We get a lot of comments from software vendors on this blog, especially on the reviews I do of other companies. I was pleased to see (via Puneet Gupta) this excellent advice from Marshall Kirkpatrick on ReadWriteWeb in his post: How to Comment About Your Company on Blog Posts, Without Being Spammy. ReadWriteWeb writes about new technology and gets many comments. Marshall draws from their experience and reactions and speaks to those who might comment on their blog. I pass this on to those who might comment on this blog. Michael mentioned that less than one in a thousand who reads a post leaves a comment, so more comments please – just follow this advice.

There are five types of comments from company representatives that ReadWriteWeb likes to get: updates on new product developments, clarifications on your product or market position, articulation on product differentiation, kind words about the other companies, and comments that add humor or insider insights. Michael provides excellent concrete examples in his post for each comment type. He says these comments work best when they are delivered in humble manner and adds they are most effective when, “gently engaged with competitors and focused on adding value to the discussion of the whole sector.” You are also advised to be transparent about yourself and your interests.

Go to the complete ReadWriteWeb post to get the full story but I wanted to bring this to your attention.