Die? Perhaps not literally, but be seen as insignificant and selfish perhaps; which could be considered a death sentence for a blog. This idea for part 3 of my series on writing looks at intricate ways you can make your material more interactive.
Why Link?
So you're writing relevant material. Everything you write has purpose and as a result you've built a community that relates with you. Now a for a fledgling blogger, you've reached a critical point where you must become a part of the community. You've built up an identity, you're supporters are reading your material, but how long will they be interested?
Never consider yourself a closed community. Of heard this description regarding writing, especially on a blog; A site is like an island, you might be able to sustain yourself for a little while, but sooner or later you must sail out into the unknown and connect with another site (island), you build a relationship, but sooner or later you must go out again and this action repeats itself, thus the community becomes your support mechanism. An interesting analogy. How important would you be if all you did was market your wares, neglecting to share what you've accumulated from those around you?
Link, link, link. There is no limit to how many people you link to in your writing, but the more you incorporate the knowledge of others it does three things for you:
- It gives the reader the impression that you've researched your work and that you respect the work of others.
- The reader is introduced to a new person, a new blog, and will be grateful for you sharing this information.
- You increase your chances of being seen on a search.
Link With A Purpose
Linking out should be done with careful consideration. You want to avoid being a "link whore," one who literally links anything and everything for the sake of viewership and traffic. While you're writing, if you incorporate an idea from a competitor, link to it. Sure it may not make sense to you, but by doing so you're opening yourself up to the community and seen as a person who shares resources as opposed to one who hordes.
Problogger agrees with this idea in his post "12 Tools and Techniques For Building Relationships With Other Bloggers ."
" Link Out - linking to a competitors blog could seem like a crazy thing to do but it can make a real impression and show other bloggers your willingness to interact."
The infamous Chris Brogan of ChrisBrogan.com also comments on linking in his article "Basic Business Blogging Suggestions."
"We pay attention to where you link. If every link in your blog is to your own stuff, we discount you as self-referential. Consider pointing out other great posts in your space, and give adequate links and credit. Don’t sell the store, but make sure you’re building a healthy linking habit. Otherwise, links will rarely flow inward as well."
Who To Link ToThis is an easy answer. Link to people you read. If you're in the "business of blogging" then you are probably already reading some great veteran bloggers out there who've been in your shoes. They share their experiences for free if you are willing to learn. Get inspired by them, follow their footsteps. As you write, you can definitely reference them in your writing to provide support for your thoughts. You can also refer to news sites. Everyone reads news, so when you blog feel free to reference articles you read, or other media formats, and if you can embed them into your post, all the better.
Don't be shy, be interactive. The idea is not to alienate people, but rather make them feel inclusive.
With the information you now have, don't let your site die. Don't let the community think you're too selfish to interact in the conversation. Link to share, and reap the rewards. It might not be immediate, but the return over time is priceless.
Photo Credit tris, Randy Stewart, lovestruck
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