HOW TO BUILD A BLOG COMMUNITY

My youngest son and I are sitting at the kitchen island listening to the Brooklyn Duo. Evan is working on an English paper. I am writing a blog post; my version of an English assignment. But instead of letter grades, I receive comments. What a difference three weeks makes.

Three weeks ago I checked my phone after grabbing a drink with a friend and talking about her spring break plans. When I returned to my car I had two missed calls from my son and husband. “Mom, they are sending us home and I have to be out of the dorm by tomorrow at 5 pm.” Wasn’t it yesterday that I said my goodbyes?

So this moment, at the kitchen island, is a gift. A moment in time where I get a little more time with him. I know I am the last person he wants to hang with on a Wednesday night.

I am sad he will miss one of the best seasons in the midwest; when the sun starts to shine through the clouds and the mornings offer a stillness that cannot be captured by the written word.

this …

But at this moment … my son is explaining to me the forms of torture in the US criminal justice system.

And, I just asked him which of the two blog titles he preferred. I am using the title he chose. He thought my working title, ” How Not to Be One of Those Bloggers” did not set the right tone.

Life is complicated and filled with uncertainties. But this moment I feel a community of support in my friends, neighbors, work friends, family and my blog community.

As bloggers, we are a community spread across the country and continents. There are relationships and partnerships that bring us routine and structure to a day filled with run-on sentences and grainy photos.

Now feels like an opportunity to build our blog community. You know a community that is difficult for our spouses and children to understand.

HOW TO BUILD OUR BLOG COMMUNITY

The funny thing is these suggestions work for all of our communities. It is about building a connection. It takes practice- like following through on a forehand.

Leave Comments

How do you feel when you wake up to an inbox of comments? And, then how do you feel when you write the funniest post sentence, and there is not one comment.

Like this post, I wrote the other day. I cracked myself up over the Bic lighter comment.

My goal is to leave 10 comments a week on various blogs. When I read this post about how to handle bloggers who never reply to comments it was an a-ha moment for me. Why? Because I always reply to comments. Hugh’s advice? Stop commenting and move on to bloggers who routinely reply back to your questions and compliments.

HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE A BLOG FRIEND

And along this journey, I met a few wonderful women bloggers.

I connected immediately with Katie and her popular blog, She had me at preppy.

And, my blog friendship with Heather through her blog. Heather is one of my longest blog friends. We originally connected through a weekly Link Party ( I think). The party was full of technical glitches, but our friendship grew.

We discovered our love for Trader Joe’s. And, then we realized we were living parallel lives with our empty nests (just in different parts of the country).

This lady always leaves me a comment.

SUBSCRIBES TO NEW BLOGS WITH AN RSS FEED

I gave up on Bloglovin and recently transitioned to Feedly.

This is my go to destination to catch up on my favorite blogs.

Join Monthly Challenges: Recently I joined Cindy’s monthly challenge and it has been so much fun. I get double-digit comments and traffic! Not sure where to find a monthly challenge? Start to follow a few and then ask if they have an opening for a new “hostess” or participants. I don’t remember how I found Cindy, but I love her enthusiasm in her posts.

Include a blogger’s funny post or Instagram in one of your posts. And, take a minute to leave a comment or tag him/her on Insta and let them know they are being featured.

I suggest leaving comments on similar size blogs or followers. Except, you know who always emails me back? This wildly successful author, blogger, influencer and busy mom of four.

Join a Giveaway A few years ago I met Katherine and began to participate in her Season of Giveaways. It is a great way to grow your base and meet new bloggers. It turns out Katherine managed a large, national real estate office (I am a real estate agent). She managed alot of personalities! I know she has great stories!

On a side note, Katherine has become a dear friend and we are “state neighbors.”

How to Build a Blog Community

Do you have any ideas on how to build a blog community? What works? What does not work? How do you engage with other bloggers? How do you connect with local bloggers? I would love to hear your ideas.

And, if you have a monthly or quarterly challenge I would love to get on your waitlist. If you would consider joining my once a week newsletter, The Weekend Edit, you can add your email address below:

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