I've been blogging for around three years and I would like to think I'm a friendly blogger! I hope others would agree.
I started blogging properly to keep a record of my second pregnancy and to share some parenting tips I'd learned after having two children. You know, because clearly now I'm an expert.
Ahem.
Moving on.
Blogging is such a fun outlet for me and I've talked before about the lovely opportunities it has given me and my family.
The biggest benefit by far though has been joining the whole blogging community and meeting bloggers from all over the world. There are so many that despite never meeting them in person, I consider them my friends.
So it got me thinking, how have I connected so well with people I've never met?
Here are some of the ways I've tried to be a friendly blogger and some of the things other bloggers have done that have made me love them just a little bit more.
1. Comment, Comment, Comment
I read hundred of blog posts each week. In fact, if I added up the number of posts I read each week and converted the number of words into books, it would probably be enough to fill a small library at least! Maybe one of those mobile ones that visit schools.
I've written hundreds of posts myself but I still get tingles and nerves as I hit publish. Will people like it? Will they think it's silly or boring or worse, will NO ONE READ IT?
So there's nothing nicer and more reassuring than receiving a lovely 'New Comment' notification. I try and comment on every post I read and I try my best to comment in a meaningful way.
2. Share the Love
After I read a post I love, I always share it on social media - mainly Twitter as I have the most followers on that platform.
It's my way of spreading the love but also complimenting the blogger who wrote the post by shouting about it. I'm so flattered when anyone shares my posts and that they've gone out of their way to do so. It makes me want to give them a virtual hug.
3. Follow Their Journey
I recently starting subscribing to all of the blogs I regularly read. I read so many that I found I was missing some posts.
When you find a blog/blogger you love, it's really nice to get to know them through their posts and subscribing to posts means you'll get all of them. You don't have to read them all but the post title is usually clear enough for me to choose what I read.
I've set up a filter in my Gmail account so that all blog posts I'm subscribed to go into a separate folder and don't appear in my Inbox. This has made my life a lot easier and means I always have a folder of reading material at the ready. My own mobile library. (Sorry, what a NERD I am!)
You can subscribe to me by clicking here... plug, plug, plug!
4. Be Polite
Good manners go a long way in the blogosphere, just as they do in real life! So when anyone comments on my blog and social media posts, messages me or retweets me, I always reply saying thank you.
There are probably occasional times when I don't get the opportunity to but I do my best.
That said, if I share another bloggers post, I definitely don't expect a thank you from them, it's just something I like to do.
5. Give Credit Where It's Due
As much as all blogs are personal to the blogger writing them, there are only so many ideas for posts that can be done.
There are some posts I've read that have inspired me to write something similar, so I always mention that in the post and link back to the blogger who has inspired me. I think (and hope!) that they see it as a compliment that I've enjoyed reading their post so much that I want to write something similar.
So there are the five ways I try to be a friendly blogger.
I love blogging and if you don't already blog but are tempted to start, I say start today! I think you'll find it as therapeutic as I do.
If you already blog, do you have anything to add to the list? Please feel free to comment below.