Startup Dojo

Personalizing your Google Reader is only the first step into getting more involved online with the communities you care about. Once you have your blogs / publications categorized and labeled, the next step is to finally dive in and participate. The easiest way to do that is to leave comments.

I remember last week, Dave Schappell mentioned to me, “You won’t realize the importance of comments until you start your own blog,” and he was right. Comments allow you to add onto the conversation happening on that blog along with getting you more exposure about who you are as a person. If you’re going to leave a comment, here’s 5 ways to leave a rockstar comment.

1. Don’t be anonymous.
Nobody like a person who speaks their mind behind a fake name or “anonymous”. Grow some balls, and let the community know who you are, preferably with your full name and an accompanying website. Feel free to use your website, blog, or other URL (i.e. Twitter, Linkedin, etc.). Don’t forget to setup a Gravatar and Disqus account.

2. Build upon current comments.
Redundancy is annoying. If someone has already said what you wanted to say, think of something to add on to their comment and reply to it. It’ll allow you to connect with that commenter along with the blog owner. Sometimes the conversations had in the comments are more interesting than the blog itself.

3. Research before commenting blindly.
Do a bit of due diligence before you start commenting away, especially if you’re planning to bring up facts or rumors. You don’t have to be extensive, just do some quick Google search. If you’re able to reference another blog post, video, or photo, all the better since many visitors and future visitors will benefit from your research.

4. Share your personal experiences.
It’s always great to add a bit of a personal touch. Set yourself apart from other commenters by sharing some of your personal experiences. There’s nothing better than learning from the comments on top of the blog post written. Sometimes comments can be mini blog posts within the blog.

5. Be honest and speak your mind, good or bad.
If there’s one thing you should follow when you write a comment, it’s to be authentic. Good or bad comments are typically welcomed, as long as you follow #1 of this list. Sometimes negative comments can be good for your blog. Remember, leave something negative — be prepared to back it up and respond just in case.

Don’t forget to leave a comment below on what you think. If you think something is missing, you know what to do.