I achieved the communication core competency by teaching a class about the physics of sailing, a topic I was confident in because of my background in Scouts. Through years of scouting, I gained experience leading activities, speaking in front of groups, and explaining ideas in clear and simple ways. When I presented the sailing lesson, I used those same skills speaking clearly, using examples. My time in Scouts gave me the confidence and strategies I needed to communicate effectively in a classroom setting. I think that I achieved this by speaking clearly even though there were some times where I did get lost, but it did not stop me from talking proudly about my subject.

1. Use Your Real Name Whenever Possible

Some bloggers may not care whether you use a real name or a brand name when you leave a comment, but the general rule of thumb is to use a real name as often as possible. Using your real name goes a long way in gaining the trust of the blogger and shows that you aren’t trying to leave a spam or self-promoting comment.

2. No Link Dropping!

A blog comment is not your personal ad platform! Unless you’re linking to a report that backs up your statement, don’t drop a link in the comment itself, especially a link to one of your web pages.

3. Great Post! Doesn’t Cut It

Nothing reeks of spam more than a comment like great article or very useful information. Sure, bloggers love a compliment about their writing, but that shouldn’t be the only thing you say. If all you can do is gush about how you’ve never come across a more interesting post, bloggers know you’re just doing it for the link. Flattery doesn’t get you far with blog commenting.

4. Look For Blogs With Similar Target Audience

One of the reasons blog commenting is so useful is because it can potentially lead to more traffic for your website. That’s why you should aim to comment on blogs that target the same audience as you. Lets say you own a pet store. You aren’t trying to get other pet store owners to your site, are you? You’d want to comment on pet owner blogs, not small business blogs.

5. Actually Read The Post

This may seem like a fairly obvious thing to point out, but you’d be amazed at how many black hat SEO spammers leave comments that just parrot back the first sentence of the post. If you don’t want to read a 5 page blog post, at least skim for the main points and comment on those. If the blogger is going to be giving you a link, the least you can do is actually bother to read the blog.

6. Contribute To The Conversation

If you disagree, that’s great! Voice your opinion and say why you think the blogger is wrong (just try to be civil). If you think the blog post missed a few pointers (like blog commenting guideline #8), leave it in the comment section. Don’t just be a passive blog commenter and reiterate what has already been said. Lead the conversation!

7. Talk To The Other Commenters

Blogs are inherently social in nature, which means you can interact with the blogger as well as the other commenters. Start a dialogue with someone in the comments (as long as it stays relevant) instead of just leaving a general comment about the blog. Sometimes the back-and-forth in the comment section becomes more interesting than the blog post itself!

When you’re commenting on my post follow rule 2, 3, 5, and 6.

An example for comments I want under my post would be “Wow great post I love how you incorporated the subject into this matter”