Which comment would you rather receive?
“Great post! Check out my blog at someblog.wordpress.com.”
or
“Well said! I know exactly what you mean about X, and I’m glad that I’m not the only one who thinks so. I would even say that A, B, C! Your candor is greatly appreciated.”
The second one, of course. Why? For one thing, it follows the etiquette guidelines below. But even more importantly, it was written with the intent to forge a relationship, not to self promote.
Relationship building is a much more effective and rewarding strategy for attracting new visitors to your site than spamming, so if you’re interested in boosting your readership, keep the following tips in mind when you leave comments on others’ posts:
1. Be specific. Personalized comments show authors that you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say, and that you actually took the time to read what they wrote. This doesn’t mean you need to write a long comment, just be sure to articulate why you felt compelled to say something in the first place. Did you learn something new? Did you have a similar experience? Do you want to voice a different perspective? Quote the author directly if you need to clarify what specific sentences you’re responding to.
Even if you simply want to compliment someone’s work, explain what you liked about it. Avoid vague comments like “Awesome! Thanks for sharing.” If you’re not sure what to say, consider using the Like button to show your support.
2. Don’t leave a link to your blog. When you leave a comment on a WordPress.com blog post, your name will automatically link to your blog, so there’s no need to include it twice. (This setting can be found under Users → Personal Settings in your dashboard, in the Account Details section.) Blatant self-promotion is generally frowned upon and is likely to be ignored, so be careful not to tarnish your reputation by creating the perception that you’re a spammer.
On a related note, when you mention another author’s post on your own blog, do include a link, instead of just mentioning the post title or blog name. This will generate a pingback and inform the author that you mentioned their post.
3. Stay on topic. Take care not to diverge too far from the subject of the original post. If you end up in an off-topic exchange with other commenters, message them directly to avoid distracting from the comments left for the post author.
It’s perfectly acceptable to share relevant links, just be sure to explain how they relate to the original post.
Bonus trick: Turn text into links with HTML by using the following code:
<a href="link">text</a>
For example,
<a href="https://wordpress.com">My favorite blogging platform</a>
creates My favorite blogging platform when published as a comment.
4. Be nice. Even if you disagree with someone, it’s never appropriate to use insults or other offensive language. Rude comments don’t add any value to a discussion, and only divert attention away from the author’s work. It’s perfectly fine to offer constructive criticism, just be polite. If you see others writing disrespectful or incendiary comments, or you receive such comments on your own blog, ignore/delete them. Acknowledging them will only encourage the aggressor, so don’t waste your time.
5. Keep it brief. The more concise your comment, the easier it will be for others to read and respond to. In most cases, a few sentences is plenty.
But what if you feel strongly about a topic and have a lot to say — is it appropriate to leave a long-winded comment? Or should you write a response on your own blog, then leave a comment that summarizes your post?
It depends. Some bloggers feel that long comments are overwhelming and disruptive. Others prefer to keep the conversation all in one place. What do you think?
Speaking of building relationships with other bloggers, it’s not too late to join the Post a Day/Post a Week challenge if you’re interested in interacting more with other members of the WordPress.com community. Check out The Daily Post for details.
Have questions about comment settings and management? Find the answers you need in our extensive support documentation on comments.
WordPress.com News 
1 more thing! I think,we should pay a visit to anyone who hasleft their comments.We might findgreat blogs in return
The article gives a perfect guidance for comment authors and bloggers.
Great post! I was just thinking this same thing this morning as I am a professional photographer and use my blog to reach out to potential buyers and I have trouble with other photographers posting links to their photo galleries in their comments. Thank you!
Great post!
I sometimes write long comments (not too long, though), but I divide them into paragraphs to show when I change subject.
By the way, I once tried turning text into html using that code, but when I posted the comment, the part inside the html didn’t appear at all. Why?
I’ll try using the code by posting a link to wikipedia and if it doesn’t show then that means it didn’t work. Also, do I have to put the link in between ” or nothing changes? Thanks.
