A great example is this weeks Social Media Camp in Victoria attracting leaders in digital strategy from around the globe.

But what if you just can’t make it there.  Many of you know to pay close attention to hashtag #smcamp but this really does not tell the whole story, right? I am going to share MY listening strategy.

1) I use Hootsuite to create a few listening streams.

• The #smcamp tag will point to conference specific details and the most influential moments captured,   details like the hashtag curation service they have set up for highlights http://smc.hashcaster.com/home )
• I also created a list of Speakers,Award nominees and will add social savvy guests as the two days progress.
• I have also created a stream of MY Tweeps filtered by #smcamp:  These are friends that are in attendance that I can DM if I required that little extra.

Using Hootsuite to gather insight from a Conference

2) Next it will be important to ENGAGE with attendees, make connections and reach out as the conference is going on.  I will use my SMCamp Attendee stream to find the conversations that do not include the #smcamp but offer insight to how people are connecting. (you can subscribe to this list at https://twitter.com/wildfireeffect/smcamp-attendees )

• If can add real value toward these connections, I will contribute with a reply.
• I have also gone to the event schedule and blocked out time to attend virtually.
• I plan to * favorite the tweets * that tell the story that I feel needs telling so  I can then access these tweets easily to add more value in my future blogs and reach out to the one that originally shared the information when I do.
• I expect that I will learn many new tools, so I have created and bookmarked a google doc where I will capture all of the insight as I see it. This is available to all at Free Wildfire Resources/socialmediadatabase/

3) Moving forward:  Why not stay in touch.

I noticed that a few of my friends were hanging out with people that I have not yet met.   It is likely that these are people that I may have a common interest in or may bump into at future networking events.  It is in my best interest to reach out and learn more about what it is they do. Right?

Because the event is in my area of interest, chances are that the speakers in my list have valuable blogs that I can and should check out.

I can find these valuable references though their Twitter profile and when I find one I love, I should  let them know and mention how I found them.  Who knows.  Perhaps a kindred spirit exists there.  Its worth my time to investigate isn’t it?

Finding new material to reference

Please share YOUR listening strategies with me in the comments.

or connect with me on twitter @WildfireEffect to share your #SMcamp experiences.

(featured image was taken from www.miss604.com)

by charliecurve

SOCIAL – Media.

It was only 5 short years ago that only the tech savvy geeks in the world understood the full extent of it.

Now it seems that everyone is taking part and you may feel a PUSH to

• get organized,
• get chatting and
• get paid.

If you feel like you have fallen behind the times, don’t buy into the hype. Your not alone.

Here are my favorite 1st steps to get started.  And there are a lot of talented consultants available to help  for the right price.

If I was your consultant, this is what you might expect from me.

1) Help you identify your strengths:

If you have never climbed a mountain then you probably do not want to start with Everst right? Same goes for social media which works best with gradual steps and consistency. So what are you already incredibly good at?

• the written word,
• access to the newest information,
• does your passion come through best on video?
• how can you re-purpose what you are already doing?

[Collect your internet research for sharing] http://delicious.com

[Browse these content types- 2012] http://www.seomoz.org/blog/what-kind-of-content-gets-links-in-2012

2) Ask: Who do you want to reach?

No really. Who are they and at what stage of their buying process are they? You can taylor much of your social media content to provide the type of information they are looking for in the moment and have a much higher rate of success and reach if you know this answer.

[Twitter] http://www.knowyourfollowers.com/

[Popular Keywords] http://www.soovle.com/

3) Provide step by step assistance in getting organized:

How much time can you dedicate to really getting to know your clients, customers or community. How are you going to share insights with your team? It’s always good to create lists of people by category to watch more closely this will help you stay relevant.

[twitter] http://twitlistmanager.com/

[posting/ listening dashboards] http://hootsuite.com/

[team management] https://app.asana.com

4) Get creative  and nurture your network:

Now that you have one, set aside time in your weekly schedule to get to know them better. A few hours per week listening watching and commenting on your networks social media posts will do more for your online reputation then 100 posts about you and what your company can do. Show them you want to be part of their community.

