Should CommentLuv Premium be Part of Your Social Media Strategy?

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It’s no secret that the official launch of the CommentLuv Premium (CLP) WordPress Plugin is today. If you read any blogs or are on any of the social media sites, you can’t avoid hearing about CLP, how great it is etc. Personally, I like it. In my most recent article, “Will CommentLuv Premium Make Your Blogging Life Easier?”, I discussed some of the reasons why. But is it right for you? Well that depends. How do you think you’d benefit from using the premium version of CommentLuv?

How many of us have bought something on sale because it was an unbelievable deal and then ended up giving it away, donating it to charity or possibly just throwing it away?  I know I have. Just because CommentLuv Premium is launching today (and yes- you only have 7 days to buy it for $40), it doesn’t mean that it’s the right decision for you.

What would make it the right decision for you? Well for starters, do you have a strategy for using social media to drive traffic to your blog/website? Do you encourage commenting now? Do you already use the free version of CommentLuv and are you happy with the results?

You may be perfectly fine continuing with the free version. Sure CLP does incorporate 8 plugins in one but most of those you can install separately. It’s nice to replace them with one and take some of the bloat out of your blog but I don’t believe that’s the most compelling reason for purchasing the premium version. In my opinion, it comes down to strategy. Would you benefit from a WordPress plugin that promotes commenting by rewarding your readers for their tweets, likes and Google Plus One’s? If you don’t know, then maybe you should wait.

If you’ve already bought CLP that’s great! What do you think so far? If you’re still thinking about it, feel free to use the comment section to ask questions and give your opinions. Either way, I hope everyone gives some thought to the strategy behind the value of commenting, rewarding and interacting because bottom line, CommentLuv Premium is a only a tool. It’s what we do with it that’s going to produce results.

Meanwhile, here’s the latest video that Andy Bailey created for today’s product launch:

This offer starts today September 27th and ends on October 4, 2011. You can buy it directly from CommentLuv.com or reward one of your favorite bloggers by going through their affiliate link. (That’s my link below.)  A special thanks goes out to everyone who has already purchased through me.

The CommentLuv Plugin

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Author: Sherryl Perry

Welcome! If you're looking for help building an Internet presence that fits your needs and works for you, you're in the right place. I blog common sense articles about WordPress, social media and SEO. My goal is to help small business owners and entrepreneurs understand their core business. Together, we can develop and implement business strategies that make sense to you.

100 thoughts on “Should CommentLuv Premium be Part of Your Social Media Strategy?”

  1. Hi Sherryl,

    Thanks for your insight and taking the time to write up.

    I have a question (and even thought I have CL, I’m still thinking), does all these link out looks bad from Google point of view?

    I mean for a blog like PR 0 to PR3, linking out too many external link might easily cause lots of unwanted ‘incidents’. Now, what’s your take on this?

    I think this could be a very interesting discussion 🙂
    Reginald recently posted..7 Most Influential Social Media Platforms For BloggersMy Profile

    1. Reginald,
      A while back, someone on my blog raised the question of whether do-follow links could hurt us in Google. At the time, I asked Andy Bailey (the author of CommentLuv) to address it. In his reply, Andy provided a link to a video by Matt Cutts in which he answers the question “Can having dofollow comments on my blog affect its reputation?” (Please note that the video was uploaded in 2010 and things may have changed.) – In the video, Matt talks about using editorial discretion.

      I’ve linked to the post below where I embedded that video and I raised the question. Bottom line, there’s no substitution for being diligent about what we’re linking to (and CommentLuv blogs attract more spam).
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds – Facebook Hashtags, Google and CommentLuv do-follow LinksMy Profile

      1. Hi Cathy,
        I’m glad you liked the video. CommentLuv blogs are targeted by spammers looking for do-follow links for SEO. There’s a real risk that if a blogger was to allow these links on their blog that they could be penalized. So, it does make it more work to allow do-follow comments but to me (and many other bloggers), the benefits of building a community with this plugin outweighs the time that we spend moderating comments.

