Disqus, pronounced “discuss,” is a content management tool that allows people to comment at my blog, and reply to comments in a threaded, conversational fashion. You can also “like” comments, which is a nice way to make a contribution when you're on the go. You do not need a Disqus account to comment here, nor do you have to log in to comment.
I encourage you to create a Disqus profile because it will be useful to you across the Internet as you comment at other blogs using the Disqus system. Here are the main reasons I'd like to see you consider establishing a Disqus profile, and few others too.
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Further define and establish your brand. I encourage you to create your Disqus profile so you can continually establish your brand as you participate in the blogosphere. For the same reason, I suggest creating accounts at Google and Intense Debate since they are also commonly used.
My Disqus profile is here.
My Google profile is here.
My Intense Debate profile is here.
As a small business owner, it's wasteful and inefficient to take the time to participate in a conversation if do not also maximize your brand while you're at it. If you don't set up accounts, you can still comment as a guest, unless the blog owner requires you to log in. (As you can see from my blog comment policies, I do not require this.) If you do not log in, the Indie Leaf Logo will appear in place of your avatar.
As you can see from my comment area, when you comment, you can also simultaneously post your comment to Twitter and/or FaceBook by checking the boxes. You can also subscribe to the comments via email or RSS. You can like a comment and/or reply to it. You can also use the “sort by” dropdown to choose how you wish the comments to display.
Finally, under the comments, you'll see people who have ReTweeted the post on Twitter. It's robust, fun, and efficient — all the things we need to be small successful business owners!
While you don't have to log in to comment at my blog, since you cannot develop relationships that lead to business unless you behave in a social, friendly manner, I encourage you to do so. Friendly people have faces, and friendly faces get almost all of the new business. So creating a profile and logging in can only help you accomplish your business goals.
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Connect around the familiar. I'm not sure how many content management system options there are, but I have used three. First, I used the default comment system that came with the WordPress blog installation. It functions.
Then, I tried Intense Debate, which also functions well. I switched to Disqus because I received better customer service, and because many of the blogs I enjoy most use Disqus. Another reason is that I want to set a good example for my members. Blogging is vital to business success. Commenting at blogs may be even more important. Disqus makes both more fun by facilitating the interaction all blog owners crave.
I believe that connecting with people around things they are familiar with is a subtle part of establishing good relationships with them, and helping them establish good relationships with one another.
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Spread your bread crumbs around. Another great function of Disqus and other content management systems is that they work as a content aggregators. As an example, at my Disqus Profile, you can see that anyone can comment in reply to the comments I leave across the Internet. Note that not only are comments at my blog displayed, but comments at other blogs using the Disqus system are also displayed.
You can leave your comment at my profile and it will display at the blog you're commenting on — you don't have to go there! You can also click through to my blog or other blogs where I have made a contribution, and get more involved.
If you want to maximize your online business presence, and would like to provide a simialar experience for your blog readers, you can install Disqus on any WordPress blog using this plugin. You can also install Disqus on Blogger blogs, but because of the highly customized format there, you may need some coding help to make it function properly. I don't think you can use Disqus on Typepad.
Question: What, if any, content management systems do you use are your blog, and why?
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