[Notifications] http://boxcar.io/

[Facebook] Share appropriately, comment sincerely, “like” don’t just read.

[ideas] http://www.ivillage.co.uk/10-ways-nurture-your-current-networks/156303

5) Follow, play or pass along: What is the goal.

Lets face it, you can go about social media in a hundred ways but you will phrase the conversation differently depending on what you are trying to accomplish right?

Follow Along -If you want them to visit your social network, consistency is key, stick to a content schedule.

[Example] – http://wheelerblogs.com/2011/08/31/example-daily-socialmedia-content-calendar/

Play Along - It’s hard to measure if you are being effective if no one is engaging with you. So ask for that interaction.

[Tip] Tell them to share, RT, or comment.  If engagement is low, the less you make them think the more likely they will act.

Pass it along – make it easy and worth passing along. Don’t forget to brand it too.

[Twitter] http://clicktotweet.com

[blog]http://www.addthis.com/

[ youtube ] Use annotation buttons http://www.youtube.com/t/annotations_about

I hope I have made it clear that key to tackling your social media strategy lies in customizing it to your needs. Help me help you by commenting with your thoughts and questions.

Or hire me by the minute to help with https://clarity.fm/thewildfireeffect

* Guest post submitted by Abigail Martin, from Media Discovery.

How to look worth following on Twitter

There are so many people on Twitter that following even the smallest fraction of them will populate
your feed quite sufficiently. However, having a lot of followers requires being able to stand out
from the morass of self-promotion, passive-aggressive attitudes and endless private jokes. So how
do you try to appear worth following, while still being able to promote yourself as a brand? Here’s
five ideas we’ve put together that should help you to do just that.

1) Don’t be creepy.

This should go without saying, but you’d be surprised at what sort of weird behaviour people
display online. Try to resist repeatedly intruding on one person’s conversations, instantly
complimenting someone who follows you, and generally being incredibly overenthusiastic to the
point where people either regard you as hyperactive or sinister. Instead, try and be friendly but
within reason – don’t flood people with tweets, be as polite as you can, and don’t end up with a feed
that looks like that of a cyber-stalker.

2) Be informative.

Don’t link to your own stuff and nothing else. Constantly make the effort to recommend new
content, other accounts you enjoy following, and generally attempt to be a good source of
information for those who follow you. Sure, you’ll need to give some of the spotlight to the efforts
you’ve made, as presumably that’s one of the reasons people will have followed you in the first
place. But aside from that, ensure that you’re not just a self-congratulatory loudspeaker and push
stuff that you’ve genuinely enjoyed.

3) Don’t make assumptions.

Don’t hate on linked articles before you’ve read them, don’t butt in on debates without seriously
knowing your stuff and the conversation thus far, and avoid anything else that risks making
you look like you’re completely full of nonsense. People do not want to follow a joke account
that claims not to be one, so don’t turn yourself into a laughing stock. If you’re able to weigh in
with informed commentary on a regular basis, you will find yourself with a horde of followers.
Dominate, don’t dramatise.

4) Follow enough people.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but there’s actually a lot of mathematics that goes into Twitter and
following/follower numbers. If you’re being followed by ten thousand people, great. But if you’re
also following ten thousand people yourself, you’re probably not going to look like you’re out for
much else than to get your numbers as high as possible. Your ideal number is going to be at most,
following 300 people. Don’t follow ten – you need things coming into your feed to respond to,
to retweet, and to analyse and learn from. Just don’t pretend you’re hosting the world’s best party
because you invited every human being alive.

5) Optimise your content.

Tweeting an image or video? Make sure it opens easily inside the Twitter browser window, or
in people’s Twitter clients – the more convenient you make your media within Twitter, the more
people will flock to and retweet your output. The same goes for your tweets – keep thoughts within
a single tweet, and make them as clear as day. The more accessible you’re making your feed, the
more people are going to follow you! It’s not rocket science, we know, but you’d be surprised at
how often you let ideas run on through multiple tweets, use unclear language, or don’t think about

how much sense you’re making outside your social circles. Be aware!

