EFL 7. Writing comments that (net)work!

What is the best way to build your network and influence on LinkedIn?

1. Write many posts and articles
2. Share many articles
3. Post videos
4. Comment a lot

How confident are you about your answer?

Many people might assume it is a., writing many posts and articles. However, if you do this (or b. and c. for that matter),  you cannot guarantee a stable and increasing audience.  The way to get noticed on LinkedIn depends more on the frequency of your commenting than posting. The answer is d. 

In this section, we will discuss why you should comment, which posts you should comment on, how you should comment, and what you should comment. This will give you the strategy and language tools to effectively comment and build your network and influence. 

Why should you put effort in commenting? 

Thoughtful comments on people’s posts get noticed and get replies, which is as close as you can get to a real professional conversation online. And with consistent effort, commenting and replying, you can build online relationships with not just the writer of the post, but also others who are commenting in the same area. As Bliss (2019 [1]) points out, LinkedIn values comments as ways to build conversations and rewards comments by taking your comments and inserting them into the feed of your network so others can actually see your comments.

If you are marketing yourself or business and trying to develop your network, you should aim to comment on relevant interests and industry every day. 

According to mann-co.com (2018 [2]), with the right focus, there are 4 key reasons to read LinkedIn and make comments everyday.

1. To build more connections

If you often comment on the same people’s posts, updates or articles, they will soon know who you are. This is an especially useful strategy to connect with thought leaders or even contacts or leads in other related industries. This can create opportunities for job interviews and professional collaborations.   

2. To establish yourself as an expert 

Posting updates or articles on LinkedIn can help develop your influence, but your influence will extend further when you leave meaningful comments that show your knowledge on relevant industry topics. This can also give people the idea you are generous and more reason to either send you, or accept your connection requests.

3. To build your industry authority 

If you can offer insights into the post topic that the author did not, then this can help you position yourself as a reliable source of information. Just make sure to be respectful when offering other ideas or ideas that conflict with those in the post.

4. To tap into new opportunities 

The comments section is not the place where you directly promote yourself or organization – this is not tolerated by LinkedIn users. However, with enough meaningful commenting, new opportunities will happen, like generating leads and clients and creating more brand exposure.

It should now be clear that commenting is a valuable practice for expanding your network and influence, but which posts should be commented on? This is our next topic.

Prewriting strategy 1: Which post to comment on for networking?

Careerattraction.com [3] suggests that there are 5 criteria to help you choose the best post to comment on to maximize your networking effect.

1. Posts with a high comment count. If you identify or mention others in your comments you can reach an even wider audience. 
2. Posts that are industry-specific and within your industry category. 
3. Posts from thought leaders. Follow these influencers, read their posts, make comments and build relationships with them.
4. Posts of authors who are currently active and post frequently – they are more likely to reply to comments. 
5. Posts that you understand and would be willing to share. These posts will be interesting enough for you to want to make a comment on.

Even 10 minutes a day commenting on the right posts can help you stand out on LinkedIn. 

Because many people can see your comments … don’t leave valueless comments. So, only comment when you have something to contribute or want to show sincere appreciation for what you learned. This means you should make an effort and be specific about what you liked. Comments like “Great post. Thanks for sharing” may be your feeling, but they will not get noticed.

So, how can you write comments that show thoughtfulness, get noticed, and start conversations?

Prewriting strategy 2: How to write a comment?

There are three basic ingredients to writing a comment of value: 

1. Be professional, generous, polite and respectful – always. LinkedIn is a professional platform and will not tolerate slander, insults, trolling or rude and hateful comments.
2. Increase everyone’s learning by adding something of value from your knowledge or experience. Be sure to keep it relevant to your areas of expertise.
3. Spread positive feelings and good energy. 

However, in addition to the above 3 general ingredients, Morgan (2019 [4]) lists a few more seasonings to add in the recipe for effective commenting:

• Check grammar, punctuation, spelling before submitting comments
• Add value to the post by adding your thoughts on the topic/issue
• Don’t self-promote
• Avoid large blocks of text
• Don’t use ALL CAPS.

Remember, your name, picture and headline accompany every comment you make. 

To help you write comments, the websites mann-co.com and carreerattraction.com provide the following 6 most common types of comments you can leave.