Here: Wikipedia
This is definitely important. I faced a few security problems because of approving comments with links.
very nice, the comments are overwhelming and I am impressed with the positive nature of them.Peace and light
This article on posting comments in a blog gives perfect guidelines for the comment authors and bloggers.
I actually do enjoy long rants as comments… Then again, that’s because I enjoy debating.
This is a great topic and I’m so happy to see you blogged about it! I’m definitely going to link it to my entry for today!
I also wrote this on the comment for the poll, not thinking. I suppose I should read something about the appropriate place to write a comment, as well.
I would appreciate any comments. Lengthy or not. Our blog is about a year old and we are still trying to build our base.
I enjoyed your post. It’s funny thought some people give you the leave your blog address in your comment as advise to increase your readership.
Thanks, Joni
This was a really good read for me since I am new to all of this. It gives me a lot of tips and pointers that I will make sure to use on my blog. I also enjoy the feedback that everyone is giving here. I certainly have nothing against long posts as I find them enjoyable to read as long as they are relevant to the topic at hand.
Great post! Check out my blog….
😉
This information is very useful for all blogger in the world….
her special like my beginner blogger users…..
we will soon understand of the topics described here….
hopefully for the beginner to make comments without comment spam but qualified in accordance with the intended topic of the article author……….
Great post! Check out my blog at Mythoughts.wordpress.com.
Great, thanks for sharing
Thanks for the tip! I’m new to this, and love learning how to improve! I’ll keep my comment short and just say, much appreciated!! 🙂
Sometimes I receive offensive comments, but it’s always from the same person. I don’t delete his comments because I believe in freedom of speech and opinion (whether it’s a favorable comment or not) and he’s a long-time friend, but is this the right thing for me to do? As a 2nd option, I guess I could always ignore him, but I don’t want my readers to think that I can’t defend myself against his snide comments either, so I always reply back respectfully.
Any comment suits me really – I just like getting feedback!
Good comments help to further a conversation and hopefully draw others into commenting. This is when having a public blog gets very fun.
I agree completely with the idea that one need not add a second link to a comment. If someone is interested, they’ll click on your name and get redirected to your site. Also, comment *regularly* on blogs that you read! If a community of bloggers continues to see your name pop up over and over, they’ll get more curious about who is leaving such thoughtful, enjoyable comments, and they’ll probably zip on over to your blog to see if you’re as witty there as you are in the comments. This is how online/blog relationships are built.
Thanks for the tips on commenting etiquette. I don’t mind long posts, as long as they’re on topic, and not just a rambling mess. The long ones usually show that someone has really read and is interested in what you’ve written, which is a nice compliment.
Love this one! 🙂
Erica,
I am happy to see that at least someone at WordPress is genuinely interested in proper comment etiquette. Many a time we see all these great comments in agreement with whatever the writer (at WordPress) posted. But dare to comment that you disagree, and your comment is definitely deleted!
hi there my friend, i appreciate your input. It is also said that if you visit a blog be sure to leave a comment. Some people just read and do not comment. It will be more honorable and respectful to the blogger to have someone share ideas online. It is also good to stay in the topic just as you have mentioned, since short comments that leads nowhere can kill the thread hence it can end the lively discussion. =)
We are all learning. Thanks for the article. I will take these points to heart, despite my “Self-promoter” mentality!
One of the best parts of reading a post on a blog is the Comments section. That’s why I prefer shorter comments. I’m looking for a different view, or brief analysis, or pointed praise or criticism that lends insight to the post.
Thank you, Erica. This was very helpful! I love all sorts of comments–short or long–as long as they are shared with the intent to build relationship or common ground. (Of course no one has commented with a six page essay. Yet. I might have to change my mind then!)
very helpful! thank you for sharing this information 🙂
EXCELLENT! I was just reading a popular financial blog and was surprised at the critism that he was receiving on one of his latest post. People were critical of his pictures, content and hinted to the fact he had already done a similar post, etc. It was just rude.