Do you have any personal “follow me” tips? We think this is a solid start, but different strokes for
different folks!

David Thompson is a fresh and upcoming technology and entertainment blogger who enjoys the
challenges of creativity and attention to detail. His specific areas of interest include film, gaming
and the mobile industry, encompassing everything from manufacturer-specific news from Apple to
industry announcements from the likes of O2.

I am dividing this BLOG into a 5 part series that features 5 Vancouver Consultants and what they have taught me about SOCIAL MEDIA-  OLD SCHOOL-STYLE:

The topics will include:

• Make the time for offline
• See the vision, take part in creating it
• Don’t get wrapped up in the digital world
• Little things remembered
• Be consistant, be you, do it publicly

I will be reflecting on the Meetup of meetup that happened December 6th. For those of you who are unfamilier the meetup of meetup is a Holiday party where efabulous groups get together , combining their audiences in an informal setting.

Please indulge me .  This is not a post about digitial strategy, the newst gadgets or the next Steve Jobs.  I am here to recap some of the most life changeing conversations that I took part in that night with hopes for you to find eFabulous moments to inspire you towards success in Social Media

1 POST / DAY STARTING MONDAY

Any guesses as to who I am featuring?????

Guess in the comments below and come back next week  as we

DEFINE VALUE IN SOCIAL MEDIA.

I realized that my standard answer is – “there is a plug-in or widget for that.” I then remembered how complicated adding a plugin may be to someone new to blogs.

Here are three great and easy embeds

These are embeds that YOU can add without relying on those code guys. Because lets face it, even when they are answering a direct question- who knows what they are saying.

FIRST –  This is what you need to know about Embed Code:

1) Find the HTML area of your blog

2) Find the embed code of the media you are adding. The embed code is found in it’s own text area and is clearly labeled embed code.

3) Copy and Paste the entire embed code into the HTML area of your post

A Twitter feed (by your design)

Hootesuite is a free online tool. Sign up and create a column with the search or keyword tool.  If you want to add your Twitter feed: the code is to:yourusename

to add a search term add OR then the word

[don't worry, Hootsuite will guide you every step]

Get the embed code…

A Calendar (Updated in real time)

Again, you must sign up, but it is free to do so and Google is always upping the game in customizability.

1) Select the Calendar you wish to share on your blog.  In the left margin of your google calendar is an option to see the settings.

2) under settings, 1/2 way doen the page is an embed code.

3) don’t just grab the code, change the color, the size, the number of days displayed at one time find a catch title.

4) Now embed it.

A high quality slideshow from Flickr

[thanks to http://lifehacker.com/210683/how-to-embed-flickr-slideshows for finding the answer]

[You can auto-generate the code here but to understand it keep reading: http://flickrslidr.com/index.php]

1) Goto the Flickr Set of interest.

There is a link to it.  Test that you have the right link by copy/pasting it into the url window.  What you see will be the embed in your blog:

2) you need your Flickr ID (add the above html address to the the search engine http://idgettr.com/ to find it)

In this case: http://www.flickr.com//photos/battlecastle/sets/72157626640645369/show/

id: 60342097@N04

To choose the photos you want displayed enter the tag = yourtag

Then add it to this code:

<iframe align=center src=http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?user_id=60342097@N04&tags=gomedieval“frameBorder=0 width=500 scrolling=no height=500></iframe>

It will look like this:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

If you are looking for an EMBED code the words you need to start searching for include: SHARE, EMBED, GET CODE. Remember that an embed code is just a fancy term for instructions your site needs to find a hyperlink and display it. Happy blogging.

I felt that it was better to take notes for the attendees and post them here.  Welcome, all that came. I hope you found the meetup offered everything you needed.

1)Choose your Network carefully
Ask yourself where are your LOYAL customers? Strengthen your relationship with them.

