How To Support Your Favorite Bloggers
About once a month this post pops into my head and I think and think about it and then I never actually get it written. Usually it is triggered by some event that has happened and I don’t want to write it out of spite or anger and then when nothing is going on and blog life is good then I don’t want to jinx it or I don’t want to relive the negative side of blogging. This time, I’m writing it and if it just makes one person think about how to support your favorite bloggers then my job here is done.
Before I was a blog writer, I was a blog reader. I’ve said it many times here before, but it bears repeating. I started reading blogs to learn how to coupon, but I continued reading blogs because I could read about people, their families, their advice, their good days and bad days. I’ve learned so much about people and I’ve met so many great people from reading blogs. When I decided to start blogging I reached out to one of my favorite bloggers and she encouraged me to get started. My world opened up back then and life just hasn’t been the same ever since. But I often wonder how do people support their favorite bloggers on a regular basis? How do other bloggers support each other daily? What is the best way to support your friends and your colleagues when you have an online relationship or an online friendship?
I’ll tell you this. I have subscribed by email to about 20 blogs and I have a filter in my email so that these subscriptions go to a “reading” folder. Every day I go into that folder and look through what my friends are writing and I read. I read a lot. I read for a living and then in my spare time I read blogs. I’m reading what you’re writing. Why? Because I want to support you. I know you are putting your heart and soul into your blog, not only because it is making you money or helping you work through something in your life, but simply because you wrote it and you wrote so others would see it.
Do I get anything in return? Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t matter because that is not why I am reading.
Do I always comment and share and shout to the world that they should read it, too? No, because that is not who I am. I am a quiet, reserved person who listens with her heart. I will comment from time to time, as often as I possibly can, to let you know that I’m around and I’m listening. But is that enough?
I think about my own blog and where I would like to go with it. It’s a random blog about my life. I wrote my family story and I write about my husband and my boy. I throw in a few crafty posts from time to time, and I write about my weight loss journey, but how do I get my readers to really hear what I have to say? How do I know that anyone is listening?
The truth of the matter is, I don’t know and maybe I don’t need to know. Maybe I just need to read and support my favorite bloggers in my own way, whether I get something in return or not.
Here’s a tough truth that happened to me recently. I’m a part of a tribe on Triberr and I go in to share my tribe’s posts every other day or so. I’m not always good about remembering and to be honest, I don’t share every single post, but I do share 95% of them. Recently I was turned down for a really big opportunity because it appeared that I was promoting a competing company by tweeting out one of those posts. I was hurt. I cried. But one thing I do know is that while I might be slightly more careful about what I tweet from that tribe, I will NOT change the way I support the tribe members.
What I’m going to change is how I feel about the support I give. I’m going to continue giving the full support to my favorite bloggers as I always have. I’m going to continue searching for new blogs to follow where I know I connect with their writing. And…I’m going to build up my confidence and know that what I’m doing is enough, is uplifting to others, is who I am…and is just what I was meant to do.
Want to know how to support your favorite bloggers – Pay It Forward! Want to know how to love on me – Read my guest post on How to Love a Fat, Shy Girl!
I try to do more than asked. If a fellow bloggers asks my thoughts on a post. I’ll do more than just comment. If it resonates with me, I might share it on another network too so others can see it. And I always click over to another page!:)
Kerri (TheMaven) recently posted..Thor: The Dark World DELETED SCENE
I’m completely addicted to reading blogs so I’m always helping just a little more than asked (or even when I’m not asked) and I just know it will come back around someday!
There are so many bloggers that I love, but they get so much love back that I think my comments may not matter. I do leave comments thoughas I know how encouraging they can be, (especially to those not on the big radar)
Any comment is uplifting so keep doing what you are doing!
Commenting and sharing the love (whether personally or via social media) makes a blogger feel good and is very appreciated!
Heather recently posted..A Girl and Her Daddy
Yes, yes it is!
I comment to show my support. But I love your idea of having the subscribed blogs going to a specific mail folder. I think that is going to make my life a bit easier. Since this is my first year I am looking forward to a few blogging conferences, BlogPaws in May, BlogHer in July , and Barkworld in November
to meet everyone I have met along the way.
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Those conferences sound like fun! I’m terrified of BlogHer because I’m so shy and I’m not big into parties. I’m planning to attend SoFabCon so far this year, but I really want to attend a Bloggy Boot Camp as well.
