Blog comments are taking a nosedive.  People now use Twitter and Facebook to comment about and promote blogs they find interesting.  With all this in mind, there are a number of new blog plug-ins available that will track mentions made on the Web of your blog post. These reactions on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms are picked up and then listed along with blog comments. (You can find plug-ins for WordPress at www.wordpress.org.)  Only a small percentage of blogs are using this option.

In the past, if a blog had reasonable traffic, it could generate 10-20 or more comments per post.  My estimates are that blog comments are 25 percent of what they were a few years ago. This means a blog that received 20 comments then might only receive an average of five comments now.  Obviously, the results vary and depend on the community, topic and the blogger. Fewer comments mean you have a better chance of getting noticed.

Everyone is grateful for comments. I’m giddy every time I receive a comment on my blog.  It means someone cared enough about what I had to say  to add to the conversation.

I make note of who comments on my blog.  So do other bloggers.  Since the noise level is down, your blog comments stand out to the blogger, as well as to their core followers.

Leave a message with good comments, ideas and add to the conversation. This will help promote you, your brand, your blog and, most important of all, it will foster relationships.

Find a few key blogs on which to comment regularly.  Develop a plan. When you see others who comment and leave good information, take the time to look into what they do and comment on their blogs.

Don’t go overboard.  There is no need to comment every day.  Only comment when you have relevant thoughts to share.  Keep your regular blogs in a section or folder in your favorite RSS reader (such as Google Reader) and make sure you check in every day.  When you see a post that interests you or is related to your specialties, join the conversation.

Rosh