Update: Tools and more tips here and here.
Well, I got a signal in the ether from Beth Kanter about Alison Lowndes asking how Ali could best promote the AVIF Volunteers blog to get the message out about her work with children in Kenya.
I’m no A-list blogger but have been pleased about connections my blogging has afforded me. Here’s my tips, for what they’re worth.
I can summarise them as the Four Ps
- Participate
- Plug-in
- Play
- Persist
.Participate
This could be called partake but participate is more fitting because it’s about giving. The first thing I think that anyone seeking in getting something because of blogging is to give to it. Notice I said ‘because’…that’s due to the fact that blogging is about giving, contributing…the fruit of your blogging comes because you share. (due kudos to Doc Searls’ because effect)
Get a reader and read, read, read what others write. Of course you’ll read what interests you, but read widely, assimilate the wisdom of others into your endeavours. Get rss working for you. Set up some searches on keywords about your interests and put the rss in your reader. As you get more advanced, get smart in your reading with filtering using something like Yahoo pipes.
Give your eyeballs to others and you’ll receive eyeballs.
.Plug-in
This is about immersing yourself and your blog in the culture. It’s about making connections.
Connections happen when stories overlap. So share your story openly and find other’s stories that overlap yours. The power of blogs is in their ability to connect and links are the wiring of the connection. So link, a lot. Link to people’s blogs or sites as you speak about them, give them due credit. Use trackbacks. Quotes. Provide a context in why you are using the link.
Be part of the blogging community (network). Look for stories and comment on them. Keep track of your comments. Always answer any comments you may get on your blog or anybody responding to comments you leave. Always respond to email enquiries you get from your blogging.
Better still, write a blog post rather than a comment if it’s a long comment about the article and put it in your context. Look for and write about similarities/differences etc – make sure to link to the post.
Have a consistent sign-off and name you use on comments. Try and make it unique. Build familiarity with that name. Track it with searches plugged into your rss reader.
To promote your blog, promote others.
.Play
Blogging should be enjoyable. This is a creative, digital medium, not a newspaper. The same rules don’t apply. Play with digital tools and toys.
Do mashups and blog about them. Snip bits of audio out you hear that’s relevant and put them on your blog and write about them. Snip up audio and video to convey a point or feeling. If you get an inkling of an idea, pursue it.
Follow your heart and others will too.
.Persevere
This is a building process that happens over time (unless you are a celebrity…don’t get me started)
Above all else, just keep going. Perseverance is 90% of success.
To help, set yourself short term, achievable goals. Like read x posts per week. Post x times in a given time you determine. But in the end, don’t beat yourself up about it if you don’t meet them. Remember point 3!
Know that what you write and give and contribute will last. Notwithstanding any catastrophe, what you write, create will be here indefinitely. There’s something about longevity and the possibilities and opportunities it can bring into the future by its permanence.
Track records bring rewards.
Dave