Commenting on other blogs is a crucial step towards establishing successful relationships within the blogosphere and is a great way of drawing substantial traffic to your own blog. Valuable and insightful comments not only expand the conversation on the blogs they are featured on, they also present an opportunity for you to showcase your authority on particular subject matter and draw referrals from that blogger. Who knows, you can even be invited to provide a guest post or collaborate with others depending on the frequency and usefulness of your comments.

Now there are many bloggers out there who simply comment to shamelessly plug their own work. They may just write one or two sentences that only serve to promote their own blog, without providing anything substantial or relevant to the conversation. If you want to become a professional and credible blogger, you have to resist the temptation to merely plaster your blog’s name all over the place and learn to make valuable comments, earning the attention of other bloggers through your integrity, openness and honesty.

Here are some tips on providing comments that not only make for great blogging conservations, but will also get you well-deserved recognition online:

1. Respond to questions and/or suggestions within the article. This is one of the easiest ways of connecting with other bloggers. Often a blogger will instigate a flurry of comments by leaving an open-ended question in their post or will leave the reader with some suggestions to take with them (this applies especially to instructional posts). As a dedicated blog commenter, you should take the bait and provide your answer. Feel free to provide your personal reaction to the blogger’s suggestions as it will make your response relatable and will encourage other readers to follow your lead.

2. Ask questions of your own. If something in the post has left you hanging, be sure to let the blogger know as it will show that you are an attentive reader who genuinely cares about the content. Try to extend the conversation as much as you can by engaging the blogger and his or her readers by requesting more information. Try to have your questions build on the ideas being presented and keep them open ended. Having the author reply with a cold yes or no won’t help you or them.

3. Provide examples, links and other resources that will be helpful to the blogger and their readers. When responding to the post’s content, it’s often useful to provide additional examples or food for thought that can elaborate on the main ideas being presented. You can relay personal experiences of course or go the extra mile and find useful links or resources that others can follow for more information. Doing so can effectively demonstrate your knowledge and dedication to the subject matter being discussed. Your examples will also provide another launching point for further conversation.

4. Play the Devil’s advocate. If you disagree with something being brought up in a post (or in its comments), feel free to voice your differences. Just make sure you provide qualified reasons for your positions and refrain from name-calling or blunt statements. Try to be respectful in your disagreements and supplement your stance with clear examples and points that can lead to further discussion.

Playing the devil’s advocate may not always involve outright disagreement, it may just mean prodding the author (or other readers) to explain their position from another angle, to make sure he or she has got her all bases covered. You can also try and anticipate the objections of other parties before they happen. This will expand the conversation and help the author improve and develop their own content.

5. Add humor when appropriate. Nothing will catch the attention of blog readers more than a well-placed quip or witty remark. Displaying candor is a sure way of making quick connections and will reveal a little bit about yourself to your fellow bloggers, drawing them to your site. Of course, there is always a fine line between clever and stupid, but if you make your jokes relevant to subject matter and solicit response, then you’re doing a good job. Just know where the line is and when to cross it, otherwise your comment may just be shot down!

How did you like our quick guide to writing substantial, useful and provocative comments? If you have any suggestions of your own, we would love to hear them, so just leave us your thoughts below. And if you’re going to leave a joke, we’ve heard the Aristocrats already!