Commenting and guest posting are two subjects that never get old.
Why? Because they matter a lot.
And because they can make big changes in your blogging career.
I have seen a lot of bloggers talk about commenting and guest posting individually (and commenting before guest posting).
But, I have rarely read an article about commenting on your own guest posts (Yes, first you go write the post, then you are supposed to promote it, and wait for the feedback.
And once the feedback rolls in, you have to reply back.
Right? Of course.
But, those are just the basics.
We aren’t looking for the basics.
We are looking to build awesome relationships with those commentators (and drive them back to your blog!).
For that, you need to:
-
Reply to the comments you get (pretty basic!)
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Comment before you guest post
Commenting before guest posting establishes you as a familiar face within the community (At the same time, it helps you build a better relationship with the blog owner and his/her audience).
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Answer and ask further questions
For each comment you get, see how you can take the conversation even further (I know this seems like a time sucking activity and not a lot of people do it – Heck, I don’t do it either, for all my comments, because I don’t really like the time spend for replying to the comments I get through guest posting).
Ask further questions depending upon the comment. For instance: If the person agrees with you, ask them what made them to agree with them. Ask them whether they have considered the option of disagreeing (whether they thought about the other side).
If the person disagrees with you, ask them why (if it isn’t already mentioned). Ask them about their personal experiences relating to their decision (if they list any personal experiences, ask deeper questions regarding it).
Remember: No question is silly. Comments are conversations. You are talking to that person, so ask any question (of course, that is related) to the person.
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Thank the person
Thanking them is extremely important, because they aren’t your audience. Thank them for reading your post and commenting on it.
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Comment luv Links
In your discussions, you can also mention articles you wrote early and link them in comment luv (only do this, if it matters – don’t do it for the sake of link building). Use comment luv links, try to link to articles that are relateable to the comment. If you can’t find any, link to articles based on impression (You want the commentator impressed by the post, so link to those pillar posts!).
The Wrap?
Those are my thoughts, regarding commenting on your guest posts.
Other than that, nothing.
Just follow your normal commenting rules.
Be a real person, be honest.
Leave honest feedback.
Help others.
And help yourself 
So, what are your thoughts?
What do you do to improve your conversations on your guest posts?
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Hi Jeevan,
your strategy is similat to mine – firstly I make comments on someone’s blog and if the host respond on my comments and I have something to add from myself, I propose guest post.
Thanks for sharing,
Chris
Chris recently posted..Social Network Sites – Which One is The Best for Traffic?
Hey Chris,
Of course, we should always comment back if there is anything else we would like to add (don’t comment back for the sake of links).
Do you have a separate email address for managing commenting? I do that. Makes it easier to manage and keep track of comments.
Hi,
this really is very important, because this will gain your website more awareness. And blogging means helping others, so commenting is best way of helping your readers. So its good to do with your guest posts also.
Carlos recently posted..How to easily and securely move your data from one-host-to-another
Of course, replying means more exposure and more respect (and also better relationship).
Thank you for the comment, Carlos!
I require my guest posters to sign up for Livefyre and respond to comments on their articles at least for a period of time, I don’t specify but I like to see interaction and to see they do more but drive by article production.
Justin Germino recently posted..Windows 7 Tip: Create System Restore Point and Use System Restore
Of course, Justin. How is Livefyre working for you? I have seen you write about how good it is for you.
I was going to make the switch, then decided on Disqus, asked my readers and most of them told me they preferred WP comments (so, I am with the default one).
I get much less spam with Livefyre than I did with CommentLuv Premium even with it’s features, but I also get less legit commenters too overall. Still I like that I can post a comment and share that comment across my social media profiles at the same time and that it reads in comments from Facebook/Twitter into the post as well.
I am waiting for Livefyre 3 to release which also adds ability for users to upload pics and add formatting to comments and increase value significantly of comments. But I am also considering testing CommentLuv Premium again on the blog with the new feature which allows authors to post comments on other sites and get links back to their own author articles instead of default blog articles from my site which is a great feature to encourage writers to go comment and leave your site as source URL.
Justin Germino recently posted..Mass Slaughter is So Much Fun in Orcs Must Die! 2
Hi Jeevan,
Thanks for sharing the great post.
I tend to comment less as one policy I have been following lately is to not comment when I don’t have anything to say. I have tried leaving comments on other blogs just for promotion but that’s not for me.
On my own guest posts, I always reply to comments. However, after a week or so, I don’t check reply so much as it take a lot of time and I generally avoid email notifications to keep inbox clean.
You have really nice tips, retweeted.
Ishan recently posted..Attention Bloggers: Using “Free” Images Can Cost You $30,000
Hey Ishan,
No problem.
Agree, Ishan. I find it hard to comment when I don’t have anything to say (I just skip those posts and don’t add anything to it.
You should try using a separate email for commenting!
