Five Ways To Build A Blog Community {that don’t involve commenting}

This week’s SITS31DBBB challenge topic is Building Community. It’s fair to say that a strong and vibrant community is at the top of nearly every blogger’s wish list.

Most people – myself included – build community by commenting on other people’s blogs. It’s a great way to reciprocate support and get your name in a lot of different places.

However, I encountered a challenge when I began working full-time: there just aren’t enough hours in the day for me to read more than a handful of other bloggers’ posts. I’d like to read 100 a day; but something’s gotta give. I know I’m not the only one in this predicament.

And that’s when I realized that if I were to continue to maintain this blog, I’d need to keep a sense of community with my friends and readers in other ways.

Last year, I wrote about how in the past, commenting was the currency of blogging – and that I feel with our busy lives, perhaps we need new currencies - a new way to establish and maintain our communities.

Here are 5 ways you can build a blog community that don’t involve commenting.

Meet A Need

What is it that your readers NEED? I can tell from my statistics that my readers most enjoy my posts on blogging tips. They are thirsty for more information on how to blog better. So I’ve expanded beyond just writing about blog tips. I host a StumbleUpon group in my BlogFrog forum so people can learn about StumbleUpon. I created an Idea Bank for bloggers seeking topics to write about. I participate in Facebook groups where I share my learnings with others.

Figure out what your readers respond to best. Then, brainstorm ways to take those topics beyond just blog posts and turn them into valuable services that your readers will appreciate. Not only does this help you build community, but it also differentiates you from the crowd.

Work Behind The Scenes

A lot of the work I do to establish community is stuff you’ll never see, because most of it happens outside the four corners of my blog. If I see a blog opportunity that is perfect for somebody I know, I pass it on to them. I come up with different ways to feature readers on my blog. Recently, a few blog friends lost their giveaways sponsors and needed help – my partner over at Have Wine, Will Drink, Natalie, and I stepped in to provide a prize. And most importantly, if a reader emails me with a question (usually it’s blogging related), I try to do my utmost to respond as quickly and thoroughly as I can. I’ve established some of my best reader connections via email.

You can do the same with your readers. Think about ways that you can work behind the scenes to establish real connections with people.

Pay It Forward

Let me repeat: pay it forward. There are a million random acts of bloggy kindness that you can do each day to forge connections. These acts can be so much more meaningful than leaving a brief comment somewhere. When you see one of your readers tweeting out a post, retweet it. Tag their Facebook fan page. Give them a shout out for Follow Friday. Pin one of their delicious recipes. Recommend a blogger to a PR rep for an opportunity. Surprise someone who least expects it by asking them to guest post.

Share Your Expertise

Don’t be afraid to share your expertise. When I first started blogging, I wanted to keep everything I was learning to myself. I mistakenly thought I was hurting my own chances at advancement by sharing my knowledge with others. But the blogosphere is not corporate America. Blogging is founded upon sharing. And the more you share, the more you get back.

Attend A Blog Conference

Skype, Twitter, email, Facebook and blog comments are all terrific ways to connect with people. But there’s something about meeting a person face-to-face that can turn a casual follower into a loyal one, or a stranger into a new friend. For example, Brittany from Mommywords and I met for the first time at Mom 2.0 last year. We had been connected well before that, but being able to interact live, and chat over a glass of wine, deepened that relationship. Same with Amy from Eat.Live.Laugh.Shop. I met her at Bloggy Boot Camp Austin and have read her blog ever since.

Don’t Measure Your Worth By Counting Comments

Don’t despair if you don’t get a ton of comments on your blog. That doesn’t necessarily mean that people aren’t reading! Last year I went up to my kids’ elementary school and to my surprise, I was greeted with “Loved your blog post today!” by several neighbors. They never comment, but clearly, they are there…reading, and {sometimes} enjoying! Not everyone has time to comment, so give yourself a break!

So that’s it – I hope some of these ways help alleviate the burden you might feel of “OMG I must comment on 1000 blogs today to get followers.” Commenting is an important piece, but the beauty of social media is that there is more than one way to skin the cat.  Good luck!

Tagged as: blog community