Who doesn’t love blogging?
Who doesn’t want to improve upon what they’re already doing or learn something that might help them move forward!
Whichever might be the case for you, we are happy you’re here.
Sherryl was so kind to extend an invitation to be her guest so I thought I would share some very powerful strategies with you that have really benefited me.
I have no doubt that you’re already doing really well with your blog but there is always room for improvement wouldn’t you agree?
I believe every blogger needs to know these 2 powerful strategies in order to improve their blogs. They can even help you become a better blogger too.
So what exactly am I referring to?
Let’s start with this one…
#1 – Helping Your Readers
Now before you start shaking your head thinking gosh Adrienne, everyone knows this one.
Yeah, they do but here’s the problem.
There are SO many blogs out there today, literally millions of them. Everywhere you turn we hear that in order to stand out from all the rest we need to be unique and write content that will blow people away. That’s a heck of a lot of pressure wouldn’t you agree?
What’s happening though is that we’re veering away from actually speaking to our target audience and helping them with their issues. More and more people are starting to write for the masses, the big guns, the influencers and the authority bloggers instead.
They’re trying to impress them and it’s more of “look how smart I am and look what I know”. They are eager to make an impression.
How else are you going to hit it big right? We all want our content shared, we want it in front of those that can help us make a difference, we’re eager to get noticed by those we believe are important.
What’s happening is that we’re writing for those people instead of our audience.
I see so many people trying to “out do” their competitors that they lose focus on what really matters.
Mandy Edwards is the perfect example of this. She writes for Mark Schaefer’s blog, BusinessGrow.com, and he recently called her out on this very thing. Even she admits that’s exactly what she was doing.
I can’t speak for you of course but I’ve noticed more and more of this across the board. I read a LOT of blog posts on a weekly basis and this is the exact impression I was getting.
We just need to stay true to ourselves, help those with a problem they have or an issue that needs to be solved and stop trying to impress anyone else.
Give your audience what they want and everything else will start to happen for you.
If only 10 people really love your content and you’ve helped them with whatever they need, they’ll become your raving fans. That’s all you really need; those 10 people are going to help spread the word about you and what you share.
Give your audience what they want and focus all your attention on them.
Help them solve their problems or resolve any issues they may be having. Teach them what they want to know and with time they’ll become your raving fan.
If you’ve been following me for any length of time you know I’ll be the first person to tell you to never forget about building those relationships with your audience. It’s important to connect with other bloggers too.
Just don’t forget why you really blog and who you’re here to help.
#2 – Making Human Connections
Unless you’re a hobby blogger or only here for personal reasons, most people use their blogs for business. We all aren’t in the same niche and we don’t have the same objectives.
What we do have though are the same goals in mind.
Get our content in front of more people, get them interested in what we share, have them opt into our list and eventually buy from us.
So what does that really mean?
You need people.
I know what you’re thinking.
Well duh Adrienne, everyone knows that.
Here is what most people are missing though.
It’s about the human connections you’re making through this process is what will lead to your success. What exactly do I mean by that?
Remember those raving fans I was talking about earlier? You need to start connecting with people, build up those relationships with them, help them with whatever it is they need and you will build that fan base.
No one can be successful on their own. Even if you’re really shy and uncomfortable with this process you’re going to have to work through that. You need that support group, those people who have come to know, like and trust you. It’s a given in order to achieve your goals.
When you take an interest in others, that’s where the connections begin.
Most people know that I personally wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my blog community and the friends I’ve made.
It all started with me commenting and putting myself out in front of enough people. Some people seem to think it’s too time consuming but what most aren’t grasping is the reason you do this.
It’s ALL about the connections you can make through this process, the people you can meet and learning from them as you read their posts is just an added benefit.
When you start to be seen everywhere people are going to get curious about you. They’re going to want to know more about who you are, what you offer and what you’re up to.
How do you think I got on so many people’s radar? It wasn’t because all I did was write content and promote it. There are millions of blogs out there now and more being created every single second.
You need to put yourself out there, get in front of others, start up some conversations, comment on their posts, offer advice that will help them, be the person they can count on.
That is what’s going to get you noticed, that’s what is going to help you stand out from the rest and that’s what’s going to bring you loyal raving fans who will support you and buy from you.
Through all of the courses that I’ve ever purchased or any training that I’ve been through, this is the one thing everyone failed to mention. You HAVE to make those human connections with others in order to get anywhere.
What We’ve Learned From The 2 Powerful Strategies Your Blog Desperately Needs
We’re in the people business. We are here to solve our prospects problems, help them with an issue or teach them something.
They don’t care about you, they care about what you can do for them. Don’t worry about impressing anyone else.
Trust me when I say that the rest will start to fall into place in time.
Make those necessary connections with your readers. You can start by responding to them in the comment section of either your blog or theirs. Chat with them on social media, email them with more information if you think it will be helpful and let them know you really care about their success.
I know you’re worried about how time consuming this is or that you’re giving way too much away for free. I know this is a concern for most but remember, you have to look at the bigger picture and what this will bring you down the road.
When you have the right people in your core group then they will be there to help and support you as time goes by. If all you do is rely on Google to bring you traffic, you’ll wake up one day and it will all be gone.
Your supporters and fans will be there till the end, Google won’t.
Thank You For This Opportunity
I want to thank Sherryl for this invitation to share this information with you. I hope you found what I had to say helpful.
I’m pretty sure if you’re a regular visitor of Sherryl’s blog then you know a good bit of this already.
Do you think you’re still on tract? Are you still writing for your audience or more interested in getting the attention of some heavy hitters?
Are you making the necessary connections with your readers or more interested in getting your content in front of more and more people?
We would love to hear your thoughts and if you have any other questions please feel free to ask. Sherryl and I will be more than happy to help you.
We also appreciate you sharing this with your friends. Sometimes it’s the message they are needing to hear. They’ll thank you profusely for it too!
About Adrienne SmithAdrienne Smith's passion has always been to help others. She started having tremendous success with her blog in early 2011 just by sharing her experiences in her posts. Over time she's built some wonderful relationships with her readers and shares everything she did to build such an awesome community in her “Build a Blog Community” course.
Dear Sherry,
your all post are awesome. Your are nice writer
Hello ladies,
that’s my first time on this blog, and I had 3 big YES! coming out of my mouth right away when reading this: “We just need to stay true to ourselves, help those with a problem they have or an issue that needs to be solved and stop trying to impress anyone else.”
Thank you for emphasizing what feels just so natural for me. We need to overcome that emptiness in communication that’s lurking like a dark shadow over us.
I am glad you are making use of your gift, Adrienne, to speak out and connect what belongs together.
Katrin recently posted..Can I Really Trust The Cloud?
Hi Katrin,
So good to see you and thanks so much for stopping by this post. Was so happy to be a guest here at Sherryl’s blog and glad you enjoyed this particular post.
3 big yeses, I love that. I think that’s the problem most people have though Katrin, they’re trying to do what they “think” is right instead of just doing what comes naturally to them. They would be so surprised if they would just chose that path instead. They’re too busy trying to copy someone else or be like someone else.
Me too and I hope to never stop, at least no time soon.
Appreciate your visit and comment, thank you so much and enjoy the rest of your week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Who Should You Really Connect With In The Blogosphere?
Hi Katrin,
Thanks so much for dropping by. It’s great to hear that you’re already incorporating Adrienne’s tips. It sounds like you’re on the right track. (You already have a new Twitter follower – me – and I just scheduled a tweet for you.)
Doing what feels “natural” is definitely key for people who already enjoy helping each other and supporting each other. The thing is that this isn’t natural for everyone. Some people are only interested in self-promotion.
For those of us who are like this in the “real” world acting the same way online is easy.
It’s so nice to meet you and have you a part of this community. I hope you’re having a wonderful week.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Want to Consolidate Multiple Websites?
Hello Sherryl,
thanks for connecting on Twitter and the Tweet. I appreciate that – and it’s nice to have you in the circle! I just spread the word about this on G+
Keep up the good work you are doing, because it definitely does bring some transformation.
Till later … 🙂
Katrin recently posted..Can I Really Trust The Cloud?
You’re welcome Katrin. I’m always looking to slowly (and mindfully) grow my circle. Thanks for sharing this on G+. I usually check Google+ at night. I’ll look for it and connect with you there too. 🙂
Hi Sherryl & Adrienne,
You both are in my favorite bloggers’ list whom I following from few days ago. You both write like I am walking on the butter and It is so enjoying that I want to be in for entire life.
Come to the blog post. Helping in such a great gift that god has provided to human. I love to help people around in real life and following the same routine as a blogger.
I love to help the fellow bloggers if they ask me for any help. If I talk about a fb group in which a member is asking for help, and he or she is not getting any help, then I try to help as much as I can do.
I am really impressed with the second point you made in this post Adrienne! We should make connections with humans. In the end, our true fan will support us not the search engines.
I wish from you Sherryl that you will get us more chances to learn from Adrienne about relation building. However, I am now a regular visitor of Adrienne’s blog.
Have a prosperous life to you both legend bloggers.
Nikhil recently posted..9 Dofollow Commentluv Blogs List for Sure Dofollow Backlinks
Hey Nikhil,
So appreciate you finding this post and sharing your thoughts. Sounds like you’re all about helping others and we all know that’s the only way to go I believe. I mean people are here because they have issues or need advice or assistance. Be that person that helps them when they need it and they’ll remember you. How can they not!
Yep, making those connections that’s what counts. So many people forget that blogging is about people helping people. So you need to make those connections with others or you’re going to find this as a very lonely place and not being able to get too terribly far alone.
Thank you for your visit Nikhil and good to see you again. Hope you’re doing well this week and have a great one.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Who Should You Really Connect With In The Blogosphere?
Hi Nikhil
It’s so nice to see you here. Thanks for adding me to your favorite bloggers list. I’m glad that you enjoy my my posts.
That’s wonderful that you like helping bloggers. Being part of a community is beneficial in many ways. I don’t know what I would do without the support of my online blogging friends.
Adrienne is welcome here anytime! She’s very busy though and quite in demand as a guest blogger. ? It’s great that you are following her blog now.
Both Adrienne and I are very active on Twitter as well. In addition to sharing each other’s content, we both manage our Twitter streams with lists. So, you can find a lot of tweets from both of us that will introduce you to other bloggers who have great content to share.
I noticed that you didn’t enter your Twitter ID with your comment but I searched for you and saw that we’re already following each other on Twitter. So, that’s good!
Thanks so much for joining the conversation here. I’ll be by your blog soon! (I’ve run behind again.)
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Blogging Tips Are You Missing?
Thanks for sharing such sound advice Adrienne!
And I really love and totally agree with your proven advice, about not relying
on Google for all of your traffic, because they may and more than likely will
continue to change the variables they use t rank sites!
Where as, if we concentrate on building those rock solid relationships all across the web, along with our very own opt in email list.
When those inevitable changes due finally come and our sites no longer rank high on the search engines, we won’t be nearly as adversely affected as others, that haven’t built the necessary relationships!
Great real world advice!Thanks so much for sharing it!
Mark recently posted..Three Proven Email Marketing Techniques Far Too Many Newbie Marketers Ignore!Part Two
Hey Mark,
Thanks for the visit and I appreciate your comment. Glad you agree with the advice I’ve shared here today.
I just read a post this morning from a very well known marketer that is basically saying the same thing. Stop relying on social media to build your business because at any given time those sites could either go away, delete your account or change their algorithms. Just like Google is always doing so if you’re not making those connections with your readers and/or people you encounter along the way then I look at that as an accident waiting to happen.
Kind of dramatic sounding and I know a lot of people think I’m nuts but I’ve see some pretty big named people have their accounts deleted because they did something those platforms didn’t like.
It’s all about the relationships we build along the way so I say you just can’t go wrong when it comes to that.
Thanks for the visit and you have a wonderful week my friend.d
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..How To Make Those All Important Connections
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for letting us know that you enjoyed Adrienne’s guest post. She definitely practices what she preaches. 🙂
Anyone who reads my blog or follows me on Twitter knows how much I write about SEO. The main reason I do it (other than being intrigued by the topic) is that I have seen so many people penalized and de-indexed by Google that I feel I need to try to help people avoid being in a position where they too get hurt by algorithm changes and manual web spam actions.
I personally lost roughly 50% of my website traffic due to an algorithm change (about three years ago). I had not been managing my links well and I had a “lot” of broken links and links to either spammy sites or sites that were on parked domains riddled with AdSense ads.
Remember the huge amount of manual web spam actions in March of 2014 (I think)? It shook the blogging community. My one observation from that episode is that most of the bloggers who were able to recover had built strong communities. Bottom-line, that’s the key.
Thanks so much for joining the conversation! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Does SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Confuse You? #FridayFinds
See there, I didn’t even know you’d written this guest post until now; no one ever tells me anything. lol
You got those two strategies absolutely correct. I usually have my 3 reasons to blog but this isn’t about me but about your post… this time. lol Everyone who knows you knows you’re the best when it comes to the second part. What many miss is that you can get to the second part because you’re good at the first part also.
