Three Reasons Why Blog Comments Boost Your Brand - Australian Businesswomen's Network

Published: 30 September 2011

Three Reasons Why Blog Comments Boost Your Brand

Cheryl Hayman

The main reason that blog commenting is so useful is because it can potentially lead to more traffic for your website or blog. It can build awareness, loyalty, sales and advocacy for your own brand.

Unless you are a total stranger to blogging, you may already know the importance of comments. If you want to get more engaged and responsive visitors to your blog, blog comment marketing is something you should consider doing.

At the end of the day, comments are the thing that validates a blog's existence. Comments allow us to see what other people think about our posts, inspire new ideas and validate that a connection is being achieved.

What is blog comment marketing?

It's basically just that: leaving comments on other people's blogs. You may already do this, but if not, it is certainly worth doing as part of marketing yourself, your business or your brand differently.

Comments represent the level of activity in a blog and it is a major factor differentiating static websites and blogs.

If you already leave comments, have you given any thought to your comments? Have you considered the impact they have and how comments reflects on you, as the writer?

Here are some reasons to consider commenting more often:

Comments are the first step in forming a relationship with another blogger. Good comments improve the quality of a blog, so you notice the people who are enabling your blog to be better. You'll start to be recognised over time if you continue to leave comments.
Consider this real world example � Have you ever gone to a shopping centre and noticed that some stores have many customers while others are empty? When a new customer enters the centre, will they be attracted to the store with customers or those with none?

The same goes for restaurants. How often have you avoided a restaurant that is empty, and gone nearby where there are more customers eating? It is a reflection of the quality and offerings of those stores. Real or perceived, it doesn't matter.

This is applicable in blogging too. Readers have a tendency to stick with the blogs that have comments, while they always avoid the blogs where no discussion is taking place. If you actively participate in discussions at other blogs, you too will receive lots of comments on your blog. This is simple blogging etiquette; it will become a reciprocal arrangement. A busy blog is an attractive blog.
You'll get "pre-qualified" visitors. Be smart about where you comment and leave thoughtful comments; you'll begin to attract the attention of the blogger, as well as the other readers. If you clearly know what you're talking about and they're interested in the topic, many readers will click through to your own website or blog since you'll have been deemed an authority figure that has something pertinent and interesting to say.
You'll learn something in the process. If you read other blogs on your industry, topic, market and competing brands, or blogs that are directed to your ideal audience, then you may even pick up some useful knowledge.

The main reason that blog commenting is so useful is because it can potentially lead to more traffic for your website or blog. It can build awareness, loyalty, sales and advocacy for your own brand. At the end of the day, the key ingredient to successful outcomes for your brand will result from applying your blog commentary to those blogs that target the same audience you are trying to reach.

Cheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK.

Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen's Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM. Cheryl personally undertakes continuous professional development within her various business roles, as well as attending external courses.

Listen to our podcast interview with Cheryl Hayman - Brand Loyalty: Six Components that Influence Consumer Engagement.