As I’ve said before, I’m by no means an expert in the realm of blogging. I’m still building my blog, but I’m excited to be building my blog with you!
At the beginning of this series on blogging, I indicated how it’s important to survey your readers about what they like to see on your blog and last week I posted about the strategic plan I drafted for my blog. This week, I would like to share with you nine savvy tips you can use to grow your blogging community.
Check it out: 9 savvy tips to grow your #blogging community! Click To Tweet
VISIT OTHER BLOGGERS
This is the number one step to building your blog’s community. You have got to get out and meet people. A good place to start is to join a blogging network like Bloggy Moms or SITS Girls. There are many blogging networks out there. Find one that fits your niche and mingle! Visiting other bloggers may seem time-consuming, but it’s worth it. Set a timer for 20-30 minutes and visit as many bloggers as you can. If possible, do this daily!
*Bonus tip: Every week try to visit at least one new blogger.*
LEAVE MEANINGFUL COMMENTS
The blogger doesn’t know you’ve visited unless you say something. Leave a thoughtful comment to let the blogger know you’ve been there.
I’ll share an interesting factoid about my approach to commenting… if I read it, I respond to it. I view each blog posting like a conversation. I feel the need to respond to what’s been said to me. So to my blogging buddies, now you know that if I haven’t commented, then that means that I haven’t read it.
RESPOND TO COMMENTS ON YOUR BLOG
I almost always respond to comments on my blog. It took me a while to learn the importance of this. Communicating with the people who take the time to comment on your blog is critical to building your blogging community. Your readers want to know that you care about what they’ve said.
A side note… if you are a “no-reply” blogger, this means that the bloggers who you communicate with can’t respond directly to your comments or get in contact with you… oh no!!! There’s a simple fix to this, though… check out Susannah’s post over at Simple Moments Stick to get tips on how to fix your no reply status.
MENTION OTHER BLOGGERS
This is critical to building your community. See how I just mentioned Susannah and linked you to her post? I’m sure she’ll be tickled and appreciate the shout out. These sort of things builds relationships.
SHARE, SHARE, SHARE
If you like something you see on Google+, why not +1 it?! If a post has a tweetable link, why not tweet it? A pretty picture accompanies a great post… pin it! If you read an awesome article, why not share it on Facebook?! Your blogging friends will love that you are reading their content and sharing it with others.
GUEST BLOGGING
Invite others to be a guest blogger on your site (or ask to be a guest blogger on someone else’s site). I just recently opened up to the idea of guest blogging and hosting guest bloggers. I now see its merits, and I sincerely wish I had done this sooner. Guest blogging opens up your blogging world even further. It gives you to an opportunity to meet readers from other blogs… now, how cool is that?!
BE THANKFUL
I know we can get busy with our lives and blogging can be time-consuming. However, it’s so important that every once in a while you express your thanks to the bloggers you have built relationships with. A short personal email thanking them for their friendship means so much.
I have been on the receiving end of such lovely emails, and they’ve meant the world to me. Robin from Robin Kramer Writes, Tiffany from A Fit Mom’s Life, Ceil from Surrounded by the Spirit, and Meg from Meg Made are just a few of the lovely bloggers who have taken the time to write me a kind email. There’s never a negative consequence to being kind. Once again, this is impossible if you’re a no-reply blogger… so make sure your buddies know how to contact you.
LINK PARTIES
I love “link parties” they’re such a wonderful way to meet other bloggers. My {this moment} postings are part of a link-up hosted by the lovely Amanda Blake Soule from SouleMama. I have met so many fabulous bloggers through the weekly {this moment} postings. In fact, I met my first and longest standing blogging friend, Sofia from Sofia’s Ideas as a result of {this moment}.
Here’s a great post about how to create a link party of your own! The benefits are huge!
GET OUT AND MEET OTHER BLOGGERS
There are so many opportunities to meet other bloggers… in “real life”. You could attend a blogging conference or join a local bloggers’ meet-up. Making real connections is a wonderful way to build your blogging community.
*Bonus tip: Always carry a business card with your blog’s information on it, that way if you meet up with new people who are interested in your blog, you can give them a card.*
Do you need more inspiration? Please make sure to check out Jelli (from Jellibean Journals) and her post #1 Tip To Build A Loyal Readership. It is such an encouraging, thoughtful post and a great base as you work towards building your blog.