        The premium version of CommentLuv (which is what I have installed here) has a lot of options built in. For example, I can set the number of approved comments a person needs to leave before it’s do-follow and I can manage the CommentLuv options at an individual comment level.

        I recently wrote a post about CommentLuv that addresses this specific issue. In it , I explain the difference between dofollow and nofollow tags too.

        Thanks for dropping by. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
        Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Comment for Backlinks on DoFollow Enabled CommentLuv Blogs?My Profile

  2. Yes I do think that it should be a part of marketing strategies. It is like hitting two birds with one stone, you can get traffic on your blog when you put commentluv plugin and the commenters can also get some

    1. Nate,
      Sorry for the late reply. Somehow, I missed your comment. The CommentLuv plugin can be mutually beneficial. We have to be really diligent about cleaning up our links though. Many links that are left can go dead or lead to a different site than what was left originally. For example, parked domains can lead to sites heavy in ads. I’ve found that the BrokenLinkCheck.com site can be valuable in identifying these links. – I linked below to a post I recently wrote about bad links. You may find it valuable. I shared a few things that I implemented when I went through a massive link cleaning exercise recently.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..How Do You Know Which Bad Links Caused Your Google Penalty?My Profile

  3. Hey there! I’ve been using the free version of commentluv for a couple months on my travel blog and have loved how it brings together niche communities with the ability to share stories and info. I’m currently using askimet as my anti-spam and it seems to do a great job, would you recommend using g.a.s.p. as well?

    1. Hi Matt,
      That’s great that the free version of CommentLuv is meeting your needs. If you’re happy with Akismet, I’d say stay with it. (It’s come a long way from when I first used it.) If you ever upgrade CL to the premium version, you would need to remove it because CLP includes a premium version of G.A.S.P. Thanks for dropping by and joining the conversation.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Friday Finds for Weekend Reading – Week 1My Profile

  4. Hi Sherryl!

    Thanks for this insightful article. I am new to CommentLuv and using the free version. I enjoy using it for my blog and have been getting more comments. After reading your post and some others, I found lots of good reasons to upgrade which I will do very soon.

    Blogs are very connected to social media now and CommentLuv does a nice job of helping integrate some of that. I also love that when someone comments, we can visit their Twitter and the published article on their blog!

    Thanks again!
    Lisa
    Lisa recently posted..Social Media StrategyMy Profile

    1. You’re welcome Lisa. Thanks for letting me know that you found my post helpful. The free version is a great way to get started. It met my needs early on but as I started getting more comments, it became more difficult to manage them. I really benefited by the additional controls in the premium version.

      There is a wonderful social aspect to CommentLuv and being a part of that community of bloggers is a great perk. 🙂
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..How to Use Facebook Fan Gate to Get New LikesMy Profile

  5. Sherryl, I have been using the free version of CommentLuv for sometime now. I hardly ever get spammy comments. I am not sure I would consider it part of my Social Media Strategy though. I have found my blog gets less and less comments, but when I post a link to one of my blog posts on Facebook I get FB comments. Nevertheless, I will be checking out the paid version due to your post.
    Tim Somers recently posted..What A Sinkhole Has In Common With Social MediaMy Profile

    1. Good luck with it Tim. Do you comment on other CL blogs that are related to your niche? That could help. Also, have you submitted your blog to some of the directories for CL enabled blogs. I get a decent amount of traffic from http://dofollow.info/.

      I interact with other bloggers on FB but it is not a significant source of referral traffic for me. I have much more luck with Twitter. Actually, I believe that’s how I found your blog.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..SEO Gets Social | How to Use Social to Get More out of SearchMy Profile

  6. Hello Sherry I have added the basic plugin to my wordpress site. I am going to wait awhile before I upgrade to the premium. It does look interesting to me.

    1. Hi Harold,
      The free version is a great way to get started. I don’t know what you’re using for an anti-spam plugin but (unfortunately) you will get more spam comments. I recommend downloading the G.A.S.P. (GrowMap Anti-Spam Plugin). It works really well with CommentLuv and is actually built into the premium version.