• You can ask them directly- This is the easiest.
• Search engines are a simple 1st step
• Social network search engines time consuming, but sites exist that let you check multiple sites from an email or name.  Sites like finding-people.com or 123people.com

2)Create a Social media Schedule
The key is to update your social network regularly so look long term, what can you commit to.  How will you remember. Consistancy will help develop trust.  Trust will lead to more people in your social network.

• The key tool you need is a Pencil and a datebook….Ok many of us do not remember what  the a pencil looks and prefer something digital.
• If it is a status update on Twitter, Facebook or Myspace perhaps pre-scheduling will be the answer .  Look to dashboards like  Hootesuite.com or Tweetdeck.com
• If it is a blog post, planing ahead will help you collect material in small spots of time, writing and   saving drafts for until you are ready to post them works too.

3)  Become an influencer
I make this point because everyone talks about influencers, everyone wants to be an influencer but not everyone knows how.   You do this by responding in a timely manner, my remembering important event, by thanking, my offering key content.  How do you track all of this well, the key is to bring it to one place in order to respond efficiently.

• Dashboards might be the key
• polular content is aggregated on sites like popurls.com or create your own with netvibes.com
• Do you like email, nutshell.com will bring status updates into your inbox.
• You can use a tool like  Gist.com to aggregate all of the status updates and email your clients are on and what they are talking about .  This will make it easier to remember key points that will make your conversation with your customers one they will remember  and tell others  about.

4)  Cross market
It is important that you make it as easy as possible for you clients or customers to join your network.  They can not join what they do not know about…

• Wisestamp.com will let you add your social networks and a link in your email signiture.
• Sharethis.com will provide a button that you can add to your website or blog
• Mailchimp.com is one on many newsletter products that will add a button in your email campaigns to bring people to where you want them to go.

5)  Aim to Entertain
The  net is complex, and there are alot of options out there so think… how can I keep the attention, how can I make it fun.

• Keep it short, everyone is busy, update often but make it short. Can you link to someone who says it better … simply?  Don’t overlook video sites like youtube.com and vimeo.com, it has alot of rich content that entertains.  And the search engines on google are getting smarter. Type exactly what you want. Try : “Youtube: Learn Knit <1 minute” if you don’t believe me.
• Is there a game?  Simple things make a big difference? offer points, badges, you can create badge for your website at freshbadge.com amoung others.
• Anything that gets your audience to interact with you, be creative.  I just met a project manager at inspiradogames.com that is developing a game that will connect the values of the WWF  in a  game players over social networks.  It is not running yet, but I have an eye on them.
• The Sky is the limit.  Comment and I will share some of my favorites.

6)  Tie yourself to Traditional Media
Lets make it easy, your marketing campaigns need to have a social network tie in, and only your imagination can limit you.  TV, Radio, Print Ads, Support media… how can this bring your clients back to your social networks – why not you have already paid for them.

• If they are already out in the world, try a geolocation game like scavngr.com or foursquare.com
• If it is a TV teaser, can you continue the story on with a video on your social network?
• When print ad prime real estate being so expensive, a social media icon can speak for for you.  If your clients see this icon and are on the network – they know how to find you.
• The world becoming mobile, the internet is never far away.  Can you get a designer to create an QR code or mobile app[more complicated] to interact with your campaigns.

7)  Choose your words, represent your Brand
I feel this one is the most essential.  You know your Brand, you know your vision statement, you know your company values.  Which words or phrases can you use to help build the community that want to start that conversationwith you.

Step one:  Generate or find the key phrases you want to be known for.

• Is it a bit Wordy? reduce the ambiguity by feeding these words into the gobbledygook.grader.com what comes out into the report is what you need to stay away from and what words you are intuitively emphasizing- are found in the word cloud generated.
• Using Google Adwords keywords suggestions  to see how your brand phrase is being searched on the internet.
• The words you emphasis, are great for adding meaning to your posts, in your bios and profiles or to use to target new prospects and the right ones to on social networks.

Remember, the best and only way to Kickstart your social network is to start so dive in, have fun.

