Usually when I update my own I check my feed reader for any interesting posts that I want to comment on. I set a goal of leaving at least three good comments per day. (On different blogs, though we all like our repeat customers, and are likely to give them the link-love.)

My problem isn't commenting but answering the comments people leave me.

Available Light & Five Dollar Radio

That's how I've met pretty much everyone I know though Blogland. I comment and read daily. I need to cut back on the amount of time I spend doing it, but it sure is fun!

MinnesotaMom
www.minnesotamom.wordpress.com

For a lot of reasons, I actually look at reading and commenting on blogs as part of my "job." My job being loosely defined as anything that makes me more productive either personally or professionally.

I, essentially, think for a living. My job is to know what people care about and are talking about - especially in relation to social causes and non-profits - and to start making people aware of our brand-new online social networking site for that purpose. So for me, reading and commenting on blogs is budgeted into my work week time. I try not to be a blatant whore about it, but when there is an interesting blog to comment on, I do, and hope that people click on the JUST CAUSE link in my signature to see what we're building. And you know what, they do.

Beyond that, however, i find ENORMOUS benefit in just knowing what other people are thinking about. As a working mother, i too often find myself just thinking about the details of my job or my kid or my house or my dinner or my laundry.... So allowing myself to step outside myself and engage in dialogs unrelated to my "real" life is really important. It makes my world bigger, more interesting and less about me. So i budget time for it each day.

And sometimes those thoughts and dialogs and connections have tangible benefits. For instance, I just wrote an article for Guidestar about online social networking for non-profits, and knew that I should interview Beth Kanter (which I did, though all of my references to experts were stripped out so that it didn't sound like they were promoting anything, oh well...... I'll fit that in on JUST CAUSE when I repost it... But it's an example of how Beth's commenting and my commenting made a tangible business connection.)

Even my fun projects have a home here, as a result of taking the time to comment and being engaged. TinkerTank has gotten great traffic from Blogher..... And I have felt very welcome.

That was all very long winded. But I actually budget time to do it because it has both tangible and intangible positive impacts on my personal and professional life.... (See, I did it all again here..... a bit whorishly, but you get the point.) :)
___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

Alyssa,

I see nothing "whorish" about a little self-promotion. I think a lot of bloggers use this medium as a way to get their name and/or product out there. Hope it keeps working for you!

MinnesotaMom
www.minnesotamom.wordpress.com

So, I guess here is to making more comments on fun blogs! I never thought of doing that on strangers blogs- I usually just blog stalk- but I might as well comment now too- to show the love:) Thanks for the info.

Bertie

I've read other blogs for a while now but just recently started to comment. Almost immeditely I began seeing more readers to my own so this is really a great tip!

Cecelia

Cool Baby Kid

Since I tend to be shy, I used to not comment much either.  I'm trying to make myself do it more though.  But it is hard to find the time. 

 
Ideas For Women blog

6boyzmom- and am trying to learn all I can about it. These tips are very helpful.

http://talesfromthefunnyfarm.blogspot.com

I think leaving a good comment could encourage other people to come to our blog and read more article in our blog

Goonie

Baby First Year 

This is something I'm trying to work on to get more into the blogging community.  I tend to just read and read and read, but I need to be more of a commenter!  I think I'll have to try the 3 comments a day idea.

Thanks for the tip!  I will try it.  :) 

http://www.wifeandmommy.com

I tried to just hit a few good sites and leave a comment to see what would happen...not much.  But the more I read of the sites, the more involved I got in the actual words and content, I could leave insightful comments and make a comment that hopefully reinforced or appreciated the post's point.  Takes time, but when I as a blogger see that someone left a comment that shows they really READ what I wrote, I take the time to go to their site, I extend the same courtesy. 

 But I'm still pretty much a newbie.  

Anissa Mayhew

www.hope4peyton.org 

I have to agree that it's hard finding the time to be on the computer all day blog reading when I have two kids, a business and a home to manage. But, I have to admit, the blog surfing relaxes me. I'm totally entertained by what others have to say. I just put things aside I would normally have to do like my laundry, and sit with my coffee, two Excedrin, and blog. While my kids are in bed, of course.

