Creating Community on Your Blog
- Why It's Important
- It's important to create community on your blog if you really want valuable growth. What's the point in having a ton of followers that don't interact with your content? There isn't one.
- Commenting
- Actively responding to all comments on your own blog is the simplest way to develop a community. Readers will continue to comment if you continue to respond. Answering all questions and responding to feedback is important!
- While maintaining comments on your own site is important, it's equally important to comment on other's blogs. It's simple to comment on the awesome content that you already read, just make sure what you're saying is VALUABLE.
- Active Social Media Presence
- Actively Sharing Others Posts; You want people to share your content, right? Well why wouldn't you share someone else's great content?! As bloggers we appreciate all the love that we get, and often return the favor.
- Tweeting things other than blog links, allows followers to see your personality. Even if your blog is strictly professional, your readers still want to get a sense of the person that they follow. Being able to see what you're thinking and doing helps your readership to relate to you.
- Participating in Forums or Blog Chats
- SITS girls or #blogchat etc can help you gain followers, but also since you're part of a discussion you get valuable ideas, and make friendships with people in the same situations as you.
I love it when I comment on other blogs, and they actually respond back to you. I mean most times I'm just leaving regular comments - but if I'm asking a question and the blogger doesn't respond it kinda ticks me off lol.
ReplyDeleteYes! I mean I'm usually not asking a question but I can almost guarantee when I really want to know something that's when the blogger never replies lol.
DeleteGreat tips!! I needed this :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to help!
DeleteIt's amazing how important community is. I love online community, but there's nothing like meeting other bloggers in person!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I don't really get the chance to do that since I live in Barbados and most bloggers are in the States or the UK but it definitely sounds amazing.
DeleteI am very new to the blogging game, 4mths, and really like getting these tips on growing my blog. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThrifting Diva
www.thriftingdiva.com
I've been blogging for a total of like almost 3 years on various blogs and one of my favorite things is reading/blogging about blogging!
DeleteI love replying back to other readers. I am slow at it but it is so fun!
ReplyDeleteOnce you're still commenting I think it's great! Your readers will appreciate it in the long run. Especially if they have questions!
DeleteHaving an active social media presence is HUGE! Great tips <3
ReplyDeleteThese are really great tips! It can be hard to respond to every single comment, but I definitely try to do my best!
ReplyDeleteYeah I get that comments can be hard, especially if you get 20+ comments per post. I like to reply to them even if it takes me a few days because it does show that you care and can even help when it comes to getting sponsors etc because they can see that you're a blogger with an active community and you respond and keep the conversation going!
DeleteI always make sure to reply back to every comment on my blog and as for being active on social media, I think I'm TOO active! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think that there's such a thing as too active Fiona! Unless it's taking up way too much of your time... then I guess you should try to limit it a bit.
DeleteThanks for all the great tips. There is so much to social media. I feel somedays I'm just hitting the tip of the iceberg!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. I mean if I spend an hr on twitter, an hr on Pinterest and and hr on Facebook thats 3hrs of my time, not even including writing or editing the blog post that got me there in the first place!
DeleteGreat advice. I feel like a lot of bloggers fail to do this and even really successful ones don't which I think is such a shame. It makes you want to like someone else more if they have success AND still promote others to do well too!
ReplyDeleteKatie <3
Yeah. I've even seen more successful bloggers disable their comments because they're more focused on sharing than actual community.
DeleteThank you for this! I have been working toward being more chatty in the blog community, but really need to find some cool message forums!
ReplyDelete#blisschat is really good especially if you're looking to expand into a business or are self employed.
DeleteGreat tips! Especially liked that you mentioned chats!
ReplyDeleteChats have helped me IMMENSELY, I'm even contemplating doing a separate post on them specifically.
DeleteAwesome ideas, I think commenting and responding to comments is a great way to get to know readers and grow your community too!
ReplyDeleteYeah I totally agree. It takes a lot of time but as a reader I like it when bloggers reply to me so I like to do the same myself!
DeleteI'm definitely trying to get better at networking and interacting!
ReplyDeleteDo it! It's worth the time it takes girl
DeleteLove these tips! Being active on social media is my fav - you really get to know your readers (and they get to know you!).
ReplyDeleteYeah I mean twitter is like your readers stream of conciousnees and you can learn alot about what they love/hate at the moment and where to direct your content accordingly.
DeleteThese are all great tips. I love to see when blog owners are active with their followers.
ReplyDeleteYeah I hate it when I find a blog I LOVE and then I realize that the blog owner doesn't really give a crap about their readers and hardly replies to anyone!
DeleteReally great tips :) I need to work on my social media presence!
ReplyDeleteIt can be time consuming but I say go for it girl! It's worth it in the end.
DeleteGreat tips! Thanks for sharing! I love social media and it has done wonders for my blog. I don't think I would have the reach as I do with out it!
ReplyDeleteYeah I totally agree. Social media's given me a much wider reach than I had before when I solely used to blog. Twitter's been REALLY helpful in making connections & expanding my reach.
DeleteGreat tips--thank you for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading dear!
DeleteA community is so important to a blog. Without a community, you definitely won't last very long if you're trying to do it professionally!
ReplyDeleteYes and some people seem to forget that! Larger bloggers tend to have more on their hands with sponsorships etc but I think if you want to see continued revenue on your blog that you always reply to your readers and be proactive about engaging new& old readers.
DeleteGreat tips! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading!
Deletethanks for the tips, i find that especially with new bloggers everytime they comment on my blog i respond plus visit their blog and read a few of there posts and comment plus promote on my social media. those bloggers/readers have noticed over the last year come back so often and some we even friends x
ReplyDeleteYeah smaller bloggers are usually better at having a nice little community going on their blogs, but it's important for everyone to have a community and not just become focused on the numbers! I've made some great friends the same way too!
DeleteWonderful post-- and great tips! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I could probably tweet other's content more!
ReplyDeleteyou'd be surprised the return you can get when you tweet someone else's links!
DeleteThese are really good tips! I'm doing all that except for the blog chats. I slack on those big time. I blame my toddler ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt can be hard to set aside the time with kids. I'm hoping to still be fairly active in blog chats once my little one is born but I think I'll have the same problem!
DeleteGreat advice! I agree, making community with other bloggers is really important!
ReplyDeleteIt should be your goal, rather than growing in numbers... to grow an authentic community!
DeleteGreat advice! Community is what it is all about, really!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It definitely is! I think it's why we all started blogging in the first place!
DeleteGreat tips, we all need to support each other!
ReplyDeleteWe do! As bloggers we all have common goals so we should help each other out, not view each other as competition!
DeleteGreat advice!! I love doing all of this! It has really made my blog grow
ReplyDeleteThank you! what blog chats do you participate in?
DeleteI have found that a blogging community is soooo important! Not only are you making connections but you are helping your blog grow! Thanks so much for sharing
ReplyDeleteGrowth is important, but I love making connections the most. Makes it really feel like it's worth my time! Thanks for reading (:
DeleteThese are some very great tips and things I am working on. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. I view comments on my blog as the highest form of complements, especially when it comes from another blogger! Taking the time to read the work of others while still caring for your own blog, plus all of the other IRL kind of stuff is a a gift of sorts.
ReplyDelete