I know this guy cranks out a lot of posts and I am really quite impressed with his work.
I like brief to the point comments. I don’t have a lot of time to read lengthy comments – I just pass them by…
Brilliant post and yes, I will take note of the whole etiquette issue when it comes to blogging.
Great tips, Erica. I wish everybody followed these rules. Nothing annoys me more than spam comments.
Thank you for finally saying what we all think 🙂
Great entry Erica. I like this so much and it reminds me of a rude comment on my post once. May I share what I did in return?. I just thanked him for reminding me that my blog was not interesting for him and that his comment would indeed makes me take harder effort to write much better topics and in much, much better way of posting.
Funny how I spotted the link to this post on Dashboard when I actually got my mind split up between approving a new comment or dumping it to the trash.
I wrote a blog post about how to self-defeat during Ramadhan (it’s the point of the fasting month, btw). And I used my ex, who was an atheist, as a role model, because I admired his determination to defeat himself. The post itself doesn’t force any non-Moslem to join us; I actually wrote it as a diary to remind myself and my Moslem fellows, and that’s it.
Then came this new comment from someone I don’t even know who, saying that he/she is an atheist, and that Moslems are brainwashed.
I don’t mind with the comment, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. But… I’m afraid it may cause a comment war.
But again, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. Not allowing a comment just because the commenter’s opinion is different from mine… is not fair.
On the other hand, it’s not a magazine blog. It’s a personal blog, a virtual journal of mine. It’s my full right to dump any harsh comment. Rite? Or not?
I’m confused. *sighs*
Those were useful tips but some bloggers are really thick headed. They enjoy promoting bias and outdated opinion.
If that situation rises. You lose patients.
Great Post Erica!
Everyone should read this!
cheers
Ok I think the readership that comes from building relationships with comments is nothing compared to audience that comes from google and other search engines, so why we have to struggle so much ourself for building relationships?
Everyone one the blogosphere NEEDS to read this!
Too many times people have did exactly what Erica said: blatant self promotion. I mean, we understand that everyone wants readers, but to leave a generic comment and expecting a “reply” from bloggers is not cool at all. Thanks for attempting to restore some class to the blogosphere!
There’s so much insecurity out there and this is just one of the many symptoms of that. Kindness, thoughtfulness, respect as well as many other virtues are easily forgotten about on the internet these days and when someone remembers them in a genuine act of appreciation of some kind, they stand out without exception. Even a differing opinion can be voiced gently, but a lot of people barf out their bad mood or ignorance in big letters. Oh well. It’s also an art to take comments the right way, without letting them eat you alive.
Thanks, asfaltrosen, for your comment, and especially for what I gather about you: no one taking your peace away from you.
Thanks! Some great tips! I really think by writing that, you have seriously changed some people!
Thanks once again!
no one likes spamming and the first option at the beginning of the post is nothing but dang spam. : P
some people will spam..other won’t. but this post is a good thing to have published.
thanks, wp.
Awesome post! I entirely agree!
To me, audience feedback is the most important and powerful method of improvement that I have at my reach. By understanding my audience’s opinions and desires, I can adapt and improve my content so that my target can easily find what they are looking for.
Because of this, I feel that any type of feedback, except spam, of course, is constructive and beneficial to developing the site as a whole in the future.
Thank you for sharing your opinions with us!
Sometimes I get comments that seem personalized but then I’m not sure.. They will mention my name and something that I had written about, but then their link is something scammy like “cheap replica rolex dot com” It’s not until I see their link that I wonder if I should publish it or not.
When I get comments like “Great post! Check out my blog at someblog.wordpress.com.”, I generally assume that it was written by some sort of bot.
I always follow comment etiquette, since it’s what I would like from others when they comment on my post. I like to be engaged and engaging.
