The Do’s And Don’ts of Social Networking (Or, How To Make All The Blogging Friends!)

Networking is hard sometimes.

I mean, what do you do? What do you say? When do you do it? How much should you do? It’s a lot of work, especially since networking can possibly be what makes or breaks your blog. So, of course, I decided to list out some tips that I thought might help some people, since you guys seem to really like them!

Do Link Up

Most memes out there are hosted by a blogger or multiple bloggers, and have a place where you can leave links on meme days! It’s a good idea to link up, and might get some traction to your own blog if the host or any other participators decide to click around, not to mention that memes are supposed to be social, so be sociable!

Don’t Just Post And Expect Something

I think this goes for all content when you’re first starting out. Though it’d be nice, if it’s your first week blogging, don’t expect there to be a rush of notifications when you post your first blog post. A majority of the time, no one knows who you are, so it’s vital to reach out to others so people in the community know that you exist and might visit your blog!

Do Leave Thoughtful Comments

I’ve seen lots of people say they don’t like comments on memes where it’s clear the blogger just wants them to visit their post, so avoid it at all costs! Relate to the post in some way, talk about a story that pertains to one of the books they chose, talk about the theme, talk about the books you chose, etc. There are lots of ways to leave a genuine comment!

Don’t Just Leave A Link

When I say this, I’m mainly talking about leaving a link and not looking at anyone else’s posts. I admit, I do this often because TIME, but I am trying to attempt to go around visiting a couple people’s links just to branch out and find more blogs to read! It’s always a good thing!

Do Leave Less Popular Posts There

I think the best course of action to take when it comes to link-ups is leaving the link of a post that didn’t do so hot when you first published it. Obviously, it’s different standards for everyone, but it’s best to link the post you want to get the most traffic from! If you don’t feel like there’s any blog post that was more unpopular or the stats for all your posts are equal, just link to the post you’re the most proud of and show it off!

Don’t Ignore Other People’s Posts

Yes, it’s a good idea to do link-ups, but I’d recommend not just pasting your link and leaving but at least taking an effort to read a couple of links that other people read just to spread the love and be a part of the community! Also, said blogger will probably pay back the favor. The same thing applies both to memes and link-ups for sure!

Do Acknowledge The Host

Whether it’s thanking them or giving them a follow or leaving a comment on the post or one of their posts, just acknowledge the host of the link-up! They’re taking the time to allow bloggers to link up their stuff and get some traction, so it’s a good idea to repay them in some way for being so kind!

Don’t Give Up If It’s Not Working Out

I’m an impatient person and one that tends to want results right away, so I totally understand it if you attempt something, and when it’s not paying off, you just want to give up. I advise that you don’t! Blogging in general is a time-draining process that requires hard work and diligence, and, sometimes, it takes a long while to see results that make you happy, and that’s something that should always be kept in mind!

Do Reply To Comments

A deal-breaker for pretty much every blogger out there is someone who doesn’t reply to their comments! It just seems rude to ignore the effort it took for someone to comment on your post, especially when you make your blog public, and just leave comments without any replies. Just ask sure to take the time to reply to the comments you get. You’re definitely not obliged to reply to all of them, but it’s recommended.

Don’t Feel Like You’re Annoying

I know there are people out there who feel nervous or awkward when it comes to commenting – whether it’s a big blogger or just any blog at all – and you really shouldn’t! I know I felt awkward when I first started commenting, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you become. The book blogging community is one of the nicest communities out there, so I wouldn’t worry about anyone not being anything less than welcoming.

Do Try To Visit Some People’s Blogs

It’s no obligation to have to comment back – if you don’t know what that is, it’s basically visiting the blog of someone who commented on yours and leaving a comment on one of their post – but it’s definitely a great way to give back to some of your loyal commenters or discover blogs that are new to you if you comment back! I’ve started doing it, and I’ve really enjoyed doing so and think I’ve gotten more traffic because of it, so it works both ways!

Don’t Do It When You Don’t Feel Like It

If you don’t feel like commenting on people’s posts or a blogger’s post is hard to comment on, don’t comment. Networking is never a good idea if you’re not in the mood for it. I know that I have to be in a mood to comment around, and some days I feel on top of it and other days, I just really need to take a break. And that’s perfectly fine! Most bloggers understand if you need a break!

Do Focus On One Or Two Accounts

I think the best idea is to just put all your hard work into a couple of accounts that you really enjoy! If you already have a good following on Twitter, stick to it! If you like taking pretty pictures of books, join Instagram! If you think Bloglovin’ will get you traffic, join the site! If you think Goodreads is a good way to keep track of your books, join it! I think it’s best to choose the ones you like the most and expand your audience, rather than having fifty different accounts that stress you out!

Don’t Always Promote

I feel like people can get caught up too often in just promoting, promoting, promoting when you don’t have to do that all the time! I know I get turned off by Twitter accounts where all their tweets are promo – whether it’s give-aways, constant at retweets of other people’s blog posts, or sharing of their own. It’s good to use social media for that purpose and you’re free to do whatever you want with it, but at the same time, it’s great for people to learn more about you outside of blogging!

Do Take A Break

If you’re getting stressed out or social media is having a negative influence on you or you just can’t keep up with it all, take a break! There’s really no need to stressing yourself out when it comes to social media, especially since it’s not even necessary, and, sometimes, we need to get away from this mentality of validating ourselves through likes and retweets and followers!

Don’t Be Shy

As a shy person, I totally get it. Interaction is sort of terrifying, and even more terrifying if you admire the person you want to talk to, but don’t fret! Pretty much everyone is a super nice person in the book blogging community, and I think once you take the plunge, you’ll get more and more comfortable! I know I feel way more comfortable tweeting now than I did when I first signed up!

Do Be A Genuine Person

Don’t just comment on someone’s post to get exposure. Don’t comment back just because you think it’ll increase blog traffic. Don’t feel the need to follow thousands of blogs in hopes they’ll follow back. I think it’s best to do something you genuinely want to do instead of doing it just because you expect something in return.

Don’t Be Rude Or Aggressive

I mean, I feel like this is pretty obvious? But it’s the Internet, so who knows anymore, to be honest. But, seriously, don’t threaten people. Don’t insult people. Don’t be rude for no reason. Just be a good person. I really don’t think it’s that hard.

Do Interact With Others In Comment Sections

I’ve had other bloggers who comment in my comment sections talk to others in my comment sections, and I think that’s totally awesome! The entire point is to have a discussion, so why not discuss among yourselves? And I think it’s the best way to find new blogging buddies to talk to (just, you know, don’t comment one hundred times back-and-forth and unnecessarily blow up someone’s notifications for no reason. That’s just cruel).

Don’t Trash-Talk People Somewhere Else

Again, you think this would be common courtesy, BUT IT IS NOT. Sometimes, people have conflicts, which can definitely happen to everyone, but for some reason, people feel the need to drag a million people who aren’t a part of the problem into it and it becomes all out war. Please, just work it out civilly. IT IS NOT HARD.

Do you have any tips in regards to networking? 

Bloglovin’ | Twitter