I’ll admit that not every one of my posts on all my blogs is really to help anyone. I write my opinion on a lot of things, which may or may not help. But I do put out a lot of helpful stuff, and I hope it does its job. I also respond to blog comments, comment on other blogs when I can (like this one now) and really get into sharing & talking to people on Twitter; that’s a lot of fun.
Mitch Mitchell recently posted..Are You As Popular As You Think You Are?
Hey Mitch,
I think that’s when you must have been traveling a lot because we definitely promoted it a LOT. 😉
Well thank you Mitch, I appreciate that. I do my best and of course I love helping people. I want them to know how much I appreciate them stopping by my blog so getting to know them more is just something I enjoy doing. My intention was never to impress others but just be myself. As I’ve pointed out here though, sometimes we get carried away and then it becomes very obvious what exactly we are doing.
I know we all blog for different reasons and some of your blogs are for business and some are more personal. Of course if it’s your blog and you want to voice your opinion then that’s your right. For those though that are building a business and using it as a marketing tool then their goals should be to help their readers and then make those connections. It’s through those connections that can lead to buying us.
Responding to comments and talking to people on the social platforms is part of that process I believe. Of course like you though, I just find it fun. That’s the most enjoyable part of this.
Thanks Mitch for dropping by, happy to have you check out my guest post and I was happy that Sherryl invited me.
You have a great week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Vision, Clients, Comments, Influencer Marketing, Successful Blogger
Hi Adrienne,
I wondered if anyone who hadn’t visited before would drop by when I re-tweeted it last night. Of course, it didn’t hurt to mention that you were the author. 🙂
It’s great to see this post making the rounds again. I’m grateful that you agreed to guest blog here. I expect this post to be ever-green because I don’t forsee your blogging strategies ever going out of style.
I hope you’re having a wonderful week and that you get to have some fun over the 4th. I know when we last chatted on Twitter you mentioned not having plans yet. I’m sure you’ll find something to do.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..SEO Resources Bloggers Can Use #FridayFinds
Hey Sherryl,
Well I’m glad they did and it’s always a pleasure to see Mitch! 😉
Oh my pleasure and I do hope that this topic will remain evergreen as well. I doubt any of these methods that I mentioned would ever go stale. Not unless years and years down the road we’ll all robotic and don’t care about connections. LOL!!!
My week has been good, thank you. No big plans for the weekend, I’m working on a new opt-in and really want to get that finished so that’s what my goal is for the weekend. Hey, I enjoy life everyday anyway so it doesn’t always have to be about celebrations right! I just spent an entire week with my family so it’s not like we haven’t seen each other recently. LOL!!!
You have a good one and have fun.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Vision, Clients, Comments, Influencer Marketing, Successful Blogger
Robotic . . . LOL I just got a mental image of that.
That week you spent with your family must have been awesome. You sound so re-energized.
The 4thof July has always been a big deal for us but for years my husband would either have to work or he was on a night shift that had thrown his body clock totally off. This year, we can actually join in on both days/nights of celebrations.
Our little rural town has been hosting a home-town fair and a big fireworks display on the 3rd for as long as I can remember. (With all the budget cuts around here, this is now run by volunteers and funded with private donations.) People in the small cities around here come to take part in it.
Good luck with your opt-in. You’ve really piqued my curiosity. 🙂 I can’t wait to see it.
The funny thing is that I hear how so much stuff is moving towards automation or technology and taking so many jobs away from so many people that there might come a day when the human connection is no longer important. All I can say about that Sherryl is that I hope I’m either 1) no online anymore or 2) dead. 😉 I would hate to ever see that happen but you just never know.
That sounds like a lot of fun actually. Living in the big city of Houston they always have something going but unfortunately for us, it’s HOT!!! The older I get the more I don’t enjoy being in the heat for any length of time so those outside activities just aren’t fun for me anymore.
Since we did just spend a week with family we’re not getting together this weekend which of course is fine with me because I do need to finish working on my opt-in so I’m good.
Have fun and stay tuned! 😉
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Vision, Clients, Comments, Influencer Marketing, Successful Blogger
Hi Adrienne,
I’m with you about too much technology. If the day does ever come when human connection isn’t important, I wouldn’t want to be a part of it either.
The celebrations around here are wonderful. There are so many historical sites in Massachusetts that this is a wonderful time of year for tourism. That means bigger crowds and even more fun.
We’re fortunate to have a mooring in Plymouth Harbor. The replica of the Mayflower is docked not far from our boat. Plus,
the harbor is protected by a hurricane wall.
Last night, the water was like glass and the reflections were amazing. If you ever have the chance to watch fireworks that are launched over water, it’s pretty spectacular.
I never thought about the heat in Dallas being a detriment. I visited Dallas once on business years ago and it was a lot of fun. I can’t remember what month it was but we watched a parade and the heat was bearable.
I hope you’re accomplishing everything you set out to this weekend. I’m looking forward to your new opt-in. Hmmm . . . will those of us who have already opted into your newsletter see this? (I imagine you’ll be sharing this in a blog post too.)
Hey Sherryl,
That really sounds like a lot of fun and a great place to spend the 4th of July celebrations. I’ve never been to Massachusetts but I bet that’s an amazing thing to see. The replica of the Mayflower, how cool is that.
Dallas is a dry hot and our weather is very humid. The more you get into summer the worse it gets but right now it’s been pretty bearable thank goodness. I just said that to Mom last night on our evening walk.
Yep, the work is pretty much completed but I have more to do still but I did get accomplished what I set out to do this weekend with some hiccups that came along. A smooth sailing work weekend never happens for me unfortunately. But if you’re on my list then you got your question answered. 😉
Enjoy!
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..How To Make Those All Important Connections
LOL Mitch. I wondered if I’d catch someone’s attention by tweeting this and giving a shout-out to Adrienne. 🙂 I guess it worked.
I like the fact that you express your opinion on your blog. You’re being true to yourself. You also help a lot and I find myself agreeing with you most (if not all of the time).
So glad I have been catching up with you lately on Twitter. Have you been more active lately or am I just checking the Twitter list that you’re on more frequently?
Either way, thanks so much for dropping by and commenting on Adrienne’s guest post. I know we both appreciate it.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Podcasting: Because Your Audience Wants To Hear From You
Actually Sherryl, I just passed 103K tweets, so I’ve always kept up the activity over there. You must have just been missing me; well, that and right now I’ve got you in one of my personal lists so I’m seeing what you’re putting out.
Thanks for the kind words; I try. 🙂
Mitch Mitchell recently posted..The Early Marketing Of My Book Leadership Is/Isn’t Easy
103k tweets? I’m so glad you told me that! I’m at 48k and I was curious if that was too many. Of course, we both have been tweeting for years and with tools like Buffere and Triberr, it’s a lot easier now to cull great content.
I’ve had you in a Twitter list for a long time now but I may have just moved you from one list to another and you’re popping up a lot more there. Then, the Twitter conversations are a great way to get up front too. 🙂
I hope you’re having a great weekend.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Ready To Take Your Blog to the Next Level? #FridayFinds
Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for this awesome post. I think, many bloggers nowadays are just focusing on the ways to promote an article. They fail to understand that a good content which would help our readers will get promoted with ease.
And relationship is one key aspect. But to build relationships with others, we need to be patient. it’s a very tough task and we need to have what it takes to get connected. Ultimately, the work we are doing should be great.
Thanks.
Rahul recently posted..Bluehost vs Dreamhost – Choose the best
Hi Rahul,
For the most part I definitely agree. We all need great content but only your audience will be able to tell you if they think it’s great or not. Sure, if they really enjoy what you share they’ll want to share it as well or so we would hope. You definitely have to ask them to because some have to be told. Promoting your post does take much more work than the actual writing but once you build up that following then the rest will come a little easier.
Relationships do take time, I agree with you there. They are the only thing that will help you move forward though because when you have people helping you and spreading the word for you then it doesn’t get much better than that.
Thank you for your comment and visit, we really do appreciate it.
You have a great week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..How To Rediscover Your Desire For Blogging
Your first point is so true! It’s easy to get caught up in whatever other bloggers are doing and forget about our target readers.
Hi Brita,
Have you had that happen to you? Have you caught yourself doing this as well? Just curious.
What about the human connection? I’m sure you’re doing well with building relationships with your readers. I love hearing how others are doing.
Thanks for your comment and visit. Do have a good week okay!
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..How To Rediscover Your Desire For Blogging
I have! I’ve done a few DIYs on my blog because they perform so well on Pinterest… But that’s not really what my blog is about. Granted, I mostly did those in my first 6 months of blogging, so I was also still figuring out my focus. As a “lifestyle” blogger, I do enjoy the freedom of writing about what interests me, but I’ve realized my audience connects best with my passions, and not my casual interests.
Hi Adrienne,
Sorry for last time, I wrote you name “Andian” by mistake. Thanks so much for wish me for my better weekend, Now it’s finish, these day working hard on my blog.. hope you enjoying your week days..
Regards
Mohd Arif
Mohd Arif recently posted..Social Bookmarking SEO Complete Guide
Hi Mohd,
The only reason I brought that up is because this is about that human connection so addressing someone by the wrong name is not a great way to make a first impression and that’s really what you have to do when you leave comments. I know my name is a little long, I definitely have my Mom to blame for that, but just be cautious with that because I want you to do well and I know that building relationships with your audience and connecting with others is the best way to do that.
Thank you again, I appreciate you coming back by and you have a great rest of your week as well. I’ll definitely do that too.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Hey Adrienne,
You made some absolutely true statements here. I do see a lot of people who try to impress the influencers. Whenever i start reading posts like this I admit, I stop reading and go to the next one. It’s like reading my high school text book which most people didn’t have the least bit interest in. Yes you want to write on the same level as your audience. And you know what else? There’s a lot of influencers that don’t write in a robotic, text-base way anyways, so why would anyone write like that. Your audience is the key.
Another important action to take is to connect with people. And you know what? It’s not that hard, and this is coming from an introvert 😉 It doesn’t have to be this long, drawn out conversation at first. You can just start out commenting on their blog posts or on social media and go from there. Many people would be amazed on the power behind just doing these simple things!
Thanks Adrienne for reiterating the power helping your audience and making human connections. This will always be relative and never go out of style!
sherman smith recently posted..How To Generate 1000 Visitors A Month To Your Blog
Hi Sherman ,
I think it is much more noticeable now than ever before Sherman because I know there are so many people who want things to progress so much faster than they are so I’m guessing that taking these measures, they’re thinking that may speed up the process. I’m not 100% sure of course since I’m not doing this but I have stopped visiting a few blogs myself because I can see what they’re doing and I have to admit, I’m not real thrilled about it. They should all read your latest post my friend and learn that everything takes time whether we like it or not.
Thank you for sharing that. I’m not an introvert of course so I can imagine it being much more uncomfortable but the way I look at it is that you do have friends right! So what does it take to chat with one person and as you pointed it out, it doesn’t have to be much. That one person can slowly grow to two and then three and before you know it you’re come out of your shell. As you said, there is so much power behind just doing those simple things.
My pleasure and thank you again for sharing that Sherman. I think that’s really important coming from you and again proof that this does work.
You have a great rest of your week and thanks again.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Hi Adrienne,
What a great post. It’s interesting that when we start out, so many “How To” blog posts and articles tell us to imagine that we’re writing for one person out there. We’re even supposed to create that person so that we are absolutely targeting them when we write.
And then, somewhere along the line, for a multitude of reasons, we forget to write to that person. And all of the other real people out there.
Thank you for the reminder. It helps to go right back to basics and remember why we started doing what we’re doing.
Thanks Adrienne
Mary Collings recently posted..Writer’s Block – Advice From Writers
Hi Mary,
You are SO right Mary and I’ve done that myself so I’m guilty as well. But what I’m guilty of is trying to help too broad of an audience. I’m not out to impress anyone by any means. If it ends up happening that way then that’s great but I’m more about helping those that need it.
I think most of us end up doing that too, we just want to help so many people that need it. What we have to remember though is why we’re doing what we’re doing and for who. Back to the basics, I like that! 😉
I appreciate your comment and you’re very welcome. Thank you for your visit and hope you’re enjoying your week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Thank you for this inspiring post Adrienne. I absolutely agree, it’s time to remember our audience and take the time to connect with people. Without these two strategies you will not only have a much harder time of getting your content noticed, but you also miss out on building valuable and rewarding connections. I am trying to take the time to really get out there and start communicating with people and I am really enjoying it. Thanks again, I will remember this advice!
Jimmy
Jimmy recently posted..How to Find The Best and Affordable Local SEO Company
Hi Jimmy,
I couldn’t agree with you more and I know that more and more people are realizing this.
Being on social media can only help you so far. It’s the connections you make with the right people that will help you with how well you’ll do. They’ll be more than eager to share your content when you have built those relationships and supported each other.
It all starts of course with helping our audience and they’ll continue to support you as well when you’re solving their problems or teaching them something. Whatever the case may be for what you do or share.
Thank you for contributing to this conversation Jimmy, I really appreciate it and you have a wonderful day.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Hi Jimmy,
As Adrienne said (in her reply to you), both of us appreciate your taking the time to let us know that you found her post inspiring.
The connections that I have formed online (including Adrienne and many more here) have proven invaluable. It’s good to hear that you’re taking the same approach.
Good luck building your community and thanks for joining the discussion.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Blogging Tips Are You Missing?