Prewriting strategy 3: 6 types of comment to leave

Some types of comments are easier to make than others. The first three types are easier because you don’t need to contribute specialized knowledge or skills. They are 

• 1. Offer a compliment, 2. Make a promise to share, 3. Ask follow up questions. 

The last three types are more difficult because you need to demonstrate some industry or knowledge expertise: 

• 4. Offer constructive feedback, 5. Answer reader questions, and 6. Add value to the post. 

Here are more details and examples for each type.

1.  Offer a compliment

• When the author has offered an interesting and complete article, you may not have anything meaningful to add to it. Now is the time to offer a compliment, which if done well can really help build rapport and relationship. Still, try to avoid general compliments like “Excellent article” and “great work” because they are often ignored. Make sure you use the author’s name to personalize so it does not look like SPAM.

“Angelica, another great piece on offshoring wind energy. Keep up the great work in keeping us informed on the latest trends.”

2. Make a promise to share

• If you want to comment on an article that you found value in, but have nothing to say to add to the content of the article, you can let the author know you’re going to share their article on your social media, like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or elsewhere. The author put a lot of effort into the article and would really appreciate people sharing her article to reach a wider audience. Also, this kind of nice gesture sooner or later finds its way back to you in some kind of reward.

“Aaron, I really enjoyed your take on X and think the advice on Y is very useful. I am going to share your post on my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.” 

3. Ask follow up questions

• Perhaps you were not clear about part of the article or even thought the author should have mentioned something that he didn’t. Because there are probably other readers with similar questions, asking follow up questions can help the readers and also the author too, to make sure his message is as clear as possible. As long as the questions are relevant to the article focus, both author and readers will appreciate them. 

“Edward, Many thanks for the fascinating analysis. You mentioned the term X  in your post, but I know there are a few different meanings in the industry. Which meaning did you have in mind here?” 

4. Offer constructive feedback

• If you have experience and knowledge of an industry, you might be able to discuss the post topic in detail and offer an opinion. Just try not to start an argument. Still, if there’s something you think the author should have mentioned, you can carefully give some constructive feedback, like  

“This was a great read, Michaela. I was just wondering if you thought about covering X because it seems relevant to the topic at hand.”

• A careful comment like this leaves the door open to possibilities: the author can expand on this topic in the comments or perhaps write another article focusing on that, or perhaps even lead to collaboration opportunities on a blog or article. The key is to offer feedback that the author can act on, so don’t be too critical or negative. (There are language strategies and practice below to practice being polite and indirect.)

5. Answer reader questions and mention others

• Reading comments from others can be a great source of learning, but also an opportunity for you to share your knowledge with others by answering questions in comments. Be careful not to take total control, because the author may want to answer the question, too, but offering good answers to questions can make you stand out as an expert. 

“Hi [B]. If you don’t mind, perhaps I could help answer / shed some light on your question. …”

• You can even mention other commenters (C) to start a conversation between commenters (B and C), not just between commenters and author (A). 

“B, I noticed that C has said something relating to your question … C, are you able to answer X’s question about ….?”

• This can get you attention from the commenter community, and it can also get you appreciation from the author for creating more conversations in the comments section, because the LinkedIn algorithm rewards this kind of engagement by making the post more visible to more people. 

6. Add value to the post

• Even a well-written and insightful article cannot cover everything. If you can provide additional value to the article and reinforce its points or build on its content, the author would certainly appreciate it. This is especially true if you can support article ideas with your own professional or personal anecdotes, like 

“You mentioned _____. I know this to be true, because I remember encountering an instance where _____.”

• This can set you apart from others and show your human side. You may even want to share a link to an article you wrote on a similar topic – as long as it really adds value to the post and is not simply self-promotion. However, be careful about this because authors usually want traffic to go to their article, not away from it. If you are not sure, you can always ask the author: 

“Is it okay if I leave a link to a resource? I think it’s relevant / pertinent to the topic at hand and could add value to your readers.”

In summary, if you want to write engaging comments to build your network and influence, you need to practice these important guidelines:

• Tag the author and explain why you agree
• Add additional perspectives
• Expand on a topic in the article
• Tag other people you know who may have helpful input
• Add data or links to relevant resources (not your own unless you ask)
• Ask a clarifying question
• Explain your success applying the advice from the article
• Include an alternative solution (with data or examples).

