Do you want to grow your blog's community?
Last Monday I shared with you 3 things you’ve got to do in order to grow your blog’s community. You all liked that post so much that I want to share 2 more easy ways you can grow your blog’s community.
If you follow A-list bloggers like Chris Brogan or Darren Rowse do you know what they do that makes them so successful? The fact of the matter is, they’ve already built successful blogs by doing just a few of the things I suggested in last Monday’s post. However, one thing they both do that some bloggers don’t is, (drum roll please) they get off their blogs and interact with the community at large.
That means you can find them attending events locally, nationally, or internationally connecting with their followers and spreading their brands beyond their blogs. Chris constantly travels to conferences speaking and promoting his book. And, you can typically find Darren in the states at major conferences like, SXSW.
If you want to grow a blog that transcends the medium and produce something that’ll really impact people then you’ve got to go beyond your digital borders. Here are a few ideas on how;
Interact with your Local Community
It all starts in your own backyard. Do you know any bloggers in your town, city, or state? Are you connecting with them on Twitter and Facebook? You don’t have to go hang out with them at the roller-rink on Saturdays, but you should at least have an idea of who (within your niche) is around you.
What about readers of your blog that are in your community, do you know who they are? You won’t truly build a community for your blog until you connect with the ones in your own backyard.
I’ve attended several networking events here in Memphis where I met people who were avid readers of this blog. It’s a great feeling to match profile pictures with actual faces and to see how excited someone is to connect with you.
There are a ton of great ways to find people around you using social tools like Twitter and Facebook. Mashable has a great list of ways to find Twitter users in your town that you should check out. For local events and the latest happenings you may try When.com which lists events scheduled for your city.
No matter how you do it, step away from your blog and make connections outside of it. This will not only drive local traffic to your site but it’ll grow your authority as well.
Organize Events
If you were looking for an event to attend but couldn’t find something up your alley, why not organize your own? By creating some way for people to connect you’ll stand out as a leader and not just a blogger. People want to belong to something that’s why they join the bowling league, the poker club, and other organizations. Why not give them something to be a part of that will help make connections and grow their network?
I used to deliver monthly business seminars at a local library and then moved it to a church. The seminars proved to be an effective way to grow my marketing list, authority, and web traffic. You don’t have to go that far, but a simple tweet-up, social media conference, or even a meeting at your local library would go a long way to getting you the same results.
The great thing about organizing events is they don’t require much capital just a little bit of creativity and a lot of elbow grease. Larger events call for big venues and scheduled entertainment, but yours can be a meet-up at a coffee shop just for discussing blogging techniques. Don’t be afraid to kick the box to the curb and take things in a different direction. You’ll only grow from it . . . so what do you have to lose?
What’s Next?
Put these suggestions to action and take your blog to the next level in 2010. I’m making plans to officially announce the start of a networking group very soon. I don’t have all the details to share with you just yet, but rest assured that this is going to be awesome for you and me. To get the first bit of news on the group sign-up for my Success Tips newsletter and stay up-to-date.
Final Thoughts
Building a blog community isn’t rock science and certainly doesn’t take a college degree. All that’s required is to get uncomfortable, kick the box to the curb, and build real connections with your readers. Seriously, is that so hard? What other ways can you build your blog’s community? Do you get out to local events and conferences to meet other bloggers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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About The Author
Rod Kirby
