Blogging

Practical Guide to Blog Commenting

Like any other Online community, the Blogging community also has some unwritten rules when it comes to commenting on a post. A blogger will expect different types of comments and readers may/may not agree with certain points in the write-up. In fact, the more interest it generates in a reader the blog post is considered a success.

Without readers and followers, a blog is insignificant. Bloggers and writers are sharing their views so it can be widely read and also recommended by fellow bloggers if they find it useful and relevant.

For the first time, a blogger hits the ‘Publish’ button, they expect readers to show some interest and write a comment or ‘like’ it. These comments can be an inspiration for some future posts and also increases engagement with readers.

I am sharing some important pointers about blog commenting-

  1. It is important to leave some thoughtful as well as thought-provoking. If any reader has doubt about the view(s) being expressed in the post, they should leave a polite question to the blogger, asking for clarity.
  1. Do not leave a ‘conclusive comment’, with a strong denial without leaving any room for explanation from the writer or blogger.
  1. Commenting on blogs increases your visibility and in turn, will increase your blog readership too.
  1. After you have read a post thoroughly, open your comment by thanking the blogger for writing and sharing a post and do not leave one-word comments like- ‘Excellent’. ‘Hmmm’. ‘Interesting’, ‘Thoughtful’, ‘Great’ and I can continue with this list; elaborate, why you think it is ‘interesting’ or ‘Great’.
  1. Say something interesting and add some value. Do not be on a random blog-hopping mission to comment on as many blogs as possible.
  1. As a blogger, I appreciate every comment from my readers and sometimes they have inspired me to write an entire article or poetry. A thoughtful engagement with the reader goes a long way in building a strong blogging community.
  1. If, as a reader, you disagree with the entire post, always make it a point to do so in a mature way. Do not leave a comment if you do not wish to engage with the blogger in the future.
  1. Before commenting, care to read other comments in the thread, as it will give you some idea. Just commenting to get backlinks or self-promoting is not desirable. Always stay on topic, and try not to write about your personal achievements. Do not leave links to your blog(s). I am trying to say, “Do not hijack other bloggers’ comments section.”
  1. Do not leave ‘hateful’ comments (insinuations), as it easy to hide behind anonymous profiles in the online world. Tone down the aggressive voice while commenting and stay away from racial and culturally sensitive comments.
  1. The Blogging community consists of wonderful people and the more you engage with them and encourage to participate, you will be a part of a family which can teach you many things about different aspects of life. Respect every blogger.
  1. Try to keep the comments brief and valuable. If at all you need to leave a long comment, do leave a note of apology (it reflects, that you care about the blogger’s space).Do not make it a habit of leaving a blog post worth of comment on another blog. You can write an article and post it on your blog if you wish to.
  1. Do not forget that your comment will be read by other bloggers too and it will leave an impression on them.
  1. You may get some valuable followers and readers if they are impressed by your mature comments.
  1. Always remember, you are a guest and while commenting you should be behaving as one and try respecting the ‘unspoken decorum’ of the concerned blog.
  1. Bloggers too should block some time for replying to comments. If you do not reply, it creates a negative impression on the reader(s), they will want to stay away from your blog.
  1. Do not shy away from addressing or responding to critical comments. Make your point as a blogger and try to convince the reader. If you think the comment or debate is going off topic, try not to get into an online fight.
  1. Stop responding if you think the person has transgressed the ‘unspoken decorum’, but only after providing a conclusive reason for doing so from your side.

As a blogger, I have grown and improved because of my readers and they have been kind enough to read my work and leave comments. I appreciate every comment and thanks to everyone who follows my blog and have shown a keen interest in my work.

I hope these pointers will help other bloggers, and especially the new bloggers. A message to everyone-

Keep blogging and help this wonderful community grow and contribute meaningfully.

94 thoughts on “Practical Guide to Blog Commenting”

  1. Great post on commenting. I think i am guilting of one word comments, sometimes i read and like and want to leave a simple comment. Sometimes my comment is a bit lenghty. But i try to leave comments even one word because i feel a comment is more rewarding than a like.