Let’s now look at a few revision examples (inspired from Bliss, 2019 [1]), and later some language strategies to make your commenting more effective. 

Revision example 1. Before → After. Asking a follow up question.

One way to make a contribution to a post with a comment is to ask the author a question to clarify a point. And make sure the question is something that will allow them to expand on their original post.

Original Little detail or value added to post	Revised More relevant details to add value to post
Do you think your HR approach is really feasible?	Rachel, many thanks for the post. Do you think your HR approach would work in other industries, like publishing? And in your experience, did you find any surprises along the way?

The original comment is impersonal, direct, and even rude. It also asks a question that is so general that it sounds meaningless – it does not add any value for the readers. And the author will probably not want to engage with it. 

The revised comment, on the other hand, asks more specific questions and will allow Rachel to keep the conversation going. It will also probably attract more comments, which will be rewarded by LinkedIn by allowing more people to see the post. The author of the post will surely be happy about this.

Revision example 2. Before → After. Adding value to a post by giving a relevant example:

Rachel has written a post about how her human resources solution can help IT businesses retain engineering talent. But you are in human resources in the publishing industry, which seems to be a completely different industry/market/message. Can you still make a relevant comment? 

Original Little detail or value added to post	Revised More relevant details to add value to post
Rachel, that was a wonderful post. In publishing we have a different problem, but I still liked your article. Thanks.	Rachel, that was a wonderful post. I can see how this HR solution would be beneficial for the IT industry. For me, working in publishing, we have encountered a different HR challenge. (Explain the different challenge) and the approach to a solution has been different. Still, the results seem to be the same. Great insights and thanks for sharing a solution that might be to a different problem.

The original example offers a personal compliment, but it sounds empty and does not offer any information that the author – or any other commenter – can respond to. In contrast, the revision shows that even if you work in a different industry, you can still fill in the details of your own field and contribute to the conversation with content that is relevant to the author’s audience and also your own audience.

Grammar box: Softening disagreement and sounding polite and indirect

If you disagree with a post and want to make a comment, then you need to soften your language to make it sound more polite and less direct. There are different ways to soften direct claims or issues of disagreement, but the 4 common  language strategies in English listed below can help make you sound more polite when you express disagreement.

Strategy	😕 Before strategy: direct	🙂 After strategy: Indirect
Strategy 1: Use hedges and softeners to be more indirect	Your calculations are wrong.	There is perhaps / seems to be / might be / could possibly be a problem with your calculations.
Strategy 2: Ask rather than making a direct statement	There is a problem with your calculations.	Do you think / Is it possible  there may be a problem with your calculations?
Strategy 3: Use indirect questions instead of being very direct	Your calculations are wrong.	I was wondering if you could double check your calculations.
Strategy 4: Avoid blaming or accusing the author	You’ve made a mistake with your calculations.	I’m afraid there might be a problem with the calculations.

Practice 1: Match the direct and indirect phrases 

Match the direct phrases on the left with the softer and more indirect ones on the right.  

1. __ There is a problem with Y. 2. __ There is a mistake in your calculation, Nata.  3. __ Your plan will be very expensive. 4. __ Companies can’t use your plan.  5. __ That timeline gives us very little time. 6. __ I think it’s better to consider option B. 7. __ I disagree with your advice about X.

A. I can see what you’re saying about X, but … Regarding X, don’t you think that…? To be honest, I think it might be better to … B. Nata, I’m sorry to say this, but it looks like there is a bit of a problem with the calculation. C. I’m not sure companies can use your plan.  D. The plan might be quite pricey. Won’t the plan be a bit expensive? The plan won’t be cheap. E. There seems to be an issue with Y. It’s nothing serious, but some people may …. F. Wouldn’t it be better to consider option B? G. Actually, that timeline doesn’t give us much time.

Practice 2. Analyze the comment-and-reply chain and identify the strategy used.

Strategy 1: Use hedges and softeners to be more indirect

Strategy 2: Ask rather than making a direct statement 

Strategy 3: Use indirect questions instead of being very direct

Strategy 4: Avoid blaming or accusing the author 

In response to Yen’s shared article on the US Navy’s use of AI to control submarines, Manu made the following comment that started a conversation in the comments section. Notice the use of questions to keep the conversation going.

