Why do comments often build more reputation than your own posts?
Because a comment travels into someone else's network, while a post stays in yours. Comment under a relevant decision-maker's post and you become visible in a network you otherwise have no easy access to. Posts go where you already are; comments go where you are not yet.
For founders with a small or growing network, that is often the more efficient route to relevant visibility. You appear in the right conversations, not only in your own broadcast.
That is why some founders get noticed through comments faster than through weekly posts. They are visible where their audience already reads.
What does a comment with substance look like?
"Great post" or "thanks for sharing" leave no impression. Substance means a concrete addition, a reasoned disagreement, a relevant experience of your own, or a question that deepens the post. It takes longer than a thumbs-up — and it stays with people.
The test is simple. Someone reading the comment without seeing the post should learn something concrete about your perspective. If they do, it is a good comment.
A weak comment shows attendance. A strong one shows judgment. Only the second builds reputation.
Why are comments actually network work?
Because regular, substantive comments under the posts of relevant people open relationships — without a single cold message. You show up in their context as a person with a perspective, and that gets noticed.
This visibility differs from post reach. It is smaller, more targeted, and closer to real relationships. For B2B founders it is often worth more than broad impressions across a mixed audience.
Comment substantively under ten relevant people's posts for six months and you have done relationship work. How to choose those ten people is covered in building a LinkedIn network.
How often should you comment — and where?
Less often than you think. Three substantive comments a week under the right posts are worth more than thirty shallow ones. Quality decides here even more than with your own content.
That has a practical advantage. Comments cost less time than posts and work even in weeks without a post of your own. So presence stays constant without doubling the editorial load.
What matters is the choice of posts, not the volume of comments. Ten right profiles beat a hundred random ones.
Do comments replace posting yourself?
No — they complement it. The comment strategy extends your posting into the right networks; it is part of a reputation system, not a substitute for your own position. Together they work better than either alone.
Your own post shows the position in full. The comment carries it into other networks. Do only one and you give up the other.
So commenting becomes a warm path to conversations, long before a message is needed — the basis of social selling.
Frequently asked questions.
Should you comment on competitors too?
Yes, if the post gathers the right audience. A thoughtful, fair comment under a competitor's post shows confidence and reaches exactly the readers you want. Polemics hurt, a stance does not.
Is there value in commenting on big creators?
Only if their audience is yours. An early, substantive comment under a high-reach post can reach many relevant readers. With an off-topic audience, the reach does little.
How quickly after publishing should you comment?
Early, but not at any cost. Comments in the first hours are seen by more readers. More important than speed is that the comment adds something — a fast, empty comment reads worse than a late, good one.
Should you reply to replies on your comment?
Yes — that is the real gain. A conversation under someone else's post builds the relationship further. Replying turns a one-off visibility into a recurring contact.
Keep reading in the library.
Builderz System
Visibility has to become trust.
Builderz builds LinkedIn systems for founders and executives who want to become clearer in the market, not louder.