Comment On This Blog

Is posting comments on news sites, blogs, people’s Facebook pages, or group discussions a useful strategy to promote your book and your brand? The question tends to come about when people are looking for a cost-free approach to publicity and marketing.

The answer is a potential yes with two caveats: 1. If you don’t post comments what else could you do that is better? 2. The price may be free of money, but it is not free of your time. How much time do you want to put into this strategy?

Posting comments can be useful to you if:

1.      You post on relevant sites, in a timely fashion, and on a regular basis.

2.      Your posts are interesting and not obviously self-serving.

3.      You post and move on and avoid long exchanges and digital debates, for they will suck your time.

4.      You are respectful in your tone and language and seek to share ideas -- -not just rant, criticize or complain.

5.      Find a tactful way to share and help come off as a thought leader, and add a unique voice to the mix.

6.      You think of the comment as an audition for a great blog post.

7.      Tend to praise the host site or blog – obviously you want to win over his or her readers so to argue with them is counter-productive.

So how would you go about leaving a comment? First, come up with a list of blogs and sites that you want to post a comment on. They should be relevant to your book or career, or subject matter that you are an expert on. Get a feel for the editorial voice of the blog by reading it and skimming the comments posted. Then join the fray.

A few words to guide you:

·         Don’t post the same comment on multiple sites.

·         Keep the comment short – a few sentences will do.

·         Don’t come off like a commercial; instead, offer advice, an opinion, praise, or raise a relevant question.

·         Post 3 to 5 comments per day – each one should only take you a few minutes.

·         Rotate the blogs you post comments to, but try to hit the same ones once a week.

·         You can include a link to your site or your blog post but only do so if it can be made relevant. Never, ever try to sell anything in the comments section.

As with any marketing strategy, experiment and see what happens after doing this for several weeks. Lastly, you can contact each blog where you leave comments and suggest you would love for the opportunity to guest-blog on their site to further expand on the comment that you posted. More than a few will take you up on the offer.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person.