Today’s prompt for Summer Blog Social is to share what activities, practices, features or events have helped me most in blogging. I really love this prompt because most of what I do all day online is wrapped up in this answer. So I thought I would just share the places and events that I take part in each week. My list probably won’t be any different than anyone else’s list. But I will add links so you can participate too.
First of all I think my most active form of reaching others, other than this blog, is Twitter. I have come to really love twitter. It’s like a big social event that lasts all day except you don’t HAVE to talk if you don’t want to. I have made some terrific friends there who share the same things in life that I do – the same likes, the same dislikes and even the same illnesses. It is a terrific place for support. My blog automatically posts there when I publish a new entry. So, I would probably venture a guess that I have more readers here on my blog from Twitter.
Another feature of Twitter that I love and participate in as often as I can remember are Twitter Parties. The greatest twitter party event occurs each Wednesday night at 8:30 CST. It is Comment Hour. Twenty-Five blogs are chosen from a sign up list that is active all week. Those 25 blogs are featured one at a time over the hour. Everyone who participates uses the Twitter hashtag #commenthour. The idea is to visit each blog as it is featured, comment on the newest entry and tweet about it. It generates conversation via twitter but it also drives traffic to your blog. I have made a lot of great tweeps and found some terrific new blogs to follow that way.
I also have a share button at the end of each blog entry so that others can post about entry as well. It offers alot of various options to spread the word. I utilize that one a lot myself – especially when I want to link to an archived entry. Very easy and very quick way to spread the word and draw traffic. Of course the other obvious ways are via Facebook, Google+, StumbleUpon, Digg…the list is endless.
I have a direct link to my social networking sites as well as one to my blog in my email signature. Anytime I email someone they are gonna see a prompt to visit me here. That also makes it easy because if I want to email someone about a particular entry I don’t have to copy and paste the link. I just say “the link is below”. I also have my blog printed on my Advocare business cards.
Participating in blog hops, linkys and/or memes is another great way to gain readers. I have one scheduled for each day of the week that I can take part in if I’m having a brain block. I have found that the best way to keep my statistics up is to post every day. Some people post once a week. Some people post every other day. But in the 6 years I have been blogging I’ve learned that a daily entry is best if you want to hold followers’ attention. I like to take part in a variety of different blog hops to add variety to my blog.
Reading and commenting on other blogs works well too. Not only do you find some great new blogs but you make some new friends. You would be surprised how many other bloggers out there are living through some of the same things that you are. I’ve connected with a lot of other moms, spoonies (those fighting chronic illness), Christians….
Those are just a few ways that I keep my blog in front of people. There are as many different ways as there are blogs. But these are the ones that I use the most. And these are the places I get my inspiration for entries as well. You may be my inspiration and not even know it. Now I’m gonna go over to Liz’s blog and link this entry up. I’m looking forward to spending a while reading other blogs that are linked up there so I can learn even more.
The Journey Leads Home 