An Interview With The “Comment Queen”
Photo credit: Premasagar Rose, courtesy of Flickr, CC 2.0
Davina Brewer of 3 Hats Communications gets around more than just about any other social media user I know. She’s tweeting, she’s commenting, she’s blogging, she’s guest blogging. She’s everywhere.
And she’s always relevant, always sparkling with that famous sharp wit, and she’s gotta be any blogger’s dream commenter. That last bit is what I pulled her aside to talk about, shortly after she was named “Comment Queen” in the comments for this post. Read about her practical experience and tips to squeeze all the networking and contact-making power you can from a simple blog comment.
Q: How long have you been actively commenting the way you’re famous for now?
About 3 years (and overdone it this last year). Before that I lurked and I commented anonymously in a few places, unsure of my voice and opinions. It took a while to take a chance and put my thoughts out there.
Q: When I first started reading blogs, I seldom commented because I didn’t see much point. What makes you want to comment on a post?
Interest. If it clicks, I share what and how I relate and maybe add to that. If it does not click and it really tugs at me, it’s a chance to ask questions.
Community and network. I’ve made friends and connections, and if asked to read/comment on something I will do my best to try. I also try to repay the courtesy to my commenters which also takes time; I have to find a relevant post on which I can add something of substance—more than a “like this post” comment.
Q: How often do you leave comments that oppose the point of view of the post author?
Maybe 25% of my comments are in disagreement. It’s sneaky because I will mention what I like or agree with, then go into why I disagree, rather than just jump up and down on a blogger. I do it because I think my disagreement would actually benefit the blogger and readers. But there are times I’ve not liked posts and not commented or shared b/c my dissenting opinions are too hard to explain, won’t add anything of value to a discussion, reflect personal bias, etc. Paul Wolfe wrote a post on these types of comments.
Q: Do you think your commenting habits have anything to do with the blogging company you’ve kept?
YES! I will be blogging this as well. As I said, it has a lot to do with my comfort level. Once my comments started getting replies and my blog started getting just a few comments, I gained more confidence. The “crew” is relatively new even though I’ve known many of these folks (Gini Dietrich, Danny Brown, Mark Schaefer) for years. Next I got to know Neicole Crepeau, Jayme Soulati, Jenn Whinnem, Shonali Burke. The Sales Lion/Nitty Griddy core has been great, lots of crossover that have really kicked things into another gear.
Now what it does for my habits is ruin my days with great tweets and blog posts that I must read and comment on! It’s a nice problem to have, so I joke, but it’s true. There are some good writers and bloggers out there and I like the conversation so I let myself get pulled into it. In a good way of course.
The other part of my habit–replying to others in comments—is a byproduct of forum and bulletin board service play. It’s considered rude to comment and expect others to read and reply to your comment without extending that courtesy to them first. Before I comment, I read what some others have shared so I don’t just parrot that. Next thing you knew, I was replying to others as well as the original post based upon my “assumption” that there is something to all this “conversation” buzz.
Q: What are your recommendations for other commenters?
Lurk. Pay attention to the blog and blogger, their style and approach and what they like and want. Look at their comments and see what’s going on there. Find and read their comment policies! I’ve become lax at that and am reminding myself of these things. Yes I can and will joke but I also have to respect the house rules. Not all blogs or posts are the proper places for that. It may mean commenting less, or just cutting some of the banter.
Be you. It’s trite and cliché because it’s true. Even when leaving a “serious” comment, my writing style and humor just happen, and I don’t see it benefiting me or the blogger if I force myself to change it too much.
Q: Do you frequent the blogs your clients visit or the ones your colleagues visit?
Most of my clients are not “into” social media or it’s been a challenge getting them to take it seriously. Cold, hard truth—and one reason I’m networking. Of course I use it as part of my job and business practices on their behalf (talking with reporters, monitoring trends, research, etc.), but it’s different.