Hello Adrienne/Sherryl.
Great to see you here Adrienne. You really do seem to be everywhere these days! I guess that’s because of the quality articles you write, time after time after time.
Your first point in helping your readers and not trying to impress you said this: ‘We just need to stay true to ourselves, help those with a problem they have or an issue that needs to be solved and stop trying to impress anyone else’.
Hoorah! Kudos! Bravo! As you know, I wrote about ‘Brown Nosed Bloggers’ a while back. And I will say now what I said in that post. When a blogger I follow sells me out in favour of trying to impress an ‘authority/influencer’, firstly, it sticks out like a sore thumb. And secondly, once they start, they usually can’t stop, and they will lose me as their reader.
I’ve stopped following many blogs because of this reason. Not because I dislike the blogger, but they are not putting me first. They lose sight of what their content is about, and who they have are supposed to be writing the content for. Instead, a post that is trying to help me becomes some sickly name dropping, link dropping, hi-fiving, back patting of an excuse to basically get on someone’s radar.
I’ve even called out someone I regard as an authority for teaching his audience to do this sort of thing.
So refreshing to hear I’m not the only one who is fed up of this practice, and glad to hear you have the same sort of attitude to me when trying to build natural and meaningful relationships. And I love this:
‘Just don’t forget why you really blog and who you’re here to help’. Sums it up PERFECTLY Adrienne.
Agreed with the second strategy too, human connection is what it’s all about. Yes, blog commenting and the such is very, very time consuming. I still think there needs to be a balance, but you seem to have it all spot on.
Thanks for a great post Adrienne.
Richard Martin recently posted..The Brown Nosed Blogger Epidemic
Hey Richard,
Well thank you, I really appreciate that and was happy to be invited to write for Sherryl’s audience.
I loved your post on the Brown Nosed Bloggers actually Richard. You are someone who has seen this as well. The link dropping is really starting to get bad. It’s SO obvious when people do this because you can read the intention behind it. I’m not saying to not share links but do it when it helps your audience, don’t keep writing “epic” posts just for that reason.
As Mandy mentioned in her post, she was thinking of people she wanted to impress instead of her own audience but openly admitted it when Mark called her out on it. At least it seems she didn’t mean to do that but found that’s what she was doing. That’s one thing but deliberately doing that to get the attention of influencers or authorities, well when your heart is in the wrong place everything else will follow. That’s my belief anyway.
I’m not surprised you stopped following a few people that have been doing this, I’ve backed away from a few myself. I just want everyone to be here for the right reasons and I know this is a slow process but it’s one worth taking.
Thanks for sharing your views Richard, I appreciate that.
You have a wonderful week and take care my friend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Hi Richard,
Before I replied, I hopped over to your blog to read your ‘Brown Nosed Bloggers’ post (which led me to your post on ‘linking too much in one article’).
Your linking-too-much article really drew me in because I write a ‘Friday Finds’ series where I link quite a bit. It’s definitely not intended to be a name dropping exercise. I spend quite a bit of time researching the articles that I link to. Then, I give a ‘Readers Digest’ sort of overview and recommend going to the original article for more information.
It would probably take hours for someone to read all of the posts in one of my #FridayFinds. My intention is that my bullet-points should provide enough information that many people won’t feel the need to explore it more. On the other hand, if I’m highlighting an article that resonates with a reader, they can click on the link and learn a lot more from the original author.
Anyway, I digressed. (LOL) Getting back to your ‘brown nosed blogger’ post, I’ve been seeing this practice more and more often myself. Simply associating ourselves with an influencer is not enough. We have to earn the respect of our readers and not try to ride on the coattails of others. (Which as you pointed out, could turn into us becoming their ‘Unpaid Backlinking Assistant’.
I appreciate that you came over and added your insight to the conversation. Adrienne’s post is really hitting home with many readers here. Thanks so much.
BTW – I found your blog a few months ago through Adrienne and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I haven’t commented much (yet) but (as you can see by how long it took for me to reply to you) I’m running behind . I’m thrilled that Adrienne wrote this guest post and I thank you for joining us here.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Does SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Confuse You? #FridayFinds
Hi Andian,
This is very impressive article, I agree which you on two strategy, both are truly effective if we always help other then if I need some help then I can also get easily.. and relationship is most important for every blogger or even any person..
Regards
Mohd Arof
Mohd Arif recently posted..Social Bookmarking SEO Complete Guide
Hi Mohd,
I’m glad that you enjoyed Adrienne’s guest post. Her strategies definitely work. Adrienne has been dubbed an “Engagement Superstar” and it’s a title that she’s earned.
Thanks for deciding to make your first comment here on Adrienne’s post! I checked out your blog and I’ll be back for sure.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Blogging Tips Are You Missing?
Hi Mohd,
Well I had to laugh Mohd, that’s the first time I’ve ever been called Andian. LOL!!! Sorry…
I agree, they are both very important to our future online and of course it does make life a lot easier when we need help with something. To help others is a gift we love to give and that will come back to you when your time comes. It’s an awesome thing to experience which I’m sure you have.
Thank you for your comment and I wish you the best. Have a glorious rest of your week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Adrienne,
I’m glad that you got a laugh out of it. (You should see how my name gets spelled sometimes. 🙂 ) For a few seconds, I considered editing the spelling but I don’t edit comments. (Although, on occassion, I have corrected a typo or two when it’s someone I know really well and I’m certain they would have wanted me to.)
Hey Adrienne,
Nice to see you here on Sherryl’s blog. You’re so right about that. You need to make human connections with people. And it isn’t all about writing content and promoting. Those connections you make is what will help turn those readers into fans, supporters and possibly customers in the future. And you have to nurture those relationships from the very start.
Great post here.
– Andrew
Hey Andrew,
I can truly say one thing Andrew and that’s you know how to do this and do this well my friend. You have taken the ball and run with it. I wish more would do that in this way, not just worry about how many comments they get but how many connections they can make. Those are the people who will become loyal fans and supporters. They’ll be there for you whenever you need them, all you have to do is ask. Who doesn’t want that right!
Thanks for the visit, great to see you and you have a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Hi Andrew,
It’s always a pleasure to see you here. The human connections that we make online are so valuable. I count my blessings that I have become a part of such an active and supportive community.
There are so many blogs that we can visit – but not enough time. So, if we follow Adrienne’s tips, help each other and make real connections, we’re going to be the ones that stand out. Readers will want to drop by, possibly learn something, have fun or just plain visit.
As always, thanks for joining the conversation. Now, I’m hopping over to Adrienne’s to read her Magical Monday post. I have a feeling that I’ll be seeing your smiling face there too! Have a great week!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Comment for Backlinks on DoFollow Enabled CommentLuv Blogs?
Hey Adrienne,
Some solid points here. It’s good to take stock, take a moment and refocus on helping our readers.. as without them we’d be nothing!
Thanks 🙂
Sarah Lusby recently posted..New Year, Old Strategy?
Hi Sarah,
Well I’m glad you enjoyed what I had to share and I agree. We all need to step back, focus on what’s important and then move forward to help our audience.
Thank you for your comment and hope you have a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Hi Sarah,
Welcome to my blog. You picked a great post for your first comment. As you can see (by reading the comments here), a lot of us know each other fairly well. Many of us have been blogging for years. Unfortunately, we’ve seen many bloggers abandon their blogs completely.
The one common thread that most of us have in common is that we’ve built trust and friendship. It’s a wonderful support system. We can all learn so much from each other.
Thanks so much for joining the conversation. I hope you’re off to a great week.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Time To Tweak Your Strategy for Commenting on Blogs?
Hi Adrienne,
Excellent Post! “Helping your readers” and “making connection with humans” both are key point of successful blogging. There are lots of blogger who don’t understand what to write and what is the value of real relationship.
This post is definitely an eye-opening guide for all those bloggers. I love your ways how you explained in very detailed manner.
Thanks
Jyoti
Jyoti Chauhan recently posted..Complete Guide of Domain Authority – How to Improve It?
Hi Jyoti,
They most definitely are and I’m glad you agree. You are right about so many bloggers out there not quite understanding how this all works. I feel for them actually because I was once in their shoes. Now there is even more information out there to read and learn how to do things and some of it isn’t always the correct stuff.
Appreciate your comment and thank you so much. Be sure to enjoy your weekend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Jyoti,
It’s great to see you here again. I’m glad you enjoyed Adrienne’s post. I was happy when she accepted my invitation to guest post here. I knew that my readers would find her blogging strategies helpful.
She makes it sound so simple doesn’t she? Actually, it can be a lot of work to grow a community but it can be fun and rewarding at the same time.
Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know that you appreciated her post. I hope you’re having an awesome weekend and that next week is great for you as well.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Are You Confused about Googleâs New Ranking Signal?
Adrienne — your two points really resonated with me. I’ve been having a conversation with myself about whether I’m writing for my audience or for other bloggers. I love my blogging community and have made great friends and learned from them. But who is my real audience? Frankly, it was more fun when I wrote for myself. By that, I mean writing from my heart about things that are meaningful to me and hopefully to my readers. I’ve decided that it’s OK to go off topic once in a while. It’s my blog and that’s my privilege.
I, too, believe in CommentLuv because it enables me to immediately connect with people who took the time to visit me. It’s only polite to read their posts and comment if I have something worth while to say. I love receiving comments and writing them. It builds that personal connection that you mention and that is so important, especially for solo entrepreneurs like us.
Thanks for a really important post.
Jeannette Paladino recently posted..Now You Can Create Perfect Posts for Social Media
Hi Jeannette,
Knowing who your audience is I have seen is something a lot of people are confused about. Of course with this particular point I was making it was that what I’ve run across the most is that they’re writing for others to either get their attention or impress them instead of helping their audience with the issues they are having which is why they visit you in the first place. Now if you’re not sure who your audience is then you really need to define that quickly so that you can get back on the right tract.
I do believe that you have to enjoy what you’re or that does take all the fun out of this. Sounds like you have more soul searching to do Jeannette. I’ve been going through the same process myself actually.
Happy to hear you love CommentLuv Premium too because it does really make it much easier for us to connect with our commenters. It helps others to do the same because they’re able to follow their blog post back to their blog. We both know that’s where the conversations can start so I just prefer making it much easier on everyone.
Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate what you shared. I wish you the best moving forward Jeannette and I know you’ll figure it all out.
Have a wonderful weekend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Jeannette,
I didn’t realize that you were questioning who you are writing for. I think of your blog as a showcase of the sort of writing that you offer to your clients. Your topics are always current and add value. What sort of topics do you think would be more relevant to your ideal client? It may be that your current audience would find those articles valuable as well.
I love CommentLuv Premium and I’m so glad that I made the decision to stick with it. When Andy Bailey created this plugin, he had community building in mind. When I go to blogs like yours and Adrienne’s, it’s so easy to just hop from one blog to another. I for one know that I would miss out on a lot of great posts if it weren’t for CommentLuv.
Thanks for dropping by, I’m headed over to your place soon. If you feel like brainstorming a little about your audience, you know where to find me. Sometimes, just talking it out with someone can get the ideas flowing.
I’m going through a similar process as well. It’s not so much that I question who my audience is. For me, it’s more of what do I actually want to be doing for my clients. Of course, then it can lead to should I be working with a smaller niche within the space I’m in now.
I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. We’re planning a short trip next week through PA and MD. We’re toying with the idea of either going to the air and space museum in VA and/or swinging by NYC too. We’ve been wanting to visit the National 9/11 Memorial Museum to pay our respects.
Thanks so much for dropping by and weighing in on this important topic.
Sherryl — thanks for responding, too. My question was more rhetorical than stating an actual problem. My point was that I need to keep my eye on the target — my audience and not other bloggers, as Adrienne pointed out. My concern should be what they want and need and to always feel I’m adding value.
Thanks for your vote of confidence. My blog has had the intended results — getting business writing assignments. My blog is my portfolio of my business writing that also demonstrates my knowledge of social media. It seems to be working but, of course, there is always room for improvement.
To return the compliment, your blogs are always chock full of valuable information that I’ve learned from. It’s evident that you’ve put a lot of work into them and I’m very appreciative.
Please let me know if you are going to be in New York. I’d love to meet you. I’m a member of the 9/11 Museum and have spent several hours there. It’s am amazing museum and shouldn’t be missed if you’re going to be in the city.
Jeannette Paladino recently posted..Now You Can Create Perfect Posts for Social Media
Jennette,
I didn’t realize that your question was rhetorical. (I should have guessed when you mentioned “having a conversation with” yourself. I think it’s actually a good thing to be checking with ourselves where we’re going and if we should be correcting the direction at all. Goodness! When I think of all of the ideas that I have going through my head right now, it’s a challenge to not become overwhelmed with paralysis analysis. 🙂
The way you describe your blog is exactly how I perceive it. Actually, I had included the word portfolio in my original reply to you. (I must have edited it out before I posted it.)
Thanks for the kind words about my articles. Once again, I’m questioning if I should continue writing lengthy posts that require hours of research of if I should curtail them and post more frequently.
