How to Build Your Brand Through Blog Comments

By Dan Schawbel | January 6, 2010

When you leave blog comments, do you have a goal in mind?

Believe it or not, blog comments are an excellent way to build relationships with key people in your field (find them on AllTop and Technorati), create positive touchpoints for your personal brand, and demonstrate your ability to synthesize information, provide insight and draw on past experiences.

Commenting on blogs demonstrates that you’re an active member of your niche, you’re passionate enough to participate in conversations related to your area of expertise, and you’re intelligent enough to add value to conversations in your space.

When commenting on blogs, here’s a checklist that will ensure you’re leaving as strong an impression as possible.

Blog comment checklist:

Adds insight, a new idea or a relevant link to the original blog post
Accurately and concisely answers someone’s question
Relates to your area of expertise
Includes your name (the one you want people to find you with when they search for you in Google)
Includes a link to your website (boosting the Google rank of your site and leading more people there)
Includes your tagline/position (a short phrase that describes to strangers what you do)
Has no spelling or grammar mistakes (you usually can’t edit it later)
Is not hyper-reactive (doesn’t make you seem emotionally unstable) and does not put anyone down (if arguing, provide counterpoints. Don’t attack individuals)

Commenting on blogs leaves a trail of “digital breadcrumbs” that people (employers, co-workers, bosses, first dates, etc.) will find when they type your name into Google. So always keep this checklist in mind. Your comments are permanent!

Blog comments, forums comments, book reviews and contributing to wiki articles are just a few ways to leave a trail of breadcrumbs online that builds a web presence worthy of remark, differentiating you from others. Strengthen your personal brand across the web, one insight at a time.

Author:

Pete Kistler is a leading Online Reputation Management expert for Generation Y, a top 5 finalist for Entrepreneur Magazine’s College Entrepreneur of 2009, one of the Top 30 Definitive Personal Branding Experts on Twitter, a widely read career development blogger, and a Judge for the 2009 Personal Brand Awards. Pete manages strategic vision for Brand‐Yourself.com, the first online reputation management platform for job applicants, named one of the Top 100 Most Innovative College Startups in the U.S.