Ask any blogger, and they’ll tell you one way to promote your blog is by commenting on other like-minded blogs. As BloggersGuide.net grows, I’m increasing my commenting on other blogging blogs, and in the past week or so, I’ve made a few observations about the kinds of comments I’ve been seeing. Commenters can be generalized into five categories, and each type requires a different response approach. That’s right, if you’re going to blog and start new conversations, you need to be a part of those conversations by responding to the comments you receive. If you don’t, Darren Rowse over at Probloggers says you’re at risk for letting comment spam take over your blog (and that has its own set of problems). Let’s look at these commenters together and figure out the best way to respond to them.

Everything-is-Sunshine-and-Daisies Commenters
These commenters are just happy to be alive and are thrilled that your blog exists. Their comments are generically positive to the effect of “Great post,” “Love your blog,” or “Thanks for the information! It was exactly what I was looking for.”

How to Respond
A generic “Thanks” is an appropriate response if you don’t have a lot of comments on that particular post, but if other commenters are dialoging with you and with one another, no response is necessary.

Everything-is-Worms-and-Mud Commenters
These commenters hate the entire world and really hate you and your blog. More than likely, these commenters are sulking 15-year-old teenagers who use phrases like “Your blog sucks” or “This is stupid.”

How to Respond
You’ve probably done nothing to justify their contempt, so don’t take comments from them personally. You can certainly respond to their comments, but doing so is probably a waste of time. You’re better off ignoring them (or deleting their comment all together) and focusing on comments that actually add to the conversation. For more help, check out How to Deal with Negative Commenters On Your Blog.

I-Want-to-Argue-for-the-Sake-of-Arguing Commenters
These commenters have something to say as soon as they read something with which they disagree, so don’t be surprised if their comments don’t make sense in the context of your entire post. They probably didn’t read it. I see these commenters on posts that review a book, movie, web site, etc. For example, they will take issue with the topic of the book rather than the book itself. Whereas you wrote to present your opinion of the book, they comment to present their opinion of the book’s topic.

How to Respond
Responding to these commenters is tricky because more than likely, they will respond to your response. If it’s obvious they didn’t read your entire post, gently point out what they missed by answering their arguments with what your post said. Resist the temptation to argue back; choose your words wisely, and take your time in crafting a response.

I’m-Smarter-Than-the-Blogger-and-I-Will-Write-a-Dissertation-Length-Comment-to-Prove-It Commenters
Easily confused with the I-Want-to-Argue-for-the-Sake-of-Arguing Commenters, these commenters think they are part of the intellectually elite and like to assert their long-winded opinions on other people’s blogs instead of on blogs of their own. Their comments sometimes lack paragraph breaks, and after reading one of their comments, you’ll often come away thinking, “What did I just read?” Typically, these commenters pick apart your entire post in one comment.

How to Respond
Responding to these commenters is challenging because if you respond to every point they make, you too will craft a long-winded comment. Read the entire comment as many times as necessary to identify the thesis of this comment, and respond to that thesis with brevity. Let other commenters respond to peripheral points.

I-Want-to-Make-a-Contribution-to-the-Conversation Commenters
These commenters are the stars of the blogosphere. Because they have read your entire post, their comments continue the conversation you started by adding new ideas, asking questions, and responding to other commenters.Even if their comments are negative, they are a joy to read.

How to Respond
It’s easy to respond to these commenters because you’re naturally continuing the conversation. Follow up with a “Thanks for the idea/question/criticism,” and write a genuine reply. If these commenters come back time and time again to contribute, consider shooting them a personal email of thanks.

Conclusion
Most of the comments you receive on your blog will come from one of these commenters, and how you respond can make a huge difference in the community your blog builds. All commenters want to know that their thoughts were read (and appreciated) by you, and that alone justifies a response to them. A response as simple as “Thanks,” can increase your reader loyalty amd your blogging credibility.

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