Many people think of commenting as a way of responding to updates on social media. And this is certainly the case for the majority of interactions.
However, you can change your mindset slightly for how you can market your business by setting up a commenting marketing strategy.
What is a commenting marketing strategy?
It's similar to a content marketing strategy. Instead of writing a series of posts, you comment on the latest posts of relevant and high-ranking blogs.
Consistent quality comments help towards brand recognition and more visitors to your blog and social profile. It also helps to establish yourself as a thought-leader or go-to-person for particular subjects or products.
Searching out suitable posts to comment on enables you to keep abreast of the latest trends. You can also spread your presence and expertise throughout a wider plain than your own blog.
What do you want to gain?
It's always a good idea to have a goal when partaking in any marketing strategy, let alone a commenting one.
The main objectives could be to increase traffic to your website, or position yourself in front of an influencers you wish to interact with. It's also useful if you want to guest post in a particular blog. Commenting on posts and interacting on the author's social media profiles will help draw attention to you for the right reasons.
Another goal could be to spread the word about your business. This should be done where your ideal customers are mostly likely to be. However, this is not an excuse to promote, but to offer added value in relation to your product or services.
It's all about them, not you
Remember to focus on who will read your comment. And also be very much aware of the author of the post. A comment is not somewhere you mention yourself, unless you want to tell a story that is relevant and relates to the topic.
Commenting can be seen as a form of networking. You have the chance to get in front of a potential target market. Here you can create a common ground by showing appreciation and connecting with the subject in question.
Take the opportunity to offer a different perspective to the conversation. What can you say that will make people think? How can you make your point of view more memorable?
Venture further abroad
A commenting marketing strategy requires a good list of posting opportunities. It's a good idea to spend some time researching into suitable blogs and publishing directories. Look at their Domain Authorities and check the activity of readers and commenters, as well as the quality of the posts.
Do some research on the blogs' authors. Check out their social profiles to see how active they are and what kind of followers they have. You could even engage with them there about their most recent posts.
Once you've accrued your preferred list of blogs, subscribe to their RSS feeds or search them out on feed readers. This is so you can keep an eye on whenever they publish, and be the first in the queue to comment. Commenting early elevates your presence and gets you noticed by the authors.
Become familiar through consistency
One of the purposes of a commenting marketing strategy is to get noticed by your ideal clients, or by influential people who you could work with.
The best way is to be consistent with your commenting activities. Finding an excellent blog filled with extremely appropriate content will make it easier to regularly visit it to read and comment whenever new material appears.
It is this regularity that will earn you respect from the blog's author, readers and commenters. Produce constructive comments that add value and are worth reading. Then those associated with the blog will learn to look forward to your contributions.
Look for popularity
A blog that has a lot of readers, and ultimately commenters, is a good place to start commenting. However, in very popular blogs it is wise to have your strategy set up so you are one of the first to comment. Otherwise your words of wisdom may get drowned out.
These successful blogs give your comments a chance to get in front of a lot of readers. So make sure your contribution is memorable by standing out. Could you deliver another slant to the conversation? Can you share your expertise that makes a difference to someone's life?
Alternatively you could search for blogs with good Domain Authorities and Page Rankings. These are likely to have big audiences, as well as come up in high in search results. They will also provide content that is worthy to fit into your commenting marketing strategy.
Be yourself
Remember, you are trying to earn respect and recognition. Therefore it is imperative you come across well. This means contributing to the conversation either delivered by the post or from the other commenters.
Develop a conversational style. Leave all your jargon at home. Note which words or language is used in the post and by the other comments, and deliver something similar. In other words, fit in.
It's worth showing some humanity, as this makes you more approachable. If the other readers can relate to what you say, your comment is much more likely to be read and appreciated. If you have a relevant story or anecdote, use it – but make sure it is short!
Good commenting tactics
Your comments will need to more than a mere acknowledgement. Really understand the subject, read the post and other comments thoroughly, and think of something helpful and forthcoming that contains genuine value to others who read it.
Think of a way to offer another perspective to the post's subject. What can you say that will make people think? Ask a question that could stimulate a discussion. Be brave and deliver a controversial concept that makes you memorable (for the right reasons).
Your commenting marketing strategy requires you to write a minimum of three sentences. Focus on the subject with an introduction, main point and a brief summary. Make sure what you write is meaningful, and if you offer an alternative opinion, back it up with evidence or a good explanation.
Avoidable commenting traits
Be respectful to other people's views. Never undermine the author or another commenter. Inappropriate comments, usually delivered in anger or disgust, will scupper any preconceived notions of networking, not to mention getting yourself classed as a troll.
Comments are not a vehicle for self-promotion. The commenting box is not a free space to advertise your business. If you want to refer to your business in any way, make sure you offer advice that adds to the conversation, or share your knowledge that could help someone. If you make a good enough impression, you will be sought out through the link behind your name.
