Commenting as a Content System

Commenting as a Content System:

Commenting on blogs has long been a great way to build traffic and community. Anybody that wants to build some SEO juice or traffic (and who doesn’t?) should make commenting a regular part of their lives—but the fact that you shouldn’t spam is pretty obvious. So this list is about how to get the most out of your commenting content system:

1 – Build the list

The chances are high that if you are reading this post you are already an active blog reader. Maybe you sporadically find posts via social media, or you are already working from a few lists. The first step is to combine blogs that you like into one place. I highly suggest feedly to keep a running list of your blogs. You can break them up by category or just put them all in one pot and then when you are ready to comment, start from the most recently updated.

2 – Establish connections

The internet is huge and even if you have a rather small niche, the chances are high that you can be overwhelmed by the volume of blogs and people. So do yourself a favor and pick 15-20 people you want to make a connection with. Or, just make a few connections each week. You should put these connections at the top of your commenting schedule. One random comment isn’t likely to make a dent, but 10 or more will probably get you noticed. Once the author knows you by your comments, you can ask to guest post or connect in some other way.

Or, you can try a more structured approach. For example, I recently launched a LinkedIn group to promote cross linking among people in the writing or content generation industry. This includes individual writers or content generation firms. Each week the active participants “check in” to let people know they are committed to commenting. This is totally a shameless plug, but if you are looking to jumpstart your commenting you can check it out.

3 – Modify based on metrics

After you have been actively commenting, check out your analytics to see how it is fairing. A quick look at your analytics will show you which blog is sending you the best traffic. Look at the amount of traffic the site is bringing, how long those people are staying on your site, etc. Obviously if you find that one blog is bringing you a ton of traffic, you would be wise to bump that blog to the top of your commenting schedule. It would also be a smart move to try and make a connection with the site’s owner.

4 – Close the content system with a curation schedule

Have you been spending hours each week posting comments on blogs? Good for you! Now, leverage that time by building some curation posts. Maybe a weekend edition list or a top 10 list, etc. These types of posts are very popular and you can get a lot of traction if you let people know that you are using their content in your list. The truth is curation is so popular now and there are so many automated systems that a truly hand picked list can be a refreshing change of pace.

Whether you do this monthly, weekly, or daily be sure to further leverage your curation posts by blasting social networks. And again, point out that the curation was done by a real person and not a program.

Commenting as a content system is all about using your time wisely. Make the most of your time and your comments. By actively being a resource over and over, you are building your brand one comment at a time. The next post in this series is Commenting as a Writing Conversion Strategy.