10 Secrets to Leaving a Comment on a Travel Blog

Updated: Mar 21st, 2010

A travel writer knows how to write proper comments. There’s nothing worse than a writer who violates “commenting etiquette.” You know who you are. Now, you may be upset because many people do not proofread their blogs before they post it. It’s great that you want to help fellow writers, but that’s not the point of commenting. Unless, of course, you point out the spelling error and then make your real comment.

Commenting can generate traffic to your blog. However, if you’re a travel writer and do not know how to leave a comment, you can do more harm than good. Remember, the goal is to leave a comment that is relevant to the website you visit.

If you’re a travel writer and you’re not commenting on websites, what’s the problem? Are you shy? Do you fear that your comment will be rejected? Don’t sweat it. As long as you leave a comment that pertains to the website’s content, you’ll be fine. Take the plunge and be the first one to leave a comment on a travel writing website. The website owner cannot see you.

10 secrets to leaving a proper comment

  1. Write a relevant comment that adds value to the blog or article you’ve just read.
  2. Make sure to use proper grammar and punctuation, and be sure to spell your own website and email address correctly!
  3. Don’t leave vague comments like “great post – thanks”.
  4. Leave one comment per blog post or article. Remember, many blogs “moderate” their comments, so yours may not appear right away – be patient.
  5. Know what you’re speaking about when you leave your comment.
  6. Be respectful — don’t curse or berate other commenters!
  7. Proofread your comment before you post it.
  8. If the author made typos, be careful if you choose to point them out. Use a helpful approach versus “hey, do you know how to spell?”, or simply ignore them and comment about the content instead.
  9. Be careful if you use links when you post a comment. Include a link only if it is relevant. When in doubt, leave it out.
  10. Get to the point. There’s no need to write “War and Peace.” Be succinct when you write a comment.

If you’re a travel writer, visit a variety of websites. Be active in the travel writing community. In fact, you could email the travel writer of a website and ask for a back link. This is a great way to establish relationships with other travel writers.

Commenting on other websites is a great way to connect with other travel writers. As a travel writer, you can never have enough contacts. Leave as many comments as you can. You never know who you’ll meet online. You could meet a former travel editor who could give you tips and tricks about travel writing.

Now that you know the proper way to leave comments, get online and start commenting. Be respectful and get to the point. There’s no reason not to write a proper comment. As a travel writer, you’ll have an advantage over others because you know how to write!

Rebecca

Do you comment on other travel writing sites or blog? What has been your experience?

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About Amandah Blackwell 198 Articles

Amandah Blackwell is a creative, freelance and ghost writer for industries that include but are not limited to the arts & entertainment, travel, publishing, real estate, pets, personal and professional development, and much more.

Amandah's personal writing projects include screenplays, teleplays, YA, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry. 

You can find more of her writing at www.MisticCafe.com, savvywritingcareers.wordpress.com, and www.savvy-writer.com.

You can follow Amandah on Twitter at:  http://twitter.com/savvy_writer

11 Comments

  1. Yikes! I have been guilty of at least one violation – I didn’t realize it was a no-no to just say “great post”…..I’ve done that when I liked a post somewhere but couldn’t think of anything else to say…..

  2. I know what you mean about leaving the “great post” comment. I guess I’ll have to ponder on what I will say when I leave a comment.

  3. It wouldn’t be a problem except for the fact that there are SO many blog-spammers out there, and their only goal is to get links back to their site – that’s a common technique (leaving a vague irrelevant comment), and so many blog authors and webmasters are simply fed up with their blogs being abused in this manner – so they’re hyper-sensitive.

    It’s completely acceptable to get links to your own site via comments, and nearly every blog author/webmaster understands this – as long as you’re part of a useful, relevant conversation they have no problem with giving you a link. Go ahead and voice your opinion – it doesn’t necessarily need to agree with the perspective of the author, just be respectful if you disagree.

  4. Right on! I’m finally glad someone got this straight. As a “noob” to the online world, I regularly broke all the rules, mainly because it was inconceivable to me that rules of etiquette actually exist online.

    The best comments, in my opinion, are contrary ones. These get the most attention, and are the most interesting.

    • Glad you liked the blog. I think a lot of people (including me) have broken the rules of commenting. Now I know. Sometimes it’s difficult to leave a comment if the blog is more of a “fluffy” piece versus something that has some substance to it. Just my opinion.

  5. Leaving a comment that is not “fluffy” is imperative — otherwise your comment will be deleted. Most people use the “great article or great blog” and that it’s it. The point is to add to the discussion about the topic. It’s a way of social networking. Some people use comments to promote their products and services, which is fine as long as they add some relevant comment along with their website.

  6. Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with an articulate comment. I must admit that I’ve left the “Great post or Great article” comment. My bad! I do my best to leave a relevant comment, but sometimes I struggle with this. Thanks for this post. Liked the YouTube video.

  7. Yes, the point of leaving a comment is to contribute to the other comments and to the post. It’s not all about back links! I suggest that if you can’t think of a comment, bookmark the site, and then come back. Perhaps you’ll think of a comment to write that will contribute to the other comments/conversations.

  8. A good informative blog and really appreciate your work.

    Got some good tips that will really be useful. The tips that you provided really seems effective and will be beneficial in the work.

    Thanks and keep sharing your information.
    .-= Amaso´s last blog post: Neasden Temple- Sheer Magnificence =-.

    • I know exactly what you mean. On my blog about Fiji, I have 1 good comment for every 1000 spam comments. Thankyou for spreading the word of commenting properly on a blog.

      Many thanks,

      James

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