PS I have no idea where this image came from.
FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, LinedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Google Plus, RSS feed, Newsletters,
Triberr, Flickr ….. just to name the top few!
Technically I don’t think RSS feed, Newsletters or Triberr count as social media, but if you’re not using them you’re probably missing out on some kind of traffic.
As you can see by the top of my sidebar social media plays a big roll in blogging. When I started blogging there was FaceBook and to a lesser extent Twitter. YouTube was out there, but it didn’t make or break blogs – yes, I’ve been Blogging for That Long! I was blogging before blogging was cool, before Google figured out the best way to track AdSense clicks, when Google Page Rank was important and when you had to know how to code to use WordPress.
When I started blogging it was called “Having a Website” and I didn’t realize I was blogging until after I was on the evening news talking about my website. But I digress……
Since I started at the dawn of blogging time I had the luxury of learning the craft as new and great things were coming to life. If you start blogging now you need to take an 8 week course just for the basics and one of the basics that’s usually left out is How to Build a Social Media Following. How to create a Fan Page is covered in every “How to Blog” course, but how to actually get people to follow you and interact with you is a course within itself – which I’m not going to cover in great deal right now. Sorry. This is “what no one told you about blogging” so you’ll know what you’re in for.
Not to many years ago if you wanted to build a following all you had to do was find a nice prize, tell people that to enter they had to “Like” or “Follow” you on whatever social media site and Ta Da! Instant following! You didn’t even have to provide the prize – you could join a group giveaway where everyone promoted the same prize and your following would grow even larger. These days asking people to Share your post or “Like” your Fan Page can get you banned from FaceBook, G+ and several others.
How do you build a following?
There are several ways.
You can ask people to Like/Follow you on your site itself – as long as it’s not in exchange for an entry.
And how to grow a Facebook page? Join FaceBook groups where bloggers Like/Follow each other. (This one works well)
I don’t suggest this one, but again there is Fiverr ….. It’s not a real following, but it looks good.
There are many different ways to gain followers, the best way is to be creative and find a new way.
Once people start following you don’t abuse it!
The worst thing you can do is to only talk about yourself or alienate your following by pushing your beliefs on them.
How much of my Blogging Time goes into Social Media?
In one way or another all of it. Social media is HOW you get traffic to your blog. If your post isn’t designed with social media in mind you’re doing it wrong.
Blogging is a job! Get back to work.