I’m off to a media training this week with the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association and Daren Williams from NCBA. It should be an interesting two days, but I am kinda relieved this week’s travels keep me in-state. All of this traveling makes it a bit difficult to actually sit down and write some decent blog posts, but I think I’ve been trottin along. Sometimes it’s just a matter of taking advantage of the writing bug when he shows his ugly head.

I’m sure several people have stated the concept, but Leah Beyer (Beyer Beware) was the first I heard this from – Comments are Candy when it comes to the blogging world. Nothing drives more quality, across-site traffic than commenting on another blog post. And we’re talking quality commenting here; not just a complimentary post. The compliments like “great post” or “loved the photo” are great, but not necessarily something that will make me jump over to the linked page and see what it’s all about.

Let’s face it, blogging efforts take some time out of your day, so who really wants to make more time for surfing blogs and leaving quality comments. Personally, if you leave a quality comment (really have something to say) I’ll probably make an effort to at least click on your link and see what’s going on with your blog. I’ll probably make an effort to return to the page and comment on a post that strikes a chord with me. It’s all about networking.

So here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way. Lord knows this list needs correcting, additions, and subtraction. But that’s why I put it out here.

  • Make a conscious effort to return the favor for everyone who leaves an insightful comment on your blog.
  • Set aside time each day to respond and approve blog comments. Set aside time each week to do some commenting of your own.
  • Use search engines, facebook, twitter, etc to search for blogs relevant to your interests. If you want to reach outside your box it’s going to take some effort, but I promise it’ll pay off.
  • Subscribe to blogs within your interest area to receive regular updates.
  • Google Reader is a great tool to follow a number of blogs. Reader allows you to manage your subscriptions and use folders to organize the mess.
  • Set up a separate email account or email folders to organize email subscriptions to your favorite blogs.
  • If you comment on a blog post via facebook or twitter, be sure to follow-up and expand upon that comment on the actual blog post.
  • On posts with several comments, make an effort to at least scan through previous comments. Nothing is worse than reading the same thing over and over again.
  • When leaving comments be sure your blog link is listed correctly. If not in the registration, be sure it’s in the actual comment.
  • Shorten any links left in a comment using a service like bit.ly. I usually just paste my links onto TweetDeck to shorten them since that application is always open.
    • Well now that you’ve taken time to read the post, set out there and start networking in the blogosphere. Remember, comments are candy.
    What tips do you have to add to my list?

    Published by Ryan Goodman

    Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.