Bloggers are a weird bunch. Most of us are extremely introverted, we’re kind of awkward, being around large groups of people freaks us out, and being the center of attention is decidedly not our thing. We’re not quick to share intimate details of our lives with those closest to us, or even those we want to be close to us, yet we have no problem talking about pretty much anything to a whole bunch of internet strangers who then eventually become some of our closest friends then it’s bizarre when you meet in person because all the typical getting to know you stuff is out of the way and then you’re really like old friends instead of new ones and you can have all kinds of fun that maybe you wouldn’t have with normal new friends because these new/old friends already know you’re insane and you don’t have to pretend.
At least that’s how it is for me.
We might be weird but bloggers are also fairly easy to please. It really is the small things that make a difference to us and, since I know you’re curious to know what those thing are, I’ve assembled these 8 steps to keep your favorite bloggers happy and in turn, they’ll keep writing stuff you love to read. It’s quite the symbiotic relationship (look at me, using big science words).
- Leave a comment. That little bit of acknowledgement that someone read your post and had something to say in response is a fabulous. Those little conversations between a blogger and a reader establish trust and let us know that you like us. We enjoy that.
- Connect on social media. Bloggers like getting to know their readers, and there’s really no better way to do that than to connect with us on social media. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or whatever, stop by and say hi.
- Send an email. Not comfortable sharing or connecting on social media? Send your favorite blogger an email saying how much you enjoyed a particular post or that you can relate to a story or even ask a question. Try to refrain from sending hate mail because that’s just not nice and really unnecessary.
- Share a post on social media. Clearly, social media is a big deal to bloggers. But it really means something to us when you take the time to share a post on Facebook or retweet on Twitter, pin a recipe on Pinterest, or something else I’m not thinking of at the moment. It shows us that you really, really like us and it makes us feel popular (especially when we see the referral traffic coming in).
- Buy their stuff. Bloggers work hard not only to put out good, fun content for their readers but a number of them write books, sell t-shirts, jewelry, and other products, have coaching or graphic design services, or have other small businesses and they work even harder to make that stuff great. When you’re considering using a service or buying a gift, think of a blogger and help them out.
- Help them sell their stuff. If you’ve used a blogger for a service or you’ve bought one of their products, tell others about it. Word of mouth is how things get done and hearing testimonies is encouraging. Plus, you’ll put a smile on the blogger’s face that what they’re doing/creating is praiseworthy. That makes us feel all warm and squishy.
- Participate in their challenges/projects/movements. Almost nothing makes a blogger sadder than creating a challenge and having no one participate. We love engaging with other bloggers and non-bloggers, and a fun way for us to do that is to have week or month-long challenges. Not only does it give us a goal or focus but we have now have a way to connect on a different level.
- Keep reading. This is basically the single best thing you can do to keep a blogger happy. Even if you do nothing else on this list, visit the blogs you read daily (or at least on the days you know the blogger posts). While most of us would keep writing even if no one read, having an audience means that we’re not just writing for ourselves. When you leave, it hurts.
Bonus tip for non-bloggers: if you have a friend or relative who does have a blog, ask them about it. We love talking about our sites and we love when someone takes an interest in it (real interest. We can tell when you’re faking it).
Making a blogger happy is easy, mostly painless, and almost entirely free. So we’ve got that going for us.
Which is nice.
What would you guys add to the list?
This is a great list, although I always feel kinda awkward talking to my relatives about my blog. Even when they seem genuinely interested, I get this undercurrent vibe of “Why????? do you do this?”
Sarah @ Beauty School Dropout recently posted…What I’m Into, September 2014
Oh, there’s definitely that but I’ll still talk about it with a big smile on my face.
Nailed it.
SMD @ Life According to Steph recently posted…TWTW – first official one of fall
Thanks!
i love this – so true! although only 2 people in my real life know about my blog and i really don’t enjoy talking about it, weird, isnt it! my best friend recently found out and she had lots of good things to say which made me feel good 🙂
Kristen recently posted…Oops I copy catted again.
The lines between who I know online and who I know in real life are getting blurred each day. I’ve told some people about my blog who I didn’t meet through blogging first but I know they don’t read it. Their loss 🙂
The first paragraph about blogger introverts is so true! It still feels weird that most of my friends are online and that you girls know more about me than my offline friends.
Kelli recently posted…Picture Practice: What Makes Me Happy
Same here! I feel like I can share more with you guys for some reason.
Too true! Sometimes I just want someone to care when I’m all excited about changes that I made or a great post I wrote, and as much as my boyfriend is tolerant of my hobby, he’s not able to simulate genuine interest. I also really like having family guest posts, and it’s great when my mom humors me but my sisters won’t. It’s disappointing because they’re such good writers!
Jenn recently posted…Motivational Monday – A Different Approach to Mondays
My family is tolerant of my blogging and my husband likes when he gets a sneak peek at my posts. He enjoys when I read them out loud because he thinks it’s funnier that way. The rest of my family doesn’t read. I don’t know that it bothers me.
Such a great list! Comments for sure always make me happy. Like what Kelli said I seem to talk to my blog friends more than my IRL friends. Bloggers are weird, but I love being one. 😉
Kerry recently posted…This House Is Clean
I have met some pretty awesome people who are bloggers! Count me one of the weirdos haha 😉
Rachel @ Live. Learn. Lift. Repeat. recently posted…All about that Bass.