      If you’re looking for CommentLuv blogs to comment on, my friend Ileane Smith has written an article that lists several of them. You can find it here: http://basicblogtips.com/commentluv-blog-lists.html.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Tips for Bloggers | Before You Press that Publish ButtonMy Profile

  7. I think that commentluv should be part of anyone’s strategy because of the dofollow benefit for the networker. The networker that is trying to make it on the modern day SEO strategies, needs to fully consider commentluv.

    Anyways great article Sherryl I have learned alot from it! Keep up the good work and may God Bless you!

  8. I’m using commentluv plugin but only the free version though. I didn’t know that sometimes discounts are available with CLP. I’ll keep an eye on it from now on. Thanks for the post!

    1. Mukesh,
      I apologize for not replying to the comment that you left last month about CommentLuv Premium. I’m glad to hear that you installed the free version. It’s a great way to get started. Did you also install the G.A.S.P. (GrowMap Anti-Spam Plugin)? It works really well with CommentLuv and is actually built into the premium version.

      If you’re looking for CommentLuv blogs to comment on, Ileane Smith has written a post that lists several CL blogs: http://basicblogtips.com/commentluv-blog-lists.html. Good luck with it! Hopefully Andy will run another sale on CLP this year.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Top 6 SEO and Social Media How-To Posts of 2012My Profile

  9. Hi Jeremy,
    Starting out with the free version of CommentLuv is a great way to see if you like it. The premium version does give you a lot more control. When you start getting a lot of comments, it may be worthwhile to invest in it. Hopefully, Andy will have another sale but I don’t believe there are any plans for another one right now.

  10. I missed the first launch, but I made sure I got it the second time. I love this plugin. It gives you the best way to get backlnks and more.

    The stats are reason alone to have the plugin.

    1. It is a great tool Alex. If you or anyone else is interested in buying CommentLuv Premium, Andy is running a special Black Friday sale. It ends Monday, November 26th, at midnight. The price started at $22 and goes up with every sale. The last I checked, it was up to $33.43. This is for the unlimited license with the bonuses that he included with the initial product launch. If I didn’t already own a license, I’d buy one. You can access it through my affiliate link here: http://bit.ly/QQEhSM.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..5 Essential Apps for EntrepreneursMy Profile

  12. After reading the post and the earlier comment…the conclusion I got was $40 for CLP is worth it if you really need it…if not just use the free version. I’ll go for the free version for now.

    1. Hi Katherine,
      The special pricing from the product launch is no longer available. The price today for a single website license is $67. In my opinion, that could easily be justified by someone looking to invest in a commenting system for their blog. the free “lite” version is still available and it’s definitely a viable option. It makes sense to try it out first and see if it’s a good fit. Thanks for weighing in on this.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..The Rise of the Cyber Cold WarMy Profile

  13. You will get more Twitter followers, as there is additional custom field added where you can add your Twitter username along with URL.

  14. I heard a lot of good things about this Commenluv plug-in and it really defines and shows on those comments this post have. By the way, I think that this plug-in must-be used tool in incorporating in one’s niche, depending on the owners the idea you’ve given can be widely accepted and applicable commenting policy establishing prospect people leaving a comment include their real name. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Hi Dave,
      Thanks for the reminder that we should publish our commenting policy. (That’s still on my to-do list,) One of the things that I don’t think is mentioned in this thread are the additional features that CLP has for reducing spam. Lately, I’ve been tightening up on restrictions such as the number of words that you need to leave in a comment and the amount of time that a person has to spend on the page before leaving a comment. Those restrictions are helping me to spend less time dealing with spam.

