Commenting Can Be Contagious.

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I’m hoping to start a new trend; thus the title.

You read blogs, don’t you? Maybe you even have one of your own too. 

There’s nothing more satisfying then finding that people are reacting to your words via a comment. It lets you know that someone is reading your stuff and making your efforts all worthwhile.

Some of your friends will be kind enough to comment on your blogs. Appreciate their interest and know it’s genuine; since, on the other hand, a lot of your friends don’t share your interest in what your blog is all about.

And that’s okay. 

No need to “force” your blog on your friends. The folks with an interest in what you have to say are going to find you via your promotional efforts. You ARE promoting your blog via various social networks, aren’t you?

DO reply to your blog comments. Let people know that you are out there reading their (usually) kind words. I reply to as many that make sense. 

Most of the comments will be positive. DO consider the negative ones; yes, they can be harsh, however, remember that people don’t always have the same perspective that you do. They may be bringing up another aspect that you hadn’t even considered. Acknowledge their comment and be honest; if it is something you hadn’t thought of why not tell them so and thank them for it?

Learn from the comments. There could be an idea from a commenter suggesting that another blog needs to be written on a particular subject. Go for it! Let them know you’re going to write it. Better yet, reply after its written and published and give them the URL. Continue that dialog!

One thing that is annoying is the occasional spam. What to do? Delete it. One of my most popular blogs, I Don’t Do Plumbing, So Why Are You Doing Marketing?, garnered a little advertising from a water heater company. I removed the comment but left their name there. Ha!

My plumbing blog garnered many great comments. It made people think. And that’s what I’ve set out to do. By pulling two things together that normally wouldn’t be paired (in this case plumbing and marketing), the objective was to get the reader's brain cells working a little overtime! 

Here’s a comment from someone who totally understood my point: "You make some very god points regarding the value of professional assistance and the reluctance of many to invest."

Yay!

However, my favorite comment was this one: "You've given me a lot to think about. Now, I'm off to do brain surgery on myself."

This reader understood my point too and made light of it AND made me smile!

Have you commented on a blog lately? DO leave your thoughts. You will be heard and the writer will greatly appreciate it. And as you can see, you can leave just a few words and have a big impact. Let’s start a trend and make the world just a little bit nicer. 

The members of Chicago were probably grinning in 1970 when this tune became their first top ten hit.  And if you want to really make me smile, please visit me via the website, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ ...and thanks for stopping by!

I Don’t Do Plumbing, So Why Are You Doing Marketing?

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Water heaters aren’t very exciting to me, however, mine was installed incorrectly years ago and some “reworking” needed to be done. The plumber just went to buy parts…some pipes, earthquake straps for reinforcement, and a smitty pan among them. Sure, I know what the first two things are, but the third… fuggedabouit. And INSTALLING those parts? Me? I don’t think so! Busy day here; he’ll be installing a new dishwasher today too.

I’m not a plumber, so I hired someone who possesses the knowledge and expertise required for resolving the issues. However, I AM a seasoned professional when it comes to marketing matters.

Yesterday on Google+ I commented on a lively discussion that spoke to my profession. Jim, who started the conversation, was lamenting about how so many businesses participate in social media, work hard at it and ultimately stress themselves out because they make “unremarkable offers to uninterested people.”

The folks that Jim was referring to in his post are trying to do my job…and Jim’s too! They may be great cooks, accountants, real estate brokers, landscapers, hey, even plumbers, but are they skilled in marketing strategy, market research or social media?

One of my comments from the conversation yesterday:

Been itching to write a blog post on the subject. I actually said those words to someone recently. And my plumber IS coming tomorrow to install a dishwasher. I wouldn't dare attempt it myself...I know when to leave it a professional.

But seriously, why do people feel they have the knowledge to do just about anything? I once headed a market intelligence group during my "corporate life". A department decided that they would write a "quickie" survey to get feedback on a product via employees. They never asked for my team's help. I discovered them administering the survey in the lobby. It was pure garbage that provided no actionable results and was a waste of valuable time and effort. SIGH.

Strong words? Yes. And here’s my peeve; it’s frustrating to be in the business I’m in. Painful too to see people not doing what they should be doing and doing what they ARE doing in a way that’s not helpful to their businesses.

Jim also brought up a most compelling point: “you can be so involved inside your business that you can't see what it looks like outside, to the marketplace.”

Jim’s talking about how your potential customers see you. Simply put, a consumer’s perception of your business may be entirely different from what you THINK you're projecting to them. Is this rationale convincing enough for you to contact a marketing professional? Sure hope so.

My dog poses by the smitty pan.

Oh, my plumber just said to me “I'm going to tie your smitty pan in to your old condensate drain line.”

Huh?

Thanks to Jim Connelly for giving me the final piece of motivation I needed to write this article. You can find him here.

If you want to know more about me and my "seasoning" (count your fingers, toes, and add some more) find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. I promise lively, engaging conversation and I don't bite unless threatened. And my dog? Rumor has it all dogs bite.