I would love to meet you too Jeannette. We’re sort of winging this trip. We have two nights reserved in Ft. Washington PA and from there, we’re sort of playing it by ear. I’ll be taking our laptop, tablet and my smartphone. So, I’ll be in touch. We may already have each other’s phone numbers but I’m not sure about that. We would be stopping in NY only to see memorial and the 9/11 Museum. A lot depends on timing and traffic.
Reading this group of comments, I wanted to bring my cuppa over and plop down at the kitchen table. LOL
Sherryl, I hope you do get to visit the 9/11 Memorial. I was in NY during the 10th anniversary dedication ceremony in 2011 but the streets were packed, traffic horrendous, so I didn’t try to get there. But I’ll get there one day. (The article in my CommentLuv sig was inspired by my visit to NYC that year.)
2015, the year of business blogger introspection. Monuments to life — like the 9/11 Memorial — help us remember to redeem the time we have with a laser-like focus.
Hi Vernessa,
Sure pull up a chair and I’ll pour you another. 🙂
We’ve been wanting to visit the 9/11 Memorial for a while now. This trip started out as a get-together of the 3 Stooges fan club in Philly. (This is something we’ve been going to on and off over the years.) We had hoped to go to Baltimore and possibly the Smithsonian air & space museum in VA.
Now, we’re thinking that maybe we should go to NYC instead. (Sounds like I need to plan this since we’re leaving on Friday). As Jeannette pointed out, I should make reservations (and not just try to just parachute in).
It’s always nice “chatting” with you. I’m looking forward to reading your post. I hope you’re having a great week!
Hi Adrienne, and welcome to Sherry’ls blog 🙂
So good to see your post here and I am glad you shared it with us at the ABC – thus more of our Ahaian’s could visit here 🙂
Sorry for hopping in a little late here, and at your blog too Adrienne – been busy with a wedding past few days, and you know how it can all get! Glad I made it 🙂
You know my head was nodding in agreement with each line you wrote, as I’ve never felt any other way about the connections we need to make, and how much they help us. Yes, it might be time consuming to make those blog visits and leave meaningful comments, but there is such a lot one learns – not to mention the relationships that develop, leading to good friendships too.
Completely agree with your first strategy too about writing FOR our readers, as they are the ones that matter – not anything else. And once you do that, there is no question of them not coming back, asking for more. Anything that helps your readers and solves their problem is what connects them better to you, isn’t it?
Thanks for sharing these with us. Have a nice rest of the week, both of you 🙂
Harleena Singh recently posted..5 Daily Positive Affirmations For Happiness In Life
Hi Harleena,
Thank you, it’s good to be here.
I’m just happy to have you and I hope everything is coming along great with the wedding. They are exciting aren’t they?
I knew you would definitely agree with me and I haven’t seen you veer off the track you’ve been on. You and Vinay are doing everything in your power to create more ways to help others and provide a wonderful community structure to make them feel welcome. That goes a LONG way my friend and you’re doing a fabulous job.
Your content is helpful and inspiring. It’s obvious who you are writing for and even your guests.
Thank you Harleena for your comment and I so appreciate you taking the time. I know how busy you are these days and now with a wedding. I know it will be beautiful.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Harleena,
It’s always a pleasure to see you here. You are one busy woman! Sometimes, I’m in awe of how much both you and Adrienne accomplish. It seems that I’’m often late to comment, reply or visit a blog. What’s important is that we do get there but how quickly the two of you respond is quite impressive.
I can picture you nodding your head in agreement with Adrienne as you read her post. It’s apparent that you value the relationships that you build and you are always there to offer help and support.
Harleena, you are growing a wonderful community over at Aha!NOW. The ABC (Aha Blog Community) is thriving. I only wish I could find more time to visit and comment. (I will definitely try to get there more often.)
Thanks so much for sharing your insight with us. I know how busy you are and I appreciate the time that it takes to contribute meaningful comments. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and that we hear more about the wedding. Take care and best wishes for a great upcoming week as well.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Is Your Response to Googleâs Mobile Friendly Update? #FridayFinds
Hi Adrienne, great to see you over at Sherry’ls place. I would agree with helping your readers should be #1. I was amazed by that when I first started blogging, folks like yourself, Mayura and Brenda who I first met all came to me with help. I was blown away by it. I thought blogging was an individual thing but quickly learned it was a team effort. So many bloggers helping others out.
I checked out Mandy’s powerful post. I always try to write for readers from things I’ve learned first hand and share those experiences so they can learn from my mistakes.
Making connections with others is something I will need to work on more in the coming months when I get back to being 100% and off and running. It takes a lot of energy to do that one.
Have a great rest of the week Adrienne and Sherryl!
Lisa Sicard recently posted..Mobile Usability is Here – Are You Yet?
Hi Lisa,
It’s good to be here, thrilled about the invitation.
That’s the great part of this wouldn’t you agree? Look at all the people who are eager to help. Hey, it’s happened to me numerous times too and thank goodness for that. How can you ever think you’re in competition with someone eager to help you right! Yeah, we are all individuals here to achieve our own goals and help our audiences and I think we all are doing that very well.
I think most do write for their readers but just like what Mandy shared, she just found herself going off in a different direction. I think some people probably don’t do it intentionally at first but it’s obvious that they are no longer speaking to us. You’re doing a great job Lisa and I know you’ve had a long recovery from your accident but you’ll get there my friend.
Thank you for your comment and you enjoy what’s left of this week. Hope you’re enjoying some good weather too.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Lisa,
It’s always nice to see you here! I’m glad you dropped by and shared your thoughts with us.
I am so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful blogging community. I remember when I first started blogging. I had just lost my job due to downsizing and I suddenly found myself working from home alone. It was lonely!
Thankfully, I started meeting bloggers who really wanted to help me succeed. They encouraged me and I count many of them (including you and Adrienne) as friends.
You have definitely found your blogging voice. I think that sharing your personal experiences with your readers works well for you.
It’s good to see that you’re on the mend. I hope you have a full recovery soon. Thanks so much for weighing in on this. I hope you’re enjoying your weekend and that you have a great week ahead of you.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Is Your Response to Googleâs Mobile Friendly Update? #FridayFinds
Hi Adrienne,
Great to read your guest post here. It all seems to come back to being true to ourselves. That’s such a focus for me on my blog and I continue to be challenged about it. You give an important reminder that this isn’t a competiton. At the end of the day, if we’re all being true to ourselves, then we’ve all got an important and valid voice. I’m trying to learn from how others blog but while still maintaining my voice. I guess my most important challenge is to keep growing, finding my voice and becoming more and more myself within the blogging world. In that sense, it’s kind of like a competiton, but I’m only competing with myself. I want to improve and learn and keep getting better. I’d like next week’s post to have improved and developed from this week’s post. I’d like to take hold of those things that challenge me on other people’s blogs and engage with on my own. That’s one of the things that I’m loving about forming relationships with others, in and out of my own niche, there are so many wonderful inspiring people and they give food for thought that improves my own journey. Thanks for being one of them, Rachel
Rachel recently posted..Are we going to Paradise on this Blogging Journey?
Hi Rachel,
You really said it all Rachel, the only people we should be competing with is ourselves. To be better and get better with our writing so that we can continue to help our audience through what we share.
It does take time to find our place here and to develop our own voice. It definitely took me some time and I will admit having looked at what everyone else was doing and wanting to be like them. But the sad truth was that I was not. I was me and I was learning as I went along. I say keep doing that young lady and you’re going to wake up one day and just be so happy with what you’ve accomplished and how far you have come. You are definitely on the right tract.
I’m so happy to hear of your progress Rachel. I think you’re doing a great job.
Thank you for your comment and you enjoy your day and the rest of your week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Rachel,
It’s nice to see you here again. I love your attitude. (“I’m only competing with myself.”)
Finding your voice is so important. It’s what differentiates you (and your blog) from everyone else. I just quickly visited your blog. (I’ll be back to comment soon.) I wanted to “hear” your voice and be reminded of your blogging style.
I think you’re doing a wonderful job. When I first read your post title, I wondered if you had written a guest post for Ryan Biddulph. I quickly realized that your article was inspired by him.
As I read your post and the “Hi! I’m Rachel” blurb in your sidebar, I could feel myself wanting to know more about you. I felt that you were talking from your heart. I will definitely be back to read more. (I also added you to one of my Twitter lists, so, I’ll be reminded to share for you more often.)
Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know that you found Adrienne’s guest post valuable. I agree wholeheartedly with Adrienne that “you’re doing a great job”. I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend and that next week turns out awesome for you.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Blogging Tips Are You Missing?
Hi Sherryl,
Thanks so much for your encouraging comment, for visiting my blog and sharing the post on Twitter. I really appreciate that.
The last few weeks, I’ve found myself feeling really excited about this blogging journey. One of the exciting things is all the people that I get to know and the connections I make. Before I started blogging, I had no idea that it would be such an amazing community. It’s wonderful.
Yes, I’ve been very inspired by Ryan Biddulph and reading one of his books was instrumental to my decision to change my blog’s tagline and make sure I was clear on the focus.
Thanks so much for your feedback on your reaction to my blog. That’s great to know because I’m still very much in the stage of getting it exactly how I want it. I’m happy with the changes that I’ve made so far. Great to hear from others about how they see them.
Look forward to connecting more with you Sherryl.
Hi Rachel,
You are very welcome. This how being part of a supportive community works. 🙂
Granted, not everyone you meet will want to help you and not everyone gives the best advice. There are plenty of people who try to exploit others.
For example, last week I blogged about how people were responding to the new Google algorithm update that is using the mobile-friendliness of our websites as a ranking signal.
In that post, I talked about the #Mobilegeddon hysteria that was being created by business people who wanted to exploit the opportunity. I included two examples. One was a tweet from Mark Traphagen, (who works at StoneTempleConsulting.com and I’m a huge fan of) and the second was an email that I received on LinkedIn.
Mark’s tweet exposed a company that was preying on the fear that Google would demote or delist your site if it failed their mobile-friendly test. (That is a lie.) The email I received was for an offer to build a new mobile-friendly site for me, within two weeks for a price tag of $2,999. (I could accomplish the same thing by switching to a responsive WordPress theme for zero dollars.)
So, stay safe. You’ve already connected with some stellar bloggers who won’t steer you wrong.
I hope you have a great week ahead and I look forward to connecting more with you too. 🙂
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Is Your Response to Googleâs Mobile Friendly Update? #FridayFinds
Hey Adrienne,
Welcome to Sherryl’s blog. And this is a powerful message.
I particularly like #1 very much. We have to be true to ourselves. We have to be useful. There is no point in putting pressure on ourselves and striving to impress everyone.
For one, we cannot please everyone. And second, when we put so much effort in impressing others and out performing the competitors we are missing out the whole point. We are simply forgetting to serve those 10 customers who are eagerly waiting for our help 🙂
A really wonderful message Adrienne.
And you and I cannot deny the importance of building human relationships. And yes you are so right – even the many courses I bought that taught me blogging missed out this crucial bit. That’s a shame.
I came to know about the importance of relationships very late and I’m glad I realized its importance and have started putting that to practice.
I must say that results are amazing and I am enjoying my blogging journey 🙂
Thanks SO much for putting out this message – very powerful! Have a great week dear 🙂
Cheers,
Jane.
Jane recently posted..What to do if your blog isn’t making money? [It’s not what you think!]
Hi Jane,
Thank you for your visit and I appreciate what you shared. So glad you agree with this as well and having a successful business yourself and I’m sure having gotten a lot of that through your blog, you would know.
When we’re out there trying to help everyone or impress others we are losing focus. We aren’t catering to our audience and those are the people we need to reach. I am of the believe that when you do enough of that, the rest will fall into place. Of course we both know the relationship part has to be in play as well.
So happy to hear that and this is one thing we can never be too late learning right! Just making those connections and reaching out to people, that’s just so powerful.
Thank you Jane for your comment and we really appreciate it. Hope you’re enjoying your week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Jane,
It’s always great to see you here. I’m not surprised to hear that Adrienne’s #1 strategy resonated the most with you. I’ve been connected with you for years and I know that you are definitely someone who always tries to help others. You make your readers feel valued and that’s so important.
I think people are getting tired of self-promoters. There are just too many of them now. I’ve noticed that there are several social media groups that are trying to deter self-promotion. For example, in the LinkedIn group, Bloggers Helping Bloggers, we don’t allow anyone to post a new discussion that is promoting themselves.
It’s perfectly okay to start a discussion about a topic that you are knowledgeable about but it has to be beneficial to our audience. Then, within the comments of the discussion, you can leave a link. The focus has to be put on the benefit to the other members and not self-promotion.
You are so right about the importance of human relationships. I can’t really remember how you and I first met. It’s possible that we met through Adrienne but I’m not sure. I do feel connected to you though and I value being part of this community of bloggers.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I’ m glad that you found Adrienne’s
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What SEO Tools Do You Use? #FridayFinds
Hi Adrienne
You have revealed the two most powerful strategies. I don’t think there is any other strategy that can rival with these two.
You know I agree with you about the way people write content these days. You can feel it that the post written is not help solve a problem but just to look good. Thanks for reminding us of what is important. If your post is not helping, then I wonder what job it is supposed to know.
I am also a fan of making connections. Yeah it might seem consuming but the benefits outweigh the stress. I have gained so much just by fostering relationship with others. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Sherryl
It is my first time in your blog and I like your posts. Thanks for inviting Adrienne. Thanks and Kudos to you.
