May 6 2010

Why Networking with Other Bloggers is Important

Too many bloggers view other bloggers as their competition. They have the mentality that it’s one against the world, so they never reach out to other bloggers. This is a dangerous mistake. Sure, other blogs are technically your competition, but networking with the right bloggers can yield numerous benefits.

Why? Because with a large network, you have everyone working together to benefit one another. In other words, instead of just you promoting your blog, everyone in your network is working to promote your blog. Everyone benefits, and with the combined efforts of many, you’re able to get better results than you could ever achieve by yourself.

Here are just some of the top benefits of networking with other bloggers.

  • Get on their blogroll—The blogroll is the little sidebar on blogs where the blogger has links to some of his (or her) favorite blogs. Not only does getting listed here give you another link back to your website, but it also acts as an endorsement from the other blogger. It tells his readers that your blog is worth checking out.

  • Guest posting opportunities—Guest blogging is one of the best things you can do to promote your blog and your brand. Guest posting on another blog puts you in front of an entirely new audience. It lets you position yourself as an expert, and you get to include links back to your website, helping you improve your search engine rankings. Of course, the first step to getting guest posting opportunities is to connect with other bloggers in your niche. Never stop networking!

  • Attract more back links—Most bloggers link out in their posts. It’s a way of providing readers with access to more information on interesting topics, and it’s also a good tool for networking with other bloggers. Remember, whenever you link out, the other blogger is alerted with a trackback. By networking with other bloggers, you make them aware of the content you’re putting out. So, whenever they mention a topic you’ve blogged about, you have a good chance of them linking to your post.

  • Get tips and advice from the best—No matter how long you’ve been blogging, you can always learn something from other bloggers. I love sharing blogging tips with fellow authors. Other bloggers may be able to offer you advice for promoting your blog more effectively, or they could show you simple tricks for being a more productive writer. Build relationships with bloggers you admire, and always keep your eyes and ears open for their advice. If your relationship is strong enough, you may even be able to solicit advice from them.

Now that you know some of the reasons you should be networking with other bloggers, let’s talk about how to network properly.

  • Comment regularly on other blogs. Make sure you leave value-adding comments. Not just self-promotional blurbs. And be a regular commenter on targeted blogs. After a few comments, the blogger will probably start to notice you.

  • Link out to other bloggers. This pings other bloggers with a trackback, letting them know your blog exists. More times than not, the other blogger will come check out your post, and he may even initiate contact with you.

  • Thank those who link to you. It’s great blogging etiquette, and it can serve as an introduction for building a relationship.

  • Connect with bloggers on other social networks (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). This lets you interact with the bloggers more closely, helping you build up your network. Focus on creating actual conversations with key influencers.

  • Be assertive, but not a pest. You can’t just sit back and expect other bloggers to come to you. You need to actively build up your network. Just make sure you aren’t overbearing. Respect the time of other bloggers. They’re busy too.

  • Give help before asking for help. You never want to be seen as a leach. Always give more help than you ask for, and make sure to establish yourself in the community before you ask for anything. Otherwise, people will just think you’re some newbie who’s only out for himself.

  • Reach out to lesser-known bloggers. The top bloggers are bombarded with messages all day long. You have a better chance of building a connection with a lesser-known blogger who has a decent following but isn’t huge.

What networking tips would you add to this list? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!

David Smith is working for Conversion rate optimization Company Invesp. Feel free to download free landing page templates from Invesp

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    1. Ned Carey said:

      That’s a pretty good list. One thing I think I should focus on is guest blogging. I just wish i had more writing time. I don’t get enough posts for my own blog.

      I guess that brings up a question is time better spent creating content for your own blog or writing for others.

      May 6th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
    2. Grace at KD said:

      Thank you for this post. As a new blogger it was very helpful. Wish I wasn’t so shy about asking for blogroll exchanges. I guess I’ll have to work on that.

      May 7th, 2010 at 10:15 am
    3. Walter said:

      The pointers you have provided here are extremely effective Matthew, I have done almost all of them as I wade my way through blogging. 🙂

      May 9th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
    4. annie horkan said:

      Thanks for this good info…I have 2 art websites, one for hand-painted canvas rugs( called floorcloths.com) that I opened up advertising space on, and invited all the other floorcloth artists on the web to come advertise there…they all thought I was nuts to be inviting my own competition, but I saw it more as a great chance for us all to network and create those backlinks. Now I have a blog on one of the sites, and I am wanting to know how I can really use this blog to increase my seo and traffic? I also want to invite people to send me stuff to post on my blog..so am wondering if there is a blog hot spot, a central blog hub, where bloggers can list their blog in a niche/category so you can find relevant blogs and bloggers…or are you limited to google searching?

      May 10th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
    5. Alex Dropshipping said:

      The whole article is true. A good example of this is a pendulum. If one of the strings or something is wrong with the mechanism, the pendulum will not work properly. Same thing with networking within the industry of blogging. If other bloggers will not participate or just try to promote their own work, his / her blog will not be successful.

      Networking is actually natural. You get backlinks, comments and traffic naturally if what you are blogging is interesting. Something that will interest a person will easily spread to other bloggers and non-bloggers.

      Very interesting and inspiring article!

      Keep it up!

      Alex

      May 11th, 2010 at 6:22 am
    6. Jimvesting said:

      This is a nice post, I totally agree with what you are saying here. I like the point about reaching out to smaller bloggers, as these guys are going to be a lot more receptive and if you hit the right ones you can get a lot of really good link juice going on into the future.

      May 15th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
    7. brother toner cartridges said:

      Honestly I only use 2 things when I do Networking with Other Bloggers
      1. Like you said “Get on their blogroll” to get traffic from their blog or backlinks
      2. Guest posting opportunities- I only use this if with the same blogger who have the same niche with me and have a quite good name or brand in the niche.

      May 16th, 2010 at 10:39 am
    8. aggelies said:

      Good tips for newbie bloggers.
      We got the best results from the first 3 tips (blogroll, guest blogging, attracting more links – linkbait)

      May 26th, 2010 at 9:29 am
    9. FAQ Software Agent said:

      Great tips right there!I concur, blogging, and all platforms of social networking has a running theme of community and connecting. The more connections and meaningful conversations you share, the better it is for you and the rest in the long run!

      May 27th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
    10. car battery said:

      Well said, networking with other bloggers is very important. This is a unique community and we need each other to move ahead, from what I’ve seen so far. There are many ways to help each other while still keeping our competitiveness spirit alive. Everyone benefits from it after all.

      Sandy

      August 2nd, 2010 at 4:12 am
    11. Komodo Dragon said:

      I agree about the importance of networking with other bloggers. Sometimes, our natural tendencies to keep our ideas to ourselves takes over but overall, more can be achieved together as a group than alone.

      December 9th, 2010 at 7:32 am
    12. phd guidance said:

      I agree with your point. Its really important for a blogger to go do a little work online everyday to bring his blog into notice by other bloggers.

      January 18th, 2011 at 4:21 am
    13. Sam said:

      Guest posts have been effective for my blogs and introduce my writing to readers I may never have an opportunity to reach. I do find it hard to ask for links as it seems a bit forward and touchy with many bloggers. One of my niche blogs for finance was not received well with other bloggers and they were not interested in reciprocal links. I think when some bloggers are pr 4 or higher, they are not interested in helping some of the newbs.

      January 27th, 2011 at 6:41 pm
    14. p90x said:

      Networking with other bloggers can help tremendously. Not only for those just starting out, but also for bloggers who have been in the game for awhile. Thanks for the post Matthew.

      – Robert

      February 4th, 2012 at 7:34 am

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