Okay, let’s get real for a second: it’s getting harder than ever for us book bloggers. Views are low, the number of comments on each post is decreasing, and this can be extremely demotivating for all of us who put lots of work into creating posts, with a very low return. I’m determined, though, to make 2018 the Year of the Blogger, so I have a few tips for things you can do this year to support your favourite blogs.
#1: Follow on social media
If you look in the sidebar of most blogs, you’ll be able to find all of the links to where the blogger lives on social media. Following social media accounts and engaging with the bloggers you follow is a great way of showing your support and letting bloggers know that there are real life people reading their posts, and not just automated bots.
I can promise you that all bloggers love having conversations on social media – they’re one of the most rewarding parts of the job. It’s great to be able to share what you’re passionate about, and even better when you find other people who are just as passionate as you. Plus, it’s a brilliant way to make new friends!
#2: Share links to new posts
Retweet links to posts you’ve liked, tweet the link yourself, quote retweet on Twitter to tell people what you loved about it; share to your Facebook friends or include it in your Instagram Story. There are endless ways to tell people not just about your own posts, but other people’s too.
I have a few favourite blogs that I will ALWAYS retweet, just because I love them and want everyone else to love them too. If we all chose 3 blogs to concentrate on this year that we faithfully spread the word about, I believe it would create an atmosphere where people looked forward to writing every single post, and felt that support was coming from all corners.
#3: Leave a comment!
Comments are a bit like the equivalent of letters – when you receive them, it’s exciting to open them up and read what’s inside. However, like emails taking over from letters, quick messages on social media are now becoming more popular than comments. Although getting any interaction is amazing, the great thing about comments on blogs is that they’re easy to find, no matter how long ago they were left, whereas with Twitter, for example, your feed has already moved on.
Back when I first started blogging, I saw blogs with, quite literally, HUNDREDS of comments. Now, bloggers are lucky if we get 10. I’d love to return to the time when people left meaningful comments, when I would spend all day on a Sunday writing comments on as many blogs as I could find. I feel like we’ve lost a bit of the commenting magic!
#4: Credit other bloggers
Take inspiration from a post that you’ve seen someone else do, or participate in a tag that’s making the rounds? Please credit the original source. Not only is crediting original ideas polite and the correct thing to do, it also spreads the word about a new blog and the original blogger is more likely to share your post to their followers.
Also, what happened to blog memes? There used to be Waiting on Wednesday, Follow Friday, Stacking the Shelves and Letterbox Love… Now, these kinds of post never seem to appear in my feeds. Whilst this format doesn’t always favour the individualistic style of blogging now, I do think that they favoured a more supportive community, so I’d love to see something similar make a return.
#5: Talk about bloggers IRL
In the past few years, particularly since I started my blog, blogging has definitely become more mainstream, but I still feel as though there’s a divide between actual bloggers and people who either consume blogs or have no idea what a blog is. I’d love to hear conversations take place about what it means to be a blogger, how people outside of the blogging community can support blogs, and the changing face of the blog as technology develops.
Blogs and vlogs are now COOL. Instagram is pretty much a micro-blogging platform. But, despite this, blogging hasn’t quite broken the barriers to the outside world, so I think that if we talk more about our favourite bloggers in real life, this will help to make blogging seem like a genuine job or hobby, rather than just something “you do on the side”. Side-hustles are valid too!
How do you think we can support our fellow bloggers this year? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments!
