog Post: Interview with List-Building Virtuoso Jonathan Gunson

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  16. January 21, 2010

    David Enders, D.C. said:

    Henri:

    First a confession – this is the first time I have read one of your blogs. For some of us blogging does not come naturally, I know some of my first blog comments were not very good. But by reading what and how others commented I have been able to improve on my skills.

    Taking notes is a great idea. Because I am not a very good speller, I type all my comments in Microsoft Word, and then copy and paste. At least everything will be spelled correctly, even if my comments are not earth-shaking. Now that I am blogging more, I have found that my spelling has improved.

    As for the weird part; that is what makes us all interesting.

    David

    Reply to this Comment

  17. January 24, 2010

    Karl Foxley said:

    Some great tips and this post really sits well with a post that Kelly recently wrote on our site.

    Kelly wrote about the importance of ’subscribing to comments’ as it allows you to follow-up with those that respond to your comment.

    There are so many sites where you see that someone has left a very insightful comment that people responded to with questions, only to find that the comment author does not come back to respond.

    If you leave a comment that encourages people to respond then you really NEED to know that a conversation has started; and nothing beats being a part of a conversation to make it easier for people to remember you.

    Regards,

    Karl
    My Latest Blog Post: Testing, Testing, Testing, Do Not Click

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    • January 25, 2010

      Nicholas Cardot said:

      Karl Foxley » That’s a good point. Responding to comments is very important. The best is when you get a group of people responding to each others comments and the author is part of the mix. Two way diolague is good. But when a whole group starts asking and answering questions then it takes it to a whole new level.

      Reply to this Comment

  18. January 24, 2010

    Shamim said:

    Yup! It’s true that, leaving a remarkable comment can give you lots of visitor from the site you commented. It not only make you distinct but also gives you an extra scope to think about something different.

    WOW! Wakeupcloud??? Well………
    My Latest Blog Post: Interested To Buy One Of The Best Cell Flip Phone Ever ?

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  19. January 24, 2010

    Tony said:

    Thanks for sharing!
    My Latest Blog Post: The Secret to Finding Better People to Follow on Twitter

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  20. January 25, 2010

    Self Improvement said:

    I like leaving comments just as much as bloggers like reading comments. It’s the lifeblood of blogs and I think it makes it much more fun. I like to leave good comments on sites that add to the discussion or is in relation to the topic. It adds value.
    My Latest Blog Post: How To Get More From Life This Instant

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    • January 25, 2010

      Shamim said:

      I love to read the comments too. Whenever i found any post is worth reading i read it and even i read all of the comments carefully that what the readers think about this post. Sometimes some crucial matter is found from these…….:D

      Reply to this Comment

  21. January 25, 2010

    dimi said:

    Funny to see how much longer the comments were on this post, wonder why ;)

    I will use the note taking tip though for sure, I often get so involved into what I am reading that I totally forget to make mental notes, so when it comes time to comment I don’t know what to say, and most times I don’t have time to go back and scan through the post to get reminded of the key points, so I just leave without leaving any comments at all, or something short, horrible I know!

    I do agree with you somewhat, leaving a very short comment could be seen as a cap out, and I am guilty of this I know most of us have done it, especially when we are in a hurry but we still want to leave a note, since we did enjoy your post and wanted to make sure you as the writer knows that.

    So I don’t think its always just for a link back to our site, but think of it more like a nod (social nod), “Hey good work, thanks for sharing” sort of nod.

    Thanks Henri!

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  22. January 26, 2010

    Nancy said:

    The notepad idea is really handy. I also use it when I’m attending webinars or reading email.

    Reply to this Comment

  23. February 1, 2010

    Mikkel ‘DaneBlogger’ Juhl said:

    I tried this notepad thing today. I was browsing some articles today. I don’t know how many words I was reading. But I ended up with a good solid text document with over 2000 words..

    Now this wasn’t one blog post, it was a whole series of 11 posts.. Very good stuff..

    So well I think it was vital, really helps me in the future..
    My Latest Blog Post: How to Construct Interviews That Rocks

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  24. February 1, 2010

    Ron Leyba said:

    Great share Henri. It is really essential to subscribe via email or rss feed on all blogs you love to follow.

    About the commenting to other blogs process, it really helps a lot when you are just starting to be seen on the blogosphere.

    Commenting is one of the easiest and cheapest way to socialize with other people and be seen on the blogging community.
    My Latest Blog Post: Sikat Ang Pinoy

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  25. February 6, 2010

    Robert Philcox said:

    Hi Heneri

    Just happened to stumble accross your blog earlier this morning.

    Don’t mean patronize but this blog kicks ass. I’ve been looking for a site like this to help out a bunch of guys at my Radio Station start blogging. They a little intimidated to get into it but with a couple of your posts I think they’ll dig it as much as I do.

    Cheers Bud,
    look forward to more
    My Latest Blog Post: The End

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    • February 6, 2010

      Nicholas Cardot said:

      Robert Philcox » I’m glad that you like the blog here. Henri is a pretty awesome guest author. He produces some rock-solid articles.

      Reply to this Comment

  26. February 6, 2010

    Allison Rizk said:

    The Notepad is a useful idea.

    I noticed that as I started leaving comments on other people’s posts, I’d get a lot more traffic to my blog routed from the comments section.

    Frankly, I’m a little shocked. Maybe my self-centered brain didn’t think people read other people’s comments. Just their own.

    What I’m learning is a lot more than I bargained for. There are so many interesting stories out there that I never would have taken the time to read. It’s very enriching.

    Well done!
    Allison
    My Latest Blog Post: ERIC LINDELL’s Festival of down-home BLUES!

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