Over the last month or so, I’ve been reading just about any “How To Blog” articles I could find. While I’ve been “blogging” for years, up until recently it wasn’t much more than vomiting words into a text field. I wasn’t all that concerned with getting traffic, which is good because I wouldn’t have known how to generate it if I’d wanted to.
As I’m reading this advice about how to increase traffic, one theme that keeps popping up is Social Networking – going out and making contact with other bloggers that cover the same (or similar) topics. This includes commenting on other blogs, following people on Twitter, and befriending people on social media sites like Digg and StumbleUpon.
Most people probably don’t have a problem doing this. But I’m a bit on the shy side. Whenever I try to reach out to connect with other bloggers, there’s a nagging voice in the back of my mind whispering derisively, “Why would they want to visit your crappy blog?”
Now, I don’t want to get into my own personal social shortcomings, but I don’t think I’m the only blogger out there that has these thoughts and trepidations. So what’s an unsocial person like me to do, when socializing is such an important part of raising awareness of a blog?
I had to remind myself that I’m not the only person in the world trying to reach out. Every other blogger in the world (unless they’re a massive A-hole) wants to meet other bloggers and network with others in their niche.
After all, the worse that could happen is the other person doesn’t respond. If that happens, just move on.
No one will find your blog if you don’t put it out there.
