It’s a fine line – you want to join a relevant industry conversation where people are talking about something related to what you’re selling. So you head on over to some blogs and leave some comments. Hypothetically, they may come out all…

(On my oneforty blog)

“My social media thingamajig is exactly like the ones you listed! You missed mine though!! Boo. You want a free demo? Head on over to http://www.socialmediathingamajig.com”

(On the Blue Sky Factory blog)

“For more email marketing tips like these check out http://spammyemailvendor.com)”

Get the point? These types of comments are not engaging or conversational. They’re just really really really annoying, completely selfish, and don’t add anything to the conversation. And you know what sucks the most? It’s that you probably had your heart in the right place when you did this, you were just rushing through things and came off wrong.

I absolutely loved this HubSpot post that outlines some great tips on how to leave great blog comments. Definitely read their post, and keep these tips in mind:

• Actually leave a thoughtful comment about the post itself. Show that you read the post. Refer specifically to what they said, or summarize part of it… (“I liked your tips on making the most of blog design, especially #5 and #6 in regards to designing a nice header and sidebar.”)

• I think disagreeing with a blogger is actually a fantastic way to comment. It shows that you read the post, after all, and it engages the blogger in a conversation. Healthy debate moves us forward. But, be respectful. Behind every Disqus avatar is a real person with real feelings and a family and friends and a job and better things to do than feel bad about nasty comments. Remember, it’s just the internet! Don’t be one like one of those pompous TechCrunch commenters, please…

• No-follow links: A lot of times when people leave a link to their website in blog comments, they are doing this because they think they are getting SEO value from it. That’s actually not true. Many websites have a “no-follow” tag in their code, which means basically that it tells search engines not to give that link any SEO credit from that site. People stick the “no-follow” tag in their site to prevent spam comments. Makes sense, right?

• The real value in blog commenting is building relationships and networking. Honestly, it is so exciting to get comments on your blog! It’s fun to write about topics you are passionate about and when people talk to you about those things in blog comments, you’re that much more excited to connect with them. (It’s like when you take a chick on a date and you’re supposed to ask her about her stuff and not talk about you the whole time.)

So that’s my social media advice: Ask your blogger about her stuff.  Or in other words, if you make it about other people, you build relationships. Relationships are much more valuable than some rushed comment just for the sake of leaving a comment and crossing it off the to-do list. I say, take your time to leave one good, thoughtful comment instead of 20 crappy, spammy comments each day. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t try to boil the ocean.

What do you guys think? Any other tips for commenting on industry blogs?