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What Makes a Good Blog Comment?:
6 Tips to Get Yours Noticed
 You've heard about the 90-9-1 rule. Or maybe you haven't.
It goes like this: 90 percent of blog readers never make a comment. 9 percent will comment every so often. And 1 percent will comment regularly.
Why do so many smart, creative people freeze up when it's time to make a blog comment? We've all been there, staring at that big old comment box full of white space. It seems to mock you,
"Okay, smarty pants. You think you have something intelligent to say? Bring it on."
We've heard the advice before: Add value to the conversation. Say something original. Be a thought leader. Man, I don't know about you, but that's just too much pressurefor me.
So how can you get noticed in the comment section of someone else's blog? Here are a few ways:
6 tips to get your blog comment noticed
1. Keep your goal in mind. Why are you commenting? To prove or extend your credibility? To drive traffic to your own blog or website? To start building a relationship with the blogger? Knowing your goal will help you decide what kind of comment to write.
2. Stay on topic. The blogger, whose site you are a guest on, is the one who introduced the subject and invited comments. Do not, as much as you are tempted to, stray from that topic. It's about respecting the blogger. If his or her post gets you thinking about something else, write about it on your own blog. Other people's blogs can give you lots of rich ideas for new posts of your own.
3. Avoid the generalities. We've all seen the comments before. "Great post!" "I agree with everything you said." That's just not helpful-to the blogger or to the other readers and commenters. If you are stuck, take a sentence or two from the post, reproduce it in the comment box (with quotes around it) and tell why you agree or disagree. Also, say who you are responding to. Because wading through all the back comments is just too much work for the readers who come along after you.
4. Feel free to disagree. As a blogger, some of my best posts have been the ones that stirred things up a little. And often it is because someone dared to offer a different opinion in the comment section. I'm not giving you permission to be rude, but don't be afraid to challenge someone's assumption or point of view. Most bloggers love a good discussion.
5. Leave a link-if it makes sense. It depends on the blogger, of course, but I've found that most don't mind if you leave a relevant link, something that adds value and continues the conversation: a blog post or article you wrote, for instance. But if you include a link to your website's home page, well, that's just lame-and might even be construed as spam.
6. Make your comment easy on the eyes. White space and bullets (or numbering) are good, especially when so many readers are skimming and scanning for the key messages. And, while you're at it, try not to make more than two points. If you have more to say, consider writing your own post.
Now get out there and start commenting. If you're looking for a post to practice on, I won't feel offended if you leave a comment on my recent post, "What Has Social Media Ever Done For You?: Lurkers, Listeners and Planets-Lining-Up Kind of Stuff".
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Brand New from Cat's Eye: 