We’ve given you several blogging tips from how to be a successful guest blog writer, to how to expertly blog from a mobile device. One tactic that is often overlooked is blog commenting, which can greatly improve your blog community.

Yes, amidst all the communities we find ourselves in, whether it be with neighbors, clubs, organizations and so on, we’re also creating an online community as well when we host a blog.

Best Blogging Tips Online says the best blogs are those that have built a strong community of readers, commenters and fans.

First, set aside time each week to read blogs and post comments. It’s important to remember to return the favor for those who have left blog comments for you. If this is done consistently, you’ll show that you are willing and able to participate in a conversation on each other’s blogs. Also, make sure you reply to comments you’ve received. Thank your readers for their comment, answer questions they had or share an opinion to start a conversation, which may lead to a new blog post idea.

Photo by ⊹⊹⊹wryonedwards⊹⊹⊹

Next, go out and expand your community by finding blogs that interest you. These can be bloggers that are in your industry and even some that are not. The more, the merrier! Leave comments that are positive and encouraging:

• “Thanks for the great post!”
• “I’ve been doing some research about __ and this really helps”
• “Great blog; I am glad to have found you and will be consistently following your updates!”

So we’ve updated our blog, commented on our readers’ blogs (and thanked them for their comments) then found new bloggers to learn about and leave feedback for. Now hopefully you will be well on your way to building the ideal blog community, which will ultimately drive traffic to your site.

It goes without saying, but please leave us a comment and share your thoughts, questions or advice!