Jessica Knows,

I write several blogs and consider myself a multi-generational blog author, as each one has a unique target market.  Therefore, I belong to many social ning sites and forums.

What is your advice for a new blogger starting out and trying to build a following.  Do you recommend joining and posting at several different sites for name recognition, or would you recommend sticking with one ning or social site in order to establish friendships and/or a following?

Cindi ~ Moomettesgram

Cindi,

That is an excellent question.

My advice for a new blogger is not to spread yourself too thin.  In other words, if you're writing a food blog, don't join every foodie community in sight.  Take a few days to explore some communities and pick one or two that make you feel like it's love at first sight (or first click in this case).

What are some factors to consider (if you're not a love at first sight kind of person)?

• How active is the community?  Did the most recent activity occur just minutes ago, or days ago?


• If you're able to check out member profiles, are they ones that you immediately relate to?


• Are the welcoming to newbies?  Is there a place to introduce yourself?  And if so, is there a lot of activity in the introductions section?  This is key because you're joining to become play as part of the "team" not sit on "the bench".

The reason I recommend just joining one or two comes down to commitment and your time.  Becoming an active member of an online community takes time and so does creating quality content for your blog.  And you want to be able to do both really, really well.

Plus, as you begin to connect with those in your community, you'll want to have time to enjoy their blogs, become part of their conversation, and connect with their communities while giving them the opportunity to do the same.

Remember: a following is not defined by traffic numbers, it's defined by the connection and trust you build with your loyal readers over time.

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