Anyways, thank you for your comment, Ishan!
Hi Jeevan,
thanks for sharing your insights. I love the idea of asking further questions because doing so engages people in a conversation which is helpful to build a relationship with them.
Be blessed
Oliver
Oliver Tausend recently posted..Do Network Marketing Companies Have A Predetermined Breaking Point ?
Hey Oliver,
No problem!
Of course, but we should never over do it (And we shouldn’t ever ask questions for the sake of it).
Thank you for stopping by, Oliver!
Thanks for these awesome tips. Using guest post always increase your link.
No problem. It’s not always about the links, but about the exposure and the relationships you get.
Thank you for the comment!
You have explained so well !!!
Building relationship through blog commenting helps us get more familiar with that blogger. Even, I love to learn new things related to blogging. Learning new things everyday helps me to be motivated and work according to it.. Your article is something different yet interesting..
Great POST !!
Dhruv Bhagat recently posted..Connect With Other Bloggers – Build Healthy Relationship
Hey Dhruv,
Thank you
Of course, learning is an essential part of it (and we all must be willing to learn). I am glad that learning motivates you.
Thank you for your comment, Dhruv!
Regular commenting is really a nice habbit but one have to be alert and possessive not to spam too much. Short and simple tactics dude. Thanks for sharing on Facebook.
Ashwani Ahlawat recently posted..3 Reasons Why Samsung Might Be Starting Its Own Facebook-like Service
Hey Ashwani,
Of course,
Simple – add value, build the relationship
We’re on the same wave length, Jeevan. I just wrote a post about social media takers and my #3 was about guest bloggers/ I particularly like your suggestion of commenting BEFORE. Our blogs are about building relationships not someone’s links.
Cathy Miller recently posted..Social Media Takers and How to Spot Them
Hey Cathy,
Glad you like it. Yes, commenting before guest posting allows us to build a prior relationship with the blog author and the audience (it also helps us to see what works in the blog, what the audience like , and what we should write about).
Thank you for the comment!
I think that these are good things to keep in mind. Sometimes I forget to try to continue a conversation or to comment before I ask to submit a guest post.
Hey Alicia,
It’s alright. It has happened to me too. You should try having a separate email for managing comments.
Jeevan Jacob John recently posted..Ultimate Challenge: Minimize Time, Maximize Work and Productivity
Hi Jeevan,
Commenting is the backbone of blogging! Leaving a good comment is what is so important when building relationships.
When I have a guest post, I like to comment with my guest post person. It is engagement that starts conversations. Some leave it up to the guest post blogger, but I feel if we have a guest on our blog, we should get involved in the conversation also.
Your post is full of very wise words and I agree.
Thank you,
Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted..My 100th Blog Party
Hey Donna,
Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, I agree (but unfortunately, I haven’t done that in the past, I should do it, when I open up guest posting for my current blog).
Thank you, Donna!
Well Jeevan, you know I’m going to agree with everything you shared here.
Although I don’t write a lot of guest posts, I’m usually a frequent visitor of the blog that I’m writing the post for so they’ve seen me around. As you know I respond to all comments whether it’s my blog or a guest post. That’s just being respectful of the commenter for taking the time to leave one.
When possible I do like to ask more questions. Just keep the conversation going and hopefully bring even more value to what they shared.
Great tips, great job and great post. Oh yeah!
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Excuse Me But I Am A Little Confused
Hi Triple J,
I comment on whatever I can respond to. As we become more busy we need to focus on business expanding activities.
Thanks!
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..Cash Gifting Training – Are You Selling a Dream?
Hi Jeevan
i like the tips, they are simple and to the point
i believe guest posts are among the most important methods for marketing a blog
fanstap recently posted..How to boost your Rss subscribers immediately
Your commenting strategy sounds quite good and I am surely gonna implement it.
nice & very unique tips, thanks to sharing very knowledgeable post. i like your efforts.
hi jeevan, well according to me comments are appreciations and encouragement to the authors. And helps us and them, the commentators can easily get traffic and backlinks… and you know we should not allow comments who just arrive for backlinks and traffic.
Rajkumar Jonnala recently posted..5 Important tips to increase your facebook Security
Hi Jeavan! your is so Wonderful. I appreciate, I like the idea of asking further questions because doing so engages people in a conversation which is helpful to build a relationship with them. Commenting is best way of helping your readers. So its good to do with your guest posts also.Well thanks to tell about it.
neha recently posted..Grade 10 – Science and Math Combo
Hey Jeevan,
Comments can be frustrating. It’s hard to find genuine commenters that are interested in the topic at hand and not the link back. When I get one the first thing I do is thank them but I also like to ask questions or probe for more information. It’s how we can get to know one another and learn, right?
Blessings,
Liz
Liz McGee recently posted..Drive Targeted Traffic To Your Website And Do It Without Google