It’s easy to get to the end of a blog post or article and simply click to the next, but did you know that posting comments can help not only the poster, but also your business?
The benefits of commenting on blogs
If you have a web presence for your practice, be it a website, Facebook page or Twitter you can always include a link in your comment. Not only will the original poster see it, but it promotes your business to other readers as well. In addition, posting links to your own pages is good for SEO, which makes your website more likely to rank highly on search engines.
If the original blog post asks a question (or series of questions), posting answers in your comment allows you to showcase your knowledge, which could result in referrals. Interacting with other comments and creating discussion can also be a good networking opportunity, promoting communication with other therapists, who you might not meet otherwise. You may also learn something new or useful to your business. If you’re helpful and positive, commenting can help boost your reputation with your peers and potential clients alike.
As with all online networking, you never know what opportunities could arise! If you find another therapist who is interested in similar topics to yourself, not only can interacting via comments help build a valuable business relationship, it may lead to the offer of a guest spot blogging for their site. If you have a blog of your own, be sure to search for posters with similar themes using the tags; it’s a quick and easy way to find like-minded people.
How to be a good commenter
There’s no definitive way of being the “perfect” commenter. But to really get the most from the comments you leave, try to focus on something specific within the article or blog post. What did you like about it? Was there a point or argument you agree/disagree with or find interesting? While it is always nice to hear “great post!” it doesn’t do much to help the poster, or to boost your reputation online and with your peers.
To further promote yourself online, you can always share a link to the post on your social media pages. It puts you in good stead with the original poster, as you’re promoting them, gives you an interesting article or blog to recommend to your followers, and allows anyone who clicks on the link to see and read your comments.
You may also like to consider putting a friendly face to your comment by getting an avatar (instead of the smiley face or profile outline that’s normally set as a default). A good source for this is http://en.gravatar.com, which utilises the profile picture attached to your email account. Using the same photograph across different sites also makes you more recognisable to readers and potential clients.
Now you know the benefits of posting comments, you can get started – right here! Comment below and let us know your thoughts, and don’t forget to look through our blog for other useful information and posts.