Maybe I’m engaging in the “wrong” places, which is to say the blogs that already do take it seriously, which are mostly written by colleagues. Lurkers play a part of this: a potential client might never comment on my blog or anyone else’s, but if they’re researching topics in our field, maybe these blogs are in fact the “right” places to be and be seen.
It’s a Catch-22 I’m still working on resolving along with many others regarding my networking and inbound marketing strategies, etc. So it’s work in progress—very slow progress!
Enter your email to get random special notes from me about marketing copy, language, and grammar you can put to work as soon as you read them. It’s not a newsletter–it’s your chance to pull me aside for answers to your own questions, too!
Wow, I'm still learning, but the time pays off.
HollywoodToday Time spent learning always does. Glad to have you here.
Hi Shakirah,
When Davina shows up, suddenly the number of your comments goes up too! I remember the first time it happened at my blog. I was away from the computer and returned to see "8 New Comments" (on this wonderful livefyre system of course ;-) and I wondered how long I'd been away! It was Davina visiting for the first time.
I've learned a lot from her about retweeting, though I'm still not very good at it. And I do admire that she voices her opinion even when it doesn't go with the general opinion being expressed.
Great interview Shakirah!
Lori
Lori Oh, the interview is all Davina. I had to find out how it was physically possible to be such a great visitor AND blogger AND professional at the same time. And now we all know, lol. 3HatsComm says she's going to dial back some, and I won't argue--she knows what's best for her situation--but I certainly hope she doesn't disappear altogether.
ShakirahDawud Lori Thank you both. There are things about this I like and it is talking with people, LF makes it easy to do that and get carried away. I have a 'dream comment system' post due in a week or so. Anyway.. yeah I do voice my opinion, it's the only way to be me and present myself as a professional. The 'dial back' plan .. still gotta figure that one out.
The Comment Queen- that is a good moniker to have. I like it.
TheJackB As do I! Glad to have you here, Jack.
Ah yes, the lurking............that I can do.........:)
I love mixing it up w/ Davina as she only disagrees w/ half of my posts; I'm sorry I wasn't able to be over sooner. I was out all last night at a hockey game; most of today at a golf tournament; at a pre-party tonight for another golf tournament tomorrow. How can I keep up w/ Ms D if I'm not in front of my computer.
I will probably have to come back because I am beat and in desperate need of shut eye and don't feel very witty or engaging right now but I did want to say hello.
I hope your day has been good.
bdorman264 So nice of you to stop by, Bill, even while exhausted. Even I wasn't able to check in after 8 last night. So Davina shared her secret--what's yours?
I'm social by nature so there really wasn't any hesitation for me to just jump right in. I've told this story before, but I started my blog just because I thought you needed one if you were going to be a commentor. People started showing up so I had to get a little more focused about writing and being on a schedule, but I still have some work to do there.
I subscribe to several blogs mainly to make sure I know when the posts come out. I do try to reciprocate with the people that come by my place but there are a handful that don't stop by but I enjoy being in there house. It doesn't have to be tit for tat for me......
Because of some of the attention I have been receiving lately I have probably picked up 60-70 new followers in the last couple of weeks. I don't know how I can actively engage w/ all of them but I hope I can maintain the engagements I have now.
Bottom line, just jump in and comment, reply, comment some more and don't be afraid to butt into a conversation. I think you are doing fine, just keep your friends close and they'll take care of you.
bdorman264 Only half? Now is that yours or the stuff you've snagged from long abandoned blogs? Kidding, and no need to keep up. I'm trying to NOT keep up with you sir.. and yes to walking away from the computer sometimes. I've got a limit for today, then I'm done - Rapture and all ;-).
3HatsComm We just do what we can, right?
This advice makes a lot of sense to me. (No pressure to comment, now. No, none at all.) I will be pointing my colleagues here as commenting is a very valuable point that I left out of my article and blog post about how editors (and freelancers) can use social media.