I have to say I started out on my blogging journey solely wanting to connect to others after being a reader of blogs and being touched by so many stories and being welcomed into these bloggers’ lives.. and then when I saw there was an opportunity to make money, it started turning into how to how to get better stats and it just feels like work! I so much want to go back to where my heart initially was so I can be passionate about what I write.
By the way, I am also part of a few tribes on Triberr. I love how it is set up and so easy to support fellow bloggers, but I never really thought about how what I’m sharing could potentially hurt a future blogger-brand relationship! Thanks for your honest post and I look forward to reading more and showing my support!
Anna Mujica (A Sensible Momma) recently posted..Blast Zone Bounce House #Giveaway! Ends 3/12
I’m always happy to hear that I have a new reader (yay!) and I love to see bloggers going back to basics and writing from the heart. That’s what started this whole blogging business and that’s where the real value is still held!
I love these events when I can meet some new bloggers. Your blog name caught my attention first. A lot of times I feel like I am going crazy, and it is much more fun when you can go with a friend. One of my March blog goals is to make a “Read” tab on my toolbar, so I can visit and support more blogs. I found that I missed a lot of things because they got lost in my inbox. Thanks for the reminder that I need to give more to get more
Jennifer @Making Our Life Matter recently posted..#Ad: Celebrating A Special Occasion With Hallmark’s Funniest Pet Cards
Jennifer, I’m so glad that I could inspire you to give a little more because I guarantee you will see it come back around!
I have a list of blogs that I follow as well. I don’t comment on all posts and with some of them, unless I feel a great connection with the blog and it’s topics, I won’t read every post either. I want people to comment on my blog because they are honestly interested about me and what I have to say. That said I do belong to a couple of FB groups where we comment on everyone’s posts, it helps to get us out there in the blogging world.
Rebekah recently posted..The Wonders of a Cabbage Leaf
Sharing your thoughts on blog posts definitely gets your own name out in the world!
Thank you for this timely post! I try to show support to my fellow bloggers by reading their latest posts and sharing their content, but I can get so caught up with trying to keep up with everyone else that I lose sight of why I love to blog in the first place. I started blogging simply just to write. I started following other bloggers just to read. I need to go back to just reading and writing!!
Marissa recently posted..Week 6 on Nutrisystem | Results #NSNation #Spon
I’m so glad that you found inspiration in my post. Reading and writing is what keeps blogs going! We have to lift each other up to raise the bar for the industry.
Great post Janet, I use a timer to keep me on track with all my daily tasks otherwise I would be all over the place and spending hours on one thing and then nothing else. I do it in 15 minute increments and some of those 15 minutes is for me to just go on and my tribes blogs and other blogs I love and comment/tweet/pin/ etc.
Melissa @ This Girl’s Life Blog recently posted..St. Patrick’s Day Nail Art
A timer sounds like a great idea. I do tend to go down rabbit holes sometimes when I’m looking at blogs, especially if they have the related posts plugin.
For me, the best motivation to keep blogging is getting feedback from readers. I know I have lurkers on my site- Google analytics tells me I have thousands of viewers who never bother to comment. It makes me sad. I hope more blog readers and fellow bloggers will make it a priority to simple say hello. It can definitely make a blogger’s day a lot more cheery!
Jelli recently posted..Chocolate Chip Cookie Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cups
I wonder sometimes if our readers know how much it means to us.
I love how you took what happened with the twitter share and took it as a lesson instead of blaming others. I find this often happens in the blogger world and it’s usually unintentional. I am so glad that you’re supporting your tribe.
You know, there was just nothing I could do about the company’s decision so I just changed a few things that I do and I had to move on!
Blogging is insanely hard for that reason! When I started out as a coupon blog, I did it because I wanted to help people. And I got zero response. After a while, I realized I loved blogging but not about couponing. SO, I started writing about what I love! And now I just write and if people see it ….great!
Carli recently posted..Jack N’ Jill All Natural Organic Toothpaste & Toothbrushes #Review
That is really the only way to be successful in blogging and enjoy what you do. Write what you know and eventually people will see it!
Thanks so much for sharing this great perspective, Janet! Being a part of the blogging community is wonderful and I have truly been blessed by the relationships I’ve made with other bloggers!
I think it’s the best community I’ve ever been a part of and I love to support others!
I think that a post that is all about how to love on other people’s blogs is AWESOME. It is really easy to forget in each of our own quests to do something special and worth while, that there are tons of other people trying to do the same. By taking the time to support those who really put themselves out there to say something unique, I think we raise the content bar overall. It is extremely brave of you to share something as personal and so incredibly human, as your weight loss journey. Bravo! When it comes to real and heartfelt writing, there is always someone listening. Keep up the fantastic work.
