We often hear advice on the way bloggers and page owners should treat their followers, but not much has been written about how followers should behave. Many large news sites and websites have removed their comment sections, but for those of us who are building a following, this section can be important.
The policy at Writers Write is that we do not allow abusive, derogatory, or intolerant comments on blog posts and social media posts. We also do not allow ‘ad hominem‘ arguments where people attack the person writing instead of arguing the point.
We are happy to have constructive criticism and valid arguments in streams. (We also close comments after a few days.) We are not happy for people to insult and abuse others under the guise of ‘opinion’. As Douglas Adams said, ‘All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others.’
This made me think about the etiquette of commenting on posts.
Six Things To Consider Before You Comment
- Be kind. Be polite. The author of the post is a real person with feelings. Remember that you are a visitor on the platform.
- Leave it alone if you don’t like it. You may not agree with a post, but this does not give you the right to go on a tirade about the stupidity of the post, the page, or the author. If you truly don’t like it, ignore it. If you think the page is bad, don’t follow it. And you don’t have to announce it. Just do it.
- Don’t preach. Posts are not a platform for you to promote your agenda. Don’t turn the comments section into a pulpit. Start your own blog and share your passions, obsessions, and opinions there. You can create your own following without ruining the experience for others.
- Leave religion and politics out of it. Unless the blog is about religion or politics, there is no need for you to add any comments about these subjects. If you fear for the state of the writer’s soul, or if they offend you, don’t follow them.
- Think before you ask. If you are asking a general knowledge question that the author may not know, Google it first. If you have a question that relates to the post, read through the comments. Somebody may have answered it already. If you know the answer to a question, please answer it. The author of the post will be grateful for your help.
- If you like it, say it. Always leave positive comments if you enjoyed the post or you have something valuable to add to the discussion. If you have had an experience that relates to the content, and you share it in a helpful way, people will be interested in hearing about it.
Life is short. Follow blogs and pages that you enjoy. And if they change into something you don’t like, it’s easy enough for you to leave.
Happy blogging.
P.S. If you want to learn how to blog, join us for The Complete Blogging Course in Johannesburg or sign up for the online version.
If you enjoyed this post, read:
- 11 Reasons Why I Won’t Be Returning To Your Blog
- 7 Trends Bloggers Cannot Afford To Ignore
- 25 Types Of Content That Make Your Blog Irresistible
Become a Writers Write Patron:
If you’re inspired, educated, or entertained by our posts, please show your appreciation with a monthly donation.
3 thoughts on “How To Comment On Blogs And Social Media – 6 Suggestions”
Amanda Peterson Interesting Article with some thoughts::
Many of the Posts I comment on are about politics and I read the article carefully and I spend time composing my thoughts. I feel it is imperative that I respond to an article I do not agree with and they need to an alternative opinion. I don’t resort to the toxic replies that is the general rule.
Great suggestions. Thank you! Many of us should pin these six rules on the wall in front of our eyes to look up every time before we hit the “comment” button.
Thank you for your comments, Corriea and Rina.
Comments are closed.