I’ve written a few times about the power of blog cross promotion.
Still, some authors ask if it’s worth the time and if will really work for them.
Yes! There is nothing more powerful in online promotion than the simple comments you post. In the past 48 hours, I posted a book marketing tip and encouraged comments. Then I went to the blogs or web sties of the commenters and posted comments or signed up for the newsletters.
Results, I strengthen two joint venture relationships and privately discussed making more money together. Plus, I found a new partner to cross promote with, and recommended another to a friend I work with.
These releatoinships will be worth thousands of dollars in commission.
But what about the time commitment.
The time to post an honest comment on a blog is a little as a few seconds, and certainly less than five minutes. If you weren’t reading blogs, it could be a major change in behavior, a learning curve and then maybe some time each day… but I know you are reading blogs, because you are reading this!
To leave a comment, just scroll down to the bottom of the blog post and click on the comment link. (sometimes a form is already on the page you are reading). The first time you leave a comment on a blog, you will need to type in your name, email address (always kept private) and your URL (you want to do this, it gets you the link you want).
Then put in a couple of lines about what you think of the article you just read.
That’s all it takes. You get a qualified link back to your web site, a new relationship, and a chance to show your expertise online.
Here’s some of the blog articles I found from recent comments on this blog:
Much Ado About Nothing Exegesis
Take a moment now and click on any of these links. Then tell the author what you thought of his/her posts. It’s okay to mention your book title or business in the comments.
Don’t be surprised if you see some new business from this.
I did find this helpful. I wil be coming back here for more info as I am new to blogging and really hoping to gain more activity at my site.
Thank you!
Also wondering about the feed showing the live traffic feed…a little creepy but fascinating.
I did find this helpful. I wil be coming back here for more info as I am new to blogging and really hoping to gain more activity at my site.
Thank you!
Also wondering about the feed showing the live traffic feed…a little creepy but fascinating.
Kitchen,
Great to see you posted.
I’d suggest one more thing to market today.. tell us who you are.
Most of us are fed up with being “marketed to” but we all like to buy from people (human beings) that we know, like and trust.
BE REAL.. it’s the best… sign you name if you use a handle. Here, and on you blog site
Also: The feed if from feedjit click on the link at the bottom of the feed to learn more.
Kitchen,
Great to see you posted.
I’d suggest one more thing to market today.. tell us who you are.
Most of us are fed up with being “marketed to” but we all like to buy from people (human beings) that we know, like and trust.
BE REAL.. it’s the best… sign you name if you use a handle. Here, and on you blog site
Also: The feed if from feedjit click on the link at the bottom of the feed to learn more.
Just the links are worth it, Warren. You make a great point and thanks for reminding me. I don’t comment enough!
Just the links are worth it, Warren. You make a great point and thanks for reminding me. I don’t comment enough!
I can attest to the power of commenting on other people’s blogs.
I regularly receive traffic from the comments I make on other peoples blogs. Some of them become regular readers and I can tell from my stats that often they will stay at my site for quite a while. In fact, one person who found my site from a comment made on another blog spent 45 minutes on my site on their first visit and read many pages.
There is one thing I would add. In order for someone to click you should write comments that are meaningful and contribute to the conversation. Certainly you can ask questions etc. None of this: “Great Post” stuff. Who would want to click and find out more about you from that. Warren said “a couple of lines,” not a couple of words. That is very important.
Leisa
Certainly you can ask questions etc.
Leisa
I can attest to the power of commenting on other people’s blogs.
I regularly receive traffic from the comments I make on other peoples blogs. Some of them become regular readers and I can tell from my stats that often they will stay at my site for quite a while. In fact, one person who found my site from a comment made on another blog spent 45 minutes on my site on their first visit and read many pages.
There is one thing I would add. In order for someone to click you should write comments that are meaningful and contribute to the conversation. Certainly you can ask questions etc. None of this: “Great Post” stuff. Who would want to click and find out more about you from that. Warren said “a couple of lines,” not a couple of words. That is very important.
Leisa
Certainly you can ask questions etc.
Leisa
As the de facto administrator of the Security Fix blog, I’ve spent many an hour deleting spammy links left in the comments section –
– comments that usually lead back to the same kinds of Web sites you most commonly see advertised in junk e-mail.
As the de facto administrator of the Security Fix blog, I’ve spent many an hour deleting spammy links left in the comments section –
– comments that usually lead back to the same kinds of Web sites you most commonly see advertised in junk e-mail.
