Your Blog is More than a Microphone: Tips for Being an Engaging Blogger
Everyone loves having a blog to rant on. We all love the soapbox, putting out our opinions and ideas, venting at the world, with little to no repercussions (unless, you know, you vent about your job or your girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband, etc.).
But blogging should be about much more than just what you think. It should also be about the community you interact and engage with on a daily basis.
Last week I wrote a post on my personal blog about Twitter should be just as much about listening as it is about talking. This applies to every form of social media--blogging included. But with blogging being engaging is a little harder than it is on Twitter. With Twitter, obviously, all it takes are some @ replies, retweets and a few DMs to get a good conversation going. Blogs, obviously, don't work the same way. So here's a few quick tips for engaging with your blogging community, and turning your microphone-style blog into a platform for conversation:
- Google Reader is your friend. To some, RSS may seem antiquated in today's world, but as a blogger, you should embrace it. But use it strategically. Don't subscribe to feeds from TechCrunch, Mashable, or other big, lots-of-content blogs. Then you end up getting overwhelmed and clicking "Mark All Read" without digesting any of the information there. Subscribe to small, personal blogs, then use what you read and learn there to engage with those bloggers.
- Let people engage with you. Don't be one of those bloggers who leaves comments turned off because you're afraid you'll hear a dissenting opinion or get a spam comment or two. There are tools to avoid spam, and dissent creates engagement and learning. Turn on the comments, install Disqus or IntenseDebate, make it social by adding Tweet and Facebook "Like" buttons. Make it easy for your readers to engage.
- Don't be a silent reader. When you read other blogs, don't just observe from a distance--speak up! Comment on other blogs and leave your link and Twitter name. Ask questions, write a blog entry in response. Go out of your way to make a conversation. You'll get traffic, make new friends, and probably learn something from the experience.
- Don't be too dramatic. In general, very few people are interested in reading angsty teen blog entries. There's a time and a place for that (age 15, Livejournal--with some exceptions), and a public and publicized blog isn't it. If you've got something personal to get off your chest, that's great, but it's general better to do it in a more private space. Otherwise you'll likely alienate your readers, and you could make them uncomfortable. Don't self-censor, but be aware of what you're writing and who your audience is.
- Know the limits of your expertise. Chances are, you blog about a fairly narrow range of topics that you feel strongly about or have a certain expertise with. Don't stray to far from what you know. It's great to diversify your writing, but be sure to be listen closely to those who engage with you on topics you don't fully understand, or aren't an expert in. If you try to bullshit your way through a blog post and subsequent argument in the comments, you'll drive readers away and make them question your real expertise.
Follow Technorati