Rosanne recently posted..Stopping the Infertility Fear Spiral
Rosanne, this is one of the most special comments ever. I think when we take the time and effort to support others, we feel better about ourselves and we have the motivation to keep going on this blogging journey. Thank you for taking the time to write such a supportive comment!
I have only recently come to realize that I get so much from commenting on other peoples blogs. I have started to build friendships that would never have blossomed if I had not taken the trouble to comment. Now I have started to blog myself, I see what a big, personal boost it is when you get positive feedback, right there on your post!
Patti Barnes recently posted..Warm your Home Giveaway Event – Open WW ends 03/28
My favorite part about commenting and getting comments on blog posts is the friendships that are created. I have met so many people and learned so much about others by reading and commenting. It is what this blogging journey is all about.
I believe blogging is about community and sharing your perspectives. When it comes to supporting other bloggers, I don’t find that it is always mutually returned. So, for me, I don’t expect any support from bloggers. I do believe that if I want to attract new readers to what I have to say, I must use my social media platforms, on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, and StumbleUpon. People are going to these sites daily and looking for content, news, funny stuff, and new information for their own lives.
Yes, blogging is a community. Well, it’s supposed to be about community, but often times these days it’s about the numbers, your Alexa ranking, Google page ranking, getting campaigns from companies, and GETTING PAID. It’s where blogging has gone and where it will be for a while, if nothing changes. The big companies, reaching out to bloggers, are making it this way and that’s why many new bloggers are trying to be like everyone else, doing what other bloggers are doing already, instead of being original.
I just want to blog about stuff I enjoy and what I’m passionate about. I’m working on this new blog for my business and that’s the purpose for it, not to overwhelm myself with support or not from other bloggers. Blogging has become a serious business for most bloggers these days. My other blog has been around for 2+ years and is doing very well, but that’s because I put up what I want, work with companies I can relate to, and share my content with social media every time I post. All those things is what matters to me. In the end, if I find blogs that I can relate to, I will keep them in my bookmarks or subscribe to their mailing list, but I don’t make it a big part of my daily life of blogging. Thanks for sharing your perspective, Janet. Good Luck!
This is exactly what I meant in this post – that I’m going to continue supporting others whether I’m getting support back because in the long run that is what this blogging journey is all about. Writing and supporting others…and I believe it will come back around some day. Good luck to you as well!
I enjoyed your post for several reasons. I’ve been a blogger for quite a while and in the beginning I my thought was only to share about my family trips to Walt Disney World. Then I started hearing talk that some moms were making money on their blogs. So my focus went to how to do that. Major fail in that arena.
I failed because in all of my blogging I didn’t understand the importance of supporting other bloggers. That by not focusing so much on the money, but in making genuine friendships – my blog would grow. Because I am generally a quiet reader, that can be a challenge for me. Slowly but surely I am moving beyond my comfort zone.
Mardesia @ Keeping Your Cents recently posted..Guest Post: Disney Dreamers Academy Deep Dives
I’m so glad that you are finding your comment voice because this is a beautiful comment with openness and honesty. Thank you for taking the time to write such a meaningful comment.
Thats a great idea. I also like bloglovin for that. I just have to sit down at night and read. I have been really working on my blog but need to start sharing the love.
Candi recently posted..Recipe: Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub
Commenting can also be a great way to share your own blog with different blog readers, especially when the blog has CommentLuv or you can link up your own blog.
A “reading” folder, why did I not think of that! That is half the reason why I subscribing to other blogs because of clogging up my inbox. This idea is priceless! Thank you!
Haha! I wanted the emails, but I didn’t want to keep moving them to the folder. This way I am sure to get my important emails timely and have the others saved for when I can get to them!
I do try to comment on my favorite bloggers posts. Not all of them, but the ones that are especially meaningful to me. And I try to tweet or share their posts that I like but don’t comment upon. I agree, we need to support each other.
Robyn R recently posted..Taking a Risk as a Parent
Tweeting and sharing is just as important as commenting, especially when you have different followers to share them with!
What a great question, I read a lot but don’t comment all the time. Sometimes I will like a post to let my fellow blogger that I am reading. On blog that I Love if you haven’t written for sometime, I try to send a personal email or message to know I care and been missing their words. Thank you for sharing.
Crisi recently posted..Nothing Without Love
That is very sweet to check in on your favorite bloggers. I have done that from time to time as well.