These are not surprising my anymore, but thanks..
These are not surprising my anymore, but thanks..
The good resource should be brought in bookmarks
The good resource should be brought in bookmarks
Blog posting is something I definitely need to do more of. I am in the process of trying to write an ebook myself, but have stumbled on a few challenges with promotion and getting backlinks. I guess one of the obstacles for me was getting out there and to start commenting on other blogs. Thanks for the informative post.
Blog posting is something I definitely need to do more of. I am in the process of trying to write an ebook myself, but have stumbled on a few challenges with promotion and getting backlinks. I guess one of the obstacles for me was getting out there and to start commenting on other blogs. Thanks for the informative post.
Love the advice. Thank you.
Love the advice. Thank you.
thanks you. good.
thanks you. good.
FOund this on Twitter via MayhemStudios. Good points about cross-promotion…would be helpful to also hear points on how to transition promotion to sales and generating actual business too.
FOund this on Twitter via MayhemStudios. Good points about cross-promotion…would be helpful to also hear points on how to transition promotion to sales and generating actual business too.
Yes, it really works. But you must make the first step. I found a new blogger one hour ago and went to his new blog and made the first comment. The reaction? He commented a post on my blog.
Yes, it really works. But you must make the first step. I found a new blogger one hour ago and went to his new blog and made the first comment. The reaction? He commented a post on my blog.
Thank you for this reminder. I’m so appreciative of what others have taught me through their blogs and while I work at commenting, I need to be much more diligent and take the time to comment more often. Thank you for the nudge.
Thank you for this reminder. I’m so appreciative of what others have taught me through their blogs and while I work at commenting, I need to be much more diligent and take the time to comment more often. Thank you for the nudge.
A straight forward, no frills, on target post on the benefits of commenting on blog posts. Thanks, Warren. This is my first comment on a blog post, and the beginning of a commitment to daily blog reading and commenting.
Thanks for taking the extra seconds to let me know you were here… it really does make a difference
great information, thanks for sharing it.
Just found this article through someone I'm following on Twitter. Blog comments+social networking works!
Outstanding post. So much creativity! Blog about commenting on blogs; that ask you to comment. Your good. It inspires interactivity, and the way you said “I know you are reading blogs, because you are reading this one”, could create a sense of you and the reader being in the same place, maybe the same room. You blog is learning by doing, especialy this post. Cool.
blog comment IS social networking 🙂
your comment is also very good. By complimenting the blog author, you are creating a rich relationship where I will do anything for you. .. Keep that love coming 🙂
What? No CommentLuv? Good post. I think I get more traffic through comments than article submissions. I do the same thing as far as going to the blogs when people leave comments on my blogs. In fact, this year I'm spending far less time submitting and bookmarking articles, and spending much more time commenting and building relationships. Peace.
I heartily agree that making intelligent comments on a blog posting helps establish you as a real person with expertise. I just unfollowed someone on Twitter that I had met at the WF because I took a look at his twit stream and all he had were links back to his forced optin website. No thanks.
Be your real self people 😉
Linda
Always good to be reminded to comment on posts. It's a great way to get traffic, connect with new people and increase your visibility. If you blog, you know the value of comments on your posts.
I find one of the great side-bennies of commenting is that, many times, my commenting thoughts lead to a blog inspiration of my own. It can be very constructive to the original blog poster and yet kindle, self-reinforce your own future blog post — where you'll link back to them as your original source of inspiration.
Just as a side question: I wonder what blog post evoked the highest absolute number of comments in history? I remember seeing a new cell phone announcement blog post that must have had 1500 comments in it….Anyone know?
Warren, thanks for this tip! As I have read blogs, there have been times I thought about commenting, but sometimes didn't want to take the few minutes to comment. Now I will invest the time to comment. Thanks.
Warren, thank you for the post and for the way you provoke intelligent engagement in social networking through feed backs, comments and ratings 🙂
To be sincere. Usually when I am on someone’s blog, I read carefully the blog post and especially comments. They are the “pulse” of the communications on the blog post topic. I presume that the Net users usually are from different locations. I am looking for common things between and I respect the diversity. I create my point of view and decide to comment but only in the way to be useful for the author of the post and those, who comment.
Yes, the back links are great for the traffic, if the comment is not only to get link to the site of those who comment.
If I like someone’s comment, I visit hers/his site. And this is more important to me. As you answered below “..IS social networking…”, because, usually :-), it is a “discovery” of a real person, not avatar or auto responder.