Interesting that Davina "comes clean" by admitting that, right now, she has the TIME to engage in social media. I often find myself counselling colleagues that it's ok to have live contacts, kids, and hobbies rather than engaging online. Me, I work alone and crave the connection to far-flung colleagues whose work experiences and insights so enrich my day.The unmentionable opposite is that sometimes, when I see a colleague has been all over LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, I start to think that they have no paying work right now.Yes, I struggle to reconcile this "out of work" impression with the fact that I, myself, am worked off my feet but still all over the social media. In fact, when deadlines loom, my social media interaction can spike as I try to blow off the nervous energy.What can I say, perhaps what I need to learn is that my colleagues are simply workaholics, like me.
sciEditor That spike in activity from nervous energy! Ah!! That's EXACTLY what happened to me, but I crashed, and it wasn't a good crash social media-wise. Getting my bearings, I found Davina's blog, and soon after many more great blogs that implement this strategy that keeps them connected and motivated.
ShakirahDawud sciEditor I'm trying for better time management: read faster, develop scanning skills, better Twitter scheduling, etc. It's ok to walk away, to get back to things later.. think I may put myself on a comment rationing program.. slowly cut down to something manageable. Any suggestions?
3HatsComm sciEditor One thing I intend to try is stop getting so much in my inbox. On LinkedIn I get about 30 or more e-mails a day just letting me know there's a new comment, discussion, or even a loud exhalation in the groups I'm part of. I'm getting them out of my inbox so I have a bit more control of when I want to be on LinkedIn.
Ahem. But of the nearly 800 e-mails in my inbox, about half are from blog posts whose comments I've subscribed to. Ahem.
Actually, here's a guest post I just put up at the WM Freelance Writers Connection from an editor colleague. She says she's able to do a lot of her tasks within an hour and a half a day. I don't have that discipline, but that may explain why many of the tasks she mentions I haven't done in a good long while. http://bit.ly/lkokW2
3HatsComm sciEditor And my scanning skills are getting better now that I don't get every LinkedIn Group digest in my inbox. I prioritize which I'm most interested in checking out (there's no rule that says I can't play favorites, is there?) and zip down the list of new discussions.
ShakirahDawud sciEditor I've made LI notifications weekly not daily, and it's one network on which I'm slacking. I've actually stopped subscribing to comments, just my own replies as - it's ME - I will read other comments and replies anyway. I DO turn off email, Twitter, etc. when I need to focus, get things done; I also multitask and do a lot at once; and since I haven't perfected speed reading/replying.. I will have to excercise some discipline and put a few limits on things or find more efficient workflows. Sigh.. makes me tired just thinking about it. ;-)
3HatsComm ShakirahDawud sciEditor Help me help you.......
3HatsComm sciEditor It's true LI is harder for me to keep up with, too--I think because Twitter seems more demanding, and it's from there that I click to find most of the blog posts I want to read for the day. LI--you have to "get into" LI, delve deep into the groups, the questions, the status updates, the profiles. It's intimidating for me, and I've been on it 5 years.
3HatsComm I have really cut back on LinkedIn as well. What am I saying, I've cut back on it completely! I know each socnet will work for folks the way they put 'em to work. It's probably that my interest & personality feel more at home now on blogs, Twitter et al and I just can't do LI as well right now. ShakirahDawud sciEditor
ShakirahDawud I also see what tends to be extremely self-promotional stuff on LI, when I do go there. Is it just me, or do you see that as well? 3HatsComm sciEditor
3HatsComm Honestly, I don't know if you'll be able to ration your comments. :p It's what you LIKE to do! So why would you stop that? It's how you're building community, forging new relationships, etc... no?
Shonali 3HatsComm sciEditor I do see a lot--A LOT--of that in my groups, but I tend to treat it like white noise, and if it gets any more invasive than a dull roar I'll leave the group.
I've joined around 40-something groups in various industries I'm interested in working with, and one way I've scored client contacts is by reading, watching, and taking opportunities to contribute my expertise when people post queries like "Tell me what you think of my website or promotional video." I contact them privately with short helpful points and tell them I'd be happy to answer any further questions. That's scored well enough for me that I think if I'm able to stay consistent it will become a sharper tool.