    Anyways i love this post of your may i reblog or ping back. I am struggling with point number 8 as blogger leave links to their blog and it is getting a bit out of order. So therefore may reblog or pingback ..on my blog . Many thanks in advance

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Commenting helps start a conversation and also a reminder to the blogger that as a reader I have gone through the blog with interest. Sometimes, there may not be much to add and a simple appreciation also helps. Please, you can reblog this, and thank you. Glad, you found this helpful.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Pingback: Practical Guide to Blog Commenting — Amitav Chowdhury – annadailyreads.com

  3. Each and every point in your post resonated perfectly with what I feel about the commenting scenario in the blogging world. I really feel WP should take this up and show it as an unofficial, but mutually-agreed-upon-by-bloggers, guidelines to commenting, every time a new user starts a blog. Thanks a lot for putting, what a lot of people feel, in writing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this and I am happy you found this useful and recommend the guidelines mentioned here.

      I wanted to share my learning with young and new bloggers and also for those who wish to establish a meaningful communication with fellow bloggers.
      When we respect each others work, it creates a positive environment in the blogging/online community.

      Thank you.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Absolutely. I’m a quasi-new blogger, and this has helped me a lot, both in learning as well as in reinforcing points that I should consider while commenting. I really hope your purpose is fulfilled and the message reaches across to more people, so that, as you said, a more positive environment is created here.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Amitav, insightful post as always. There’s just one small thing I want to point out here. I’ve come across bloggers putting likes on other’s posts but when it’s commenting, many people refrain from doing so…. I mean to say that it’s easy to hit the like button, but involves time and some mind-raking to write a decent comment. I too am a culprit in this regard and wish bloggers put aside time to post meaningful comments rather than just hitting the like button, mostly on posts which they don’t even read properly. Sorry to sound so vindictive, just speaking my mind….that’s all…

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hello, how have you been?
      Good to hear from you and thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
      To be honest, with the increasing popularity of Social Media, where posts in few words and posting images are encouraged, we have adopted that attitude. I agree it’s easy to hit that ‘Like’ button and move on. We want to do too many things at the same time hopping from one online platform to another, trying to find some kind of popularity in the virtual world.
      When it comes to blogging I have heard readers demanding posts of certain length (350-450 words), as they are too busy and cannot do justice to long well-written posts. I don’t blame anyone. As in real life, in the virtual world too we have to choose our priorities. Trying to please everyone and making our presence felt across the online world will not yield purpose, other than few minutes of fame.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Thanks for your reply on that. I have been doing quite well.. I’ve been inspired to blog after seeing many bloggers write wonderful poignant pieces.. There were times when I felt a bit cast down that my post did not reach to a bigger audience and generate comments and likes, but of course that shouldn’t be the point… But that doesn’t stop me from writing what appeals to me…. So far I’m having a great blogging experience and looking forward to more interaction…

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Amitav, first of all I wanna thank you for posting such beautiful post. We, at times really don’t know how to respond on comments. But your post made us learn the techniques of thanking people.

    I really loved and noted down some points. 😃 I hope you don’t mind. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Sumit. These guidelines were shared so that we bloggers (and also other online platforms) can engage meaningfully and exchange knowledge. This is how we can build a global knowledge base by brainstorming across platforms.
      One word comments are definitely a ‘NO’ and statements which has no relevance to posts and also leaving unnecessary URL to get backlinks or self-promotion is undesirable.
      I am happy you found this useful and glad to know you noted down the relevant points. 🙂
      Wish you a happy blogging journey.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. Comments about comments, surprisingly good article considering the subject matter yet you kept my interest too the very end. I liked the article, well written, intelligent. I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

      Appreciate, you took the time to read this and found it meaningful.

      Yes, we have some unwritten rules of the online world and I thought of sharing my best practices and learning from my blogging journey.

      Feel free to browse though the blog archive, there are more of my work from philosophy, literature, short story, poetry and more.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much. I am glad, you found this article useful. Yes, I agree, the comment section is the space for meaningful interactions and to communicate with bloggers. So, I shared these unwritten rules as it will be of help.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  8. Thank you for posting this. I am new to the blogging world and was entirely unaware of these unspoken rules (I may have broken a couple- whoops!). Obviously, you know what you are talking about given the success of your well written blog and I value this advice. I look forward to following you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, I am happy to know that you found this post useful. I was unaware of these things too, I made mistakes, and I learned through my blogging journey. The purpose of this post was to share these guidelines so we bloggers can have meaningful exchanges and appreciate each other’s work. I am following your blog and thank you for joining. I welcome you and look forward to more interactions. Best wishes. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. I just read your very inspiring and helpful post, one of my favourite things to do after reading a post that touches or inspires me is to leave a comment. Communicating and getting to know a blogger by leaving comments is one of my greatest joys. I’m starting to get some lovely comments from other readers besides my friends and family, it is so encouraging! Thank you for sharing and another shout-out to Roberta for her re-blog, it led me to you!