And avoid getting carried away and writing too much! Treat a comment as a précis exercise and summarise your point of view as succinctly as possible. If you are inspired suddenly by the subject, go write your own post, and either link to the author or tell them about it on social media.
Measure your results
All good commenting marketing strategies require a method of understanding you're doing it correctly. This will depend upon your objectives, of course, so you need to set up a system that shows your results.
Does your analytics show which blog has delivered the most traffic because of your comments? Has anyone made contact because of a comment you have written? Have you gained more respect and recognition within the blogosphere?
Are you noticed by the blog's authors? Do they respond favourably within their replies? Have they asked you for guest posts? Have you made a connection with them on other social platforms?
Remember a commenting marketing strategy is a long-term affair, so don't expect any quick fixes (unless you are incredibly talented or lucky!).
Have you already got a commenting marketing strategy?
If so, please leave us some tips and tricks in the comments below. If you haven't, are you inspired to set one up and give it a go? Then come back and tell us all about it!
We would love to hear from you.
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A very elaborate post on the comment marketing strategy! Thanks for writing and sharing it.
Can you elaborate on how comment marketing impacts SEO?
Hi Praveen, thanks for commenting. I notice the page you linked to was about content marketing. Interestingly I am in the middle of creating a course about how commenting marketing is more efficient than content marketing.
Anyhow, your request about commenting and SEO. I wrote a post about this: https://www.thecommentingclub.co.uk/commenting-affects-seo/
Basically commenting creates acceptable links back to your blog or a specific post on your blog that’s relevant to the post you commented on. The more you comment on relevant blogs will draw attention from the search engines, especially if you are canny and use the same keywords as the post in your comment. And if your comment contains more relevant content the search engines prefer to index, it has a high chance of showing up in search results over the post.
Very joyful post. I just stumble upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. Please keep it up.
Thank you Matt for your comment. Do you incorporate commenting within your marketing strategy?
Hello, Alice!
Do you know if there are any other platforms where comment marketing can work? I’ve noticed that it is fairly easy to get a viral tweet by replying to someone else’s post on Twitter. Also, how long do you think it takes for a marketer to experience “success” with a comment marketing campaign? Would it be longer than the usual content marketing campaign?
Thanks Dallas for your comment. Commenting does take longer on blogs than on social media, but the focus is for the long term and building relationships with your readers and followers. The more you engage and interact with them, they will learn to know, like and trust you. These three attributes are vital for relationship building, leading onto loyalty, advocacy and referrals, which have much better results than a quick conversation on social media which amounts to nothing.
Great post. Articles that have meaningful and insightful comments are more enjoyable, at least to me. It’s interesting to read what other people thought and how it relates to them or their clients, as their perspective could possibly help you in the future.
Hi Naval, you are quite right. Gaining feedback from your readers is vital towards helping them as well as the people you are writing for in your marketing strategies.
I would suggest automating as your primary strategy. Also delegation and/or outsourcing. There’s never enough hours in the day so you need to be strategic in how you allocate your peak hours.
Hi Roselle, that’s a bit stand-offish! Surely any commenting as a marketing strategy should come from an individual involved with your business, and not be delegated to someone who knows nothing about what you do? It is the personality as well as the relevance which will shine through.
Social Media marketing is very important for online business. Along with Social Media Marketing you can also utilize SEO and email marketing to get benefits of growth in your business.
Thank you for your comment Custom Packaging Boxes, but this post was about a Commenting Marketing Strategy, not Social Media Marketing. I get the impression you actually didn’t read this post before commenting – I’m right, aren’t I?
Knowledgeable post about commenting on marketing. I had never read about commenting marketing but this information helps me to get to know about it.
Thank you Olivia for commenting. Commenting marketing strategy is my own idea. It is part of a course I am putting together to explain it to a wider audience.
Social media marketing strategy is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach prospects and customers. Your customers are already interacting with brands through social media, and if you’re not speaking directly to your audience through social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, you’re missing out! Great marketing on social media can bring remarkable success to your business, creating devoted brand advocates and even driving leads and sales.
I agree Karan. However this post is about a commenting marketing strategy, which also incorporates social media. Many people use social media as a promotional tool, when ideally it should be used socially (the clue is in the name) which involves having conversations about things of interest, not plugging websites or businesses. This is why I have offered a commenting marketing strategy to educate people in communications rather than cold selling.
Social media marketing strategy is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach prospects and customers. Your customers are already interacting with brands through social media, and if you’re not speaking directly to your audience through social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, you’re missing out! Great marketing on social media can bring remarkable success to your business, creating devoted brand advocates and even driving leads and sales.
Thank you Arjun for your comment. However, this post was about a commenting marketing strategy, not a social media one. I suggest you read posts carefully before commenting, or else you will look a fool for saying the wrong thing in your comments.
Really Nice Article. I recently came across your blog and must say that you have given some excellent information.