I use certain groups just to keep up with what's going on in the industries I'm targeting. And some of the groups I'm part of really are a pleasure to socialize on because many of the members start excellent discussions and treat it more like a forum than a bulletin board.
Shonali ShakirahDawud sciEditor Agree.. many of the groups that have opened up have become just a means to relink or repost your blog. I did a little of that for a while but also would read and comment on others.. until I realized I was barking up the wrong trees, blah blah. Now I'll only share a post that's spot-on with certain groups, like say solo PR.
Shonali And therein is the problem.. I am having fun with this. I am learning and growing... all about balance and learning when enough's enough. ;-)
3HatsComm Shonali sciEditor Yeah, I learned quick which posters to comment on which to just duly note. I never did get the post-it-and-leave-it method.
3HatsComm Shonali ShakirahDawud sciEditor Did you say 'barking'?
I have to give the secret: I have time right now, or at least I am making time. I don't have kids pulling at me, I can timeshift work and multitask, business is slow as I'm refocusing efforts for different work, clients (whatever that means, still don't know) and networking is a part of that. As I said I've overdone it by sheer fact that there are so many good blogs and bloggers out there, I read and comment (and plenty of times I don't).
As to the amount and frequency of comments - something else I'll write about soonish - is I've discovered I'm a 'last word' type. Sometimes I can click a 'like' button to let you know I've read a comment or reply, but other times.. I just have to reply back and you respond.. and it never ends. ;-)
Very flattered you ask for the interview Shakirah, thanks.
3HatsComm Thanks for divulging your secret so we don't all start thinking it's something every lifestyle can handle. I personally find it incredible that Soulati | PR , ericamallison , and other mothers and fathers can be so lively online, but I'm sure they have their secrets, too!
ShakirahDawud 3HatsComm Soulati | PR ericamallison I don't comment on as many blogs as I'd love to - I don't have the time. I have the interest, for sure! I love this blogging community that Davina referenced above and they never cease to amaze me and give me inspiration for blogging more or commenting more. You'll know when I'm busy with clients or family...my commenting goes down, my tweet stream isn't as active and if you look really hard, you'll see me dying to hop back in it!
Great feature here, Shakirah! All Hail the Comment Queen!
EricaAllison 3HatsComm Soulati | PR ericamallison You know, it's true, and I'd like to emphasize that finding a community of bloggers that engages you and expects to hear from you is truly a motivator, and I do credit you all with helping me get back in the groove of blogging here as well.
@ericamallisonShakirahDawud EricaAllison Soulati | PR Let me tell you what.. the "Queen's" about to retire! No just scale back.. I really have overdone it, just got a little 'habit forming' which is to say all this online play is fun and addictive. ;-)
3HatsComm Well, let me just say I'm glad I caught you in the prime of your reign, Davina. We may not all have the time, but we do have something to aspire to. And Twitter is a horrid gateway drug.
EricaAllison ShakirahDawud 3HatsComm Soulati | PR ericamallison Would people think less of us if we became "great post" commentors?
bdorman264 EricaAllison ShakirahDawud Soulati | PR ericamallison I was going to say someone 'kidnap' and hold our comments hostage, for a small ransom? Or we start a pool, take bets on who could hold out the longest and NOT comment? (tweets don't count!) Or just take a quiet vacation and see if anyone noticed?
3HatsComm bdorman264 EricaAllison Soulati | PR ericamallison I'd never think less for "great post" comments (long as they're honest)--but you'd have to give up those crowns!
I've crowned her queen at my blog most recently, in Does Your Blog Banter? and it's so fitting. Davina puts us all (uhm, that's my kettle that's black) to shame re level and frequency of comments. My excuse is TIME; it's elusive. Davina is a fabulous addition to your comments section, and what a great idea to have her featured, Shakirah! Thanks for the tag, D!
Soulati | PR Wait, give me my excuse back, lol! I'll never match Davina, but I love the spirit behind her strategy, and am working hard to implement on my own scale.
Soulati | PR Time, time, time is on her side..........:)
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