Networking as a Blogger

The lone blogger won’t be a blogger for long. This is one of my favorite sayings and it is very true. Having a blog is just like having your own virtual business and you must do as much networking, if not more, than the brick and mortars or else down the road you will go out of business. For the blogger, this means closing the virtual doors to your blog.

Networking as a blogger has many benefits and if done correctly will allow you to:

• Get ideas for new posts
• Meet other bloggers and build relationships
• Build traffic to your blog
• Learn new things to make your blog better
• and most importantly, have fun!

You see how something as simple as networking can improve your blogging endeavors in so many ways? So, where do you get started? This is something a lot of new bloggers will probably struggle with as this concept may be very new to them. Well, hopefully I will be able to shed some light on this with some of these techniques.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn happens to be one of those places a lot of people don’t think about when it comes to not only promoting your blog but meeting new people. After all, LinkedIn is mostly known for connecting with your co-workers and possibly attaining employment through connections and getting introduced. LinkedIn does, however, offer a powerful group feature. Once you have your profile set up, which I admit can be a headache, simply head over to the groups directory and search for keywords pertaining to your blog. A lot of the groups are open to join but some do require you be approved. Once you are in, you can start or join in on one of the discussions already taking place. Here is a quick video on how to do just that.

I would recommend you join in on a discussion you find interesting and not just slap up a link to your blog and run. Just like in real life, you need to introduce yourself before shoving your business card in someone’s face.

Twitter

Twitter is easily one of the best ways that I choose to network as a blogger. There are just so many conversations going on at once that you can jump into and begin to take part in. Also, a superb way to network on Twitter is by joining chats that are taking place. One of the most popular chats to get involved with, specifically for bloggers, is #blogchat. #Blogchat happens every Sunday night at 9PM EST and is a great way to discuss various topics with other bloggers right on Twitter. My first night participating in a #blogchat I came out with over 20 new followers. Great way to network plus learn a ton about blogging from people who have been doing it for a very long time and novices alike.

Facebook

Once you shuffle your way through the Farmville advertisements and Facebook Places privacy concerns, there are still some good things you can use Facebook for. The groups we mentioned pertaining to LinkedIn have been around for a very long time on Facebook. While the introduction of pages has seemed to phase out groups a bit, you may be able to still find some active ones to participate in. If all else fails, find a page pertaining to your niche and get into some discussions.

BloggerLuv

When I first started off as a blogger, BloggerLuv was one of the first places I stumbled into. The environment was so welcoming and I met a lot of cool bloggers that I communicate with regularly. Definitely worth checking out, never know who you might end up meeting. Tell them I sent you.

Commenting

Once you meet these fine folks at the locations listed above, take it one step further and start commenting on their blogs. Not only are you interacting with them, now you are interacting with their readers as well which opens up even more doors. Rinse and repeat and you have a constant pool of new people to meet.

Guest Posts

Guest posting serves two wonderful purposes. Not only can it help build traffic to your blog, but it introduces you to a segment of readers you have probably have never encountered. You can take that opportunity to build relationships with them by responding to their comments and visiting their blogs. They will most likely return the favor to you. Guest posting is very important to the success of your blog.

Sharing

Sharing another blogger’s content is one of the sincerest forms of flattery you can show them. It shows that you liked their content enough to share it with your readers. Any sensible blogger will in-turn pay a visit to your blog and at least leave a comment. They may even return the favor by including you in a post. This form of sharing can also be done on Tweeting by ReTweeting their content.

Remember…

When you meet these new people through various means, you need to build some kind of link to them. This could be accomplished by adding them as a friend or following them on whatever social channel you are using. This builds a (hopefully) permanent link which you can use to grow your relationship. Now, everyone you meet isn’t going to automatically become your best friend but in the very least you can help each other achieve your goals.

More?

Do you have any other ways that you network as a blogger? Be sure to let us know so we can join in.

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Tagged as: Blogging, facebook, linkdin, Social Media, twitter