by Tanya M
Mom’s Small Victories
momssmallvictories.com
@momsvictories
Bloggers need to have great content, but creating a sense of community on your blog is vital to developing a personal relationship with your readers that keeps them coming back for more. We know blogging requires creativity, hard work and plenty of time. The time you invest in creating a sense of community on your blog will pay off in the long run with more worthwhile engagement on your blog and social media.
Here are my top 5 tips for creating a sense of community on your blog:
1. Reply to comments.
It may seem like a no-brainer or maybe it’s the easiest thing to let slide, but replying to comments is an essential first step to creating a sense of community on your blog. Especially for new visitors, it’s the perfect opportunity to ask a question to get to know them better, how they found your blog and get a sense of what type of content interests them. Sure, you could just say “thanks for visiting” but that ends the interaction with your reader. Writing an engaging and thoughtful comment can help you keep the conversation going and help you grow your community.
2. Find your connection and remember it!
Whether it’s in your blog comments or on social media, ask questions of your readers as if you were chatting on the phone. My more popular posts on my blog Facebook page often are the ones where I ask a simple question of the day like how many kids or pets they have, what’s for dinner or where they live. Reveal a little bit about yourself and encourage readers to share their answers. Find out what you have in common and remember the little details that makes that reader special to you and your blog. Remember those thoughtful details in your future conversations. It shows you’re a good listener and truly care about what your readers are saying.
3. Sometimes Smaller is Better.
Large linkups, chats and events in your niche are often valuable in gaining exposure to many readers at one time. However, it’s also easy for your name to get lost in the masses. Are you able to visit all 1,000 people that have signed up for the event or all 50,000 bloggers in the network? Well, then it’s likely that not everyone will see you or your blog either. Find smaller linkups, chats and events where you can visit and focus your attention with everyone on a more personal level. The hosts and participants will be most appreciative of your presence and you will find the experience more rewarding and less overwhelming. The quality of the interaction with your reader or fellow blogger is far more important in growing your community than the quantity.
4. Create Your Own Opportunities.
There are plenty of social media groups, linkups and events to join in the blogosphere. The question is are you a follower or a leader? The best thing I did for creating a sense of community was create my own opportunities to invite people to my blog community with my own ideas and my own rules (or in some cases lack of rules). My blog mission is to celebrate “small victories”, helping people focus on the positive things in our everyday lives. So I started a Small Victories Sunday Linkup inviting participants to my blog to linkup their best, positive, inspiring content. Though the linkup took a hiatus for the summer, the readers I developed a deeper relationship with continue to visit and some are joining me to help relaunch it. One of my passions is reading. So when the host blog of a reading challenge I enjoyed disappeared, I loosened up the rules and started the Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge. Hosting these linkups and events myself allows readers to return to my blog and interact with them to discuss things I am passionate and enthusiastic about. What’s your blog mission? What are you passionate about? Figure out how you can turn it into a linkup, event or social media group where you can invite and interact with your readers.
5. Don’t be Afraid to Ask.
It was one of my 50 bookish bucket list goals to host an event for book bloggers. I had some pretty lofty ideas for the event. I was very nervous but reached out to book bloggers, publicists and authors about my ideas for the Travel the World in Books Readathon. The outpouring of support totally exceeded my expectations. Participants had so much fun, we started a Google + group and a Goodreads group to find more ways to grow and discuss the world of books. In retrospect, the first step was simple: just ask. What results can be far better than what you can accomplish on your own. Collaborating with other bloggers helps your blog’s reach, turns ideas into reality and most of all, is much more fun!
About Tanya
Tanya is a member of the NCBN. She left the workforce to be a stay-at-home mom to her 3 energetic and lovable kids (Einstein, Superstar and Daredevil), 4 if you include Superhubby who she calls her biggest kid of all. She is young at heart despite coping with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), a chronic and incurable autoimmune system disorder impacting her joints. Besides being a Rheumatoid Arthritis mom, she is an avid reader and voracious recipe collector. She loves to share her thoughts and engage in discussions about good books, good food and tips she learns along the way to deal with the challenges of motherhood and RA. She loves to try new family activities and go on road trips. As she says, “In our gorgeous state, we are only a few hours drive from the beach and the mountains!”
kimbacaffeinate says
Fantastic tips Tanya, I utilize all of these tips daily and couldn’t agree more!
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
Thanks Kim. You have a great community of supporters too. I appreciate you sharing this with your Sunday Salon linkup!
Allison Barrett Carter says
I mentioned to another commenter, this gives us a great idea for a post: favorite link ups! You all will have to let us know what yours are!
momssmallvictories says
Oh Allison, I’m a linkup fanatic! i will have to update my link up party page to share with you!
Julie says
Great post! I agree about the comments and the smaller link ups and communities. Great ways to really interact with people.
Allison Barrett Carter says
That was my personal favorite piece of advice. I love smaller linkups, too, and see so much value in them!
momssmallvictories says
Thanks Julie and Allison. I do better I think in smaller and more intimate settings. I’d rather get to know a few people really well than just have a fleeting or more generic relationship. The smaller linkups definitely help in being able to visit everyone.
Thanks for stopping by Julie, I appreciate your support!
Christie @ Practical Princess Diaries says
I was just talking about this today with a blog friend of mine. This couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you! I will be sharing this with her.
Allison Barrett Carter says
We love when the universe works out that way! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Christie and glad you found Tanya’s tips as wonderful as we did!
momssmallvictories says
Thanks Christie, glad my tips came at a good time for you!
Sarah's Book Shelves says
I’m totally with you on the small link-ups…I’ve found on the smaller ones that most participants tend to visit and comment on every other link and I get much more interaction that way. I actually get less traffic from the big link-ups and don’t visit as many other blogs from there….the list is just too overwhelming!