      Thanks for joining the conversation!
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..2 Tips on Using Social Media to Get Found OnlineMy Profile

  15. Agreed, it should be apart of any successful social media campaign.. I’m a little late to the commentluv premium party having just found it last week but it didn’t take more than a couple days to realize the effectiveness if used correctly.. Like with anything you get out what you put into it as is the case with CL
    mike recently posted..Have Interest In Pinterest It Could Be For YouMy Profile

    1. There are definitely a lot of options available to you with this plugin. I was just replying to Dean (above) and I was telling him that I’ve come to the realization that I need to establish a commenting policy. I intend to make it clear that I’m going to be more stringent about policing comments. I don’t want to see the discussion areas here cluttered with self-promoting links by people who use keywords for their name. That’s the only real problem that I see with CommentLuv. It does attract spammers looking for do-follow links. Other than that, I’m happy with it. Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to comment.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..What is Your Twitter Strategy for Following Someone?My Profile

  16. I am new to commentluv premium and installed it on my new blog, but I wanted to get some feedback to see what kind of results most have been receiving?

    1. Frankie,
      When I first installed CommentLuv, it attracted a lot of new readers to my blog. In addition to installing it, I made it a point to visit the blogs of other people in the CommentLuv community. The blogs that I chose to visit were all related to my niche either directly or indirectly. By indirectly, I mean that their content brought value to me or potentially could bring value to my readers and people who follow me on Twitter and Facebook. To me, CommentLuv is simply a tool that I use in my overall strategy to connect with people and build awareness. (I hope this helps.)
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Utilizing Social Media to Build Brand Awareness and AuthorityMy Profile

      1. Sherryl,

        Thanks for the reply, so if i am understanding you correctly, its the same as visiting like niches on facebook and socializing and in return it adds weight to your personal blog or fan page by building a fan base.

        1. That’s how I look at it Frankie. CommentLuv was especially valuable to me when I was new to blogging and building a community. Honestly, it is less valuable to me now because it does attract people who leave comments specifically for the do-follow link to their blog. Those links do not help with SEO and can actually hurt you if your site is linking to spammy sites. So, the other side of CL is that it can be time consuming to monitor the links left in comments. I just went through a massive effort weeding out comments to coupon sites and review sites that are basically promoting products. If I had to do anything differently when I started using CL, I would never have accepted them.
          Sherryl Perry recently posted..What is Your Twitter Strategy for Following Someone?My Profile

  17. I have been using the free version and it has been doing alright. I did some research about the differences between them and I found out the free version gets half the thing the premium version gets.

  18. No doubt that this plugin would generate drive more traffic for a reasonable price. Also I strongly agree that it depends on your own strategy on how you perceived this kind of tool. For me it’s good and must be used not only by starters in the world of blogging but also to those experienced user.

      1. Thank you so much for your response, I would strongly agree that as you incorporate commenting you should practice interactive interaction to all comments, giving them replies to their queries as much as possible can be a good approach.

        1. You’re welcome Dean. In addition to replying to comments and encouraging discussion, I have come to the realization that I need to establish a commenting policy. The problem that I have with CommentLuv is that the do-follow encourages spammers to leave worthless comments for the sole purpose of getting a self-promoting link. One of the changes that I intend to implement is to not approve comments unless the person uses their real name. There will be more to it than that. Now, I just need to find the time to write it.

          Thanks for taking the time to comment. It’s valuable to everyone here to hear from other readers.
          Sherryl Perry recently posted..What is Your Twitter Strategy for Following Someone?My Profile

  19. I enjoy written descriptions and love CommentLuv, which is more than a plugin — it’s a revolution in how people interact on websites!

    1. There are many benefits. For starters, CLP is 8 plug-ins in one which helps to eliminate blog bloat. There’s also a lot more control. You can control the “do-follow” tags ib individual posts. Andy has also introduced social media incentives. For example, rather than letting everyone have a choice of linking to their last 10 posts (or whatever number you decide on), you can configure CLP to have that option only available if a person shares your article. (For example, if they’ve left a set number of comments. They’ve tweeted it or liked it . . . etc.) Another feature that I like is that as the owner of the blog, I can set 5 additional posts that I can link to. Every time I publish a new article, I delete the previous 5 posts (that I selected) and choose 5 that are more relevant. Not to mention that the version that is being sold now gives you rights to install it on every blog you own or manage. (This is huge.) Plus Andy is giving away a lot of bonuses.