Ikechi recently posted..What The Mustard Seed Teaches You About Making A Difference
Hi Ikechi,
Thank you and happy to hear that.
So you’ve noticed it a few times as well. I’m sure you’ve also noticed a lot of link dropping just trying to get certain people’s attention. When it’s done from a place of caring and helping their readers then I’m all for it. When it’s done from a place of “look at me guys” then I’m definitely against that. It’s sad what I’ve been running across lately.
I heard something very interesting just yesterday and that was that a survey was taken and influencing marketing is overpowering everything else. That means that people and companies are more interested in making those human connections than any other type of marketing as they move forward. That right there says a LOT.
Really appreciate your comment Ikechi, thank you so much and I’m so glad you stopped by. Thank you again and you enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Ikechi,
It’s so nice to meet you here! I’m surprised that we haven’t crossed paths before. I just hopped over to your blog and read your post on the new Coke bottle. That was definitely news to me.
It’s a brilliant marketing campaign on the part of Coca-Cola. It was also a very enjoyable post that you wrote to tie it in to humanity.
I too value building relationships and I’m grateful to be a part of this community of bloggers.
BTW – I just followed you on Twitter and added you to one of my lists. So, I will be sharing your content and I’m sure I’ll be back to your blog soon. I recognized some friendly faces over there.
Thanks so much for letting us know that you found Adrienne’s article helpful. I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Twitter, Content Marketing and Social Media Resources #FridayFinds
Hi Adrienne,
Thank you for this awesome post. Here I have found 2 very powerful strategies to be a successful blogger. I have found that Human Interaction is vital of all the strategies as we write for our readers .
Best Regards
Muminur
Munna recently posted..Download Torrent Files With IDM – Torrent to IDM
Hi Muminur,
You are very welcome and I’m glad you enjoyed what I had to share.
I’m glad that you are making those connections and having those conversations. I’m sure you’ve found that they have benefited you greatly. I so enjoy hearing that.
Thank you again for your visit and comment. Be sure to enjoy the rest of your week. It’s winding down now.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Muminur,
I’m so glad that you found Adrienne’s guest post “awesome”. I was thrilled when she accepted my offer to guest post here. Anyone who has ever visited her site has to be impressed with how engaged her readers are.
I had the opportunity to write a guest post for Adrienne last year (about the importance of having a commenting strategy). That article received over 200 comments.
Additionally, that post drove traffic to my site and many of Adrienne’s (loyal) readers connected with me as well. It was an excellent opportunity to expand my community and build relationships with others.
Thanks so much for taking the time to join the conversation. I hope you’re enjoying your weekend.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Will Building Your Blog Community Make You a Superstar? #FridayFinds
Hi Adrienne,
I like how you constantly remind us of the importance to build relationships. Even though I’ve made some wonderful friends online over the past few years, sometimes I still need that reminder.
Your point about “writing to impress” is so true. That was a lesson I had to learn awhile back. When I began my affiliate website, I started out writing blog articles to impress my online marketing peers more than meeting the needs of my specific audience. I’m grateful to have identified what I was doing and making the shift to providing answers for my readers, who are not marketing pros.
Great article! I’ll be sharing this one.
Hi Matthew,
You can always count on me to keep reminding people just how important this is. I know we all do it though and have some awesome connections but then we forget that there are more people out there we need to get in front of that we can help. That’s the fun part about this too.
There ya go and thank you for sharing that. At times I guess I can’t fault anyone because we are trying to really get our content out there so that those powers that be will stand up and take notice. It’s all good and great but we fail to remember who we’re writing for and here to help and those are the ones we have a good chance of losing because we’re no longer writing for them.
Thank you for sharing that with us Matthew, seriously. I appreciate your honesty and thank you for your comment.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Matthew,
That’s wonderful that you realized that you were writing to impress your peers and not for your audience. That is such a common mistake.
When I first started marketing online, I worked with a marketing consultant from the SBA (the U.S. Small Business Administration). He would stress over and over the importance of understanding our customers needs. He used to always tell us that clients/customers only listen to one station and that’s WIIFM. (What’s in it for me?)
I have a blogging friend who is a graphic designer. For years, he actively blogged about designing. That would have been fine if he had written with his clients (both existing and potential) in mind. Instead, he wrote for other designers. He wrote about art galleries he was being featured in and he showcased his illustrations.
A few of us tried to convince him that designers were not his target market but he thoroughly enjoyed educating other designers. He was “writing to impress”.
Well, I just checked his blog and he is rarely publishing at all now. His most recent post was this February and prior to that was in April. It’s really a shame because he’s actually very talented and seems to be doing well with his business. It comes down to missed opportunities.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. Chances are that someone reading your comment may question what they’ve been doing. If so, hopefully, they’ll follow your lead and shift too.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Twitter, Content Marketing and Social Media Resources #FridayFinds
Hi Adrienne and Sheryl – I recently had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Adrienne via phone and we covered a lot of this information. Having this in writing is like having a written summary to refer to again and again, to keep you on track. Thanks so much.
Hi there Lenie, great to see you my dear. Thank you SO much for stopping by and checking out my post here at Sherryl’s. We both appreciate that so much.
I so enjoyed chatting with you and I know that a lot of people who come online aren’t familiar with the way things work. I know that people do things differently but as things change and evolve we have to as well so that human connection and helping others is the only way I believe to really see success.
I appreciate your comment, thank you again so much and you have a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Lenie,
It’s always nice to see your smiling face here. I’m glad to hear that you had the opportunity to talk with Adrienne. Adrienne and I often chat via email. 🙂
I’m also happy to have you as a member of our LinkedIn group. You always ask great questions and leave honest feedback. You are definitely a great example of someone who is building relationships.
Thanks for joining the conversation. I hope you have an amazing weekend.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Blogging Tips Are You Missing?
Hi Adrienne and Sherryl,
It’s an awesome post, indeed! 🙂
I learned a lot from you, Adrienne. When I started to learn to be a good blogger, I met with you, Carolyn, Harleena, Enstine, Donna and others. In the past, I never thought that I would have this kind of relationship with some other bloggers. It’s great experience. 🙂
So, I strongly agree with building relationships. If we are serious about being a blogger, then we have to build connections with other bloggers. I’m sure there are great changes that we get when doing it, as I get from it.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Adrienne.
It’s really a great one. I will start to share it right now.
Have a great week ahead for both of you, Adrienne and Sherryl. 🙂
~Nanda
Nanda Rahmanius recently posted..How Social Signals Impact Search Engine Rankings (Gifographic)
Hi Nanda,
I’m so happy to hear that my friend and I think a lot of people think that. Like we’re untouchable or something but that’s so far from the truth. We are normal everyday people just like you and I think that’s why more and more people need to reach out so they can learn this very same thing.
Absolutely and just think back to how the people you have met and built a relationship with have benefited you. I’m sure that you’ve not only learned a lot from them but that they have supported you and helped you when you needed it. That’s priceless but they are also the ones that will help spread the word about you too. We do love that don’t we!
You are very welcome and I do appreciate your comment and visit. Thank you so much and you have a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Nanda,
Welcome back to my blog and thanks for letting us know that you enjoyed Adrienne’s post.
Like you, I have met so many people by reading comments and networking online. It’s amazing to think how many bloggers I’ve been introduced to by either following a CommentLuv link or clicking on a link in a tweet or a share on social networking sites.
I know I’ve met hundreds (if not more) bloggers through Adrienne. It’s really mind boggling in a way when you stop and think about it.
Thanks so much for joining the conversation. I’ll be by soon to read your post. Social and SEO . . . two of my favorite topics! I hope you had a great week and that you have an awesome weekend.
~Sherryl
Sherryl Perry recently posted..2 Powerful Strategies You As A Blogger Desperately Need
Hi Sheryl and Adrienne. Sheryl, I think this is my first visit on your blog, I know… Shame on me 🙂
Adrienne, awesome post and thank you for reminding us the power and the benefit of making those all important connections and writing to help our audience get through what ever problems they might have. You know my thoughts on competition in blogging since I wrote about a week ago, I don’t see anyone else in my niche as competition, but more as opportunities.
As for making connections and engaging through blog comments and so on, yes I’ll admit, I have said before that it is very time consuming and sometimes it takes me away from doing other things in my business, BUT! I would never disregard it or stop it because it’s so enjoyable and I appreciate how important it is to make those connections and build those relationships, oh that’s thanks to several people including YOU 🙂 You can’t help your audience if you don’t know anything about them right?
This might sound completely off topic, but one of the things I’ve noticed with a lot of bloggers is that they forget about the thousands upon thousands of people just starting out, as you say some are writing to impress the big wigs way too much.
It’s so easy to know something that might sound completely generic to us, that we simply don’t write about those topics anymore, because we assume “everyone knows about them” these days, but here’s the truth… no, not everyone does at all.
Sure we have to write content that’s out of the box and unique and unthought of and so complex that we can barely understand it ourselves, but we can’t forget those who are just starting out looking for simple tips, ideas, help and advice they can relate to and apply.
Have a great rest of the week ladies 🙂
– Fabrizio
Fabrizio Van Marciano recently posted..First Year Of Blogging Income, Traffic Report And Yearly Review
Hi Fabrizio,
Well welcome to Sherryl’s place, we’re so happy to have you. I appreciate you checking out my post.
I do remember your post and I agree with you 100%. I don’t view anyone in my niche as competition either because we are all unique individuals with our own voices. I think you’ll either resonate with someone or you won’t.
I know that blog commenting is time consuming, boy do I know. I find it to be so enjoyable though and of course I wish I had nothing but time to do just that. But it’s a great way to get in front of the people you should and when you do enough of that, people notice. It helps with the relationship building aspect of it too and of course we know how important that human contact is right!
It’s not off topic at all. That’s one of the points I was trying to make. Stop writing to impress others, that’s when you forget why you’re blogging in the first place. I know we all want to make an impact and we feel that if we’re in front of the right crowd then they can help spread the word. So we write to impress them instead of help our audience with their issues.
If the business you’re in is geared toward teaching the beginner blogger than that’s definitely what you need to keep doing. You’re right, we all have been here for awhile now and we know all of that stuff but your audience doesn’t. We still might have commenters though who support us and know this but we still need to concentrate on our target audience.
I think we’re all always trying to find a new way to put a spin on something or present something to our audience they may not know about yet but in the end we still need to keep it simple so that the beginners can learn too. If that’s our audience of course.
Thank you Fabrizio for your comment and sharing your views about what I said here. I always appreciate it and your visit. Hope you’ll come back and check out what Sherryl has to share in the future. It’s good stuff.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Fabrizio,
I love your attitude! – “I don’t see anyone else in my niche as competition, but more as opportunities.” That is the healthiest outlook to have.
I feel the same way as you and Adrienne that making connections and building relationships with others is key to creating a successful online business. There are so many blogs these days that it is very difficult to stand out.
How can one person spread the word as effectively as a community of bloggers? I don’t believe that you can. Call it a community, a network or a tribe . . . whatever we call it, we need to support each other.
I also have noticed bloggers who are writing to impress the “big wigs”. I believe they’re missing opportunities. Just because someone is new to blogging, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have other skills and knowledge that we can benefit from – or perhaps they could introduce us to someone who could potentially be our biggest customer. If we aren’t genuinely trying to help as many people as we can, we may end up losing out.
I believe that one way to stand out from the pack is to write in a way that tackles a complex topic in an easy to understand way. My regular readers know that I always try to explain what acronyms are. For example, most people recognize SEO as meaning search engine optimization but not everyone does. It only takes a few seconds to put the meaning in parenthesis and go on. Someone reading it will benefit from it.
Thanks so much for dropping by and adding your insight. As you can see, I’ve fallen behind replying to every comment. (I’m always in awe of how fast Adrienne manages to respond.) I’m even further behind visiting and commenting on blogs! I will be by your “place” soon to visit (and throw my two cents in). I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your being here.
I’ve written several posts on commenting strategies and I will always remember one comment that was left for me. Someone described comments as being the “lifeblood of our blog”. I believe she’s right. I hope you have an awesome weekend Fabrizio.
~Sherryl
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Comment for Backlinks on DoFollow Enabled CommentLuv Blogs?
Hi Adrienne and Sheryl, thanks to you both for your replies.
Sheryl, I definitely agree there, you know I’ve learned some great tips from new bloggers over they years, I consider myself a newbie most times, even though I’ve been blogging for 5 years, because the learning never ends, it just doesn’t stop, there’s always something new and cool to learn and apply, which I guess makes blogging the more fun.
That’s a very good idea with describing the acronyms, and you’re right, it’s so easy to assume everyone knows what SEO or SEM or SMO means, I don’t think I do that enough so I will in the future.
As for Adrienne responding to comments the way she does, I swear there’s two of her on the go working on 12 hour shifts 🙂
Have a great rest of the week both of you.
Fabrizio Van Marciano recently posted..ATF 001: Podcast Launch, Introduction, Formalities, eBook Launch And Taking Action!
LOL Fabrizio. Maybe you just discovered the secret to how Adrienne seems to be everywhere at once! I would think keeping up with comments alone would keep her busy but she manages to create great content for her blog and as a guest blogger too.