Is there anything you do to grow your blogging community? Please share… I would love to hear from you.
SHARE WITH OTHERS
Thanks for the tips! I need to do better at some of these and need to try out some others. Pinned so I can come back to them later. Have a great weeked!
Thanks for pinning and sharing! I hope they help you. Wishing you a lovely weekend as well!
It seems like you’ve done a really great job growing your blog, Jennifer! You have great tips, many I could use…if I just get around to it. :)
It’s definitely a work in progress Sanz but I’m getting better at investing my time in ways which have more impact… hence why I decided to share my discoveries! Wishing you a lovely weekend.
These are good tips! Since I started blogging I found them to be very true! Not that I always do such a good job at all of them… I’m working on that ;) Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
I am so glad you enjoyed this Missy. It`s sometimes helpful to have a list of reminders to get out there and connect!
Wishing you a lovely day.
Great and truly easy to apply tips! Thanks so much for sharing them…I have considered opening up for guest blogging but haven’t gone forward yet. This may give me the etra nudge :)
I`m so glad you enjoyed these tips.
Guest posting is fabulous. I was scared of it at first but I planned for it before taking the first step and it made the process a lot less intimidating.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
Great post! Especially #2… I always tell people that apologize for writing long comments to stop. I love them so much! Like you, I think this is a great way to communicate and share.
Great post! Than you for the tips… as a very new blogger, some of these I hadn’t really thought of. :-)
You are very welcome Yanic! Those comments are important aren’t they?! I’m glad you found some useful tips in this post. I hope it helps you on your own blogging journey.
Hi Jennifer! I agree with all your points here. I do think that all the social media choices can be confusing, and diving into them can be overwhelming. I would add a point to ‘take your time’ in adding outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+. Get comfortable before moving on.
Thank you for the ‘mention’ on your post! I am blessed by our connection.
Hugs,
Ceil
Social media can be so time consuming! I agree with you Ceil… it’s never a good idea to spread yourself too thin. You’re welcome for the mention… you’ve been a lovely blogging friend to me.
Wishing you a blessed weekend.
xoxo
This is probably the third time I’ve used these exact words, but woman, you really are a rock star blogger. Now if there were just enough hours in the day to match my enthusiasm, I’d be golden. Even so, I always can apply some of these useful nuggets. Thanks for the great tips!
I am so glad you are enjoying this series Robin. I hope it helps (just stash these nuggets in your back pocket until you have the time to apply them) *wink*.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
These are some really good tips. I love reading (and writing blogging tips.) I find my best way to gain a community is through commenting and visiting other blogs. I love #SITSGirls and MomDot.com forum groups. Bloggy Moms is also a great group too.
Hi Crystal! I just joined SITS girls and I have absolutely fallen in love with that community! Such a supportive group of women. I’ve never heard of mom.com… I’ll have to check that group out. Thanks for visiting.
Okay Crystal, I just checked out mom.com and saw it was Cafe Mom (which I belong to). I hadn’t visited there for a while but they weren’t always mom.com were they?! I feel a little silly now! Thanks again for sharing.
Love this post! So often I think about all the technical stuff and social media and all that, and I feel like I over complicate blogging sometimes….but I’m learning more and more that I should try to provide value (give a solution or help my readers in some way) and make authentic connections. Following people isn’t enough–I need to engage with them. Be real and authentic and not just all about promoting myself.
[visiting from SITS Sharefest today!]
You’ve raised such an important point here Naomi… authentic connections are key. I think the bulk of my suggestions ultimately are working towards building those connections. I’m glad you enjoyed this post and thanks so much for stopping by!
Hi Jennifer,
These are great tips! I plan to use them on my own blog. :)
M
Glad to hear you like these tips! I hope they help you out in your own blog building journey! Thanks for stopping by.
I couldn’t agree more with all of these Jennifer! I think visiting other blogs and leaving meaningful comments (not just once) is key! On that note, thanks for dropping in lately at Root & Blossom. ;)
XO/Lena @ Root&Blossom
You’re welcome Lena! It’s a pleasure connecting with you.
Wishing you a lovely day.
xoxo
All great tips for the newbie bloggers. This is a great reminder for those of us who have been at it for a while, too.
Stopping by from the #SITSSharefest!
I’ve been blogging for about 3 1/2 years and I feel I need “refreshers” every once and a while. Thanks so much for stopping by Megan. I’m pleased to meet you!
