Not only is posting correct and relevant content on your social networks important, but so are the types of comments you respond to and the way in which you respond to them.  According to Steve Tobak from The CBS Interactive Business Network, chances are you spend more time commenting on blogs, updating, linking, and tweeting than you ever imagined before.

By posting comments, this is another way to establish an online presence to a network, raise your visibility, and invite business opportunities.  An important aspect of commenting to remember is that everything you post, such as comment, tweet, link, and like, is ultimately linked to you.

This is why what you say and how you say it has a direct impact on your online presence, marketability, and your company’s business.  Therefore, to help you accomplish your goals, the following are the 10 rules of Social Media Commentary:

1. Share thought provoking stuff, not trite fluff. If you want to be taken seriously by real business people, steer clear of posting information that is common knowledge or pointless to the conversation.
2. Differentiate; don’t be a contrarian just for clicks. If you’re going to challenge conventional wisdom, you’d better have something solid to back it up. Otherwise you’ll instantly lose credibility.
3. Tell interesting anecdotes; don’t overreach with broad conclusions. Don’t over exaggerate with a story, try to stay positive and twist it in your favor and to the benefit of the reader.
4. Relate to the post; don’t spam it with gratuitous self-promotion. When you comment on a post just to get your link in there, you’re like a parasite who adds no value.
5. Have a sense of humor and humility; don’t be thin-skinned and fatheaded. Some people wear their emotions on their sleeves or puff themselves up to appear like they’re big shots.  Find a balance so you can be a believable resource.
6. Comment with passion and resolve, not anger and vitriol. Conflict can be constructive or destructive depending on how you do it. It helps to follow the golden rule of conflict resolution: address the problem, not the person.
7. Stay on topic; don’t go off on a tangent. Focus on the topic at hand and not a tiny section that has nothing to do with the overall picture.
8. Give your opinion; don’t pass judgment. Saying “you’re right” or “you’re wrong” can be a figure of speech to denote agreement or not, but some folks come across as the social media equivalent of judge and jury.
9. If you can’t write, don’t. When comments are incomprehensible jumbles of misspelled words and poor grammar, that doesn’t reflect well on you. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but if you wouldn’t speak that way in a business situation, don’t write that way when you link or comment.
10. Read the whole post; don’t go off on a headline or one sentence. All too often, folks retweet or comment on something they haven’t even read all the way through.  If you are interested in the topic, stay committed and read the post all the way through.

By following these rules, your insurance marketing strategy will become stronger and stronger.  Making that meaningful connection with your social media audience will lead to you towards building a loyal customer base.  So as you continue to find new and beneficial tools for your agency, make sure you comment thoughtfully and insightfully to help your insurance marketing strategy!