Great thoughts! I’m not a huge commenter either, but I’m trying to be better. I love when folks comment on my stuff so I know others would like my comments. Thanks for the reminder to support others.
Tricia @ Our Provident Home recently posted..Menu Plan: Thursday, February 20th
Commenting on something that touches you or just a general hello really does go a long way. I have a friend who I met through blogging and I want her to write more personal posts so I ALWAYS comment on her personal posts no matter what. I hope this encourages her to write more from her heart from time to time.
This is a very good question that is probably on the minds of many (myself included). From what I gather, what you’re doing is supporting your fellow bloggers – so I say “Keep at it!” I’m new to the blogging world, so I have to build my readership, but I’m hopeful that if I keep at it, I will have a successful blog in the future.
Vivian recently posted..Obsessed With Reality
Vivian, I wish you the best of luck in this crazy blogging endeavor!
I love your personality. You have a heart of gold. So glad to have met you today.
Neva @ Retire for the Fun of it recently posted..A Winter So Cold To Make Niagara Falls and Hell Freeze
Neva, thank you so much! I always love meeting new people and checking out new blogs as well.
Janet – Thank you for sharing your heart with us. This has definitely opened up my eyes too about what I’m writing about and how I can be more transparent. I appreciate your honesty and your humility. Blessings to you on your blogging journey. Tina
Tina Halvorson recently posted..Young Living Lifestyle
Thank you, Tina. I reevaluate my writing all the time (sometimes too often) and I always love getting sincere comments so I guess all I can be is me.
This is wonderful advice we could all, who blog, live by. I linking up to other bloggers and I Hope that helps them in the future. I think its fun, great reading and most of the time, something I could really learn about.
Tammy recently posted..Worlds Cleanest Pet Bed: Wash ‘n Zip
Having people link to my blog is the BEST compliment I could ever receive. I love those little surprise pingbacks from time to time. They make me smile.
I love it when I get comments and people share out of the goodness of their heart because they like my content. Where I do have a problem is when you post in a group and you’re supposed to share everyone else’s content, yet some don’t reciprocate. That’s just rude. I put a lot of time into my blog and promoting/supporting others. It’s not fair to myself or the other bloggers in the group when people act like this.
Holly H recently posted..The Boy Behind the Blog: Valentine’s Edition
That is a very frustrating scenario, but you know, that always catches up to people and it all comes out in the wash. I try not to keep track of my giving versus others’ giving because I would just go insane. I also gave up on those group share things a long time ago and just visit my favorite blogs and try to discover new ones.
I have my favorite blogs bookmarked. I like to visit their sites on a weekly basis and catch up on their lives, activities etc. I do it weekly because then I can click on more than a single page which in turn helps their jump rates, and page views vs visitors and time spend on the site etc. Pus I cant visit them all daily, I just do not have the time. I do make sure to pin craft posts and things I would like to remember. I have been doing this since before I started blogging, before i understood what all of those analytics even were.
Jessi recently posted..Puro Fairtrade Coffee Review
This is really a great idea! I often just look at their daily email, but I had never thought about affecting the jump rate. I may have to rethink how I’ve been doing things and make a few changes.
Thank you for the suggestions. I read lots of blogs, but don’t often comment or share like I should. I know, it would go a long way toward building my blog as well as helping someone else out. I promise to change my ways!
Sarah recently posted..Is college worth it?
Sarah, especially when you can comment in a place where you can share your blog link or a blog that has CommentLuv. I actually have a loyal reader now who found me on another blog because of a comment that I left. She spent an entire day (when she “discovered” me) going through my blog and reading old posts and commenting. That was a pretty cool day.
What I love about the blogging community is that even though the majority of us are somewhat competition, we typically support one another in many ways. I love supporting fellow bloggers because we all share a common dream.
To show support I often share posts on different social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I also comment a lot, mention bloggers in different posts and as of right now I offer a free button swap to help promote those who are willing to promote me, too.
Cole recently posted..Self-Love And Eating Healthy
Isn’t that just cool when we can be happy for our fellow bloggers for getting opportunities even when we didn’t get that same opp? I’m more of a cheerleader type personality than a go-getter anyway. I just have to be me!
What a loyal follower you are! There are a few blogs I really enjoy, mostly because I’ve come to know the authors and consider them friends. It does take some time, and I probably don’t really get much in return, but that isn’t the point at all!
Marissa D recently posted..I will not fear the storm
I figure that if I’m loyal then eventually I will have a loyal follower or two someday. I’ve had some come and go with different posts and it always makes me smile to see the same name more than once.
