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This is part of the the book BLOGTASTIC! Growing and Making a Difference Through Blogging. You can read the table of contents and follow the book on this page:
See the table of contents for the book here: BLOGTASTIC project
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BLOGTASTIC!: Make more friends in the blogosphere fast!
More than money, ROI will come from blogging relationships. You can quickly create new relationships and deepen existing relationships through your blog.
You can meet new people through face-to-face events, but you can also meet new people through the blogosphere. Both are great ways to meet new people.
Let’s first look at traditional networking events. Suppose you attend a three-hour event, and you have quality conversations with a dozen people. On average, that’s a maximum of fifteen minutes per person. However, you’ll probably have a number of short conversations. So, you might spend ten minutes with twelve people. That’s just a little longer interaction than speed-dating.
During each of these short conversations, you will spend some time speaking and some time listening. You and your new contact will make quick assessments whether to have further conversations with you. Some of these people will become your friends. Networking events certainly work, and face-to-face meetings really can start or cement a relationship.
Now, consider what happens in the blogging world. You immediately expand your ability start conversations with people far and wide. In fact, you can engage in multiple conversations with people across the world—in Glasgow, Mumbai, New York, Krakow, and Rio de Janeiro.
Blogs allow you to carry on conversations with people asynchronously. People can comment on your blog while you’re asleep. When you blog, you leverage your time. With each post, you continue a conversation with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of readers. More importantly, you’re constantly inviting new readers to join your conversation.
Blogging allows you to enter a continuous, global networking event. You’ll expand your ability to meet new people and create surprisingly deep connections. Your blog readers will discover your ideas, attitudes, and insights without even meeting you in person. By reading other blogs, you’ll learn about other bloggers.
Many of my readers have never met me in person, yet they regularly read and comment in my blog. How deep can these relationships become? I have fortunate to have met a set of really great people. Many of my fellow bloggers and I have become close friends through our blogs. When one of us asks for help, the other honors the request with care.
A quick example is the “Quought for the Day” project that I launched in late 2007.
This is the email that I sent out to several of my blogger friends
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Dear <>,First of all, happy holidays to you and your family.
I know you are busy so I will be quick. I maintain a blog called Life Beyond Code where I get a thousands of pageviews a month. I have always believed that it is not always the answers but sometimes asking one good question is what is required to make a difference in a person’s life or business or both. So as we approach the new year, I am posting a series of questions that people should consider asking themselves in 2007 to get more out of their life or business or both. I am reaching out to several influencers like yourself to get those questions.
So, what is the ONE important question a person should ask himself or herself in 2007?Can I please request you to send me your question so that I can share it with my readers and link back to your blog or website?
I am hoping to run this series day after christmas holidays. Please send your question at your earliest convenience.
Thanks and Best Wishes,
Raj
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Many of my blogger friends responded immediately, and some also offered to introduce me to their friends. The project was a huge success in many ways. Readers of my blog were delighted to see so many wonderful questions. My relationship with my blogger friends went up a notch, and last but not the least, every one benefited from the increased traffic.
So, communicate, collaborate, and be nice to people in the blogosphere.
Blogging Tip: Your blog can act as a catalyst to enhance your relationships
Your blog will help you build the right relationships. Your blog readers self-select themselves when they start following your blog.
Rajesh Setty is an entrepreneur, author and speaker based in Silicon Valley. He maintains another blog called Life Beyond Code and tweets as @UpbeatNow