If you saw a comment that said 'Nice post' on an article you had sweated blood and tears to write, how would you feel?
Pretty gutted, I suspect. This is not a suitable response to all your hard work. It shows little respect for you as a blogger, and a lack of imagination on the part of the commenter.
Trouble is, you may have readers who want to write sincere comments, but probably don't know how or what this entails.
This infographic will explain things better:
And here's some code you could paste into your own posts (via the text mode) if you want to share this Infographic with your readers.
Showing respect
Writing a reasonable amount in a comment is more respectful to the blogger. I know that for some people this can be a tall order. Many of them will be scratching their heads thinking what to say.
However, rather than merely telling them you appreciated their post, but perhaps you could tell them why? This is all valuable feedback to the blogger, who will want to know what they have done right so they can do more of it.
If you can't think why you were compelled to write a comment, perhaps you shouldn't write one at all! This may sound a little harsh, but the blogger would much prefer sincere comments than ones that are just noise for the sake of it.
A sense of duty
If you find commenting a pain or a chore, you shouldn't be doing it. Leave it until you feel that sudden urge to respond. Take a bit of time to really think about the post you've just read, to see if anything comes up from it.
Ideally commenting should be a result of an instantaneous desire to have your say. Your reasons for doing so should be totally in front of mind, such as agreeing or disagreeing, appreciating or disapproving, having a similar experience you wish to share, or an answer or solution to the question or problem posed in the post.
Sometimes getting into the stride of commenting can be slow at first. But if you want to write sincere comments, it's best to take this as seriously as writing a post in your blog or updating your social profiles.
Making connections
Another good reason for commenting is to increase your reach. If you fail to continuously show up, people will soon forget who you are. Maintaining your presence within the blogosphere or in social media means you have to get out there and start connecting with people.
The more you write useful, valuable and relevant comments on people's posts or updates, the more you are going to get noticed. This will increase if you continue to provide excellent feedback or pertinent responses that resonate both with the blogger and their readers.
Once this becomes a regular occurrence, bloggers and their readers will soon learn to expect your comments. This is the beginning of them getting to know, like and trust you. You will become respected for providing sincere comments that are meaningful, helpful and a jolly good read.
Selfless and altruistic
Commenting is not a vehicle for self promotion, either for you or your business. It is a method of communicating with the blogger and their readers what you think of the post. Ideally you should be adding value by continuing the conversation or enhancing the subject covered in the post.
Even though you are commenting to further your own interests, this must not be obvious to your readers. What they have to notice is your willingness to share your knowledge, expose your expertise and help people. Here you can offer your services for free as an example of what you can do, so people can learn more about you.
Every sincerely comment that is written should make a difference to someone's life. Either by increasing the blogger's popularity, solving a reader's problem or merely providing welcome reassurance it was a good post and that you've read it properly.
Genuinely interested
Sincere comments always have something genuine to say. This is part of the sincerity, and if you are hiding behind a falsehood, this will be quickly sussed by the blogger and readers.
This is why it is important to write a substantial comment. A few words will not cut it, even witty one-liners. You need to provide at least three sentences, with a greeting, acknowledgement, main point and a summary focusing on the bigger picture.
It's worth taking time to really think about your answer. How will it be perceived? Is it worthy of the post? Are you relevant? Did you get your point across clearly enough? Have other commenters already mentioned this? If so, you will need to rephrase it or think of another point of view.
Compelled or inspired
Sincere comments often arise from the reader being inspired by the post. A particular element sparked something within them, and they were compelled to have their say. This is often the best reason for writing a comment.
Ideally all bloggers should provide call to actions at the end of their posts to encourage more comments from their readers. If suitable suggestions were offered to incite a response, this will probably result in more sincere comments.
And, of course, the content of the post should also inspire comments. This is why bloggers should know their readers and what they want to read. This also includes the writing style and vocabulary that accompanies trendy or popular subject matter which usually results in a load of comments.
Do you focus on writing sincere comments?
For me all my comments are sincere. This is the same for those I agree, disapprove or get annoyed with. It is a courtesy to write a good comment on an equally good post, regardless of its content or motive.
Therefore I hope you also take the time and trouble to focus on writing sincere comments. And by doing so, you are setting an example to others, who hopefully will follow your lead.
What do you think about sincere comments? Let me know in the commenting area below...
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