4 Benefits to Joining Blogging Communities
Written by Jennifer Brown Banks in
12 Comments
Back in the day when I was a little more ambitious about my health goals, and had more time to devote to maintaining my girlish figure, I joined a health club.
I would work out weekly.
I found that being surrounded by folks with similar goals and interests served as a great motivator and support system. We would share laughter and woes, and serve as each other’s cheerleaders.
The same opportunity exists for bloggers wishing to connect with like-minded people who are in the same niche group, of the same gender or profession, and have similar passions or platforms.
The ticket? Blogging communities.
As one popular adage states, “There is strength in numbers.â€
If you want to increase your exposure, build important alliances, learn from others who have embarked upon the same path, or reap other important benefits, blogging communities can help strengthen your blogging experience.
Here are a few things that they have to offer.
1. Many blogging communities have “member benefits†such as promotion of your book, event, class, or other activities for free, or at a significant discount.
2. The potential exposure through connections can cause an increase to traffic on your personal blog, providing you with greater visibility and impact.
3. Success by association—Who wouldn’t like to be associated with others who have achieved great levels of success as authors, prominent business people, and Internet influencers?
4. You can have your blogging/writing questions and concerns addressed through community bulletin boards and chats, minimizing the need for extensive online research.
Here are a few examples of blogging communities.
Blog Her.com — http://www.blogher.com/ As the name implies, this is a forum for women that offers support, networking, and a directory for members.
Midlife Bloggers—http://www.midlifebloggers.com—Addresses issues relevant to those in life’s “transition†stage.
Gather.com—http://www.gather.com/—Members share advice, expertise, commentary, and the potential for paid opportunities.
What’s your opinion on blogging communities? Have you ever been a part of one?
Image: Renjith Krishnan
Great Post. I never though to join blogging communities before.
Thanks for sharing this great Post.
~Dev
You’re very welcome. Thanks for weighing in.
Although I have not personally engaged in a blogging community, I have never really considered the members benefits. I am likely to look into these as a result of this post.
Marcie,
Glad to hear this. Hope it proves to be of great benefit! Thanks for your input.
I’ve been a member of Blogher since 2008 (at your sugestion, if I remember correctly) and it has helped a great deal with networking & exposure….their chatter updates are akin to twitter…great insights!
Clara.
Clara,
Yep, you remember correctly.
Glad to be of service. Thanks for your input.
Hi Jennifer Brown Bank
I’m glade with the response to the question that I asked. What benefits can one get from joining twitter?. I did like to communicate with people in business and see how they have become who they are?. I hope that it will open new opportunities in life in the future for us in South Africa.
Steven,
Glad to hear from you. I’m relatively new to Twitter. But it’s a great means to connect with people within your niche and other communities as well. Some people also use it for job leads, polls, and general advice. Good luck to you and your business affairs in South Africa!
This article really does a great job in summing up the point of blogging communities. The real key is getting everyone to create a synergy and an overall community that anyone publishing can take advantage of.
Great job Jennifer!
Thanks, Jason. I greatly appreciate your time and input.
Anytime Jennifer. I am actually in the process of launching a global blog community/social network right now. I’ve been developing it over the past 2 years and am at the official launch phase. I’ll keep in touch as this is rolled out. Again, excellent article. I’m subscribing to your blog as we speak
Thanks, Jason. This is great to hear! I look forward to future “conversations” @ my spot, and getting your input. Much continued success.