Description

No music, no intro, you’re listening to The Morgan Snyder Show.

Last week, I shared my CEO Content Masterclass.

Hopefully you’ve already started building your idea vault, you’re using the voice-to-text hack, you’re actually publishing your thoughts…spreading the good news about what you’re doing.

You are doing it, right? Of course you are!

It’s simply impossible not to be provoked into action by this podcast.

To start out today, I want to share a quick story…

I recently saw a CEO post something good. Actually, it was great.

Had all the right elements, and I thought they did a really good job of formatting and pacing.

I mean, I’m camping out on LinkedIn and see hundreds of things on a given day and it pulled me in.

The comments section? It was on fire.

VPs from major companies asking questions, from the looks of it, potential clients raising their hands with problems…

..seemed like a goldmine.

I looked at the replies. Where was that gosh darn CEO?

He was a ghost. Not a single reply. He just dropped a content firecracker and ran.

It’s like a chef who creates a beautiful, Michelin-star dish, places it on the table, and then runs into the walk-in freezer to hide from the customer feedback.

I felt a little sad for the CEO, then for the VP of marketing, then the social media manager, then the people going nuts in the comments.

What a miss!

Wish I could say it doesn’t happen that much but so many people post and ghost.

There’s just not enough time in the busy schedule of an executive.

The post is just the starting line.

The real race (the part where you actually win sometimes) is in conversation that follows.

So today, we’re talking about the after-party.

The Comment is the New Handshake

Commenting is the new handshake.

Proactively commenting is just as valuable than posting your own.

Spending 10 minutes a day leaving three to five thoughtful, strategic comments will generate more opportunities than spending two hours crafting one “perfect” post.

Most people think “engagement” is just scrolling through their feed, doling out likes like they’re the prom queen waving from a parade float.

A little thumbs-up here, a “Celebrate” there…this is not engagement.

A “like” is a polite nod in a crowded hallway.

A thoughtful comment is sitting down at someone’s table for a five-minute conversation.

Which one do you think actually builds a relationship?

You’re not just commenting for the sake of being “visible.”

Shift your perspective.

You’re commenting to learn.

Think of yourself as a digital anthropologist.

The comment section is a free market research report.

What are your peers struggling with? What jargon are your customers using? What are the dumb ideas getting traction?

Hey! I heard you from here.

I know that some of my post ideas are…special. So are my comments.

But! It’s still one of the best intelligence-gathering tools. And it’s free.

How to Write a Comment That Isn’t Spammy

You may have heard people say that you need to be ‘thoughtful.’

Eh, what does that mean?

Let’s start with what it doesn’t mean.

It does not mean, “Great post!” “So true!” or “Thanks for sharing!”

This is the equivalent of a caveman grunt.

You are adding zero value.

If you want to write a comment that actually starts a conversation, remember these steps. Don’t have to use each every time, but it will definitely ensure your comments are solid.

* Acknowledge. Prove you actually read the post. Quote a specific line that made you think. “I love that point you made about transparency being a recruiting tool...” This immediately separates you from the 99% of grunters.

* Value. Add your own two cents. A tiny personal anecdote, a supporting data point, or a slightly different perspective. “It reminds me of a time we lost a deal and our honesty about it actually won us two other clients.” You’ve just added a new layer.

* Question. This is the secret weapon. End with an open-ended question that invites them to continue the rally. “How do you see that playing out in an industry like finance?”

Acknowledge, Value, Question. Ok. Cool.

Now, for the advanced move: Productive Disagreement.

Agreeing with everyone makes you invisible. A respectful, well-argued counterpoint makes you a peer. It looks like this: “That’s a fascinating take. I see it a bit differently. While I agree that [Point A] is crucial, my experience has shown that [Counterpoint B] can often be the bigger lever. Have you found that to be the case?” Obviously don’t be a jerk. You’re starting a high-level debate. That’s how you get noticed.

