When you are trying to become a successful blogger, other bloggers aren’t just your competition. They can also be the key to your success.
Building relationships with other bloggers has the potential to offer you a number of benefits, including learning some tips for success, getting free promotion of your products or your site, or developing a partnership that is profitable for both of you.
Like other aspects of growing your business, building relationships with other bloggers requires planning and persistence on your part.Here are just a few ways you can build relationships with other bloggers:
# Comment on Posts
Take the first step in building your relationship by joining the conversation. Visit the person’s blog and contribute meaningful comments to the posts. Don’t say things like “great blog” or “good post.” Instead, write engaging comments that show you have read the material and are interested in furthering the discussion.
You can slowly get to know the blogger and allow him or her to get to know you through a series of conversations taking place on the blog. The blogger will also appreciate that you are encouraging participation from other readers and raising the visibility of the blog.
# Share Content
Show your admiration for a job well done by sharing content. Tweet it, post it to Facebook or share it on your blog. The blogger will appreciate the exposure and the possible link back. This, in turn, can open up a discussion in which you begin to share ideas and get to know one another better. The other blogger may even check out some of your content and feel compelled to share it, giving you exposure and a link in return.
# Offer to Guest Post
As a blogger, you know how difficult it can be to come up with ideas for engaging and fresh content all the time — or to find the time to write it. Offer to help out your fellow blogger by proposing a guest post. If you submit good content, the blogger will likely accept and you will open the door to an ongoing relationship.
# Ask for an Interview
Interviews are another great way to get to know bloggers while also giving them some free promotion for their blog. Publishing an interview with a blogger on your site will give that blogger more exposure and more traffic. You’ll open the door with flattery and these incentives, and if you use this opportunity to start a good conversation, you can continue to build on it to create a lasting relationship.
Other bloggers should not be seen as simply “the competition” — or people that you have to outmaneuver or “beat” to be successful. Encouraging relationships with other bloggers is a great way to encourage your own success, as you can learn many things from how they run their business and you may even be able to establish a mutually beneficial partnership. Use these strategies to help you start and build relationships with other bloggers, and explore the possibilities for growth.
Have you built relationships with any of the bloggers in your niche? Share your secrets for success in the comments!