To spam or not to spam? This shouldn’t even be a question anymore, but now that Creativindie is growing, I keep seeing spammy comments all the time. I’ve decided (probably unfairly) to make an example out of a comment I just got by Peter Sacco. This is what a blog owner sees when you post a comment on their blog, with a few brief compliments followed by a link. If this was going to work at all, the author should have logged in with a different name at least so it isn’t so obvious.
Peter Sacco
petersacco.com
Great post! this topic is so interesting, specially for those who have plans to promote a book they made. promoting a book is not that easy. but this article will help you on how you will promote on your own. Peter Sacco recently posted..Comment on Who is Peter Sacco? by Good Books for Teenagers | Best Selling Books
That said, Peter Sacco has a very decent website and looks like he’s doing pretty well as an author, and as a TV writer. Like most authors, he’s probably playing around with multiple forms of book promotion and marketing, and my guess is he’s not responsible for the post above at all. He may have hired someone to “Boost PR” or “Make 50 dofollow blog comments” or “25 high PR backlinks”. I’m guilty of doing the same thing, through sites like Fiverr.com (and I hope this isn’t what I’m getting for my money, but it could be.)
The truth is, blog commenting can work, but you’ve got to get past the gatekeeper first and get it approved, which means:
- Thoughtful comment related to the content
- Not unnecessarily full of praise or criticism
- Adds value to the conversation
- No links back to your own site
No links? Then what good is it?!
Rather than trying to get comments on hundreds of websites, focus on 10, high PR, excellent blogs in your field or niche. Try to find an article to comment on once a month. You don’t want to be an overeager, annoying fan. Post long, thoughtful, helpful, informative comments on the topic, with your real name. (Your name will probably link back to your site, and that’s enough for now). Other people can see your comments and will click on your name to find out more.
But more importantly, the blog owner will appreciate your comments, come to recognize your name, and associate you with positive value. After a few months of this, if you have something big going on like a book launch or promotion event, you can ask the blogger to do a guest post.
Don’t say “you might have noticed I’ve been commenting for awhile.” Don’t imply that they owe you anything. Just say, “Hi (blogger), I’ve been enjoying your blog for several months now, I’ve got some thoughts on an article I think could provide value to your readers and I’m hoping you’ll consider a guest post. In brief, the article would be about (xyz) and a possible title is (abc). I’ve written up a draft already, let me know if it works for you (link or attachment). I also have a couple other articles that may fit better if you don’t like the first one. I’m doing several guest posts this week to boost my book launch, a post on (Month 22/23) would be great but I’ll leave it up to you.”
Check back a few days later, politely, to see if they got your first email. If not, give up for awhile or focus your efforts on another blog.
Ps) I’m using Peter Sacco as an example of a victim, probably making a mistake that many of us are making by outsourcing blog comments, but I don’t fault him for it: plus, by posting this article with his comment, I’m giving him much more traffic and link juice than if I’d just deleted the comment (so I hope that’s OK, Peter, if you’re reading this. If not, let me know.)
Do you use blog commenting as part of your marketing plan? Do you outsource it? Share your experiences!
The 3 secrets to book marketing, and a haunted castle tour. Totally free. Get it here.
I’m a philosophy dropout with a PhD in Literature. I covet a cabin full of cats, where I can write fantasy novels to pay for my cake addiction. Sometimes I live in castles.
Add Comment