5 Tips for posting Comments Online which Improve your Success Rate
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1. Comment and Interact
Like other online writing websites, HubPages allow people to add comments to the articles written. Comments are definitely a great way to give and receive feedback, but more than that effective commenting is an art that can actually improve your success rate at HubPages.
An observation was that many people either comment on other authors' hubs thinking that they are doing them a favor, or returning the favor - it's like a task they have to accomplish. Sometimes they just want to register their presence, "Hey I read your hub, now you read mine". In fact, on another website, I got a comment which directly said, "I liked your article, be kind to my article too". Consequently, many comments like this are seen - "I liked your hub", "It was a great hub". All such people either do not realize the importance of this powerful feature called comments or are really running out of time and they ignore it.
2. Glimpse of Quality
Each comment you write, like your hubs, is a glimpse of your writing style. Even in two sentences, a reader can be impressed by the seamless flow of thoughts, flawless grammar, correct punctuation etc. Every comment you post is a glimpse of not just your writing talent but also the kind of quality you strive for.
While short comments which are posted for the sake of commenting might not cause any direct harm, but think about it - a good, quality comment read by a passerby could have initiated another profile view, may be another follower thus increasing your readership. Sometimes, what you could have gained is a subtle measure of what you've lost.
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I would like to mention two of my fellow hubbers whose comments I really look forward to. More than often, they uplift my spirits. In a way, they inspired me to write this hub.
3. Back-links and Exposure
Don't frown, back-links here do not refer to the spam links which are disallowed at HubPages, nor do they point to urls to your own hubs. (Each comment form after all has the note, comments are not for promoting your hubs) The back-links are referring to the links to your profile.
Each time you leave a comment, a new back-link is created to your profile - the anchor text is your username. While this will definitely help with SEO (your sub-domain will be highly ranked if it has a high number of back-links), it will also improve the exposure you have to an increased number of potential readers.
You might be writing on topics which are not SEO friendly, this means that you won't get as much organic traffic directly. But if you post quality comments on hubs which receive a lot of direct traffic from Search Engines, you will attract more readers from the world outside of HubPages. It's quite possible that a person searching for job in Texas will land up on your poetry hub and have a great inspirational boost with your poem. But to ensure that your comment is not lost in an ocean of many comments, try to be one amongst the first few - readers generally check out the first few comments.
50Caliber
His writing - whether in his hubs, or in his comments reminds me of bold and powerful strokes of a confident painter. With sheer and raw power, his comments state his opinions very effectively. The value addition by his comments can be understood by a small example - Another fellow hubber referred to his comment while posting her comment on one of my hubs - Facade of Simplicity. Here is a link to his profile - 50Caliber
4. Bonding with the Fellow Authors
HubPages is a great place where really talented authors are sharing their wisdom, showcasing their art. As a writer, getting comments or feedbacks from authors you admire is a tremendous opportunity for anyone to hone his/her skills and really satisfactory when someone with brains and understanding of your work appreciate you.
While I don't quite approve of posting comments as favors or returning favors, let's face it. Till the time you are established as a good hubber and have a nice readership, you will have to depend on the bonding with the fellow authors to get some quality feedback. Now whether you want succinct comments or nice value adding quality comments, choice is yours. Remember, that your quality comments will attract the people who strive for quality and would like to have good feedback for their work too. Thus, the process will ensure that you interconnect with amazing writers.
Giselle Maine
I'm a fan of her writing style, and her presentation is so polished, I am tempted to click on the titles by her even if the topics are not of my interest. That's because her arrangement of expressed thoughts is so unique, there is something new to amaze me every time - while there is never a compromise with the quality - be it the written text or images.
She has an acute and astute observation, and posts comments which are encouraging and off course which add value to the original hub. But I specially mention here for another reason. I sometimes post comments on her hubs including suggestions. Each time she responds, I learn from her, how to gracefully acknowledge suggestions. She writes great responses to all the comments, and for that, heads off to her. Here's a link to her profile Giselle Maine
5. Responding Back to Comments
No matter how busy you are, don't write one liner useless responses to people who have taken time to read your work. Postpone the responses if you have to, but acknowledge the comments gracefully, specially the quality ones. This would ensure that the people commenting would look forward to another interaction with you. One way interactivity will otherwise die in due course.
Conclusion - Return on Investment
When you read a hub, you spend time, attention - you invest some valuable efforts. Why not avail the obvious opportunities in the process and get full return on your investment? Just an extra minute can make a huge difference. Happy Commenting, Happy Hubbing.
Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
— The Bible