2014 is my year to build my blogging community and I am grateful for the tips… Just so you know, I’ve tweeted and pinned.. thank you for the support on my blog :)
I am delighted that you find these tips useful. I hope it helps you in your own blog building journey. Thank you so much for sharing!
Love these! And as another blogger, I have to say that I always appreciate your thoughtful comments on my posts. You always make me feel like you actually read my posts because your comments are never generic. Which made me instantly interested in you! I was like “hmmm, who is this thoughtful commenter and does she have a blog? I want to know what SHE writes about.” I’ve got to look more into guest posting too, it makes me nervous but I’m sure the benefits are worth it :)
Awww, Jessica… I’m so glad you appreciate my comments. I really do put a lot of thought into what I say on other’s blogs. I hope these tips help you out on your own blogging journey.
Great tips! Sometimes I find it hard to keep up with so many different blogs, but I’ve made some great connections that way!
Thanks Sarah! Yes, it can be challenging to keep up. I really enjoy Bloglovin’ for that reason. It helps me stay organized in my approach to reading blogs. Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a lovely day.
Love these tips! Next month, I’ll hit my 1-year anniversary of starting my blog and I can’t believe how fast the time has passed and how much I’ve enjoyed the experience. It’s SO important to support other bloggers by commenting, sharing links and also writing contributing posts! I’ll definitely have to try the link parties one day soon – hadn’t heard of that one before!
Thanks for sharing :)
You are so very welcome! 1 year anniversary… awesome! I hope these tips help you in your journey. You should try the link parties! They’re fun and they do often get visitors to your blog.
I love these tips! They are so simple and practical! I get so frustrated at bloggers who don’t reply or a twitter feed only promoting themselves! You grow by connecting!!
I am so glad you enjoyed this. Yes, sincere relationships and connecting with others is critical! As a newbie blogger, I know I was “guilty” of self-promotion. I had no idea what I was doing and just thought social media was meant to drive your blog more into the public’s eyes. It’s a learning process that’s for sure (hence why I started this blog building series).
I hope these tips help you in your own blog building journey!
Slow going but will incorporate the great tips thanks for sharing have a great day and zen hugs all around
Glad to hear you’ll find some help with these tips. Thanks for stopping by and wishing you a lovely day.
Very good reminder! Sometimes we tend to forget things to do. Thanks a lot for taking the time to write this post!
You are so very welcome! Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the practices that have the most impact!
These are wonderful tips!!! (And I am tickled about the shout-out!) :-)
I’m glad you enjoyed these tips Susannah! It’s always nice to refocus and remember what has impact. Making sincere connections is key. I hope your post helps my no-reply blogging buddies out there!
I’ve been meaning to comment on this all weekend! Crazy life these days! LOVE these tips! Especially the tips about commenting. My hubby is always saying I’m reading blogs all the time, but I’m trying to get him to understand how important it is. And responding to comments is so important! I get a lot of no-reply comments, but I at least try to reply on my blog post so they can see that I have indeed read and appreciate their comment. I know a lot of bloggers that don’t respond to comments and it makes me want to engage with them less.
You are such a great blogger and always have such thoughtful comments and insights. I really appreciate you and I’m so glad we’ve connected through this crazy world of blogging. :)
I’m off to read Jelli’s post! :)
Have a fantastic Tuesday my friend!
xoxo
I am so glad you enjoyed this post Tiffany. Commenting and sincere connections are key to growth. I too, appreciate your friendship. I feel blessed to be able to connect with you.
Wishing you a lovely day too.
xoxo
What a great post, Jennifer! Thank you for the tips! I’m fairly new to the blog world so this is very helpful. I try to comment often and love when bloggers reply to my comments so I try to do the same. I’m loving making blog friends! Thanks again!
You are so very welcome Kelli! I started this series three weeks ago in an effort to share with others my blog building journey and I wanted to invite all my readers along for the ride so that they can grow their blogs too! The blogging world is a big one but sincere connections and community make a huge difference. I have met so many lovely blogging friends and I appreciate every single one of them.
Thank you for sharing… and now I’m off to pay you a visit.
Wishing you a lovely day!
Great advice! I too try to comment on every blog that I read…and it’s a lot of them! I need to do some reorganizing in bloglovin again, because I have made some new friends that need to go into my “must visit” group!
It can be a lot of work to keep up with the blogs. It sounds like you organize your blog reading like I do. I have a “daily/must read group”, “new friends”, “weekly”. It works well and keeps me organized.