You’re definitely not a newbie but I know what you mean about the learning never ending. That’s where the real value of being a part of a supportive community comes in. Rather than spending hours researching something, you can just ask for help If the person you ask can’t directly solve your problem, chances are they can direct you to someone who can.
I always appreciate when someone explains acronyms in their articles. It can be disruptive to have to open another browser window to search for a definition to continue reading. I’ll never forget the first time I was reading an article and saw the term UX (user experience). I admit it. I was clueless.
Thanks again for dropping by and I hope you have a great rest of the week too
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Comment for Backlinks on DoFollow Enabled CommentLuv Blogs?
Want to know what my secret is Fabrizio? I don’t have kids! LOL!!! Yeah, when you’re single and don’t have a family you don’t have to worry about doing the things in between that everyone else does. Granted, I would rather have that in my life but it just didn’t work out that way. So what do I do? I respond to comments! LOL!!!
Adrienne recently posted..Magical Monday: Snip.ly, How To, Bloggers, Cool Tools, Interview
Adrienne,
You and I have talked about this before. I’m sure not having kids (and grandkids) does free up some time but I know plenty of people who don’t accomplish a fraction of what you do. 🙂
Sherryl Perry recently posted..2 Powerful Strategies You As A Blogger Desperately Need
Hi Adrienne,
Another good post as I expected, these two are core values what we should have to be successful, but so many bloggers are not concentrating on these two strategies, we always try to concentrate more on mass traffic.
First, if we build relation with present readers as you said in the post then they will promote us to reach further.
Thank you once again for reminding me to stick on to core values.
Siddaiah recently posted..How To Create Monthly SEO Action Plan For Your Blog?
Hi Siddaiah,
I agree with that Siddaiah and we all have to remember why we’re here. There are SO many blogs out there today and we all want to stand out. I think as long as you stay true to yourself and your readers then the rest usually just falls into place.
If you fail to build those relationships with your readers, subscribers and other bloggers than you’re going to find that you don’t have the support nor the help later on. Those are the people who are here to help you grow and expand. It’s a beautiful thing when it all comes together.
Thank you for your comment and I do hope you’re having a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Siddaiah,
Welcome to my blog. It sounds like you’re a regular reader of Adrienne’s blog. I’m very happy that she agreed to guest post here this week.
Like Adrienne, I too value being part of a community of bloggers. It takes time but it is definitely worth the effort.
Traffic is great to have but when you find yourself in a situation where you need help, being part of a blogging community can be invaluable. I have saved countless hours (and avoided many potential problems) by being able to shoot an email to one of my blogging friends (or post to a social networking group) and find help.
It’s very nice to meet you here. I am way behind on commenting but I will be by your “place” soon. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What SEO Tools Do You Use? #FridayFinds
Hi Sherryl/Adrienne
Every post I’ve read of yours Sherryl have these same two messages somehow ingrained in them. This tells me that in order to build a successful blog it must have a solid foundation. These two strategies are just that.
Not only that, they are practical advice that we all should follow. Which reminds me of a famous quote by John Maeda, “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.”
Thanks!
Hi Vernon,
I’m glad that you’ve heard this message before here at Sherryl’s blog because she does understand what it takes to build a solid foundation for our business and our blog. When you don’t have that clarity, that’s when you’re going to continue to scratch your head wondering why things aren’t falling into place for you.
I’m sure you have that as well though Vernon and thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Great to see you and we appreciate your comment.
You have a wonderful rest of your week and take care.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Vernon,
It’s nice to hear that you enjoy my blog. What I try to do here is share useful information in an easy to digest format.
The thing is (unless someone is blogging as their hobby) most bloggers have hopes of someday monetizing their blog. To accomplish that, we need to build a strong foundation for our blogs. To be successful, we should set goals and work towards achieving them strategically.
When Adrienne and I first started chatting about her guest post, she asked me what topic I would like her to write about. Since Adrienne has done an amazing job building a strong community, I suggested that she write an article that would help my readers understand how they could do the same thing. She certainly delivered, didn’t she?
Thanks so much for joining the conversation Vernon. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. BTW – I like your quote from John Maeda.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Will Building Your Blog Community Make You a Superstar? #FridayFinds
Hello Adrienne maam and Hi Sherryl,
Good to see you over here maam. I and Sherryl are friends over twitter since long and she is an amazing individual. I am glad to read your article on her blog.
Yes these two are I think the most fundamental parts in every blogger. Forget it and you are gone.
In fact, the first point that says “helping your readers” is the show stealer. That is why we are there. That is why our readers type our URLS.
Once a blogger forgets this very thing. BOOM! he is gone.
Thanks for the post. It will help new bloggers and experienced ones too to reevaluate them. 🙂
Swadhin Agrawal recently posted..How to Start a blog? Create a Blog and make money – Step by Step
Hi Swadhin,
So happy to hear that you and Sherryl are good friends and have made that connection on Twitter. I love that platform too. I’m honored to be here and thrilled that Sherryl invited me.
I agree with you, this is the most important thing we should be doing as bloggers. Helping our readers more than anything else. I think what some are doing though is trying to get in front of others they think really matter instead of remembering why they blog in the first place. Granted, connecting with people that might help you in the future is important but not when it veers away from why you blog.
Thank you Swadhin for your wonderful comment, great to see you and thanks for the visit. You have a great rest of your week now.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Swadhin,
It’s great to see you here and thanks for the kind words. I always enjoy sharing your content. You’re on one of my Twitter lists, so, it’s easy to find your tweets.
Helping our readers is key and we can accomplish that in very many ways. Some bloggers add value to our lives by teaching us something. Others entertain us. Some introduce us to new ideas. The thing is that we need to somehow add value.
Thanks for letting Adrienne and me know that you found her post interesting. I’m honored that she chose my blog to share her strategies.
BTW – You did a great job on your “How to Start a Blog”. I hope you have a great weekend.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Will Building Your Blog Community Make You a Superstar? #FridayFinds
Hello Adriennen Ma’am
Great Post I must say. It is the most important points that every blogger needs in his life. First we want to help others and that help will only be generated after having a human connection.
If we are successful in connecting with more people and helping them in some or the other way in our life we are surely going to live more happier and complete life.
Thank You So Much Ma’am for your great post.
Yash Birajdar recently posted..Understanding The Nature Of Human Mind
Hi Yash,
Our main goals as bloggers are to help those that need our assistance based on what it is that we share. Making that human connection with them though can really go a very long way, I agree. I think the more we do the better off we’ll be.
Thanks for sharing that and glad you enjoyed my post.
Hope you’re having a wonderful day.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Yash,
It’s nice to meet you here. I’m glad that you enjoyed Adrienne’s post. Adrienne offers some terrific advice here. More importantly, she practices what she preaches. She truly does try to help other bloggers and the relationships that she forms go beyond simply sharing our content and commenting on our blogs. Many of us are fortunate to be able to count on her as a friend.
Thanks so much for joining the conversation. I’ll be by soon to check out your blog.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Blogging Tips Are You Missing?
This was an amazing post! So true and very well written!
Point #1 hits me the hardest. If you write for the masses and not from the heart your’e letting yourself down as a blogger. Blogging should be a passion, not an attention getter.
If you succumb to writing things that don’t interest you or you aren’t passionate about then it’s pointless. I have definitely found that it is more rewarding to see one constant person who reads and comments than it is to have a bunch of newbies. Your followers are everything!
I really enjoyed reading this thank you both again!
Martin Ricky recently posted..Tips Necessary For New Bloggers
Hi Martin,
Great to see you, thanks for stopping by.
Although I believe that whatever you’re doing you should really be excited about it, when you write for the masses you’re missing those who really need what you share. The point I was trying to make is stop trying to impress everyone and help those that are in need the most. Through blogging you can do just that.
I agree that it’s great to have some dedicated readers and followers. We should concentrate more on them because they are our advocates. They’re the ones that will go tell their friends and spread the word whether they’re your target audience or not. When you focus on who really matters, that’s when you’ll see a huge growth.
Thanks for your thoughts on this topic, I really appreciate it and again, great to see you. Hope you’re enjoying your week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Martin,
Thanks for letting us know that you enjoyed Adrienne’s guest post. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
I think that ideally we should write about something that we’re passionate about but I believe it’s also possible to blog about something that you’re not enthralled with if you understand the topic well.
It’s true that if you’re not excited about what you’re writing that you risk losing interest and you may end up not wanting to blog anymore but you can still help people that way (and you could make some decent money from it at the same time).
I am way behind on replying to comments and even further behind on commenting on everyone’s blog. I promise to be by soon to read your post!
Take care and I hope you’re having a good week and that your weekend will be even better!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Are You Confused about Googleâs New Ranking Signal?
Hi both!
This is well said. Helping readers is a must and building relationship (Adrienne) did it superbly well.
Blogging is human business. If you want to be successful, then think the ‘human’ way 🙂
Cheers!
Hi Reginald,
Well that was a short and sweet answer. We both know that it’s about the connections you can make and what better way to start than by helping those that need it the most right!
The human connection with those that matter will take you a very long way.
Thanks for the visit Reginald and you have a splendid week my friend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..The Most Exciting Thing I Heard About #SMMW15
Hi Reginald,
It”s always nice to see your smiling face here!
I agree that helping each other and building relationships is essential to succeeding.
Your “blogging is human business” comment made me think of people who hide behind keywords and keep their online interactions impersonal. I think most of us assume their bots. 🙂
I know how busy everyone is. So, I really appreciate your taking the time to visit and share your thoughts with us. I hope you’re having a good week and that your weekend will be even better.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..2 Powerful Strategies You As A Blogger Desperately Need
Hi Adrienne and Sherryl!
Great post, Adrienne.
I totally agree with you.
The only way to really stick out in the overcrowded blogosphere is to be yourself and to solve real issues about helping other people.
Your blog should be a platform of truly helping other people solving a specific issue. The more value you can bring, and the more people you help, the more raving fans you will get.
As Zig Ziglar said: “Once you help enough people get what they want, you will finally get what you want.”
The blog is one of the most powerful tools online that can help you build a loyal following.
It`s not your own “Oh, come and see who cool I am and worship me”-platform, but rather a platform to help people.
People will follow and buy from you if they: know, like and trust you.
How do we achieve this?
By treating our readers like the most valuable asset there is – because THEY ARE.
Without our readers, we wouldn`t be able to do what we do, right?
So it is up for us to CARE about them and to GIVE our best information to help them solve their problems.
And yeah, creating REAL bonds with your readers will really make YOU STICK out.
That means, that if the readers are raving fans, it doesn`t matter how big your competition is, as long as you:
1. Have CARE more about your readers
2. SOLVE their problems in the best way possible
3. CONNECT with your readers
By doing that, you will prevail in the long run by over-delivering massive value 🙂
I am all about providing great content that will solve specific problems for my readers 🙂
Helping online entrepreneurs save more time in their life, so they can do what they really love, is my calling.
Nothing feels better than when people are thanking you for solving their problem and making a true difference in their lives 🙂
Thanks for a great post, Adrienne.
Tor
Tor Refsland recently posted..How To Attract The Right Clients By Doing Business Nude
Hi Tor,
Thanks for the visit, really appreciate that! 😉
I SO agree with you about just being yourself and helping your readers. I’m of the belief that if you stay true to yourself and help enough people get what they want that they’ll do all the hard work for you. There does come a time when you don’t have to go out there and share your own content because your loyal audience will be doing it for you. You start to be seen by a whole lot more people and that’s when people start paying attention to you. Build that naturally and no one can ever accuse you of trying to be seen as the “cool kid”.
As you said though, build those relationships and that bond with those that matter the most. When you truly care about your audience it’s hard to miss. People can read your posts or read more about you online and they’ll see the pattern. Those are the people here for the right reasons and not after the next biggest thing.
Getting in front of some top authority bloggers is cool but it’s even cooler when they hear about you and then show up at your door to check you out! Oh yeah, that’s the best.
Thanks Tor for your awesome comment and contribution to what I shared. I love hearing other’s views and I sure do appreciate it.
You have a wonderful day and an amazing week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..10 Proven Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Blog
Hi Tor,
Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing your insight with us! I really appreciate it.
I love your Zig Ziglar quote and the quote from you as well: “People will follow and buy from you if they: know, like and trust you.” That is something that I have always believed in myself.
Personally, I always try to shop locally whenever I can. I would much rather spend a little more to buy from someone who I like than to spend my money in a big box store. The same goes for online. I always try to use affiliate links from people who I’m connected to rather than someone who I’m not. I’m willing to pass up on a discount code to help someone.
I totally agree with you that nothing feels better than helping someone.
Take care and I hope you have a great rest of the week and enjoy your weekend too.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Who Do You Listen to When Influential Bloggers Donât Agree? #FridayFinds
Hi Sherryl and Adrienne,
Sherryl – another home run!!!!
Adrienne, I think you probably already know how much I appreciate this article. It’s like you’re a person after my own mind, lol… just kidding.
But seriously, you couldn’t have laid it out there any better. I can think of so many amazing people I’ve met through networking online. That can take on many forms but as you said the most important things are to be true to ourselves, our primary audiences and connect with real people for the right reasons.
