I call it conversational marketing. Others might lump it in with social media marketing, Web 2.0, etc.

It doesn’t matter what you call it, this fun little tactic is a great way to build name recognition, generate backlinks, and get quality organic traffic.

What I do is go to Ezine Articles, About.com, or just find some blogs related to a site I want to promote. And then I join the conversation by posting intelligent, valuable comments.

This tactic has been recommended by hundreds of other people. It was around long before the term “Web 2.0″ was ever dreamed up.

But like most things related to online marketing, the majority of people are doing it wrong. Most folks add some lame comment like “nice blog”, drop in their link, and leave it at that.

What I do differently and what you should do as well, is take the time to add a substantial comment. Add something of very real value, even if only entertainment. The idea is to post something good enough that folks will want to double check the name or click on over to my site, or both.

Ideally this tactic should be used on high profile Websites. I want people seeing my name often, and associating me with quality content. Over time people will begin to acknowledge me as an expert in a given area simply because they see my name over and over and I always have something worthwhile to say.

It takes a while to build momentum with this but it’s a very solid, very free method of long-term promotion to consider.