Creating a blog community

[QuirkyMomma]

A lot of blog readers are reading a blog, rather than say, the news or syndicate sites, as they want to feel connected to a real-person or to reality (not the sugar coated stuff).

How do you guys connect with your readers? I know Blog Frog helps mom-bloggers make communities in their blogs so that the readers can talk to other readers and to the blog's author. These communities are a huge ht in the mommy-blogging world. I wonder if they'd be a hit if they were adapted to fit your niche or if there is the equivalent in your niche?

Are you doing anything else to connect to your readers? I'd love to hear of other ways to draw reader in and engage them!

[knubbl]

I haven't used blog frog at all but it seems interesting. So how do you use it? In what kind of ways does it help?

I connect to my readers through comments. Not only through comments on my blog but also by commenting on theirs and it seems to be working so far. Also since my blog is still pretty small I also exchange emails with them from time to time. Twitter is also a way to connect to them but it doesn't work as well.

[Scribnia]

I checked out blog frog a while back. I love the concept, but never really understood how it worked exactly.

For me, I connect with my readers as much as possible via comments (I reply to every one) twitter, on their own blogs if they have one, etc...

[Maa]

I have heard of blog frog too, it reminds me of mybloglog.

[-1949-]

Originally Posted by QuirkyMomma

A lot of blog readers are reading a blog, rather than say, the news or syndicate sites, as they want to feel connected to a real-person or to reality (not the sugar coated stuff).

How do you guys connect with your readers? I know helps mom-bloggers make communities in their blogs so that the readers can talk to other readers and to the blog's author. These communities are a huge ht in the mommy-blogging world. I wonder if they'd be a hit if they were adapted to fit your niche or if there is the equivalent in your niche?

Are you doing anything else to connect to your readers? I'd love to hear of other ways to draw reader in and engage them!

hi! i followed you on twitter, hope you follow me back! lance1949 thanks!

[crouchie]

Hi Quirky Momma,

I too have been looking for ways to do this. I think I've come across something pretty good, but was fearful of mentioning it as I am only new to this forum. I don't want to be accused of spamming.

However, I have joined a new site called The Unified Tribe (aff link - they suggest we become affiliates to grow the tribe) which is based on content reciprocity. Basically you submit your content and the members interested in your niche promote your content on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and StumbleUpon and you do the same in return. The site offers training on using these sites and others methods to generate traffic and content sharing.

I am happy to share more information, but don't want to risk coming across as pushing the site too much. It might just be worth taking a look at the video.

I was really attracted to the whole concept of reciprocity. Good luck

[blog2250]

this is cool... thanks man

[QuirkyMomma]

Sorry guys, I left the thread hanging. I went on vacation where there was supposed to be net connection... and it was at dial-up speeds - painful!

Blogfrog is basically a place where your readers can talk both to you and to other readers. For me, it is kinda like a forum. Moms come to my site for preschool learning activities, but if they want to gripe about the latest breastfeeding taboos or discuss the cures for a toddler tantrum they go to my Mom Loop forum. I am getting thousands of views a day on there! Far more than my site ever gets! Its crazy! I'd love to find a way to tie it into my blog a bit more, to bring the participants back into my blog...

[QuirkyJessi]

Hmm, sounds like a really interesting idea, but if you're getting all the traffic there and not on your site, it kinda sounds like you're putting quite a bit of time/effort into two different places that aren't tying together.

[QuirkyMomma]

Originally Posted by QuirkyJessi

Hmm, sounds like a really interesting idea, but if you're getting all the traffic there and not on your site, it kinda sounds like you're putting quite a bit of time/effort into two different places that aren't tying together.

You're right! Its kinda back firing on me... I did develop a "blog community" but its not really about my blog. I wonder if that is the way a true community goes, where once you open the doors to discussion, you don't really have control over how that discussion morphs. I think its a good thing that it has taken a life of its own. I was gone for almost 2 weeks and my community saw no dips in traffic (while my blog did)... now if only I could monetize the community...