I always thought it was stupid for people to put their blog link in their comment – I just click on peoples names if I’m interested.
I mean, putting the link there sort of cheapens your comment, even if you were saying something nice and detailed about the blog you commented on.
The only time I’ve done it was to a specific post about something relevant – further information on floods in my country.
I can’t say what I think about long comments, as I’ve never really gotten one.
Although I’m sure I’ve left many -.- many awkward strange random long comments.
I try to break it up into paragraphs but sometimes it doesn’t work very well.
Haha, more people need to read this post! I get so many blatant spam comments that are vague but tell me to check out their site.
I actually like essay comments, provided they’re on topic and contribute to the discussion. I welcome the new ideas!
I do think a comments policy is a good idea. Although, I do think that it is generally-accepted that the blog owner reserves an absolute right to delete any comments that they desire, and that people just need to deal with it 😉
I also wish I had an option besides logging out to switch between links. A drop-down menu or something similar next to “Logged in as greengeekgirl” would be lovely ^_^
I need this post, Erica.
As a new-ish blogger, learning as I go means making more than a few mistakes. I’ve bookmarked most of the best lessons so far, and I refer to them from time to time.
Your post, however, is now printed out and hanging over my desk. Of all the advice I’ve encountered so far, the tips on how to best get along with people are the most important. (And the most damaging if you get it wrong!)
If I may be so bold as to add one more tip, use the name of the person to whom you are replying – author or commenter – to be clear of your audience. And, even more importantly, make sure you get/spell the name right.
I’ll keep your post up there as a guide until well after I master these skills. Thanks again.
your post is very informative Erica, I am a new blogger but I agree with all of your points and I appreciate all the the help I can get…
thank you so much for sharing
I wish the readers of my blog would read this post before commenting!
Thanks
As a relatively new blogger I am digging the tips. Thanks and keep them coming!
I agree with this totally. While I don’t get many comments on my blog, I do appreciate the ones I do get. Whether disagreeing, agreeing, or just saying thanks, a genuine post rather than a self-promoting post is ALWAYS appreciated.
Simply and good advice for blogers;) Sometimes just one word is enough to start discussion
I am so glad you made this post! On my blog I used to get a bunch of comments with people advertising their own blogs on my previous one, I used to have at least 15 to delete everyday! Thats when I made it so I had to moderate them before they passed :]
I think this is a great post! When I was very new to blogging I had no idea about what was acceptable and what was not – its easy to do something that may be frowned upon simply because you do not realise it might be! Posts like this help bloggers and guide them through the mine field that can be blogging.
I love ‘how to promote your blog’ and ‘how to use blog features’ posts.
I found this most informative. Sometimes a person might be doing something that is unacceptable and not know it. This clarified quite a few things.
I noticed that I have made some of the mentioned mistakes, though well intended. Now I know better. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you so much! Now I won’t look immature putting in comments that I think randomly. Now i feel sophisticated! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
Thank you for your very helpful information….
Good tip. I’d rather much prefer honest criticism than links to other blogs.
Your article on Comment Etiquette comes at a good time in my initiation as a fledgling blogger. Although many of your well-put pointers make perfect sense, it’s common sense that we all too often let go by the wayside. Thank you for reminding me and your readers to watch our Ps and Qs.
i admit to leaving my blog’s URL when i comment on somebody else’s wall. I didn’t realize that until i read this piece. Thanks for the info, from now on i will remember comment etiquette. THANKS!
Erica, how do you deal with trolls? I had one recently who did very well in baiting me – a bit of a old web cynic – and got me fair and square and then they got nasty and very personal.
Also, I had someone who commented getting a picked on a little bit and she ended up asking me to delete all comments. Which I did, but didn’t feel particularly good about it.
Thanks for giving us advice on comment etiquette! I will never make any insulting comments on anyone’s blog, no matter how I feel about what they said. I know how bad it feels to get mean comments, because I looked at one of my blogs on blogger once and saw two insulting ones on one post!
