No matter whom one asks about ways to build an online brand presence the suggestion of commenting on articles and forum posting keeps popping up. While in theory this seems simple enough in reality it is much harder if one really wants to utilize it as fully as possible. Thanks to less than honest comment posters flooding the internet in embarrassing campaigns to bolster online brand presence it has gotten harder for real, legitimate companies to utilize commenting. It can be done, though, with a little patience and hard work.
The first point in comment posting to understand is that there is a fine line between not enough posting and becoming a menace. To truly understand and learn where this line is located in regards to maximizing online brand presence I’d recommend that any blogger pick an online article in which they are interested and read the comments. I can almost guarantee three-fourths, if not more, are selfish promotions. They add nothing of quality to the article and simply take up space.
Now, I’m guessing anyone reading this post does not desire to be in that camp. With that assumption in mind there are a few rules and tips to follow to protect one from becoming a nuisance to blogs and forums while trying to build an online brand presence.
1) Praise is a wonderful thing to dish out if an article or forum post is truly appreciated. Be specific in the praise. WHY did you like the article? There is nothing worse than a generic “This article is great!” If you’re going to take the time to type a comment when creating online brand presence make sure it has some grit.
2) No promotions needed to create an online brand presence unless your company is truly relevant to the article or topic (in the case of a forum). For example, if your company makes jewelry and you are posting on a forum for men wanting ideas for gifts for their wives, by all means drop a link to your website. If, on the other hand, your commenting on a industry article about marketing jewelry, do you really need to promote your website? No, you don’t. Leave an interesting comment about the content of the article.
3) Comment often. This cannot be stated enough. One comment left on an article, blog post or forum will not establish your online brand presence. It may take a little extra time to revisit the article, but find the time and keep commenting! It will be worth it when you become a valuable member of the community.
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