Great post! I love your message of seeking out to encourage others and being selfless about it. It sounds like you have a great attitude.
Anna recently posted..Majestical Jewelry Review!
Thank you, Anna! I always hope to give as much as I can and someday it will come back to me in some way.
Comments are a huge boost but, pins are the biggest help as they drive the most traffic.
Jenn @ UpsideDownKids.com recently posted..5 Reasons Your Family Should Get Back to The Table W/Kids Cookbook Giveaway.
Jenn, I have had a few pins go a little crazy on Pinterest, but I don’t cook often and don’t craft pin-worthy things so I love comments almost more than pins. I like to pin for other people when they make amazing photos or graphics.
I am intrigued by this and I am ready and willing to support other bloggers more by commenting that way I can engage and they can engage with my blog too.. I love how you put yourself out there and have us enjoy it.. Great read
Desiree recently posted..HELP!! This is All About Hair
Desiree, thanks you so much for coming by and commenting. I love it when I get a comment and reply and that starts a conversation. I like knowing about my readers as much as I love putting myself out there!
What you wrote is very true. I have to be more conscious of leaving more comments. I have been sharing the FB pages of some of my favorite blogs, but a comment does give a needed boost. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Kay recently posted..Yummi Pouch Reusable Food Pouches (review)
I’ve learned that Facebook rarely gets me traffic so I try with Twitter and Pinterest. Twitter doesn’t get me much either, though. I just look for blogs in my groups and networks and go from there. Thanks for stopping by!
That is a wonderful post and I always try and pay it forward as well and I do shout outs on my blog to my readers as I want others to know them but like you sometimes I forget so I will do my best to get better at this.
Glenda Cates recently posted..Are you feeling your age?
Yes, it’s about giving what you can give and feeling confident in that whether you get anything in return or not. More than likely it will come back around someday.
I find it tough at times to feel encouraged to keep going with my site. I know…I am getting great pageviews my stats from google tells me that, BUT I don’t receive as many comments as I like. I know others are out their just looking for information. They get it, go and don’t say hello. I follow many site and try to comment and encourage other bloggers. we need it. It is hard work.
It IS hard work and we have to remember why we are doing this. If I’m writing because I want to solve a problem then knowing that someone came by and read what I wrote helps me know that I solved the problem for them. If I’m writing for my own enjoyment or to share my life, then I just have to know that eventually it will be seen and read. One time I met a girl at a conference and she quoted something from one of my first posts (I didn’t even remember writing it) and then told me that she has read my entire blog! Yet, I never knew it because she didn’t comment. So, while I love comments, they are not the only indication that I’m doing a good job.
As someone who blogs to make a living I completely relate to your post. Sometimes its just enough to know that people have come to my site and enjoyed it enough to stick around a read a bit. Comments or not (don’t get me wrong I love them because I get to engage with people), at least I know what I wrote about at that time was at least interesting to them.
On another note, if a company doesn’t want to work with you because you mentioned a competitor, its usually because they know the competitor is better. They don’t deserve you!
I love engaging with my readers, but I agree that the pageviews are nice as well. I agree that the company doesn’t deserve me as well. They don’t know what they’re missing!
Great thoughts! I struggle with finding time to read and comment but I do think it is important to build a network and support other bloggers. I need to schedule time especially for this task.
Bren recently posted..Spicy Supreme Hummus
I think it is essential for success in blogging to comment and support other bloggers. I try to schedule it just like my blogging tasks.
This was exactly the post I needed to read today! You put into words much of how I feel about my current blogging situation. I write primarily for me, and to document my family’s life. However I still want to be noticed, especially as I put much time into the thought and content of everything that appears. The best way I can think of to support my fellow blogging members is by leaving comments, following them, urging their passion forward. It truly helps to know others are out there, and this blog world helps to make the real world just a bit smaller;) !
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You made my day by saying this! Every time I write I hope that I can reach one person and you were my one today. Thank you for all that you do for your own blog and for others!
Your support does make a difference to others and is very much appreciated! Keep being you please and thank you.
Christy recently posted..A Tiki Bar in my living room? The G Spot is now open!
Thanks, Christy. You’re one of my favorite bloggers…if you didn’t already know.
I like to comment to show my support, but I also like to link to them in posts on my various blogs. Occasionally, if they sell something that I can use, I even buy stuff from them.
Rafael Marquez recently posted..I’m Not The Only Avgeek In Town
I like it when I can link back to other bloggers, too. Comments always make me happy!