Online relationships are all about networking. Not one blogger stands alone, as the keys to successful blogging revolve around developing friendships among fellow writers. Not only does this increase your online communication opportunities and your chance to showcase your successes, but it also allows yo
u to openly discuss your struggles and seek advice.
However, solidifying a blogger friendship is not just about gaining perspective and making connections. It’s about growing and establishing yourself as a blogger, and becoming a part of a community.
While it’s easy to connect to other bloggers, it takes more commitment from your end to keep the friendship afloat. Below are seven key ways to make a blogger friendship last. In doing so, you’ll gain excellent PR, advice and respect in the blogging community.
1. Connect Through Comments
Put yourself out there. Sitting around and waiting for someone to find your blog gives off the impression that you would like to isolate yourself from others. Instead, “connect” with someone by commenting on a blog that is within your niche or the content is relatable. Often times, when you leave a note of appreciation or feedback, the blogger will in turn take the time to respond and even visit your blog. While it begins as an act of curiosity, this is a great way to develop a relationship.
Once you’ve established this connection, you can expand your conversations onto other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. These sites make commenting and outreach very natural and organic. At the end of the day, think of this as a great opportunity to network and make new friends.
2. Link Their Content
Many bloggers suggest that link-building is relationship building, but the real goal here is to develop and maintain a solid blogging relationship. The best way to begin is to figure out how you can help them succeed. This selflessness will in turn help you grow and promote your blog.
In linking their content, the blogger will visually see site references and traffic flowing from your blog to theirs through studying the analytics. Also, they will be able to view your blog link in their comments if they utilize pingbacks or trackbacks.
3. Interview Fellow Bloggers
While this task may seem daunting and time consuming, you’ll be pleased with the results. In conducting individual or group interviews, you can generate key questions that not only help you build relationships, but also gives you insight and advice on how to better your blog.
Try asking questions that focus around your similar interests and niches. Not only does this provide good analytics and data, it also helps you get your feet wet when trying to foster blogger friendships. Additionally, interviewing other bloggers will give you a good reason to communicate and seek others out for advice. They can share their expertise with you and you can grow as a blogger and maintain strong relationships.
4. Write Together
Make the first move and offer to write a guest post. This generous move you make to offer up free content will show your fellow blogger that you are committed to work together and share information. Additionally, you will be able to communicate topics in your niche and similar content.
This is an easy way to build a relationship, because you are not pressuring anyone to write for them. Chances are the other blogger would like to feature your content to establish themselves and build relationships just like you.
With this exchange of content, the opportunities are reciprocal.
5. Make A Unique Contribution
Think outside the box on this one. You could become the source of advice to identify something that your fellow blogger is experiencing, possibly a struggle or frustration. By researching and staying in-tune, you may be able to give them sound advice and help them promote themselves all the while keeping your own blogging aspirations intact.
For a more creative approach, you could host a video conference or podcast that features your new comrade and their ideas about blogging content that matters. This type of outreach can help you hone in on your audience, and let them see the relationships you have built. Fun demonstrations, skits or even greetings can open up a strong sense of camaraderie between you, other bloggers and your audience.
If those approaches are not within your plans for developing a blogger friendship, you can even offer other services to your blogger such as donating your time to share a new logo, badge or even icon set. This will show your commitment to your new blogger relationship.
6. Share Their Content
Use your social media sites to share their content whenever you can. This is a great ice breaker, as people will notice how involved and active you are with others. From this step, you have begun the networking process and opened the door for discussing similar content and building a strong online reputation.
This is one of the most effective ways to generate visibility in establishing yourself as a reputable blogger. Also, you can double your audience with a simple share. Don’t ever feel as if you are merely “brown-nosing;” it’s actually quite the opposite. You are simply demonstrating that you appreciate their content and you are thinking about it.
7. Pay It Forward and Make A Recommendation
If you are aware of another blogger or company that is struggling with exposing themselves, and you know that your fellow blogger gives the best advice for generating good content in that particular niche, recommend them.
Maybe that particular blogger has helped you get started and gave you sound advice. Share the wealth of knowledge and help another person out. By sharing content and recommending their insight, you will definitely be on the right track to foster a good blogger relationship.
Developing these recommendations may take a good amount of time and research, this will help you generate respect and admiration among other bloggers. Others will not only see your recommendation as a great “go-to” resource, but they will also foster trust and loyalty to you for putting someone else’s content out there.
A good way to start this process is to setup a blog that highlights different bloggers and topics. By showcasing that blogger, their audience will follow you and further build your network. All of our recommendations will become sound advice for others to be inspired.
Why spend time and energy fostering blogger relationships?
By being genuinely selfless, you will in turn promote yourself in a healthy, positive light. You will gain respect, trust, authority and a new-found sense of community. In the long run, having a good network of people will only help you learn and grow to become a better blogger.
Read more: Developing Brand Friendships