      I don’t know whether or not Andy is still offering for you to be an affiliate or not but honestly I don’t believe that should even be a consideration in deciding whether or not to buy CLP. The way commissions are paid on this is it is tracked back to the very first link the purchaser followed. (Personally, I have earned commissions on three purchases. I attribute this to the fact that some of the power bloggers have done an excellent job marketing to their lists – which actually is a lesson that I should learn from).
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Where Does Your Website Traffic Come From?My Profile

  21. I’m a huge advocate of CommentLuv, but it’s only a matter of time until the spammers will create a program that will pollute the widget with massive links (if they haven’t already). I know that Google and other search engines are integrating social media into search engine results and their algorithm. Great widget though!

  22. CommentLuv is a great addition to any blog to increase traffic. It should only be a part of your overall strategy. I dont think it helps bring paying customers to your website but it does increase overall traffic to your website (rankings, link-ins, etc) which in the long term will bring in paying customers to your business.

  23. It is easy to hype up the latest greatest new software that will make you wealthy, but in the grand scheme of things the only thing that works is selling the latest greatest new software, perhaps the latest greatest new software gold edition. People go into bankruptcy expecting to hit it big purchasing all kinds of cutting edge software.

  25. Hmm, I just have been turned to comment luv. I don’t think I’ll be adding it to my site. While I think it’s great for bloggers, it doesn’t really help the small business model. I do have another blog about my dog that I will be adding it to.

    1. Really? I could see it working with your site, if the radio place is the one you’re talking about. Great website by the way.

      Of course, it does all depend site-to-site, and on owner preference. Doing it on your dog blog sounds great.

      1. I agree with Thomas that it will depend on your site but I do believe that if you’re blogging, engaging your readers is a great way to drive traffic. When readers share your articles, it helps to build awareness of your blog and your brand.

        CommentLuv links act as an incentive to commenting. By taking the time to reply to your comments and following links to other blogs (and commenting, tweeting etc. – if you can), you’ll build a community. I can attest that using CommentLuv (along with following my twitter strategy) really helped me drive traffic to this blog.
        Sherryl Perry recently posted..Is Your Blog Your Business or Do You Blog to Promote Your Business?My Profile

  26. I just started blog on my photography site. I really need useful plugins such as CommentLuv. I began to try it with the free version. Need to learn more before upgrade. Your article is very helpful. Thanks!

    1. Hi Andy,
      I think starting out with the free version of CommentLuv makes a lot of sense for someone who is just getting started. Leaving comments on blogs like mine is a step in the right direction too. I just followed you on Twitter. I RT quite a bit for photographers because I really appreciate great photography. If you don’t mind one small suggestion, I’d like to recommend that you go to http://gravatar.com and register your email address with your profile pic and website. That is a great way of building awareness and it’s free too. 🙂
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Are Business Women More Receptive to Helping Each Other Online?My Profile

  27. Considering the merits of CommentLuv Premium for its social media usefulness, it’s worth investing.

  28. Sherryl,
    When I get up my ads for the CommentLuv and Blogging Maniac programs I plan to insert (in small type) the affiliate relationship. As you point out, people weren’t born yesterday and know but I do think it’s a rule that it has to be posted. I have an attorney friend (who has written for my blog) who specializes in social media and advertising and I will ask her.
    Jeannette Paladino recently posted..10 Tips to Build Your Business and Improve Customer SatisfactionMy Profile

    1. Hi Jeannette,
      On those occasions when I have included links to affiliate programs in my posts, I’ve always mentioned it. I used to have a few affiliate ads in my sidebar and I didn’t specifically state that they were affiliate ads. I think most people recognize them as being ads. Having said that, I have seen sites where they have made it clear that they are affiliates of certain products or services. I think it’s a nice touch and I probably will do it. What are your thoughts?
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..How To Manage Your Online Reputation Across Different LanguagesMy Profile

  30. Is CommentLuv available for other blog platform? One of my site powered by Blog-engine and I couldn’t find this plugin for it. Does anyone knows?

