My post on ideas for befriending received a great response & I’d like to build on that. InSeries is one of my favorite plug-ins in WordPress (& probably most vital to my readers because I can type a lot!). It really helps me blog in manageable chunks. I think it also connects new readers with the connected posts.

So, if I’ve helped you get over the mental block of connecting with total strangers with common interests, let’s take it a step further. Let’s get to know them. Because having a list full of ‘friends’ that you don’t interact with is fairly meaningless (sorry to state the obvious!).

There are two places where it’s easy to build community & I think you need to give attention to both – at your blog & at Facebook (or whatever community you’re at). Interweaving the two together is ideal. A purist would call it ‘driving traffic’, but I prefer addressing the human aspect of connecting. I’ve learned how to do both & the latter is more gratifying because it’s real & creates a longer lasting relationship. Here are some ideas for you

At your blog Interact with your readers, write TO them, esp. in the beginning.

  • Ask questions that encourage interaction when people comment
  • Answer people’s comments & interact in the comment section of your own blog. Jeremiah O is a master at this. I used to go back to his blog just to see what he replied with (the secret is that it encouraged people to come back). I may admit that I still check back …probably! :)
  • Send a personal note to people who comment on your blog. For our DigiScrapInfo blog I was so excited initially to get comments & I still send a personal note to each person, but as our comments increased i found that the resulting conversations take time. But the flip side is that connections are made. (That’s how I’ve met people, by the way – they post a comment & I kept talking with to them. :) My blog isn’t sticky, but maybe I am? Maybe you can think of ways to be stickier too? I encourage you to interact with those that take an interest in your writing, thoughts & ideas.
  • When people comment they link to their blog – use that link to go check out their work. Isn’t that the point of blogging? It’s more than link love. Take a few minutes to click over & see what their blog is about & leave a comment (make sure that it’s not a canned response though). You may find new blogs to read along with new friends!
  • In summary, there are so many blogs – personalize yours with your attention. Don’t let it just be a journal.

At Facebook or other social networking setting After starting to meet people (that was in first post of this series), look around for ways to contribute. What is the purpose of the space? Ask yourself how you can get involved?

Here is my progression in Facebook:

  • first 3 months – felt I was too old & I didn’t get it. But I was interacting with a handful of people that I knew & it was safe & comfortable.
  • started interacting in groups – one Saturday morning I saw Jeremiah had made a Web Strategy Group & I answered questions as he posted them. That morning he made a number of groups & after a couple of hours of my responding, I was engaged. Why did I spend two hours interacting? Well if you haven’t noticed, I’m a huge fan & follower of Jeremiah O. Last April when I found his blog, one post resonated so much because it correlated with my experiences & I valued his expertise. But what sets him apart from the others talking about social media? the fact that one day he sent a personal note thanking me for commenting on his blog. (See 4th tip above). And Jeremiah openly states that he mentors people & this is true. My goal now is to give back to others likewise. That is a gift that is priceless. What can you do for others?
  • actively interacting in groups – this is what broke the floodgates in both directions. I found the courage to add people & people were adding me. Now, I love gaining random friends! It’s interesting to look at their profiles & see what makes them tick (I mean what they do). So if your profile is spartan take note that people can’t browse. I started an ACDSee group & there are 20 ladies that have joined that I need to befriend. I’m sending them group messages, so it’s only right!
  • create a group – Do you have a special interest or business? Why not create a group & invite your friends to join you in discussions there? That’s what Jeremiah did & there are an impressive # of 2000 people in his Web Strategy group! with spirited discussions going on (that I sometimes am a part of). I was encouraging someone to do this (& I know he’s more of a believer in LinkedIn, so I was kind of being naughty!) and his first response was – how do I make it viral & I don’t have time. I agree that Facebook isn’t made for traditional marketing techniques & it’s a social space, so it requires a bit of a different approach. More on that to come, because that’s where I have experience.

Finally, building community takes time & energy, there’s no getting around it. But the payback is huge! It’s more important than SEO I would say. Please question that if you disagree. In the past few weeks Facebook has become a hub for me. People are contacting me there (even those that aren’t on my friends list). One thing to note is that it’s helpful to relax about having your people mixed together. At first I had a hard time thinking about how my friends would intermix & view my activity. My friends are ACDSee customers, store owners, company staff, networking (like Jeremiah, et al), my sister. My daughter in college probably had the biggest issue – I heard, “MOM! What ARE you doing on Facebook?!” But, it’s our primary place to communicate now. Everyone intermixes fine & keep in mind that profiles are closed unless people befriend each other.

What do you find challenging about building community? Is your personal community growing?

Update: My new friend Julian posted a vblog on this topic. (It’s the first one that’s inspired me to think I should try video. Sister, Heidi are you ready for that?!). And he uses the term ‘play’ which reminded me that I should add to the above: “Always maintain a sense of humor & laugh at yourself”.