Jeez, I hate internet trolls.
Oh well! I deleted those comments!
Thanks for the info! 🙂
I think it is worth underlining that inane comments lead the reader to conclude that the commenter has nothing interesting to say, and so why the heck would anyone follow them? And even an average comment is unlikely to yield too many follows, unless it is a quiet week. But a great comment, one that inspires further investigation, one that *compels* us to see what else the commenter has to say, they add to the original blog as well as promoting the commenter.
This was very useful information for me. I am new to blogging and would like to see some success, the tips you mentioned are great!
Awesome post. Thank you. I once left a very polite comment and left my link in the comment just to let the writer know that my blog would help them, but they never approved the comment so now I understand the etiquette of leaving comments. Thank you for the insight!
Awesome tips! Thanks for sharing.
I love this post! I REALLY can’t stand it when people post a link to their site; no matter what they say, their comment is automatically deleted. In compliance to my standards, I don’t post my site unless there is a clear relationship with their post and mine. =)
Congrats, you found a way to get more than 3 word comments. I would consider your guidelines as common sense. It’s nice to see someone not only recognize a problem, but take the time to post a suggestion.
That’s great, nicely put. Now check out my really funny post at http://www.w…. (I’m joking! I’m joking!)
Everything is OK.
Everything but three is awesome. People are off topic, I just deal with it.
I leave a link when I feel that it helps to shed another light on the discussion. A link usually complements a discussion.
The old cliche that a Picture says a thousand words has validity!
Having a Comments Policy published on its own page—that’s an excellent idea. I don’t know why I didn’t come up with it. Thanks, Ron.
I signed up with WordPress about five months ago, and I started out wary eyed. It was my first blog ever, although I’d been hanging around for a while: lurking if you wish, reading of course, browsing and skimming most of the times, commenting occasionally. That little experience made me sort of come to impression that the most exciting blogs—where hits looked heavy and discussions lively—were of the most controversial ones. You saw passionate debates there, and smart and even seemingly researched arguments, cleverly humorous remarks, and also incendiaries, flames, and even naked hatred.
So I decided first to pick a few topics with a little bit of controversies on the one hand, and set the Discussion Settings to comment-moderation-must on the other. I aimed at serving a little decaf version of my own. However, my blog rolled out lackadaisically. Traffics were slow, let alone comments. So I put down the shields.
Recently, just recently, though, my blog started gaining traffic—not much, only enough to keep me impelled to log in twice or three times a week—and I started to spot one or two comments I perceived as needing serious handling. Ron’s comment above stepped in at this critical phase for me.
Above all, I think Erica has beautifully consolidated what I always believe (but which I somehow find hard to articulate) to be guiding principles on the issues of commenting in the realm of blogging. And I also go with Benjamin David Steele for the philosophy.
Thank you, everyone.
Very good idea to write down the unwritten ‘blog etiquette rules’.
Just like @ Ron above, I think it would be a great idea to publish this set of rules in a static and formal way, so that it is possible to complain about a blogger who repeatedly comment spams other blogs. However, unlike @ Ron I won’t moderate comments (as if I had any;- … I mean hypothetically) because that would hamper a discussion if, let’s say, I did not check in on my blog for a while due to other commitments.
I disagree with the ‘3. Stay on topic’ point… (depending on the author’s attitude). A post can serve like a trigger of crowd-brainstorms and debates that travel along side tracks. They can greatly ad to the information in the post, so that the information source value of the post to readers becomes vitally enhanced. It can also enhance the insight of the author after he published the post; blogging is an collaborative process, that is what’s so great about it.
Above often happens on large science blogs where commenters have extensive insights into related topics and post high quality links, debate about related topics with other commenters and might travel far from the (often brief) focus of the post. The comment debate can be the most valuable content of such blogs. If commenters were to feel bad about not staying strictly on topic and email each other instead of discussing in the comments, then that would cause a great reduction in the value of reading the blogs.