Your “Commenting marketing” idea is fantastic. I believe that if we follow these instructions, we will be able to achieve excellent results quickly. The subject has been thoroughly covered. It addressed all of my questions.
Thank you Sarah for your comment. I’m glad you like my commenting marketing idea. I am in the middle of creating an online course on that particular subject.
Which questions did you have which I managed to cover? I would like to know so I can focus more on them.
This is something new for marketing strategy that I have learn today. Thanks for sharing the information that help a lot. Subscribed your blog.
Thank you Riya for your comment and I’m glad you learned something new. Could you tell me what specifically what you learned that was new?
Helpful reading and got some impressive words through this posting! I have pleased to read the entirety of the post as mentioned above in detail. Thank you so much and keep posting things like this!
You’re welcome James.
Commenting could be one of the best way for marketing purpose. You have described it well. Subscribed your blog.
Why, thank you IVR Solution.
Thank you for sharing with us this market strategy, this article help lots of people to upgrade their knowledge and strategy
Thank you PugMarker Solutions. Which part of my marketing strategy did you most approve of?
commenting what you feel and being yourself is the greatest strategy
Thank you Geneva. However, if you are commenting for business purposes, you will have to be careful when you comment how you feel. You really need to focus on how your readers feel if you want to gain their attention.
Mindset is very important when comment marketing. At the core of your comment marketing is the mindset of providing value first and foremost. Making sure that your comment has something that will help the readers will surely help you with your goal whether you’re doing it for traffic, authority, etc.
Thank you Deaara for your comment. You are quite right, it is important to provide something which helps others in your comments. How do you adjust your mindset when it comes to commenting?
The post is very helpful for me, I will definitely follow your strategy.
Thank you
Thank you UpperKey, and I hope you are successful.
Really love this one! The way you explained about it makes me understand properly.
Thank you Michael, I’m glad you understand it properly. I have also written a Kindle book about this subject: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BKWJT3SX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
The information shared is extremely helpful! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome IT Infrastructure Setup. Did you see I’ve written a Kindle book about this now?
A marketing strategy is essential if you want to take advantage of the trends with the highest return on investment for 2023—short videos, influencer marketing, and branded social media. You must carefully incorporate new trends and tried-and-true tactics into your plan to achieve significant results.
Exactly Henry, which is why I wrote a book about this subject: https://www.thecommentingclub.co.uk/cms-book/
Interesting blog post and very relevant. I think your strategies would go “hand in glove” with an ensuite of software marketing tools. Thanks again for sharing.
Thank you for your comment Paul. Which software marketing tools do you have in mind? I have written a book about this already: https://www.thecommentingclub.co.uk/cms-book
Great post on the importance of commenting as a marketing strategy! Here are some actionable tips for businesses to effectively use commenting as part of their marketing efforts:
Research relevant websites and blogs: Identify websites and blogs within your niche and target audience. This will help you find relevant opportunities for commenting and increase the likelihood that your comments will be read and acted upon.
Provide value: Focus on providing valuable and insightful comments that add to the conversation. This will increase the chances that other users will engage with your comments and view you as a thought leader in your industry.
Build relationships: Use commenting as an opportunity to build relationships with other users, influencers, and potential customers. Respond to comments on your own posts and engage with others’ posts to foster a sense of community and establish your brand as a leader in your field.
Optimize your profile: Optimize your profile on the websites and blogs where you comment by including a professional headshot, a brief bio, and a link to your website or social media profiles.
Track and measure results: Use tools such as Google Analytics to track the traffic and engagement generated from your comments. This will help you measure the success of your commenting strategy and make data-driven decisions about where to focus your efforts in the future.
By following these tips, businesses can effectively use commenting as part of their marketing strategy to increase brand exposure, build relationships, and drive traffic and engagement to their website.
Thank you Steve, but isn’t this what I’ve already said in my post? The best comments are those which don’t repeat what’s in the post, but provide value by adding something different or in addition.
Thanks for the great info on starting a blog. I am about to set up a blog that will be mostly political commentary. I also have numerous papers and presentations I have written over the years that I would like to post and make accessible to visitors, apart from my periodic blogging. Do you have advice as to how I can upload them on separate pages?
Hi Naval, each post on a blog is a separate page, each with its own web address, so you could easily publish your papers and presentations on there and then send people the URL so they can read them individually.
These should be separated from your other blog posts within a specific category (or categories), so people can access them in once place, and this also helps with the search criteria on your blog.
Hi Alice,
Great post. And thank you for reminding the power of the commenting system. Blog comments were once the hot cake of the blogosphere, but due to the SPAM factor involved with-in blog comments – several blogs started disabling this.
But I’m still a fan of blog commenting. This lets me get introduced to a well-established blogger or even an influencer. It’s definitely an art to write epic blog comments and build solid relationships with fellow bloggers.
Thank you Shyam. Yes, you’re right, you can use commenting to introduce yourself to important people, as well as providing help and assistance to others.