Please log onto my website at www.debbieraymondpinet.com to view my books and work. You can also go to amazon.com and look for Tales of a Housewife and Before I Became a Housewife.

Thanks!

Debbie

I'm coming late to this thread, but glad to get the advice. I have just started to get comments on my blog, but don't always answer. Should I? 

Christy

http://trippin-lifewithtriplets.blogspot.com

One more question for you gurus. Do you prefer short comments as a rule, or are longer comments OK as long as they are relevant? I often see people apologize for the length of their comments.

http://trippin-lifewithtriplets.blogspot.com

I limit my blog time now until after my kids are in bed for the night, which is 7pm, and sometimes while they nap or are eating. If I didn't do that - I'd never live my life! :)

- Maria

http://immoralmatriarch.com

Commenting is most valuable when there's something to be added to the conversation, but sometimes when I see a great looking blog I want to just tell the blog creator "Hey, great blog!"  Is that OK?  I wouldn't mind a comment such as that, but it supossedly breaks comment etiquette, crossing the self-promotion line.  So I often try to do both in a comment, adding something of value while I'm prasing a great-looking blog at the same time.   

Cecelia

http://www.coolbabykid.com

Hi,

Interestingly enough, you've received quite a lot of comments on this blog, as you asked this question.  There must be tons of people that find time to comment on other blogs, as per the above comments.

The way I do it is that I have Google Alerts set up with specific keywords that I am interested in and read blogs from that.  If I find 5 minutes here and there, I read a post or two.  Then I write a comment if I feel I have something to say.

Thanks,

Richard Rinyai
www.theprofessionalassistant.net

I personally try to comment on several posts I see that are unique, inspiring or just needing to be cared for. I can honestly say I have had a few bloggers I speak to more than a couple times and I enjoy the friendships being made from it. I try to stay away from aggressive blogs or opinionated ones, because my life has enough drama going on. I blog for the appreciation of it. I love writing or seeing responses from others who enjoy my work. 

Debbie

www.debbieraymondpinet.com

author of Tales of a Housewife and Before I Became a Housewife

I comment daily on about 25 blogs that are relevant to my own blog. I have found that this is particularly effective, as some of the blogs that I comment on give me anywhere from 10-35 visitors per day! I always comment, on EVERY POST. I don't feel that it's spammy or that it's crossing any lines because my comments are relevant and I genuinely like those blogs and what they post. These are people who's blogs I read before I started my own blog. When I find a blog that I like, I make a commitment to comment on every post that they make. To me, it is a way for the blog owner to know that I appreciate what they write, even if all I say is "great post, thank you for this information". Although, truth be told...I rarely post somthing so generic/corny.

For my own blog...I've only just started getting comments. I think I have had four total unique commentors (and one of them is my mother - how sad is THAT!) I cherish each and every comment, I respond to each one too. They make me feel so good, and I want to reciprocate with the blogs that I read daily.

My Blog: Impacting the Earth little, my children much.
http://www.yourimpactmatters.com

I'm with you -- my biggest commentors are my sister-in-law and other family members. I'm slowly starting to get more, but like I said ... slowly. I'm trying to build a readership, but it's the self-promotional thing that's still getting me. Surprisingly I've never been one to talk about myself too much -- although I guess that's counterintuitive for someone with a blog!

Raising Boys

http://raisingboys.gainesville.com/ 

Hi I've just posted a similar forum discussion on Commenting and asking for links as a way of getting more readers, so Iwon't go into it here.  But...

I do think it's important to acknowledge comments.  It builds a relationship with your readers and lets them know you are listening to them.  In fact sometimes the comments box ends up being just as much fun as the actual post (sometimes funnier).

If you get so many comments that it's hard to acknowledge every one (lucky you!) then you can try this little gem that I've done on my own blog: "The Comment of the Week" .  Every week I highlight the comment that made me laugh, spit or howl most that week and put it on my sidebar.  Folk LOVE it.  It's like winning a competition!

And it also shares a bit of link love, if you stick their URL on the quote, which is a karmically nice thing to do and will mean you get reincarnated as a lion instead of a bluebottle.  You can't say fairer than that!