Glad you enjoyed this Michelle!
Hi, I am new to your site, I found it from the Blogger’s Digest on Pig & Dac’s site – see, taking one of your tips already! =)
Have a great day and thanks for sharing such insightful tips, I’m always looking for new ways to grow my readership.
Pleased to meet you Jess! I hope you find these tips helpful as you expand and grow your blog. thanks for stopping by and wishing you a lovely day as well!
I love all these ideas! Thanks so much for sharing! I will be putting them into action!
I’m hosting a giveaway to today, would love for you to follow along and enter!
-Jennie
http://thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com/
So glad you enjoyed these ideas Jennie. I hope they help you in your own blog building journey. Will stop by to check out the giveaway. Thanks for the invite.
Wishing you a lovely evening.
G’day from Oz! Many thanks for linking up to the Say G’Day Saturday link up and sharing this great post. I’ve just pinned it and shared it on Google+.
Hope you can join in again this weekend.
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
Thanks so much for inviting me Natasha (and thanks so much for sharing)!
Really great tips, thanks so much for sharing! Spotted you over on the Pin It Party on Embracing the good life. Great blog, had a little nosy around your Pinterest and Google+ and have started following both. Fab! Thanks again/
Ciara @ ourlittlehouseinthecountry.com
Thank you so much for connecting Ciara! I love meeting new friends. This is just one part of a blogging series. I am publishing the blog building series on Saturdays. I hope you’ll follow along.
Now I’m off to visit you!
Wishing you a lovely day.
Oh….I love each and everyone of these tips! Pinning this to REMIND myself of these great tips! Thank you so much for sharing…now…to go an look around your blog a bit more…I found you on Pinterest.
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this post. Thanks for pinning. Best wishes to you in your blog building journey!
Thanks for these timely tips! Just posted my first reader survey this week and am looking to implement ideas. Saw this post featured over at the Blogger’s Digest!
I’m so glad that this post is timely for your own blog building journey. Thrilled that I could help! Thanks for visiting Katie!
Hi Jennifer!
Loved this post – I’ve been working on growing my blog slowly but surely. It’s been interesting for me, because my blog is a little different – I find myself in the midst of a lot of mom blogs (which I LOVE!) even though I’m not a mom. Not many people are blogging about what I blog about, so finding my “niche” has been difficult. But I’m still working on reading, reaching out, and posting more often – it’s been a fun project for me to work on!
Thanks for writing this!
I am thrilled that you enjoyed this post Amy! Blog building is a journey and the fact that your blog is so unique is a HUGE positive! Keep at it and I hope that these tips will help you out as you work to build your own blog.
Awesome post! I love visiting other peoples blogs and link ups. I will visit Susahannahs blog because I was told I am a no-reply blogger and have only seen tutorials for blogspot/blogger whereas I have wordpress. I am new to blogging so any other pointers are helpful, so thanks for your savvy tips. Rachel of http://Garaytreasures.wordpress.com
Thanks so much for stopping by Rachel. I’m delighted that you enjoyed this post. I’m certain Susannah’s tutorial will help you correct the “no reply” blogger issue. Best wishes to you as you build your blog!
Hi Jennifer – I have just started blogging and have learned a tremendous amount of information from this post. You have a great way of writing, it’s like you are talking right in front of me. Thank for the wonderful tips, I will be back to read other posts!
Cheri, I am delighted to hear that this post was of help to you. Blogging can be a little overwhelming when you’re first starting out. I hope this answers some of your questions. Please do join us in the other blog building posts for this series. I’m certain they will be of assistance as well.
Thanks for stopping by!
This is a wonderful post. I’ve been commenting on the page of the day on SITS Girls. I’m still learning the rest of the site but love what I have seen so far. I’m also spending some time on twitter connecting with others. I do want to explore SITS more.
I’ve just started with the link hops/parties/link-ups. How in the world do you keep up with those? I joined one tonight that has 5 more days to go for submissions. I joined and found a few I liked, so I commented on them and pinned them. I have no idea if I was supposed to wait until it closes. I was just afraid I would forget about it if I didn’t do it then. Maybe I am not ready for these yet. lol
I am so glad we met, Jennifer. I am loving your blog. xo
I’m so glad you enjoyed this post. Each link party has different “rules” but generally after you’ve linked your post, you visit 1-3 other posts (you don’t have to visit them all). It’s a place to showcase the content/post of your choice and potentially meet a few new blogging friends.