….And invite me, I will support your efforts….that is unless you Spam me, and that is a whole new topic.

When I tell them that my favorite is Twitter, I usually get comments like:

“Why do I care if you are walking your dog or having breakfast”

“I’ve given up on it because all I ever get is advertising”

” How do I get MORE followers?”

If this is your experience – you’re missing the practical uses and unlimited possibilities.  Don’t worry.

Here are 5 areas to get you back on track. [DISCLAIMER: I use alot of Twitter terminology CHECK OUT the TWITTER Lingo site if you need a quick reference]

1.  Know what is happening NOW (to the second)

The most useful Search engine (and the most popular according to a 2010 study) is the Twitter search engine.  Located at the right of you twitter page. The key accessing the power of Twitter is knowing how to search.

• Check in with trending topics to see how they are organized. #itsallinthewords used by your community.   Remember that Trending topics only list the most popular hashtags.  The way they are abbreviated quickly catches on.
• Check a few versions of key words which mean the same thing.  For example #vancouver vs. #yvr.  Which one is turning up more relevant results?
• Remember that- with only 140 characters -the more concise your tweet, the easier it will be for others to retweet. Keep your questions short.  Asking for a RT is fine as long as it is genuine.
• Ask a friend.  Your twitter network is powerful and one genuine question asked to a friend using the @friendsname and responded to gathers interest.  Remember  your friend could be followed by 100′s of like-minded people which you are not presently connected to.
• Know who might have the answer… eg.  if you are looking for a traffic report I bet at least one radio station has the answer.

2.  It’s not about broadcasts.  When building a network – mind your ps & qs.

• Think of Twitter as a conversation with strangers. A one sided conversation is not fun to hear, not fun to read and does not promote polite interaction.  At first it can seem like a fine line between sharing and spamming.  That is, until broadcasting is happening often, then the line becomes obvious [read the Twitter policy under Business- Best practices for clarity].  You can report Spammers to twitter and unfollow.
• Think about how you engage a stranger in conversation… you listen, find the common interest and offer something in the same style of phrasing that is personal to your experience, Twitter is the same.  I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Twitter is new to many; tactful correction goes a long way to build community.
• Twitter is a great way to target relevant Internet posted reference material. If you are reading an interesting article online, using a shortener to re-post it to twitter is a great way to share it.  Make sure you leave approx. twenty characters for RTs.
• If you re-posting a tweet, please acknowledge it.  Brackets are a great way to get the point across fast [pre-posted] [report] [promotion] So are creative hashtags #shamelessselfpromotion

3. Get the RIGHT Followers NOT the MOST

Imagine that you’re hungry, but only have $3.  The small group of 30 followers that want to help you find the best $3 burger a block from your home is 300 times more valuable then the 3000 followers who would never respond to you.   You don’t want to waste your valuable time by playing a number game with followers.

• On Twitter you will soon find an easy way to get information and CONNECT directly with the original author of that information.  A reply with @theirname is all it takes to get their attention
• The key: focus on finding minds then introduce yourself.  I usually start by using keywords in the Find people search (which searches profiles) and Twitter searches (Which searches the content in tweets) for topics that interest me.  I then look at their Twitter feed and see if the feed is useful to me or if they interact with many people. If you decide to follow them then take a moment to jump into their conversation. Build your community.
• Similar people will strengthen their bonds so make sure your profile states your interests and upload a picture.  We all want to connect with real humans.  If you really do not know where to start, then follow @mrtweet to get some matches suggested to you.
• Next Tweet…. use hashtags (#subject) let the brilliance of search engines, twitter search and third party programs pick up your tweets and do the work of promoting you.
• I could go on further – in fact their are entire books and seminars on how – but remember to promote yourself.  Social networking works best when it is combined with non-internet based opportunities.  This could be as simple as adding a follow me to your email signature, business card or print advertising campaigns.