    1. I confess. This is the first time I’ve even heard of Blog-engine. Supposedly, someone is running CommentLuv on this platform but please understand that I don’t have any experience with it. You could try asking Andy Bailey directly. If you’re brave, I suppose you could backup your site and then try installing the free version of CommentLuv to see what it does. Maybe someone else here can shed more light on this.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..20 Tips to Help Protect Your Online PrivacyMy Profile

  31. Hi Sherryl. What more can I say about CLP 🙂 Hands down, I love the plugin and like you I would have purchased it myself if I was not lucky enough to be a beta tester. The one thing that perhaps you missed out and what many forget, is that Andy’s “crazy promotion” is for an unlimited license. This means you can use it anywhere, even for clients.. cool! Anyway, just my two cents. I love the plugin and I think CLP definitely helps to increase social engagement.
    DiTesco recently posted..How To Create A Niche Website Part 2My Profile

  32. I’m unfortunately poor and can’t afford CLP. 😉 Still, I have some guest posts scheduled to be published on ComLuv starting the 7th, a brand new blog up and starting to run, and the plan to integrate CommentLuv from the start. The community aspect is just invaluable.

    So maybe in six months, traffic willing, haha.

    Thomas

    1. Thomas,
      I hear you on not being able to afford CLP. It’s really difficult to justify spending money on plugins when you’re operating on a shoestring budget. (I am too.) Fortunately, by being a beta tester, I did receive a complimentary copy. When I do find a plugin that I want, I try to look at it as an investment. Sometimes, pre-launch prices (like this) one is the deciding factor. If I know it’s something that in the long run, will pay for itself, I usually take the leap.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Treat Your Blog Posts Like Website Home PagesMy Profile

      1. Oh absolutely. Unfortunately, my investment budget went out the window this month with a theme purchase. 😉

        No doubt about it some of these plugins and ‘pay-to-play’ options are solid investments, and I’m sure CLP will be there as well. Just the basic, free plugin and community has done great things for me and my websites in the past. I went over a few options with my current website, including BuddyPress, and CommentLuv is just the easiest and most beneficial by far. Well, WPMingle is pretty good too!

        Anyway, I could chat about this stuff all day, so before I write a novel… Hope all is well!

        Thomas

  33. Hi Sherryl,

    Thanks for giving me another reason why should I purchase CLP. I know it has some awesome features and benefits, I just need someone to push me and buy it 🙂 Thanks!

    1. Hi Penny,
      I think you’ll be happy if you buy it. It really is powerful and Andy intends to keep tweaking it to make it better. He’s been very receptive to the feedback that he’s received so far.

      As an added bonus, Andy just announced that he is giving away the Dashboard Luvvers Widget (premium) plugin for free if you buy CommentLuv Premium before the sale ends. You can learn more about this by watching this YouTube video: http://bit.ly/q5Uimp

      Good luck! Please let me know if you have any questions, tips ideas etc about CLP. I’m looking for feedback for a future article. 🙂

  34. Hmm, I have often considered trying out the Pro options on one of my sites. It looks like there are still a couple days left for the offer! Now I need someone to offer me a coupon on Facebook advertising 🙂

  35. CommentLuv Premium (CLP) is becoming popular for the sort of response it generates. But, it really depends on how people think they can derive benefits from the premium version of CommentLuv. Starters may have to ponder a lot on strategies of using social media in order to bring traffic to their website or blog.

    1. Merissa,
      I completely agree with you that bloggers need to have strategies to be successful. If a blogger is just getting started, they are probably not in a position to fully utilize CommentLuv Premium. However, if a new blogger could afford the $40 investment, I’d recommend buying the license and putting it away for the future. This offer is ending on Monday, October 4th. This is the developers license. Once you own the license, you can update it at any point and it’s always going to be good for all the sites that you own or administer. Even if they just accept the defaults, they’d be able to use the anti-spam and add the basic CommentLuv, TwitterLink, and KeywordLuv.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Can One Website Meet the Needs of Multiple Niche Target Markets?My Profile

  36. It’s a fair price and maybe a good price depending on what the normal price ends up being after the 7 day deal is up. I don’t know that I would pay a hundred plus for it afterwards, and we’ll have to see what it ends up being. Considering most of the other plugins included with it are free anyway it seems like it is mostly the additional social media button and encouragement that you would be paying for.
    Ray recently posted..5 Free awesome sources for quality photosMy Profile

  37. Susan: I think you are right, the page load speed is something that I think Google are keeping an eye on for their rankings.