I'd check with @LizStrauss, the Queen of Comments. Her blog has had tens of thousands of real comments and is a community.
But numbers are not the only measure. Once you get past 100 (a number I picked arbitrarily) the discussion is less likely to be followed and of less comment. I think I'd rather see lively comments on every post than a slew on just once.
That being said.. I love the comments.. keep them coming, regardless of the numbers. 🙂
social media is conversation.. and the future of marketing.
Thanks for taking the time to comment
I've had CommentLuv on this blog and a few others.. never had it working right. That may be due to my frequent but short bursts of work on such things.
When I leave a comment on a blog with CommentLuv, I always get an error message. I'm a big fan of the concept, and have it on this week's DO list 🙂
I meat a lot of people who have blogs and tweets like that, and usually find out they are just naive about the true power of social media.
Dropping them is a logical response.. but I tend to stick with them, giving them the benefit of doubt and trying to engage them a few times.
You are right.. it's the person, not the links or numbers 🙂
I avoid using the word “traffic” here.. sounds like “eyeballs on the page” or other old media structure. The comments do increase visibility with real people and real connections
That's a great point Warren – always good to remember that it's not “traffic” you want but connections.
Lyn
I'd like to help you write better blog comments.
I'm going to assume you read the post and are sincerely wanting to comment. I'll also assume that you are hear to learn so I'm going to use you as an example.
Your comment is just about perfect for what will get you banned as spam and disliked by bloggers. After a non-specific sentence you put in 3 more sentences of pure advertising content.
The only redeeming quality is that yours English is goo. That will what look like a real email address and name kept me from hitting he “mark as spam” button.
I understand you are excited to help people, but no one here was talking about health or asking questions. You used not 2 links where zero would be appropriate. For search engine indexing, you won't get meaningful links and chances are no human will ever find them.
I don't want to discourage you. I urge to try again. Talk about what you see in a post, and never bring up your site unless it solves a problem for the readers of the blog or you are asked a direct question.
A professional does not give a sales pitch to everyone they meet. Assuming that you want to help people, please try to refrain from giving a pitch when you are talking to people you don't know. Wait till they show some interest and you'll get much better results (and have more fun)
Honest comment? Your “releatoinships” and other potential “relationsships” would also be ''encouranged” to take your expertise and intelligent comments a lot more seriously if you checked your spelling on your web “sties”. 🙂 sorry Otherwise, you offer excellent networking advice.
~ An honest “freind”
A creative and honest comment about honest mistakes. 🙂
You might be surprised to learn that I know how to spell, but ofttimes type posts with my clumsy fingers in type smaller than I should.
This is not an excuse.. just the honest truth. I'll fix those errors straight away and ask for your forgiveness
Excellent point Warren — commenting on blog posts is a terrific way for authors to build their platform and develop relationships. I recommend setting up Google Alerts at http://www.google.com/alerts for your most important keywords. Check your alerts at least once a week for relevant blog posts where you can add value to the conversation by leaving a comment.
Dana Lynn Smith, author of The Savvy Book Marketer Guides
Excellent point Warren — commenting on blog posts is a terrific way for authors to build their platform and develop relationships. I recommend setting up Google Alerts at http://www.google.com/alerts for your most important keywords. Check your alerts at least once a week for relevant blog posts where you can add value to the conversation by leaving a comment.
Dana Lynn Smith, author of The Savvy Book Marketer Guides
When anyone gets started with a blog, everyone tells them to put out as much content as possible & get it out there to be seen. Many either neglect to tell a new blogger about comments and those oh so valuable links or they simply don't know it themselves. Way to go!
The comments are content.. but more important is the connection with other bloggers.
We always get more when we give more
Thanks for the tip. I've always meant to write a comment when I've read a blog post but haven't done so very often. I've decided to change that starting with this blog. It's a way of saying thank you. Brenda
Way to go Brenda. Thanks for continuing the conversation
I am new to active internet marketing. This blog post is an excellent training tool for any newbie. Unless I am mistaken this is one of the more important things any marketer, new or been around awhile, should be doing on a regular basis. We can all learn from each other and help each other, as you are with this post. Thank you for the eye opening revelation.
so true for marketing, and for life
People have commented on my blog and it gave me a great feeling. Really felt connected and grateful that I was able to make a difference. I have now started to do the same, even though not as often as I will be doing from now on. Thanks for this blog post.
I got a good feeling reading your comments. Almost as good as I get from leaving comments 🙂