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Many thanks, and I am glad you found this post helpful. Yes, I agree with you, blogging is all about meaning communication by sharing something we know and also learning from other wonderful bloggers. A meaningful communication helps in exchanging knowledge and also make the blogging community stronger.
      Roberta, has been always so generous to reblog my posts and her blog is a wonderful platform to read her inspiring posts and also blogs by different bloggers which are inspiring.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. As I wander through the blogging world, I find that “my” world expands especially with the many interesting and talented bloggers out there, each day I try to visit a new blog and often I’m glad I did! Thank you again!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I agree with you, this blogging world has many talented writers and they share their knowledge/expertise and reading them is great learning. We grow each day and expands our thinking; also, inspires to write more and better.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Yes! In fact, I was inspired to start writing poetry because I saw poems being posted on some of the blogs I’m following and now I’m challenging myself to post a poem every second Tuesday!

        Liked by 2 people

  10. Namaskaram Amitav – I just did what you suggest (and I do always anyhow) and read not only your highly interesting article but all the comments below. Some of those thoughts are on line with mine, some questions asked I wanted to ask, too etc. in short, as you said, one does learn a lot from reading the comments thoroughly. And like you, I too dont think too much of “one-word-comments” like great, yum (mine is mainly a foodblog now) delicious etc. I know my food is great :), yum delicious etc. but what I would really really like to see is comments with a bit more depth. Having said that, I thank every!! comment nevertheless. So once more, thank you Amitav, for guiding us, your followers and readers through the labyrinth of blogging 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Namaste, I am thankful that you visited my blog and left such wonderful insights on this topic. Yes, I agree be it a blog of any genre, bloggers take lot of effort to prepare and present their posts. In case of food blogs, it’s not only the recipes, but the photography and the entire presentation is of utmost importance. So, if the comments have a ‘thank you’ and little bit appreciation for the effort, the blogger feels appreciated and inspired too. 🙂
      I really thank you for joining my blog, and I welcome you. I am following your blog too and happy to connect.
      Looking forward to many more interactions. 🙂
      Amitav

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. Amitav Ji,

    Naturally your blog is as good as the name of the author who wrote it.

    May I ask a question .. something that affects me and all bloggers. When should you take the blog off the internet. Are there any rules or we simply go on adding the contents even if it does not invite any comments or views.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you and I am happy that you liked my blog. A note of appreciation is always welcome.

      Well, coming to the question you asked, I would like to say, before you think of deleting or taking the blog off the internet you should ask few questions-

      1. Have you analyzed, why the Blog is not attracting readers or getting enough traffic?

      2. Are the content presented need some other format (maybe podcasts or videos or even re-purposing of content)?
      Are you interacting with other bloggers who have the same interest and also others?

      3. Have you tried promoting through other Social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Reddit, etc.)?

      4. And most importantly, if you are enjoying the entire process of blogging and gives you satisfaction, then reconsider before you take the decision of deleting the blog.

      I hope my pointers can be of some help to you. And thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.

      Amitav

      Like

      Reply

      1. Thank you Amitav Ji, these are all valid questions and answers. But my problem is that the bloggers who visit my blog are looking for my visit to their blogs and I am not too sure if they have really read the blog. Any way I think some of my blogs may be too technical for the casual reading that people are expecting, so I guess I should change my approach. First of the things that I need to do is to reduce the size of the blog

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Welcome, I guess, your core topic is technology, never mind that, I guess you could think of presenting it with more images and videos to make it more interesting to read. Apart from that you may think of including some other topics too, other than technology and branch out. I hope this will help and yes, do visit blogs and try to be more visible. Read and comment on other’s blogs too.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Thank you for the reply. yes I have tried the other topics, like politics, travelogue, and fashion … I am doing quite well these days. Thank you for being with me ..