But of course, it wouldn’t seem appropriate to discuss make-up on a post about chaos theory.
Good post, but the fact is, these etiquette’s are well followed by spammers…
Great post. I think etiquette is an important thing that’s sorely lacking in todays technlogical society. E/mail and mobile phone usage could also do with a set of rules detailing etiquette. 🙂
Thanks for the advice. Editorial advice is needed now & then.
Yet to keep a community alive, I believe in self regulation + own responsability adults should be capable of.
Ya, this is a nice post and I definitely agree 🙂
Its quite easy to find out-of-topic comments. They are everywhere…
I don’t mind to receive a long comment as long as it ain’t OOT.
*Sometimes I also write long comments
Great post and makes a lot of sense! I also think it is important to edit mispelled words and grammatical errors for the comment writer.
Thanks for the information.
Erica – thanks.
I recall a few years ago a book “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. Don’t throw sand was one of the things we learned back then.
I see insults in many forums and can never understand the benefit. We (in USA) all wonder about the civility of current political discourse, and yet, the fact that you must point out that insults are poor etiquette regardless of context reveals our need to improve our politeness. The exceptions – comedians and NYers since neither would exist if it weren’t for their sardonic sentiments.
That’s really good Erica, it’s important to take the time to be thoughtful in our responses. I appreciate you reminding us of this etiquette. Your blog reminds me of the importance of professionalism in everything I do. Thank you.
Thanks for the post. I’ve always used copy and paste to get comments into posts, however, I have now kept this HTML tidbit so I can use it in the future. I’m sure it will be needed in the future.
I find in the little time I have to read blogs (and I’m always looking for good ones) if I am going to leave a comment, it is going to be meaningful and now just a general “look at me I came by your blog, now come to mine” type comment.
I do delete generic comments and ones including their URL’s as I figure they are usually spam.
Cheers,
Thanks for this, much appreciated 😉 x
Very helpful post Erica – a constructive protocol which will be especially useful to newcomers.
Erica, thanks so much for the topic. It seems to have elicited a plethora of responses… I think every possible response is listed – I read each one so far and can say the final result is a salmagundi in the least. Funny, serious, possible, ingenious, emotional and some mental pabulum.
It is great when a topic can provide this kind of provocation to action.
GT post!! GT tips!!! I am getting hammered with spam at the moment about 70 to 80 a day!!!! Anyway of getting a fit on this?? It’s such a pain having to review and delete them all grrrrrr!
GT post!! GT tips!!! I am getting hammered with spam at the moment about 70 to 80 a day!!!! Anyway of getting a fix on this?? It’s such a pain having to review and delete them all grrrrrr!
Blogging has really become a powerful tool for us business owners. Having tips and tricks like these, really allow us to maximize our time online without wasting anyone elses. These comments are also beneficial way to gain valuable knowledge into what people think and feel about the information we’ve posted. Well done and thank you for the words of wisdom.
There are too many bots out there trying to spam and this leave us no choice but to moderate all our comments.
I am seriously considering putting this…
“Read this: Are you well-versed in Comment Etiquette? before writing your comment in the box below.”
Thank you for the for the excellent etiquette guideline.
yes, i agree with this.. true! true!
I vote for this. 🙂
Hi Erica Johnson !
indeed very valuable and thought provoking points! I really appreciate it. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Erica Johnson !
indeed very valuable and thought provoking points! I really appreciate it. Thanks for sharing.
Saif Dewan
Great, thanks for sharing! I simply don’t like to get long-long comments.
I studied your suggestions, as I always appreciated other peoples constructive ideas, suggestions and takes on issues. I will take your advise in several areas, and look forward to update you on the results, as soon as I can measure them. Thank you very much.
George.
If you comment on something, you’re commenting on it, in a literal sense. As long as you don’t spam links and stuff you’re commenting properly, and that’s that.