I’m so glad we met too! I think this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
xoxo
Oh, OK. Then I’m good. I did what I thought they were asking while I was there. Thank you for the information. I just never saw anywhere where it said to actually start, especially since people would be jumping in all the way until the last day. I figured I was covering my bases either way. Just not sure how that works out for the ones who come in at the end. I guess you don’t want to come in at the end of a one. lol
I definitely think so, too. :) I am looking forward to staying connected. xo
I’m starting a blog hop tomorrow (Thursday). It will run every Thursday. Minimal rules and you can link up old posts too! I would love to have you visit!
xoxo
Thanks so much for this terrific post! I came here from your other post on how to get your blog posts read and both of these gave me great ideas. One in particular from this post…try and visit at least one new blog each week. It’s funny how we can spend sooo much time creating posts, and soo little time making sure they get read. ;) Thanks for the reminder!
I am so glad you enjoyed this Stefanie! It’s always good to have some new ideas to try out. I hope this helps you in growing your blogging community!
This is a great post! I just read a couple of different ones from you via a link on SITSgirls and I’ll be making some changes. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m delighted you enjoyed this Julie! I hope these tips help you in your blogging journey!
Obviously…this is a popular post :) I’m on my way to read your other one on guest posts. I’m starting to get to the point to up my game some. Thanks for sharing.
I would love for you to link up to my party. It will start tonight at 8pm CST. http://3glol.net/category/teachmetuesday/
Thanks for stopping by Bobbie (and for the invite to participate in your linky party)! I will definitely pop by!
Thank you so much. I just started my blog, after years freelancing for other people. I’m so used to writing and just getting paid that having to get my writing out there now seems like such as challenge. Great ideas!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Erica. Yes, you’re definitely coming from a unique (and possibly advantageous) position. Best wishes to you as you grow your blog!
Thanks so much for linking up with us at Teach Me Tuesday! Hope to see you again this week.
http://3glol.net/category/teachmetuesday/
Have a great week!!
Thanks for stopping by Bobbie!
Hi Jennifer, following your tip no.2 I’d like to say HELLO from Switzerland and I liked your post!
Hi Tamara! Thanks so much for stopping by all the way from Switzerland! I hope this post helps you grow your blog!
Wishing you a lovely day!
Great tips, as a newbie in the blogging world these tips and sharing make a big impact.
I hope these tips help you in your own blog building journey. It takes time but with patience and commitment, your blogging community will grow exponentially!
Thank you for stopping by.
Jennifer these are some awesome tips for your blogging fans. Thanks for the inspiration to get motivated to reach new bloggers in ways I never thought of.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this posting Dana. I hope that they help you in your process of building your blogging community.
Wishing you a lovely day.
Thanks so much for these savvy tips, Jennifer. I’ll be pinning and tweeting this. I’ll also be sending over a guest post to you this week for your consideration, as well as adding an invitation for guest posting on my blog. That being said, I’d be honored to feature you as a guest, if you’d be willing. Thanks, again for the helpful post!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Heather. I hope it helps you out!
I’ll look forward to your guest post… and I will gladly post for you. I’ll need some time to come up with something though (I always find that the most challenging past of guest posting). If you have any suggestions for topics, that can definitely help.
Thanks for sharing.
I would want it to be on your terms and something that you enjoy, not something that is stressful for you. I’m sure I’d be happy with anything you would want to share, but I will be thinking about it. As you know, I’m all about faith, food, and frugality, but I’m also passionate about marriage and family. I’m not sure if this is too personal, but I love sharing stories of how we came to faith in Jesus Christ. If you’d like to write about your testimony, I would love to hear and share that. If not, I’m sure we can come up with something else. Thank you, in advance.
Hi Jennifer!
I’m new to blogging and these tips will definitely be useful!
Thanks for sharing! :)
Have a nice day,
Ilaria
I’m so glad you enjoyed these tips– they will definitely come in handy for a new blogger such as yourself.
Thanks for stopping by!
I read this through Pinterest a couple nights ago and I never realized that my commenting plugin doesn’t have a way to notify the commentor that I had replied-after reading this I saw the importance of that so it got fixed today! Thanks for your wisdom here with these tips!
I’m delighted that my pointers helped you out! Thanks for sharing!