Aug 27, 2015 / Beginner

Quick Tip: Expand Comments into Posts

Oftentimes, great post ideas start in the comments section.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/95222905@N02/10997835056/">Image</a> by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/95222905@N02/">Valery Kenski</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(CC BY 2.0)</a>

Blogging is about creating an ongoing conversation and bouncing ideas off of each other. It’s not surprising, then, that many new post ideas originate in comment threads. Some of my best blog posts have evolved out of comments I’ve made, either on my own blog or on someone else’s. I once left a comment on my friend Miranda’s post on writing and managing her online presence, which then inspired me to write my own post on the subject.

We have the power to inspire each other.

Simply put, we have the power to inspire each other. At its best, blogging is contagious.

Blogging is about more than publishing posts. Engaging with others and commenting on blogs create a richer experience. This discussion aspect is so important that we also cover it in our introductory Blogging U. course, Blogging 101.

New to blogging? For tips, read more on how to start a conversation and how to leave good comments.

In one assignment we ask participants to leave comments on several blogs they’ve never commented on before, and it’s great to see people get inspired by other people’s writing and continue the conversation on their own sites. For example, the blogger at Tea and Sarcasm left a comment on someone else’s post on aging, then created a new post, which first refers to this comment in a blockquote before continuing with their own remarks:

blockquote-comment into post

I love this type of natural interaction: when an idea or thought in someone else’s post hits a nerve in you, and you have to respond.

Have you ever written a comment that transformed into a post?

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  1. This post itself has inspired me and I have made up my mind to start commenting on other bloggers’ blogs, and also check back on my comments.

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  3. It really does help when a person gives you a great comment. It puts you in touch with the reader and possibly expands to more ideas that weren’t thought about.

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Thanks I enjoyed reading your post. I am a new blogger on wordpress and so far it’s been cool, I also enjoy reading other peoples comments after a post, usually quite interesting to say the least.

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  6. I almost turned comments off on my blog but then I remembered that was the best part of blogging when I did it years ago. Now I look forward to comments and interacting with readers.

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  11. Thanks for the tips! This will seriously help me in the near future, because I just started my blog today! So excited to be able to comment on other peoples post and to express my thoughts in a whole new way!

    Liked by 3 people