Weirdos unite!!
I feel like with bloggers, especially you girls, I’ve found my people. You’re weird, too, and you get me.
Definitely connecting with a blogger through social media, comments, or email are on my list!
YES! I love it! Talking to other bloggers is so much fun!
Yes, yes and yes!
this is perfect and 100% true! i got an email the other day from a non-blogger who reads and she told me that i make her laugh. it totally made my day 🙂
-kathy
Vodka and Soda
kathy@vodka and soda recently posted…things i wish were socially acceptable
I completely agree too! Although I am an extrovert in a lot of situations; technically I’m split (literally) 50-50 so I completely understand those points too. I am still very slow to share intimate details to more than one or two (if that) close friends. And things like that are the best! Just hearing that others think I inspire them lights me up!
Rachel @ Live. Learn. Lift. Repeat. recently posted…All about that Bass.
I am still waiting for the day that happens. I imagine it’s a great feeling.
Yes, yes ad yes! I do have one thing I’d add. Similar to buy their stuff/help sell their stuff would be use their referrals. If you’re going to buy something on Amazon or if you’re signing up for something new, might as well use a referral link so that your favourite blogger gets a little kick-back, right?
Amanda @ My Life, I Guess recently posted…So, How Did Your Job Interview Go?
YES! Absolutely! This is a perfect way to support another blogger!
I love this list. I would just add “if you want to comment, comment to the blog before social media.” I love the social media love but blog comments are so much better!
Kristin recently posted…My #next5 financial goals
I do love some blog comments 🙂 But I do love the social media shares because vanity metrics are fun to track.
The shares are awesome. Just sucks when you get a bunch of social media comments and no blog comments.
Kristin recently posted…My #next5 financial goals
This is so true!!! Nothing makes me happier than when I see a ton of comments on a post I did 🙂 I always feel so loved!
Nadine recently posted…Weekend Shenanigans
Comments are affirmation that you’ve connected with other people (at least to me) and I love seeing the comment numbers tick upwards. I love the love from commenting!
Agree with all of these! Although I might squirm awkwardly in my seat if real life people asked about my blog! 🙂
Kate recently posted…Hakuna Matata
I don’t ordinarily squirm but I imagine if certain people asked me about it, I would.
I always feel so bad when I see a link-up that no one participates in. 🙁 It’s like a puppy waiting to be adopted. lol
Amanda recently posted…“Keep the change, ya filthy animal.”
It makes me sad, too. I try to participate in them when I remember because I did one and only like 3 people participated. I felt lonely. I just have a terrible memory for link-ups. Maybe I should write them down…
I love this list! I can agree with everything on here. I will admit I not the best with social media as I work full time and have a long list of stuff I have to do daily. Which means my social media suffers. I try to go and like stuff on people’s pages but I only do it from my phone and haven’t figured out how to add my blogger friends to the social media outlets from my computer. blogger problems! LOL
True, true, all so true!!
carey recently posted…Hello October
Hi, I can totally relate with your list. Sometimes, it is hard to justify why I keep on blogging. But I do, just for the sake of writing. Now that I have more free time being a new stay-at-home wife, I want to write some more and share some more. 🙂 Great blog, by the way!
I love writing and the relationships so I keep doing it. It’s so much more than just numbers and products.
Hi, Jana! Glad I found you through the blogging challenge group 🙂 Yes to all of your points above!!! One thing I would add is to (kindly/politely) leave suggestions for content you (the reader) would like to see or learn more about. While blogging for one’s self is the first priority, writing to the wants and desires of readers is also important! It’s just that sometimes you (the blogger) don’t know what your readers want to know more about, so it would be nice for them to bring that to your attention. Looking forward to reading more! Will send you an email sometime 😉
Sharisse @ sharissepieces recently posted…8 things I never thought I’d say as a mom
This is a great point! Thanks for sharing it 🙂
Soo true. Once people comment, it makes us feel our existence. That somebody actually goes into our site.
Camille recently posted…5 ways to win the battle with burnout
It does! A comment is definitely validation we’re not writing into the void.
Hi Jana
So much of your post resonates – I can talk about my fiction writing but find it pretty much impossible to talk about my blog – and yet I publish it to Social media so my real-life friends see it anymore – but mostly don’t comment – so what does that tell you? Actually, I’ve no idea what it tells you because it doesn’t tell me much I want to hear 🙂 Do they hate it? Are they embarrassed by it? e.g. it’s too personal or something? I’ve no idea but this challenge is the best thing that’s happened in my writing life – ever – and I’m loving all these blogs that I’m visiting. Not them all because nobody is interested in everything but enough to feel like I’m growing this huge circle of could-be-friends. I’ll subscribe to this – keep up the good work.
Norah
I’ve only recently started sharing my blog posts on my personal FB page and I’ve been blogging for 3 years. I’m very selective about what I share because I think, deep down, I’m afraid of their opinions but certain posts I’m okay with them seeing. I figure if they want to read more, they will.
Well said. I love your conversational style.
Chautona recently posted…12 Reasons a Novel Is ALWAYS a Novel Christmas Gift
It’s was fun reading your blog. Nicely written About page – felt like I got to know you and what to expect from your site.