I too see a lot of what you’re seeing. Too many people are misunderstanding the principles of networking and connecting with influencers that they are losing their emphasis and purpose.
Part of the problem may be in the definition of an influencer. I define it as someone who has an audience that does what the influencer asks them to do. That could be 25 people or 10,000. It’s not relevant. In fact, I’ve found that connecting with bloggers who have tight communities that I earn my way into have a lot more influence and willingness to engage than those who have massive audiences.
Strategy with purpose is everything!!!
That’s one of my big takeaways from your article today if I were to summarize your two extremely important points.
I hope you have an amazing week Adrienne!
~ Don Purdum
Don Purdum recently posted..Why “How To” Marketing Articles and Blogs May Be a Waste of Your Time
Hi Don,
Happy to hear that my friend and I don’t mind being someone after your mind! LOL!!!
I’m glad I put this out there because I was starting to think to myself that maybe not or that I was misreading what they were doing but it’s obvious. Especially for those that link drop a LOT. We come to learn why they’re doing it and I know they’re being taught that too but even someone like Mandy, admitting that she was writing for others instead of her own audience. I’m sure some do it without realizing it while others definitely do it intentionally.
I remember you sharing with me your definition of an influencer and I think I have to agree with you. It’s not the celebrity or the most popular kid because I think they are in a whole different place. To me it’s about those that do have a good tight audience who is very supportive. They are the most fun to be a part of too as you very well know.
I love your take on what I shared Don, thank you and for your comment too. Thrilled that you stopped by and I appreciate the support.
I am having an amazing week and hope you are as well.
Thank you so much and talk to you soon.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..How Understanding Your Readers Can Lead To Improved Business
Hi Don,
As I was publishing Adrienne’s guest post, you popped into my mind. There are definitely similarities between your articles.
When I was optimizing both of your articles for SEO, I tagged both as “business strategy”. Then for keywords, I had “community” and “human connections” for Adrienne’s post. For yours, I had “solve problems” and “meet customer needs”.
Both of you wrote about helping other people and values as a way to differentiate ourselves and our businesses.
I remember your post about influencers and how you define them. I have to agree with you. It’s not about how well recognized you are by massive amounts of people. It’s about how people feel about you (as in how you make them feel),
They always say that people like to do business with people that they like. That’s why small mom and pop stores that sell the same product that you can get cheaper from a big box store survive. It feels good to give them our business.
Well, as always, I appreciate your dropping by and sharing your insight with us. I much appreciate it Don.
I hope your week is going well and I’ll see you online!
BTW – If anyone is reading this and wants to check out Don’s guest post, I included it in the CommentLuv link.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..People Will Buy From You When They Understand What Business Youâre Really In!
Hey Adrienne – You are spot on with this. It is so easy to get caught up in things that you forget who your audience really is. I seem to find myself doing this from time to time.
I start writing a post on some topic and I get into it before I realize, why in the world am I writing this and how does it really pertain to the people I’m trying to connect with.
As for building relationships, well you know my story, that’s the secret sauce. Without those relationships, you might as well just be blogging for yourself (which is what I was doing before). You helped me understand that.
Thanks Adrienne/Sherryl, great topic.
Craig
Craig recently posted..Back To Basics With The Genesis Prose Theme
Hi Craig,
I agree, you read something or hear about it and it peaks your interest so you want to write about it only to realize you’re not talking to your audience anymore. I’ve done that from time to time myself I agree but for the most part I do my best to stay focused. I think we all have to reel ourselves back in at times and remember why weren’t here and who we’re here to help.
I do know your story and I’m glad you’re one of those that “got it” Craig. You see how important making those connections are and how they can benefit you now and in the future.
We appreciate your visit and comment, thank you so much and enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Craig,
I have done the same thing. I’ve started writing a post and managed to totally derail myself from where I was headed.
I still have a couple of those posts stashed away. (Sometimes, I wonder why I keep them.) They’re actually well intended but they failed to add value. I don’t want to blog the same thing that has been said over and over again.
I think maybe I’m keeping them in hopes that I’ll learn something new that would really help my readers and I can work parts of what I wrote into it.
Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing your thoughts with us about Adrienne’s post. You and I have been following each other and sharing each other’s content for a while but I honestly don’t know your story.
I’m going to make it a point to get to know you better. (Starting with hoping over to your site soon and reading what you have to say about Genesis.)
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Comment for Backlinks on DoFollow Enabled CommentLuv Blogs?
Hi Adrienne,
Well said! The out do bit is old and worn out. We are competing for nothing. We create and live in abundance so focus on how you can help others, NOT how you can beat them, or out do them. It may sound funny coming from me with the content I churn out – volume/depth/etc – but I swear, I am only able to create like that because the worries of competition don’t enter my mind much. I do have moments but it’s pretty much me and the Universe, creating in quiet, so I am going against no one these days, which allows the creativity to flow.
Tweeting from Bali.
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..Blogging from Bali: A Spitting Cobra Killed a Mama Hen and Baby Chick Here Last Night
Hi Ryan,
I think so many people are trying to one up the other that they are losing focus on what’s the most important thing and that’s providing the best quality content for your reader that will help them. This isn’t a competition and we should be focusing on why we’re really here. As you and I both know, when you stay true to yourself the rest will follow. How can it not!
You have no competition Ryan, you’re in a league of your own my friend.
I really appreciate you stopping by and again, I’m so sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you and your family.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Ryan,
It’s always refreshing to hear how happy you are and that you’re writing rather than worrying about competition. I know you haven’t been always living a carefree life. You and Kelli have created this for yourselves. You’re an inspiration to those of us who are still trying to figure it out.
Thanks so much for dropping by. I really appreciate it. I too am sorry for your loss. You and your families are in my prayers.
Making connections and helping others is what blogging is all about! Sure, it is also a great way to get found by Google, but really, the human interactions with others and the sharing of each other’s knowledge is one thing that I really LOVE about blogging!
Great to see you over here, too, Adrienne. 🙂
And hi again, Sherryl. 😉
Lorraine Reguly recently posted..How to Ask for a Raise (and Get One!) from your #Freelancing Client
Hi Lorraine,
I agree with that and we’re finding that Google can’t really ignore all those interactions either. So whether we focus on SEO or not we’re still being found in the search engines because everyone else is sharing our content too. So I think it’s a win/win all around.
I appreciate your comment, thank you Lorraine for visiting and hope you have a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Lorraine,
It’s always nice to see your friendly face here. 🙂 You know I feel the same way about human interactions as you and Adrienne do.
I can’t imagine having stayed with blogging as long as I have if it hadn’t been for the community that I’m a part of. Every time I’ve run into an issue, need help, an answer (or someone to just vent to), there’s someone who I can turn to.
It makes blogging more fun. Saves me lots of time and it help me keep my sanity too. I just can’t imagine going it alone.
As always, thanks for sharing your insight with us. I hope you’re having a great week.
Hi, Adrienne and Sheryl!
What a wonderful combination you two make – so glad to see Adrienne’s article here, absolutely loved it!
Yep, these are most definitely powerful strategies that we all desperately need, love that title! So relevant and true. 🙂
I love blogging, but not sure everyone loves it. I’m hard core though….LOL
You are spot on, my friend, there is always room for improvement, and I for one admit that I can learn something from everyone.
You’re right, I also have noticed folks writing to impress and get the attention of big marketers instead of provide helpful information to their readers.
One can never be sure of the motive behind an action because nobody can know the contents of someone’s heart and the true reason behind it, however, when all you see is big name and link after big name and link dropped continually throughout the blog post, you know where their focus lies on themselves and self-promotion, not helping the end reader.
In fact, I’ve seen so much of this lately, that just last week I had decided to do away with my public thanks section on my blog posts. I’m not saying I’m a big cheese, but my sincere and genuine gesture to share a thankful expression can definitely be misused, and I was so naive to not realize it before.
I don’t mention anyone on my blog so that I can be thanked or mentioned again, I do so because I think it will benefit my readers! I know you’re the exact same way, Adrienne. So, I’ve gone down the path and learned a big lesson, so you’ll see that different on my blog this week, no more You’re a Gem – Thank You!
Of course, I will still show my appreciation by commenting on the post and thanking them publicly in comments and on social media. But no more opportunity to brown nose, as Richard would say. lol
The biggest golden nuggets for me in this blog post, is this:
“We’re in the people business.”
Absolutely true, and the folks that truly understand that and live by it and work by this foundational belief will definitely achieve their goals.
Helping folks get a solution to their problem or a desired result that they don’t have now is exactly what I’m working toward. I’m in the background, and the big named people are in the background because they don’t need my help.
GREAT message that needed to be shared. You’re definitely in tune with what’s happening out there, Adrienne – wonder why? LOL
Thanks, Sheryl, for having Adrienne – I really enjoyed it.
Have a good evening you two!
˜Carol
Carol Amato recently posted..Multi-Tasking Can Slow You Down
Hi Carol,
So happy to be here this month at Sherryl’s place sharing my knowledge with her readers.
I love that, you’re a “hard core” blogger.
I think we are all still a work in progress because there is always more to learn or areas we can improve upon.
You’ve noticed it too? I was thrilled when I read Mandy’s post where she was admitting having done that herself. At times you kind of think you might be nuts but I knew something was up.
I definitely agree with you about never really knowing someone’s true motive behind a post but I have definitely noticed that they were trying to get the attention of others. From reading their other posts and getting to know them as a person then you can tell. If you’re not able to get to know them because they’re not as open, well there’s your answer right there.
Oh, that’s too bad Carol because those that honestly did share your stuff or link to you with good intentions, well that was an extra special kind gesture. For the reason you’ve decided not to do it anymore is the reason I never started in the first place. I appreciate those who share great stuff but my goodness. The people that abuse it, shame on them. Listen up people!!!
You’re one of the good gals Carol and I know that you only had the sincerest and best intentions when you started that. I’m just so sorry that others have abused it in that way just to get your attention and be mentioned.
Absolutely Carol, we’re all in the people business my friend. So let’s do what we do best and that’s to help our audience with the issues they’re having. We both know we’ll be rewarded in some way or how later on. Just keep being ourselves, continue helping those in need and the rest will work itself out.
Thank you for sharing your views with us and I always appreciate your visit. You always add such value to the conversation and I for one appreciate the heck out of it.
You have a glorious day and a wonderful week my friend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Adrienne,
I’m the one who is happy that you’re here sharing your knowledge with my readers. You add so much insight to this conversation and your post was terrific! You’ve clearly outlined what we need to do.
I’m confident that everyone here is happy that you have shared your strategies with us.
I totally agree that we can all learn from each other. Very few people (if any) can achieve success alone.
I remember when I first started blogging and didn’t know anyone online. It was lonely and I spent a lot of time trying to figure it all out for myself.
Thankfully, I implemented my “stalking the popular kids” strategy, got on the radar screen of influential bloggers and I was off. The thing is that there are lots of people out there who really do want to help others succeed.
I believe that the people who are commenting in this thread all genuinely want to help others.
It’s a wonderful community to be a part of.
Sure, there are some bloggers who don’t want to help and there are others who really shouldn’t be offering to help at all.
For example, in my last blog post, I shared an email that was sent to me by a connection on LinkedIn. This man apparently found my website while I was in the throes of configuring the WPtouch Mobile plugin. to work on my site.
(BTW – I’ve since been was able to get WPtouch working and my site now passes the “mobile-friendly” test. Thanks to you for pointing me in the right direction on that one!)
Anyway, this man had obviously identified websites that were failing Google’s test and he was soliciting business from his connections. For $2,999, he would have my site on a new responsive theme in two weeks. Of course, this was a special offer for his LI connections.
Needless to say, that man is no longer a connection of mine. I only hope that no one rewarded his bad behavior. (Maybe karma will get him! 🙂 )
Again, thanks so much for your post. I can’t believe this is the first time you;ve guest blogged here and I hope it’s not the last.
I hope you’re having an awesome week!
Hi Carol,
As always, it’s great to see you here. Adrienne has definitely shared two blogging strategies that are relevant today.
As for human connections, I often think some people hide behind their computers and forget that the online world is very much like the brick and mortar world.
Many online groups are similar to Chambers of Commerce, BNI networking chapters and other professional organizations as well. Just as you wouldn’t want to be known as that aggressive person who goes around thrusting business cards in everyone’s hand at a real-life business event, we shouldn’t be self-promoting and hawking wares in social online groups either. (You risk being known as “that” person.
Instead, as Adrienne (and you and others have pointed out) we should be trying to help each other.
I like the biggest “golden nugget” that you took away from Adrienne’s post. Another one that I really like is:
“Your supporters and fans will be there till the end, Google won’t”.
As much as I blog about SEO now, for years I blogged about commenting and online networking. My reason for concentrating more on SEO now is because I believe that I can help people by explaining some of the aspects of search engine optimization in a way that’s easy to understand. (Yes. I want to help people.)
Having said that, I’m in total agreement with Adrienne that the value of having a community that you can depend upon far exceeds the benefits of having a well optimized website.
I’m so glad that you took the time to add your insight to this conversation Carol. I know how busy everyone is and I truly value the time it takes to participate in a discussion like this.
