3 Ways I Mine the Comments Section To Build My Network

The comments section is a veritable gold mine that many new writers fail to utilize

Some may argue that comments do not necessarily increase traffic or earnings but as a writer on an engagement platform like Medium, I see tremendous value in it.

I have been writing on this platform for a year now and am fortunate that many of my articles have a lively comments section.

More importantly, I am fortunate to have met many writers whom I now consider my friends through the comments section like Reciprocal editor Sahil Patel and Kristina God who has supported me from the beginning of my journey.

In the beginning, I was shy and preferred to lurk rather than put myself out there and actually post a comment on someone else’s article (especially if they were more established or prominent).

What I realized is just because they were more established, didn’t mean that they bite. Many established writers that I know are very kind and quick to help.

Also, commenting can actually be lots of fun too.

So if you are a lurker, as I once was, I encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone and post a comment — I promise it not only gets easier with time but also it is a great way of being seen, heard, and of showing your support for other writers.

3 ways I mine the comments section to build my network:

Mine the gold

For many writers, such as myself, gaining a good following is important for building reputation, making connections, collaborations, and earning purposes on this platform.

LinkedIn influencer Oleg Vishnepolsky offers an interesting strategy to this end and that is to make use of the comments section. According to him a post with lots of comments is like pure gold which doesn’t require any digging.

What does it mean?👇

Whenever I read a post with lots of comments, I am automatically drawn to the comment sections out of sheer curiosity.

I not only post my comment depending on the emotional response it elicited from me but also clap and comment on other comments that resonated with me.

What happens is oftentimes than not, these commenters will take the time to not only return the appreciation but also take a quick peek at my profile and hit the follow button if they like what they read.

Community Power

This brings us to the next point. And that is the comments section fosters a sense of community. I built my readership base doing the small pub circuit before moving to medium-sized and big pubs and what I’ve learned is that readers engaging with the author as well as each other in the comments section leads to the forging of new relationships and the creation of a strong and supportive community.

In addition, I find that the comments section not only provides insightful feedback on my posts but it also helps me keep a hand on the pulse of my readers, so to speak. I get a feel for what they want, what is working, and what isn’t.

Springboard for future articles

The comments section can be a great source for generating content ideas for future posts. Sometimes, it can be a lot of pressure to produce quality content every week so I seek inspiration from the comments section. It rarely disappoints as the comments are usually brimming with opinions and personal perspectives. There may also be questions directed at the author and the answer to that can be made into a post.

For example, I receive many questions in the comments about how I consistently gain high reader engagement as a new writer. I decided to write an article titled “How I Consistently Get High Audience Engagement as a Newbie” as a response to these questions. It turned out to be a success with regards to virality, earnings, and audience engagement(8K views, 11K claps, and 242 comments).

Award-winning writer and editor Stacey McLachlan had this to say about the importance of engagement in her guide for marketers “Of course you want to rack up your followers, but ultimately, the greatest measure of social media success is an engaged audience, not just a big one.” She gives an example of a party where all the guests are silent participants. In the absence of small talk, she asks how the host is going to know if the guests had fun or if they enjoyed the dip?

A thriving comments section is a sign of social proof but besides popularity, it also helps in building meaningful connections and a positive user experience which can go a long way in boosting a content creator’s brand.

I’d like to give a shoutout to the following writers:

My mentor and dear friend Donnette Anglin

My soul sister Carmellita

My role model Dr. Preeti Singh