I have noticed a big drop-off in blog comments over the last couple of years. Why has that happened? There are so many benefits that come from simply leaving a comment on a blog post that has appealed to you. We should remember that and take advantage of it. It only takes a moment to leave a comment and it’s just like dropping a baited hook into an ocean of hungry fish.

What benefits does a comment bring you?

1. Connection
Most blog owners will reply to your comment. It’s the start of a conversation and a possibly useful connection. Isn’t that what blogging is about? It’s supposed to eb a very social affair.

2. Interaction
If you’ve taken the time to comment, many blog owners will repay the favour by visiting your blog and leaving a return comment. Just think what might happen if you leave a careful thought out and intelligent comment on the blog of a high flier in your niche. How cool would it be if they returned the favour? And some of them do!

3. Links
Every comment is a link. You can crawl the blogsphere looking for places to leave your link like a dog marking his territory or you can leave a comment that is worth reading. I don’t believe in commenting just for the hell of it. Worthwhile comments are more likely to be approved and bring you a link back to your site.

4. Traffic
We’ve all done it. At some time we’ve seen a comment that appealed to us and we’ve clicked on the link to find out more about the person behind it. That’s traffic. I have met some wonderful people simply by following them back to their sites after reading a comment.

5. Build your business.
So you’ve commented, had a reply had people follow you back to your site. What do you think might happen next? That’s right. Business. What a cheap way to find new leads!

You may not always have the time to blog but you can probably find a minute or two each week to comment on the posts you read. Keep throwing out your line and see who you reel in.