        Like

    1. Thank you so much, Tony. This WordPress World is amazing. I have had many meaningful discussions and also learned a lot. Comments help improve a blogger/writer and also inspires one to write about different topics.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. Pingback: Practical Guide to Blog Commenting – Roberta Pimentel

    1. I am honored. Thank you so much. 🙂 I am glad, you found my site and the blogs interesting and helpful. Really appreciate that you took time to browse through my work. As a blogger/writer these words for me are inspiring.
      Wishing you the best.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. “Do not hijack other bloggers’ comments section.” – It made me laugh! 😀 But really I have seen some who don’t refer to the written post, instead leave their own link in this section!
    This whole post is extremely helpful, especially for amateur bloggers like me! Thank you so much Amitav! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. 😀 Oh yes, tell me about it. That’s the word I thought was appropriate. That is inappropriate way of self-promotion. We should respect everyone’s space as it leaves a lasting impression; apart from engaging in meaningful interactions.
      Thank you and I am happy, you found this blog useful. I too made mistakes at the beginning, so sharing all the positive learning with everyone.
      Wish you a wonderful day.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Hehehe..
        That word was apt for the situation!😂
        I’ve seen many people simply posting their blog’s link in other’s comment section, which actually makes me laugh..But the person whose post it is, he might find it inappropriate!

        Liked by 1 person

  18. Well I think of comments as the most important section of any post. They add so much value to what I write and also like you say, polite comments are more endearing than rude, authoritative ones.
    Reading other blogs and discussing with the authors my views on their posts has contributed immensely yo the way I write as well.
    Thank you for this wonderful post ^_^

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Aishwarya. We all learn along the way, and I thought of putting it all together. Comments section is the first place from where you start interacting with a blogger/writer. Leaving relevant comments too is important. So, it is important we leave a positive impression and we can continue with meaningful conversation in the future.

      Liked by 1 person

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  19. Thank you for those guidelines and reflexions. I noticed that some persons who follow my blog make comments when they are talking with me or on facebook but not on the blog itself…and although I would love to see their comments on the blog I do not dare ask for it…so thank you for making comments it is really important as you say…

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Thank you so much, Aline. I believe, visiting a blog and reading the article/blog post with care and them commenting carefully by thanking the writer/blogger leaves a personal touch and shows genuine involvement. It’s important we look browse the blogger’s website too, especially the ‘About’ section to understand the blogs purpose. If we show interest and leave a thoughtful comment, the other person will definitely engage. As for you article, I cannot read them from the WordpRress Reader section; I always visit your site and read them carefully before leaving a comment. By the way, I appreciate that you share such wonderfully researched articles for us to read.
      Thank you so much.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Andrea. I believe that my behaviour will leave a bigger impact in the long run, so it should be a positive one. I always try to adhere to these points and it helps. Meaningful and respectful communication with bloggers and friends help me learn. Yes, as you mentioned we evolve as bloggers too.

      Liked by 1 person

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  21. Now that you’ve pointed out a few mistakes I’ve made, I’ll do better.
    But one thing, when I do leave one-word comments, I choose that word with the greatest of care…

    Liked by 3 people

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  22. Thank YOU Amitav for your efforts to put some light on those etiquettes that are not really taught to anyone in the blogging world. It’s only our experience that teaches us to behave politely and maturely while trying to compliment or comment anyone here. It’s been a good experience for me to read this post and learn from your provided teachings. These lessons would surely be helpful to me and others as well.
    Keep going Great Amitav.😀👍

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much. I am happy you found this useful. Yes, you are right these are the unwritten rules of Online communities and also the Blogging world. I made mistakes too and learned and thought of sharing the same with everyone.
      Meaningful engagement with fellow bloggers, with respect, goes a long way in learning new things and we are comfortable interacting too.
      Best wishes to you, and hopefully, will read some new articles from you. 🙂

      Like

      Reply

      1. Everyone makes mistakes. And possibly everyone learns from them too. But it’s not everyone’s thought process to teach others from the mistakes that we have made so that they don’t face the same bad experiences in their own life.
        This is one of the best hidden humanity traits I have seen when I read your blog.
        Sincere thanks Amitav. 😀

        And yes, I’ll write very soon.😀👍

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Excellent post, Amitav! I thought all the points were great, but no. 6 really hit home for me:

    6. As a blogger, I appreciate every comment from my readers and sometimes they have inspired me to write an entire article or poetry. A thoughtful engagement with the reader goes a long way in building a strong blogging community.

    I get so much out of my interactions with you and my blogging friends, both through comments and by reading the blogs. They are a source of tremendous inspiration and encouragement! Glad you included this.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Tanya. We have had many meaningful conversations from this comments section. My interactions with you and other bloggers are always a learning for me and I carefully read through the interpretations and thoughts on my blog posts.
      I believe, good behaviour leaves a lasting impression and build trust. I always read any post carefully, before leaving a comment.
      Very true, as you have mentioned, I always thank my readers and those who leave thoughtful comments because they have taken interest in my work.
      This trust and respect will help the blogging community to prosper with knowledge.

