What name should you use when commenting on blogs?

The title of this post is pretty self explanatory. I got this question via email. Which name should you use when you are commenting on blogs? or even expanding it to registering on forums? I have always used to wonder this when I started in the web industry. It often becomes a tough choice, but I believe one choice out weighs the other one.

Often times, I see that people are commenting on blogs with their companies names, or with their websites name. Why? Well because in the top commentators, their anchor will be shown, and they will rank high. Other people will know the brand name of their website. What could be better branding technique than this? People who think this way are only thinking short term in my opinion. I say that because not many people hold their businesses for extremely long time. Specially the webmasters who most of the time sell their sites, so when you comment on the page next, and you have a different brand name in your titles, people won’t know who you are. That is a whole new start. I think your brand should be known by your name not you being known as your brand because when you sell the brand basically you are worthless, but if people know you, and they know that Larry is the owner of Google a successful brand, so if Larry starts another company most people will expect him to succeed, and he will get alot of popularity. Same concept will work in blog commenting as well.

Therefore, you will see wherever I comment, I include Syed Balkhi rather than Balkhis, or Uzzz Productions because I want to be known with my name. People should recognize, so when I launch a new project, they are like OH, this is launched by Syed Balkhi. I know this guy we have seen him commenting at xxx blog. This way you already have tons of loyal users already built…

What about forum names? what should you do? Pick one screen name and have it at all the forums you are registered at. I am mostly known by “smub”, my initials, on most forums. The reason why people have to do such things is because the world is so big that same name exists, and I dont want a number in front of my name therefore people go along with having nicknames, but don’t get a brand name there as well. Say I registered as Uzzz Productions, and than I want to sell the company. I sold the company, but people will still be contacting me about the company. Also, the new owner might not like it as well.

These are my thoughts on what name should you use when commenting on blogs. What do you guys think? Also if anyone have any more questions they want to be answered here feel free to use the contact form.