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Sep 3, 2014

This Week’s Episode

Before I launched the Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show, I sent out a survey to a few online friends for feedback on show topics. Kathy Kelly from the Crochetbird blog asked about ways to engage with blogging community. Thanks for the suggestion, Kathy! In this episode, I share 6 suggestions for engaging other bloggers. 

6 Ways to Engage with the Blogging Community

  1. Commenting
  2. Participating in challenges
  3. Joining link parties & blog hops
  4. Finding blogger groups
  5. Attending blogger events and meetups
  6. Connecting with bloggers on other forms of social media

Each of these different ways of engaging has its own benefits and challenges. Deciding which ways work best for you will depend on your goals.

1) Commenting

Commenting on other blogs is a great way to engage with bloggers. Unfortunately, due to spam, trolls, malware, etc., some bloggers don’t allow comments or have so much security to cut through that it makes commenting near impossible.

Include a link to your blog in the comment form, and, if appropriate, include a specific link to a post that’s relevant. When possible, include a substantive comment. Try not to include links within the comment unless they are highly relevant to the discussion and/or you already know the blogger. (The best analogy I’ve heard about this is that including links in the comment is like a party guest jumping up in the middle of dinner to shout, “Come on over to my house for dinner instead!”)

2) Participating in challenges

There are several types of popular blog challenges, including:

You can join in a current group challenge, or follow along with another blogger’s personal challenge, or work through an old challenge. Challenges can help you improve or diversify your blogging skills while engaging with other bloggers.

3) Joining link parties & blog hops

Link parties and blog hops are organized activities that take place on a regular basis. A host (or hosts) write a blog post and participants can add links to their blog post directly in to the post. Link parties come and go so ask for recommendations or use search to find a party.

Each link partu has its own culture and rules. Generally speaking, you are expected to visit several of the other posted links and comment. It’s often the norm to visit every blogger who comments on your blog as well.

4) Finding blogger groups

You can find blogger groups on every social media platform, so choose a setting where you feel comfortable. Some of these groups are private or secret, so you can discuss some of your blogging concerns more privately. Others are public. Most of these groups combine elements of blog support (discussions about tech issues, posting ideas, etc.) with cross-promotion. Some are open to all bloggers and others are focused on specific types of bloggers.

Some groups you may want to consider are:

There are also blogging communities for specific cultural or social groups. You can also ask your fellow blogger friends for recommendations or see which groups they promoted on their blogs.

5) Attending blogger events and meetups

In person meetups and events can be a great way to connect with bloggers. Events can be the places to introduce yourself to a blogger with a large following or finally get to meet your online friends face-to-face.

Large events may include workshops or other training opportunities that can help you improve your blog. Face-to-face meetings, especially the larger events, may involve more costs. Some very large events can be overwhelming for introverts.

6) Connecting with bloggers on other forms of social media

Most bloggers have a presence on other forms of social media. You can engage bloggers on whatever platforms you are mutually involved in, including Ravelry, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest.

  • Engage authentically with the bloggers you follow by commenting, sharing/reTweeting their posts, and writing feedback via social media. It’s nice to include links when you can (though, for space reasons, that can be a challenge on Twitter!)
  • Some blogger groups have their own hashtag. For example, Blogs by Latinas and Latina Bloggers Connect use #LatinaBloggers. Using a hashtag can help other bloggers in your group identify your Tweets to share and comment.

Before you engage with other bloggers…

Consider why you want to engage with bloggers.

  • Are you trying to improve your own blogging? Groups might be best for you.
  • Do you want to monetize your blog or become a pro blogger? Events and meetups might be best for you.
  • Are you looking for new blogs to follow? Link parties/blog hops and challenges might be best for you.
  • Do you want to increase your following? Commenting, link parties/blog hops, challenges, and connecting with bloggers on social media may be the best way.

You may find that just one, or a combination of these ways works well for your goals, comfort level, time restrictions, and budget.

If you enjoyed this episode

The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in September, 2014. Be aware that content may be outdated.

If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).