As a blogger just starting out, you may feel a bit lonely and overwhelmed, wondering if you’ll ever gain a big following, or even just a few regular readers. Don’t despair. It takes time and consistent effort to see a rise in readership. However, there are definitely some steps you can take to move ahead in your pursuit of an audience for your blog. Networking with other bloggers can be a fun, educational and social endeavor that also has the potential to help you reach your goals far more quickly than going it alone. Follow these tips for building a network as a new blogger, and you’ll soon be feeling more confident in your efforts.
Focus on Friendship
The rules of making friends apply quite well to networking because the goal of growing your network should be to build relationships. Too frequently, people approach networking as merely the means to an end. They seek out well-known influencers to help them in some way without giving anything of value in return. That’s no way to make friends. Instead, look for commonalities and strike up genuine conversation. Find bloggers in your niche, those with complementary blogs and, even, well-known bloggers. Diversifying your network is always a good idea. Don’t forget that it takes time to forge real relationships.
Give Abundantly
Develop a mindset of giving, and you’ll be well on your way to cultivating a network that sees your value and is happy to work with you. Take opportunities to share worthwhile content when you come across it. Those in your network will begin to see you as someone with an eye for useful information, and those writing you share will definitely appreciate your efforts. Also, send job ads, industry related articles or other relevant pieces to individual contacts. They will surely be glad you thought of them. Along these lines, give praise and compliments freely. Everyone needs to hear a good word now and then. Don’t forget to share your own knowledge when it is truly helpful. Too much self-promotion can be seen as inauthentic and annoying, but sharing your own content or advice in a way that provides insight can paint you as an expert. Continue to produce top-rate content, and you can likely expect to start seeing it being shared regularly.
Put Yourself Out There
In order to find your tribe and gain a network that is truly beneficial to everyone, you need to constantly be out there. No, you don’t necessarily have to go out and meet people in real life, though it doesn’t hurt. Blogging conferences in your niche or in general can be a fantastic way to learn new skills, gain momentum toward reaching your goals and find people to add to your network. Other bloggers, marketing professionals and company representatives can all be found at conferences, and it is often easier for some to make friends in person than through digital means. If you’re not able to make it to a conference, you can still put yourself out there by getting involved virtually with others in various ways. Join private Facebook groups hosted by bloggers in a related field. Forums are also a good place to reach out to peers or potential readers. Reach out to other bloggers with ideas and a sincere request to guest post. All of these are ways to get your name out there and to grow your network.
The key to effective networking for bloggers is to engage in consistent efforts. Building relationships is an endeavor that takes time, maintenance and dedication. Your actions will pay off in a multitude of ways.
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