Manu’s comment:

Comment	Analysis
Yen CK, [1] thanks for sharing the interesting article [2] on AI in the US Navy. AI can be trained to make quick decisions, but should it replace human decisions? [3] A lot of human complex decision making involves ethical considerations and a balancing of feelings ….  Will AI ever be able to simulate these? [3]	1. Is the comment personalized? Yes or No? 2. Is the beginning polite and praising?  Yes or No? 3. What strategy does Manu use?  2 or 3?

Yen’s reply to the comment:

Comment

Analysis

Manu, [4] Thanks for your thoughtful comment. [5] Humans are complicated animals and that is what makes us different from other creatures. However, we might [6] want to keep in mind that sometimes it is these ethical considerations and feelings that trigger impulsive or selfish decisions.  I believe that AI will one day eliminate these flaws while still following a human logic.  Of course, this judgment may be [6] emotionless, isn’t that one of the biggest human weaknesses? [7]

4. Is the reply personalized? Yes or No? 5. Is the beginning polite and praising?  Yes or No? 6. What strategy does Yen use?  1 or 4? 7. What strategy does Yen use?  2 or 3?

Manu’s reply to Yen’s reply:

Comment

Analysis

Yen CK, thanks for the reply.[8]  I know what you mean – human emotions can be a weakness… But emotions are a double-edged sword with a useful edge too, right? [9]  They are the basis for most of our decisions, including ethical ones (conscience).  AI and machine learning is still based on data sets and matching 1 kind of situation (in real time) to another in its database … this kind of matching worries me because I am not sure if AI will ever have the flexibility of human judgment [10], which can be flawed, but I fear not as much as AI.

8. Is the reply personalized and polite? Yes or No? 9. Does Manu use an “I agree but” strategy? Yes or No?  10. What strategy does Yen use?  2 or 3?

Phrase bank: Useful comment phrases

Personalized and polite appreciation Many thanks for the post, Peter.  Peter, Great post.  Great insights – thanks for sharing, Peter. Peter, very useful and informative. Thank you for sharing. Relating to specific article content Peter, I especially liked what you said about X. I totally agree. Peter, I think you made a great point about X. I’d never thought of that before. Peter, I rarely think about / do  X. I will need to consider / do it more in the future. Asking follow up questions  Peter, I don’t think I fully get / understand your comments on X. Could you please give some more details or perhaps an example? Many thanks. Peter, I think your point about X sounds quite interesting/important, but I am not sure I understand it completely. Could you explain a bit more / give an example / provide some more details to help me better understand? I really appreciate it. Add value to the post Peter, You mentioned X. I know this to be true, because I remember encountering an instance where Y. Peter, Is it okay if I leave a link to a resource? I think it’s pertinent to the topic at hand and could add value to your readers. This was a great read, Peter. I was just wondering if you thought about covering / discussing / including X because it seems relevant to the topic at hand.

References

Articles on commenting:

[1] Bliss, R. (2019). The art of the comment on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/art-comment-linkedin-richard-bliss/ 

[2] n.a. (2018). 6 types of comments to leave on LinkedIn.   https://mann-co.com/6-types-comments-leave-linkedin/ 

[3] n.a. (n.d.). How to use smart commenting to get noticed on LinkedIn. https://careerattraction.com/use-smart-commenting-get-noticed-linkedin/ 

[4] Morgan, H. (2019). How to post engaging comments on LinkedIn.  https://careersherpa.net/how-to-post-engaging-comments-on-linkedin/ 

Answers to Practice exercises 

Practice 1 Answers 

1. _E_ There is a problem with Y.

2. _B_ There is a mistake in your calculation, Nata. 

3. _D_ Your plan will be very expensive. 

4. _C_ Companies can’t use your plan. 
5. _G_ That timeline gives us very little time.
6. _F_ I think it’s better to consider option B.
7. _A_ I disagree with your advice about X.

Practice 2 Answers 

1. Is the comment personalized? Yes or No?

2. Is the beginning polite and praising?  Yes or No?

3. What strategy does Manu use?  2 or 3?

4. Is the reply personalized? Yes or No?

5. Is the beginning polite and praising?  Yes or No?

6. What strategy does Yen use?  1 or 4?

7. What strategy does Yen use?  2 or 3?

8. Is the reply personalized and polite? Yes or No?

9. Does Manu use an “I agree but” strategy? Yes or No? 

10. What strategy does Yen use?  2 or 3?