Why I Leave Blog Comments (and why you should too)

Robby

Whether you’re an Indianapolis job seeker or an employee at some Indianapolis firm–or even if you have never been to Central Indiana–chances are that you read blog posts.

In fact, given that even news articles from major print publications now allow comments, chances are that you are presented with the chance to leave feedback online a dozen times a day.

So why don’t you?

© Flickr User DoNotLick

It seems most people never contribute to online conversations. They hang around, read what others have written, but never say anything themselves. They’re often called “lurkers.”

This doesn’t just happen on the Internet, of course. Think back to any classroom you’ve ever sat in, or any public forum, or even meetings at your company. Most people never say anything.

This phenomenon has been studied extensively by researchers. It’s called the 90-9-1 Rule. The analysis shows that in any large collaborative group:

• 90% of people never say anything
• 9% of people occasionally contribute
• 1% of people are heavy contributors

We’re all familiar with that 1%. They are the teachers pet; the people who are constantly voicing their opinion. In all honesty, their behavior can be a little annoying.

What’s more interesting is the difference between the 90% and the 9%. In order to move into the second group, you just need to say one thing, one time.

So now let’s return to the topic of blog comments. If you take a few seconds and leave a comment on any blog post–even just a few words–you’ll be noticed possibly by the author and all the other people who read that post.

These comments don’t have to say much. You can just write “great post!” or “Thanks for writing!” or “I’ve experienced this too.”

What’s most important is not really what you say, but your name appearing to the comment. That get you noticed. And if you’re trying to find a new job, grow your career, or just be a contributor in your industry or community, being noticed is what matters.

So go ahead. Leave a comment below.