aliceelliott

Relevance in commenting

In social media irrelevance doesn't matter. Real-time conversations are so diverse and fluid, whatever is said, goes.
But in blogs this is a different case. As they are presented individually, a comment which fails in being relevant sticks out like a sore thumb.

Proactive and reactive commenters

It may seem a bit of a generalisation to say there are only two kinds of commenters, proactive and reactive, but if you take time to analyse how people engage on social media and blogs, you'll soon see what I mean.

Purpose of engaging

But until you understand the purpose of engagement online, you probably won't do this as much as you should. Until you know why you should be doing it and become aware of the benefits it can bring to you or your business. Any function becomes more meaningful once the full implications of doing it is better understood. 

Boosting your reputation

Write a rubbish comment, and you've scuppered your chances of getting noticed and appreciated for who you really are. Whereas if you bothered to spend time composing a response which is worthy, useful, relevant and memorable, your reputation stakes will have already taken an upward trend.

Stand out from the crowd

You will want your comment to be noticed, especially if you want it read and responded to. Otherwise what is the point of writing it? It needs to stand out from the crowd above all the usual humdrum engagement: likes, emojis, even moving gifs if you want to get your point across.

Vocabulary with commenting

It necessary to understand why vocabulary is important when doing any kind of writing, not just commenting. You will have lost if you haven't been able to convey your meaning correctly. And if you write gobbledegook, what good will that do for anybody?

Engaging with the right people

If you receive comments on your blog or social updates, these are real interactions from people, without being generated from algorithms and search engines, which could be considered as empty stats.

Authority and Influence

Anyone can learn how to gain authority and influence, it isn't a mysterious dark art. However, this isn't something which can be handed to you on a plate. You'll have to work at it.

A sense of community

A sense of community is getting your readers to start to work for you, as well as you working for them. Blogs which become a community are far more active, sociable and popular. They are also more likely to get noticed and provide personal satisfaction for all concerned.

Research into your competitors

How to use commenting, especially in the form of social listening, to find out more about what your customers think about you and your competitors.