      Like

      Reply

  25. Hi Amitav, I always enjoy your blogging tips and etiquettes. It helps me enough to solve many issues regarding commenting in my blog and other’s blog. But, I just want to ask a question that maybe slightly diverted from this post. Which is the most important thing to a blogger, views and visitors or comments and likes? WP says views. But, can we grow without the comments?
    I love your explanation that’s why am asking you this question. No problem, if you ignore this question.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. A very relevant question, Sayanti. Suppose blogging is a tree. For that we nee to prepare a foundation- in this case, Choosing the right Template, the topics/genre you want to have, Design of the entire template and that suits the genre you have chosen. If you want you Domain, then you have to spend some more on that. Now comes the important part, Blogging, putting in the content, generating content of high-quality and original on a frequent basis (many bloggers have weekly/monthly schedules) if not, like me, I do not have a plan (an exception). Now you have lot of content, you have to get readers to come visit your site, for that you have to be proactive- reach out to their site, leave comments (my article will help on this) so you get noticed as you take interest in the bloggers work; and this way the ball starts rolling. Views are important if you are worried about Google ranking and Google Adwords or you want to place sponsors on your site. Then the take into account the Sites ranking. Then comes the phase to determine whether your site is using Search Engine Optimization ‘Keywords’ so it can help Google crawl and identify your site and place it higher in page ranks, but for that meta keywords tags and so on. Basically, to make your site SEO friendly. IT does take time if you want to direct more traffic to your blog. But being proactive and visiting and interacting with other bloggers helps build a following and interaction. Every comment you receive means more ‘Keywords’ which Google can identify and place you on a higher page rank. Comments is one of the factors which helps to build your online presence in the blogging world and people will visit your blog more. IT means you have taken the effort to read their work and also made an effort to make a positive comment which adds value to the work as well as to your dedication. So, it’s the workings of all these factors which can get more views and then finally higher page ranks. According to recent policy changes Google has added that a page which loads faster will have a higher rank and of course no plagiarized content at all. Take care of brand credibility with high-quality and innovative content delivery.
      Go through this carefully, if you have any queries let me know.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

      1. Thank you so much, Amitav for taking time to discuss this matter in detail. Now, my confusion has cleared. I think your this reply will be very helpful for many other bloggers who are going through this ambiguity, like me and this is also a very important tip and advice about blogging. Have a nice time.

        Liked by 1 person

  27. Thoughtfully presented.. I acknowledge your courage and dedication to inspiring a fruitful community…your words go beyond blogging application Your presence is much appreciated…
    Thank you

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Taruna. If I did not have the support of my readers and followers, I would not have had the opportunity to present my work. So, I thank everyone for being so supportive. As for this article, I thought of sharing this as it will be of help and build a strong blogging community, where we can learn and engage in a meaningful way.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  29. Numbers 10 (I have found the WP community to be so nice!) and 15 are particularly true for me. About number 4, I have left one word comments on several posts. Generally photos that I found to be “beautiful” or a post that I found to be “excellent.” Sometimes a single word says a lot. Thanks for putting a lot of thought into this post, it made me think about commenting etiquette.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much. Really appreciate that you found this interesting and for adding few interesting points. Yes, I agree with you, ‘Excellent’ and ‘Beautiful’ on photos or posts sometimes can do justice, but I personally like to add few words more as it makes a complete thought. But you may take a call based on the rapport with the blogger. When I started blogging I floundered too, and I learnt along the way. So, I thought of sharing my thoughts on this.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  31. As I’ve found, sometimes the comments are better than the post that prompted them. And I rather enjoy the time two commenters got their own back-and-forth dialogue going. As an aside on your point 16, I’d say there are times to simply disengage after letting the commenter make a stand.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Yes, I agree, when there are relevant discussions going on, there’s no harm in engaging in a discussion or back and forth replies. Oh yes, recently I received a fantastic comment from a blogger on my blog. I thanked for the comment, and it did inspire me to write a post after that. In fact, we should be thanking the readers and bloggers who take time to comment.
      As for point 16, it’s my personal opinion on a closure, before disengaging with that person. Of course, one can decide based on the situation and how one may see fit to deal with it.
      Thank you for sharing your views.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

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