Networking with Professional Bloggers

Networking with Professional Bloggers.

So you are serious about becoming a blogger ?

This article offers advice for bloggers who are trying to make a career out of web-logging by examining the topic of networking with bloggers.

Read on for a treatment of online networking and face-to-face networking.

In an interview by Mack Collier, expert Josh Hallett offers advice for business bloggers:

“Listening, listening, listening, and then responding/answering. Using a blog to ‘talk, talk, talk’ and not actually interact with customers is a common pitfall. Sure, they might offer comments on the blog, but are they doing anything with them, other than paying them lip-service?”

Hallett’s advice creates plenty of food for thought. Whether you are an individual blogger, a corporate blogger, or a business owner creating your own blog, remember that your blog shouldn’t be just a bag of fluff.

Blogging is worthwhile if you deliver useful information to readers. The blog is another type of service, just like a television show or a newsletter.

Here are three ways to increase your blogging abilities.

Online networking is one way to become more knowledgeable to the blogosphere. The first advice is to spend time reading popular blogs at places like Blogger.com and Wordpress.com.

You can also search headlines at Yahoo! for popular bloggers who are making the news. When reading blogs, make notes about the techniques that successful bloggers are using to attract viewers.

Their art form is out there for anyone to discover, but you have to put on your inspector cap.

The next way to become more blog-worthy is to link to other blogs in your own blogs. Choose links to valuable blogs created by serious professionals. Don’t lead your readers to blogs that are a waste of time.

It is better to have no links than to create links to a bunch of stuff. It might take a lot of Internet research to find worthy bloggers, but the investment is worthwhile.

Read what your colleagues are writing about; build off their ideas while they build off yours.

The third piece of advice is to use face-to-face networking. This fancy term means getting out there and meeting real bloggers at a conference. A Yahoo! search of the term “blogger conference” yields over 180,000 results.

This staggering number reveals plenty of opportunities to network with other bloggers.

Look for blogger conferences closer to you.

As you become more well-known in the blogosphere, you might find that networking creates a whole new set of possibilities for you. Reap the other rewards of blogging (which is a form of writing).

Wouldn’t you like to become a paid speaker, give interviews to publications, and appear on talk shows? Imagine the possibilities.

Jumping into the blogosphere is a big step. Be prepared to give up some of your anonymity as you move up in this dynamic world.

Spend time reading, networking, and reading some more. Stay current on what people are talking about, and contribute something useful to the dialogue.

If you just write your own ideas, people will get tired of reading them.