Blog Commenting 101 (do’s and don’t’s)
Join The Cool Crowd Slowly
Commenting in blogs requires thought, time and effort. Remember that you are attempting to enter an ongoing conversation and like being at a party you wouldn’t just
say “cool”, or “well said” as your only input to the conversation. Actually, you could say that, but I guarantee that you will never get to be the speaker in the conversation, because you have proven you have nothing to offer.
I spend as much time thinking through a blog comment as I do writing an abstract on a article or even a commentary. In fact, you have less time in a blog comment to grab attention and prove your worth. While it’s true that you have less “air time” in a blog comment, you actually have more freedom around the topic. You can speak your mind a little more than with a feature length article since the traffic has been drawn with the article content. Now you get to impress that audience a little…if you’re careful.
Small Steps, Not Leaps
Most of science grows by small steps and not big ones. The research and discussion you have must build off the foundations of the scientist before and beside you. If it does not, then you stand little chance of succeeding. It sounds unfair, but it is reality. The same is true in the social conversation. until you have built some credibility, it is not wise to say anything to crazy. You won’t get many do-overs on that mistake.
You Might Learn Something
In the final analysis, you will be getting back links, reputation, attention, followers, colleagues and you will actually expand your own knowledge as you consider and craft well-thought out answers to blogs.