    CLP seems like a good buy to me, if it helps promote your social media more, then this can only be a good thing as once again I think social media trust is something Google are going to be using (if not already) to help with ranking in the SERPS.

  38. Well, for someone like me who is just starting to learn different strategies on how to build link for my site, I’m still a bit cautious on what to follow and what to buy. I have to say pass for the meantime but I guess eventually maybe i will try it as I’ve heard good things about this CLP.

  39. One of the reaons CLP seems attractive is getting rid of up to 8 plugins – I know very well that a lot of plugins tends to make one’s blog sluggish and I am willing to bet it affects your rankings with the SERPS negatively. At 40 bucks, it’s probably decent value?

    1. Susan,
      I got CLP for free because I was accepted as a beta tester. Personally, I would buy it for $40 partly because it has so many plugins rolled into one, partly because of the social media aspect and partly because it will never be offered at this price again. This is the “unlimited license version” which means you can install it on all of the blogs that you own (or are the administrator of). Plus, you immediately become an affiliate yourself. I honestly don’t know if it’s the right fit for you but I’d be glad to try to answer any questions that you have about it.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Create an Online Presence – Be Seen Out ThereMy Profile

  40. This new version is generating so much hype, it’s incredible. The new features and controls are great, though!

  42. Andy, You may want to try out the free version of CommentLuv to see if that is a good fit for you. It certainly helped drive traffic to my blog. I’ve found that when someone takes the time to leave a comment for you, they’re much more apt to share your posts too. I think that’s part of the beauty of the concept behind CommentLuv.
    Sherryl Perry recently posted..Can Anyone Really Follow 131,000 People on Twitter?My Profile

  44. Hi Sherryl,

    to be honest, I’m also one of those who bought stuff that ended up given or thrown away. On the other hand I truly love the idea of having all those plugins in one, so if that sets me back for $40, I can live with that. After all, in the worst case scenario – I’ve wasted money on far more stupid things than this..

    And here is my vote for all the girls that hate videos and like written descriptions!

  45. Sherryl,

    I am so glad you wrote this post. This really is an honest look at making the decision to buy Comment Luv Premium or not.

    I have really like having Comment Luv and GASP on my site and highly recommend them. I also use the free versions of the other plugins and they work well. So paying for the package does not appeal to me at all. It is kind of like “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

    1. Hi Sheila,
      Personally, even if I hadn’t become a beta tester, I would purchase CLP for $40. (I honestly can’t say I would pay much more for it though due to budget constraints.)

      The premium version has a lot of flexibility as far as the social aspect goes. I know you’re an active social networker and I think that CLP does have options that may be of interest to you.

      With the new options, you can control both the # of links that visitors have to choose from and whether or not they are do-follow based on multiple criteria. For example, if I suddenly decide that I want to encourage people to give me Google +1’s (or likes or tweets), I can set that as an incentive. I believe there’s a lot of potential for this plugin in the future.

      I can also tell you that a lot of the beta testers have been providing their input to Andy. (We have a forum just for us.) Reading the suggestions and input, this product is going to evolve. One of the reasons that this offer is only going to be available for 7 days is that Andy is already planning to tweak it. (Just my 2-cents.)
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..3 Steps to Develop a Branding Strategy for Social MediaMy Profile

  46. Hi Sherryl,

    I have heard of the CommentLuv Premium (CLP) WordPress Plugin at a few other blogs but I wasn’t sure how it could benefit my blog. I am definitely interested in interacting with the readers of my blog and encouraging comments.