For books, I really like Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea Tuesday Intros link-up…it’s smaller and everyone is engaged. It’s also a great way to find new books!
Allison Barrett Carter says
Sarah this gave us a great post idea: Link ups we love! If anyone has any other ones, they should let us know so we can share them! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such a great comment!
momssmallvictories says
I totally agree Sarah! I am easily overwhelmed and while the big linkups are great for attracting new sporadic readers to my blog, the smaller ones with regular participants allow for a more personal connection when we visit one another week after week. Thanks for stopping by Sarah and your support!
Alayna says
These are some amazing tips! I will definitely be using these ideas in the near future. Thanks for your help!
Allison Barrett Carter says
Thanks for stopping by, Alayna. Glad you found Tanya’s tips as helpful as we did!
momssmallvictories says
Aw, thanks Alayna.
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says
Awesome advice! I keep wondering if I’m doing a good job of building community. I just created a Facebook page, so hopefully that will help!
Allison Barrett Carter says
Having a Facebook page is great Janelle. Be patient with its growth since I know that Facebook is tough on bloggers right now, but it will really help with the community Tanya shares. Thanks for visiting!
momssmallvictories says
Thanks Janelle. I think Facebook is great for building a more personal relationship with readers since it’s the easiest way for me to start a conversation with my readers. I agree though with Allison, Facebook’s algorithms are tough to get through but I still love it when I get a notification that someone responded to a question I asked or a post. Good luck with your page and hope it helps with building your community.
Mommy's Kitchen says
Great tips, I almost do all of them except for asking questions on FB. I never thought of this one.I will try it next. THANKS 🙂
Allison Barrett Carter says
Aren’t they great tips!? I realized, too, that asking questions and allowing people to be heard makes a HUGE difference in making them feel involved.
momssmallvictories says
Glad you found a new idea to add to your repertoire Mommy’s Kitchen! I especially find that food related conversations get great interaction. What’s for dinner or asking people for help (like I have chicken on hand, what should I make with it) are especially good. I agree with Allison, people like to be heard and feel helpful. Good luck and hope this tip improves your Facebook interaction.
Lory @ Emerald City Book Review says
For months I thought about hosting my first blog event, Witch Week — I was nervous about asking for help, but once I did I was amazed at the positive response once I plucked up my courage and did it. I’m in the middle of Witch Week now and it’s been so much fun. Now I can’t wait to plan another event!
joyfullyorganized says
That’s great! So glad you were able to ask for help & find such a positive response!
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
It definitely helps get over the fear of asking when the response is so wonderful. While I know I can’t get that lucky all the time, it sure helps get over the initial fear.
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
So glad that your first event turned out so well Lory! The same thing happened with our first Readathon event, I was excited to keep the momentum and host more events. As we discussed on our blogs, you had some great future event ideas and I wish you the best of luck with them.
Rachel says
Great tips. I like how you ask simple questions on Facebook. A good way to understand your readers better. Thanks for sharing.
joyfullyorganized says
Yes, asking simple questions, especially on Facebook can help your readers become more involved. It’s also a great way to get to know your readers better as well!
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
Thanks Rachel. I truly appreciate all your support of my blog and answering my questions. I do enjoy getting to know my blogging friends and readers better and the only way to do that is ask!
Savvy says
I’ve found the “just ask” tactic to be helpful too. I remember the first couple of times being so surprised by the response. Also agree with you about small linky parties. I’ve noticed in the big parties my posts are almost always lost – unless I’m lucky enough to be the first poster or two. One area I let go too often when I’m busy is to not answer my comments quickly enough – I think that should be my #1 blogging goal for next year.
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
I’m so glad that when I asked you to cohost our challenge and event that you were so kind to agree. I do feel that collaborating with other bloggers is much more fun than running these events alone and appreciate your support and blogging friendship too! I feel like I get lost in the big parties too, you are so right that being towards the top is important. In my Small Victories Sunday linky, I had the most recent post show at the top so everyone had a chance to have that coveted top spot.
I think it’s easy to lose sight of replying to comments, one of those things we know we need to do and come back to. I just have to let you know that with Blogger, you need to do some special coding for your reader to get an email when you respond to the comment. I don’t know when you respond to the comments I leave, I just have to check back.
Victoria Virgo says
These are great ideas. I always respond to my comments – I might be delayed by a couple of days, but I get there in the end.
I have seen and taken part in Link parties but have never thought to do it myself. It always looked so dificult to set up. Will have to look into that one.
Thanks for the tips 🙂
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
Thanks Victoria, it’s great that you reply to your comments. Linky parties are not hard to setup at all. I use inlinkz and it’s quite simple. The hard part of the linky party is making sure you can visit everyone that links up. But that’s a great problem to have, just means that your party is growing and having co-hosts split up the commenting can help greatly. If you decide to host a linky party, let me know, I’ll check it out and link up if I can.
Nish says
Came here from spread the love linky party. These are some great tips that you share. I often struggle to keep some engagement going on my blog, Facebook, and Twitter. These tips you share sound simple and not too time-consuming.
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
Hi Nish, thanks for stopping by and glad you found the tips easy and useful. I’m going to have to check out your Facebook page, I don’t think I’m following you yet there.
Suzanna says
I love this post, Tanya! I have actually started working on starting my own FB groups for bloggers that share my niche and that’s been so much fun to grow. Starting my own link-ups is a great idea too (and I can’t wait to check yours out!)
Kelly says
Some great tips here for a relatively new blogger like me. I love how you asked about whether you are a follower or a leader. It really put things into perspective