Making a convincing argument for building a social media presence is not difficult — consumers are using social networking sites en masse. However, simply setting up a profile and feeding it blog posts will not provide an immersive experience. Instead, focus on interaction through user comments.

User commenting is on the rise. Have a look at popular social updates and it’s not uncommon to see dozens, if not hundreds of user comments. And, it’s an ongoing experience. When users comment on a story they will return to see how others react to their opinions, even invite their friends to join the conversation. This drives engagement and branding and can be one of the best ways to utilize social media — by encouraging users to be truly social.

Soliciting comments can be challenging, but aided by contests, submitting polls or asking open questions about popular industry news items, consumer opinions or testimonials. You might even consider running contests or giveaways based on usersubmitted comments.

The key to any social commenting initiative is to help users provide value to each other. For example, ask your consumers about ways they use your product — you might find some interesting insights. In this case, consumers can educate each other on the many benefits of your product beyond its initial purpose. This can also provide valuable research by discovering ways to better refine your products to fit consumer needs.