Or you can take a page out of my playbook and be a goofball. Funny comments can work even better to get you attention.

For example, a website designer / agency owner posted this a few days ago:

“I’m looking for an exceptional copywriter to write website copy for my clients.…What I want is someone with experience who doesn’t just type out whatever the client says. It’s gotta be someone who actually uses their brain, does research, nails TOV, and helps with positioning so the copy makes people take action (obvs).Not the brochure-style typa drivel that reads nice and does nothing.”

He attached a picture of himself laying down, pulling down his shirt so you could see his shirt.

Intro the Morg. I went ahead and commented:

Haven’t landed him as a client, but he did connect, a few people tagged me in the post and said they loved me. We’ll see what happens.

Navigating the Commenter Zoo

Before we get to the DM, you need to know who you’re dealing with. The comment section is a zoo. You’ll meet a few common species.

* First, The Sycophant. Their comments are always, “100% agree, John! Another game-changing post from a true visionary!” It’s nice, but it’s empty calories. Thank them, be gracious, and move on.

* Next, The Pedant. This is the “Well, actually...” guy. “Actually, according to a 1987 study you failed to cite...” Never wrestle with a pedant. You can’t win. A simple, “Thanks for the perspective!” is your only move.

* Then, The Hijacker. This person uses your post as a stage for their own 12-paragraph manifesto about their startup. Don’t reward them with a detailed reply. A quick “Thanks for sharing” is all they get.

* Finally, The New Friend. Wading through all the nonsense, there will be people you actually want to engage with. They leave a thoughtful comment, and you have a fun sidebar in the thread. This is what you’re looking for.

The Non-Sleazy DM Slide

You’ve had a great back-and-forth in the comments. How do you take it private without being weird? A bad DM slide is the business equivalent of a guy at a party interrupting your fun conversation to ask if you want to see a bad picture of their dog.

The goal of the DM is not to sell. It’s to collaborate. Here’s your script.

Start by referencing the context. “Hey [Name], I’m really enjoying our back-and-forth in the comments on [Topic].”

Next, state the reason for the DM. “Your point about [Specific Detail] is actually something I’ve been wrestling with for a project I’m working on.”

Finally, ask for a low-effort opinion. “If you have a spare moment, I’d love to get your unvarnished take. No sales pitch, I promise. Just genuinely curious about your perspective as an expert in this.”

You’ve made them the expert. You’ve made it low-pressure.

If they don’t reply, let it go. Don’t be the person who follows up 9 times. “Just wanted to make sure this was on your radar!” It’s gross.

The best follow-up is to just show up in their comments again next week with another great comment.

Stay on their public radar, not in their inbox.

Engage Your Audience

This all leads to the final, simplest rule of all.

Your comment section is a party you are hosting in your own house.

If a guest comes up to you and says something interesting, you don’t just stare at them blankly and walk away. You answer them!

Engage with every single person who took the time to write something.

This is what sparks the algorithm, and more importantly, it shows you actually care.

You’ve done the hard work of creating the content. Now, do the smart work of building the community.

To wrap up, I can’t stress enough that there is money in the comments.

Sometimes it’s hard to find. There’s gold in the responses and reactions.

Your LinkedIn feed and profile can become your relationship engine.

Dedicate a small amount of time for ‘maintenance.’ 10 minutes. Get out. It’s worth it!

..

Before you go, I’ve got two things.

First: I’m happy to show anyone who reads my newsletter or listens to my podcast exactly how I set up founders, CEOs and other leaders for content success.

Find me on LinkedIn and grab some time with me. I will interview you for a few minutes and if nothing else, you’ll walk away with some LinkedIn posts for free.

Second: My book, Keep It Light, is available read on Amazon Unlimited. It’s a year’s worth of content starters. If you like it, please give it 5 stars, along with this podcast. It really helps.

My friends: Keep writing, keep pushing, and I’ll see you next time.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit morgansnyder.substack.com/subscribe