BTW – I’m the same as you in believing that we all can learn from each other!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..What Is Your Response to Googleâs Mobile Friendly Update? #FridayFinds
Hi Adrienne,
Great to see you here on Sheryl’s blog.
These two strategies are needed if one wants to be a blogger and stand out in the crowd…and what a crowd it is these days lol.
Indeed, it is all about relationships. We cannot go it alone otherwise we will end up in the blogger graveyard. I know when it comes to relationships on and off your blog, you are the queen!
We have to put ourselves out there, and be proactive with other people. It is the backbone of organic growth. I did realize this when I first came into blogging ergo the word “tribe” after my name. It is sort of a nudge telling others, we need a bunch of people in order to succeed.
When we lift up other people, help them out, even in little ways by sending them a pm, it is a start of a friendship. It really doesn’t take much, just some time … keeping our eyes open to what are the needs of others.
Thanks once again!
-Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted..Growing Your Online Business
Hey Donna,
It’s good to be over here at Sherryl’s blog today, happy she invited me.
You’re right, what a crowd it is and I know that for so many people they have no clue how they can stand out. They can though if they just go about this the right way.
You have to be open to making those connections with other bloggers. Your audience as well whether they’re bloggers or not. These are the people who will support you for sure.
I’m glad you could see the writing on the wall. You probably knew this though from your offline business where the rest of us were of the employee mindset still. It’s great to learn this though and start reaching out to others. You’re right, just a pm will do. It’s a start of making that connection with someone else.
Thank you Donna for your visit, I really appreciate it and you have a wonderful week my friend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi, Donna,
I had to add my 2 cents here – I met you thru Adrienne’s blog/social media – she knows of which she speaks, right?
I’m glad we met that way!
Sue
Sue Anne Dunlevie recently posted..30 Free Tools To Fix Your Blog’s SEO
Sue,
This is wonderful seeing how many people have met each other through Adrienne. I believe that’s how I met Donna too!
Hi Donna,
“What a crowd it is these days” . . . well said! There is so much competition for an audience these days, that it’s easy to get lost.
That’s why it’s so important to extend our “reach”. Thankfully, you, Adrienne and I have worked hard to build communities and we’re fortunate that so many people support us. For new bloggers, just trying to get on someone’s “radar screen” can be overwhelming.
“Organic growth” – that’s a wonderful way to express what happens Donna.
We do need others to survive! Like many others, I lost my “corporate” job to down-sizing and found myself working from home as a business consultant. It was lonely at first. I missed people.
Soon, I started following some of the better known “gurus”. Some wouldn’t pay me a second glance. Others replied to every comment I left and many reached out to me. They made me feel welcome. Over the years, many of us have become frineds.
There are so many people online who truly want to help each other succeed. Call it a tribe, a community or whatever. It’s great to be a part of what’s going on here. 🙂
As always, thanks so much for joining the conversation. Just seeing the interactions here in the comments is testament that Adrienne’s blogging strategies work.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Comment for Backlinks on DoFollow Enabled CommentLuv Blogs?
Hi Adrienne, Actually I don’t think everyone loves blogging or else so many wouldn’t have quit. But maybe if they followed your two rules they wouldn’t have needed to quit.
I completely agree with your about these two rules. The first one is the basis for The Wonder of Tech. I will write about a tech topic if I think it will help even one person. Someone this weekend said that they loved to read all the tech news at my blog.
I thought that was kind of funny because I will cover tech news if I think it will be helpful to my readers, but mostly I try to write about whatever tech will be helpful. I often write about topics such as What Is the Cloud? which isn’t tech news but is a topic many people are confused about.
You’re right, especially in tech blogs, so many just report on news because tech is always changing. But many of those changes won’t matter to people so why write about them? One topic I avoid is tech rumors. I know that writing about rumors of what will be in the next iPhone would bring me plenty of readers but it wouldn’t help anyone.
Your second point is also spot on. I really believe that what makes blogs appealing is the personal connection. Your writing style is so conversational that people really feel as if they know you just from reading your words. You respond to every comment and reach out to your readers.
One way I try to reach out to readers is by answering their questions in articles. Wonder of Tech readers are especially brilliant so if someone is asking a question, chances are others are wondering about that too. People know that they can ask me tech questions and I will answer them. Sometimes an email isn’t enough so I publish a full-blown article on the topic.
Thanks for sharing the secrets to blogging success here at Sherryl’s place, Adrienne. Perhaps if people follow your advice, fewer of them will leave the blogosphere!
Carolyn Nicander Mohr recently posted..Lost Your Android Phone? Find It on Google!
Hi Carolyn,
I think I’m going to have to agree with you on that one. Maybe it was what they could do for others but obviously when they were having little success with blogging, they quit. I think if most people from the very start understood what it really took then that would be a great decision maker for them to move forward. It does take a lot of time and patience and I know that’s something not a lot of people have.
You definitely help us learn about tech in a way that we understand it Carolyn. If we have more questions you’re so patient with us because tech can really be over a lot of people’s head, me included as you very well know.
That’s a good point because things that are going on in the news is just that, it’s news. Is that going to help someone who wants to understand what the heck a cloud is or how to locate their phones if they lose them? I think those are more things your audience is interested in but when there is some type of late breaking big stuff, it can be important as well.
Thank you for contributing to this topic Carolyn because you are a great example of doing this the right way for your audience and you really are open to helping everyone. That’s how this is done successfully.
I do hope people will follow my advice, I would hate to see any more of our friends leave.
You enjoy your week, thanks for the comment.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Carolyn,
Your blog is a great example of helping others. I pride myself in trying to keep up with new technologies but no one could possibly do that. (Unless, maybe if it were their full-time job!)
What makes your blog great is that sometimes, you introduce us to something new but often you’re simply shedding new light on something that has been around for a while. Maybe you’re highlighting a specific feature or sharing an opportunity (like the time you prompted us to perform a Google security check and get 2 GB of free Google Drive space as a bonus).
I think both you and Adrienne have a conversational style to your blogs. That’s key to engagement. It feels like your readers are welcome to “pull up a chair” and join the conversation. It makes it fun to participate.
Thanks so much for joining us today Carolyn!
Hi Susan,
I’m glad this post spoke to you but I’m so sorry to hear that you’re struggling. I think that we all have to decide for ourselves but I tell ya, if you’d like to talk about it I’m here for you. I happen to be going through something similar although just trying to decide which direction I want to go. I know I have something important to say so I don’t want to throw in the towel but I do get where you’re coming from.
Seriously, if I can just add some more thought to it I’m happy to do do. Please do take me up on it if you want okay!
Thank you for your visit and hang in there my friend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Adrienne,
“Helping your readers”. “Making the human connection.” You’ve captured — recaptured — the original intent of “hyperlinking” the internet.
Oh and thank you for linking to Mandy Edward’s article. That image she used of the B.S. bag tells the story in a few words. (I thought, “yay! a barf bag for the regurgitated crap bombarding us left and right!”)
Maybe, just maybe, in some cases bloggers are uninspired so they don’t know what to write about. (Your advice to solve a problem helps with that IF they know why they’re blogging and have something to offer the public.)
In other cases, there are definitely bloggers who simply cannot write (yep, I said it!). That’s not an indictment, but it does set bloggers up to “kinda copy” what’s already been written. They would be more true to themselves if they video-blogged or audio-blogged (podcasts) because that takes the pressure off of them to “write” and frees them up to “engage.”
I’ll stop there, Adrienne!
This is a time for truth-telling. Thank you for sharing some, telling it like it is, because countless bloggers need to hear it (and act accordingly). Well done, well said.
Hi Vernessa,
Thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoyed what I had to say.
I think at times the message has to continue to be repeated until people “get it”. It’s about helping your readers darn it and making those human connections.
I’ve seen more and more of this and when I read what Mandy had to share I was thinking to myself, okay I’m not crazy. I know that some find it harder and harder to decide what it is they should write about but when you listen to your audience they’ll tell you. Even if you’re able to help just one person, that’s enough. You know there will be more than one that’s having that same issue.
I agree, there are some people who just can’t write. One thing I’ve learned through this process though is that it can be learned. It’s yet another skill that they’ll need to continue to study. Or they can go another route like your suggestion of doing videos or audios. They are huge and I’m sure they would come across so much better.
Thank you Vernessa for your comment and your thoughts. I really appreciate it and great to see you again.
Have a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Vernessa,
It’s always nice to see you here and refreshing to read your comments. There is a lot of “regurgitated crap bombarding us” and . . . yes . . . some people can’t write well. That’s not an excuse for not being original though. I follow a few blogs that aren’t written well but somehow, they capture my attention. Your suggestion to create videos or pod casts is excellent for all of us but it definitely is a great suggestion for anyone who doesn’t enjoy writing.
Remember when we used to talk about “finding our blogging voice”? That is as true today as it was years ago. I think we need to have conversations with our readers. If someone is struggling with writing or are uninspired, they need to ask themselves if they should even try. Personally, I think it’s best to not publish than to put something out there that I’m not proud of.
Solving problems is excellent advice. We can ask our readers what they want to hear about. Lots of time, we can just read through the comments for ideas. (Okay, if someone here is saying they don’t have comments, read comments on other blogs. Engage . . . and work on that!) We can also find inspiration on social media and groups. The opportunities are there.
As always, thanks so much for joining the conversation Vernessa (and telling it like it is)!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..How Can you Improve Your Website Blog? #FridayFinds
Hi, Adrienne,
Great post! I totally agree and you are the master of these two “rules”.
Relationships are everything – I found this post thru a relationship you and I have built over the months.
You were on my podcast and now we help each other out when needed – all because you called me when I signed up for your free gift! I wasn’t at home but was SO impressed when I got the message that I emailed you as soon as I got home.
So a simple “reaching out” by you now has a loyal fan for life in me!
Sue
Sue Anne Dunlevie recently posted..30 Free Tools To Fix Your Blog’s SEO
Hi Sue,
I’ll definitely take that compliment and I can’t say it enough on just how well both of these really work. I mean we are here to help others right so listen to our audience and give them what they want.
I think that human connection is crucial to us moving forward because we can’t do this alone. I’m so glad you opted in and although I missed you that day that I called we have connected since then and like you said, you invited me to be on your podcast. How fun is that.
Thank you Sue for sharing your thoughts on this and I really do appreciate it.
You have a wonderful week and you have a loyal fan in me too! 😉
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Women and Money in Business – It’s Complicated!
Hi Adrienne,
I don’t know if I ever knew how you and Sue met. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m often in awe to see how much you accomplish. It takes time to reach out in all the ways that you do.
BTW – I met Sue through you. Not only did I read her comments, I often saw you sharing her posts.
I don’t know how many blogs you subscribe to but you always seem to be on top of the latest posts. To be honest, one of the ways that I keep up with the latest articles is seeing the CommentLuv links left on your blog and your tweets! Oh – and Triberr too.:)
Thanks so much my friend for guest blogging here today. I know many readers here will benefit from your insight.
Thanks so much, Adrienne! You made my day 🙂
Sue
Sue Anne Dunlevie recently posted..30 Free Tools To Fix Your Blog’s SEO
Hi Sue,
It’s so nice to read how you and Adrienne met. I believe I first met you on Adrienne’s blog and then we began connecting on social media and sharing each other’s content.
I’m really amazed me when I think about how many of my connections are in Adrienne’s circles. She certainly earns the title “Engagement Superstar”! 🙂
At a time when a lot of bloggers abandoned the CommentLuv plugin (too much spam, too much work moderating comments and cleaning up backlinks etc.), you, Adrienne and I continue to use it. I think that in itself is testament to how strongly the three of us believe in building a community.
There are times when I go to one of your blogs and just follow CommentLuv links. It’s a win-win-win for all of us.
Thanks so much for adding your insight and sharing your story with us. I hope both of you have an amazing week!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Does SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Confuse You? #FridayFinds
Hi, Sherry,
So that’s how we met. Adrienne and her blog and social media posts have introduced me to so many great people – like you!
I agree – CommentLuv is one of the best ways to build a community – I never see as many comments as there are on CommentLuv blogs.
It’s great to spend some of my Monday today with you two 🙂
Sue
Sue Anne Dunlevie recently posted..30 Free Tools To Fix Your Blog’s SEO
Sue,
I have met countless people through Adrienne’s blog and by following links in her tweets and Facebook shares.
CommentLuv has served me well. It makes it very easy to “blog hop” from one site to another.
Thank you for spending time with us! 🙂
You’re article speaks to me on so many levels. I have been struggling of late, trying to decide if all the energy I’ve been putting into my blog is worth it. Does anyone really care? I think I’ve stayed true to myself but is what I do and say of any interest? I feel at a crossroads and I’m not sure where it will lead – time will tell. sigh!
Susan Cooper recently posted..Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio: #Wine
Hi Susan,
Sorry to hear that you’re struggling lately. You certainly can’t tell that by reading your blog!
You have accomplished so much over the last few months. Your website redesign is great and you’re continuing to create new illustrations and great content. Plus, as one of the managers of our LinkedIn “Bloggers Helping Bloggers” group, you’re building a solid community.
Have you taken any “me-time” lately? You know, almost everyone who has been blogging for a while admits that they reach a point where they need to refresh. Honestly, I’ve been at that point myself recently, Actually, I’m still going through it. We should talk soon!