    If this plugin could help me do that easier I am more than willing to give this plugin a try. But like you said it’s what we do with this tool that will really produce results. I think I will give it a test drive on my blog and monitor the results. Thanks for sharing your insights on this plugin.

    1. Good luck with it Melony! I’d love to hear if it helps you or if it doesn’t. I’m optimistic that if your intent is to build a community to build awareness of your blog, you’re on the right track.

      One tip that you’ve probably heard before is to comment on blogs that target the same niche that you do. By adding to the conversation, someone will be interested in what you have to say and CommentLuv makes it very easy for them to hop over to your blog and (hopefully) become a regular reader.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Create an Online Presence – Be Seen Out ThereMy Profile

  47. Hi Sherryl

    As you know I was on the fence whether to jump aboard the premium model. Although you did pique enough interest from me from your last post to get me on the early bird list.

    After seeing the run down from Andy in his video, plus it was only forty bucks, I figured that was a very low investment for the potential community building that the plugin could bring.

    I’ve downloaded it ready to install, just looking for a gap in the madness to get it hooked up. Think it might be a weekend job at this point.

    1. “Gap in the madness…” – I love it! 🙂 That’s how I feel too. I think the premium version will be perfect for you because you have a social media strategy. Like anything with a lot of bells and whistles, it’s going to take more time and thought to tweak it. I installed it, made sure it worked and then just let it sit there for a while. I started making my first few tweaks to it last week.

      Thanks for using my affiliate link. I almost feel guilty earning a commission but I should get over that. I really need to start monetizing my blogs somehow. I just want everyone to know that I would never promote something that I wouldn’t want to buy myself.
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Create an Online Presence – Be Seen Out ThereMy Profile

  48. So I bought it! I already have askimet, which takes care of all that spam stuff, it was the promise of higher google rankings, tweets and google pluses that got me to click that pay pal button. But now I wonder if it was really the right thing to do. I really like the original version and have been using it from the beginning on my blog, but I’m not sure how the whole connection to twitter and other sharing sites work. When I have time I guess I’ll slog through the tutorial…sigh….

    1. Heather, I hear ya! I have so many tutorials lined up to watch that I absolutely know WITHOUT DOUBT that I’ll never get to ’em. Still, I did buy this. I think I already get it about what it does. Now let’s see if I can figure out how without watching lots of vids. Hate video! I know that makes me weird, but I prefer reading directions. Maybe because I read like I breathe. It’s my life. Literally. 😉

      1. Hi Paula,
        I’m not a huge fan of video either. I’d much rather follow a step-by-step tutorial with screenshots. (So, you’re not alone and that isn’t weird at all! :))

        There are quite a few bloggers who have been beta testing this for a while. I am certain that we will be starting to see some great tutorials. I’ll be sharing any good tutorials that I find via Twitter and Facebook. If I collect enough, I can post another article. If something really stumps anyone, shoot me an email and I’ll try to track an answer down. That’s what’s great about this community! Together, we’ll figure it out.

    2. Hi Heather,
      You didn’t get a lot of spam with Akismet? I did and had replaced it with G.A.S.P. a long time ago. I really hope you like CLP. There are a lot more settings available with it. My strategy has been to keep it as close to the free version as possible at first and then slowly start tweaking it.

      With the original version, I gave everyone who left an approved comment their choice of 10 links to choose from and I allowed their links to be do-follow. So, when I first installed the premium version, I set it up the same way. A week ago, I modified that. Now, you need to have 3 approved comments before either of those options are available to you.

      My thinking is that this won’t affect my long time readers while at the same time, it will be an incentive for someone to come back a couple of more times. Additionally, I’m hoping that it will help with a problem I’ve been having with bloggers leaving an acceptable link 1 or 2 times and then start linking to sites that I don’t want links going to (like coupon sites). I’m going slowly and tracking any results I can from the changes I’m making. I’ve grown to accept that any time you move to a major upgrade, there’s going to be a learning curve. I just take baby-steps. 🙂
      Sherryl Perry recently posted..Treat Your Blog Posts Like Website Home PagesMy Profile

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