4.  It is not what you bring to Twitter it’s what Twitter brings to you.

• YOU decide whom to follow.
• By following you reward the companies, fans or customers who take the time to offer information which is interesting to you.  Content might be in the form of Twitter coupons, contests or discounts.  It might be links to hard to find statistics, proprietary information or entertaining postings.  It might be the support offered in the form of a reply or RT or a Thank you in a #FF (#FollowFriday recommendation).  Your network can offer an objective perspective that you cannot get from consultants, co-workers or salesmen in quite the same way.
• If you feel like you are being spammed you CAN unfollow them. On your profile bio, in a tweet, on your Twitter customized backdrop why not state the rules.  Guess what, YOU make up the rules.
• Another trick:  if you Reply to your followers with direct feedback and you do not get at least an acknowledgment, chances are it is an automated program sending you the information and you will not offend anyone by unfollowing.

5.  It is not what Twitter brings to you it is what YOU bring to the community.

The following is in my opinion, and the opinion of my colleagues is the take-home lesson of all Social media best practice survival guides.

How it should work:

• You have invested in locating the group that is interested in the same topics as you.  In turn; you support each other’s interests and initiatives.  No one likes to feel alone in Twitterville.
• You share links, comment on each others sites, you answer each other’s polls and browse photographs, blogs, livefeeds or re-use their #hashtags.
• The mutual sharing of information is your greatest source of research and your best time saver.  Try to share your favorites, crediting the authors whenever possible.
• Add interesting people to lists that describe how they are connected so all can instantly understand why they are worth your attention.
• Keep your tweets respectful.  It is a public world. No over shares please.
• Help promote your community with Retweets, using hashtags, answering questions and commenting back.
• BY ALL MEANS: If your community has dogs, don’t stop at telling us you ARE walking your dog; tell us WHERE and WHY it’s amazing and if there is a great breakfast stop on route.

If you need case studies or the names of people on twitter that do this particularly well send me an email, I’ll offer my own FOLLOW LIST.

To customize your online strategy or suggest a topic for a this Blog please comment or email  info@wildeffect.com

_____________

If this has peaked your interest and you need the Twitter 101.  Best to find Twitter for Business Workshops in your area.  If your area is Vancouver BC your’e just in time to get in on a August workshop by nationally acknowledged speaker and socialmeda facilitator Monica Hamburg [one of my favorite speakers] More at:

http://monicahamburg.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/want-to-learn-more-about-our-twitter-for-business-workshops/

To sign up for more info, people can go here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEF0Y0RjZWpvN2dSV0ZHUW53RmExTGc6MQ

___________

More opinions:

Twitter profiles and the 3 second rule

How to get more followers on twitter

The Ultimate Guide for Everything Twitter Part II [dated but still relevant]

Let’s face it!  You want your blog to get noticed because with notice comes the spotlight that your topics deserve and the interaction that leads to syndication, strong alliances and the much desired SEO (Search Engine Optomization)

So how do YOU stand out?

Try these 5 simple additions and make a big difference.

1.  Add a graphic, photo or illustration.

There are so many benefits.

From Flikr by tarop

• In a glimpse, a new reader can get a snapshot of what your article is about and that might be the holding force to get them to read further.
• Images are tied to emotional responses so if your goal is to involve them, what are you waiting for?
• Don’t forget that search engines have a special place for images and chances are you will reach a wider audience with a snapshot.
• Up the stakes further by licensing your image with creative commons so those that re-posting it will introduce an entire new audience to you.  It works both ways, need an image? Search for “creative commons” along with your topic.  A credit back to the creator is usually all that is required.

2.  Don’t forget to credit, thank and link.

Adding hyperlinks to your article richens the experience for all.

• It also lets your readers know that you are part of larger community around the topic.
• The name of the game is offering value!   When a topic is hyperlinked to the online article or blog that interested you in the subject you become the host, politely introducing your readers to new friends and colleagues.   This gesture strengthens the interest in the subject to all involved.
• Lets face the facts:  No idea, not even yours is completely unique so credit those that inspired you to write about it whenever you can.
• Always be transparent, it is ok to re-post as long as you acknowledge it.  The convention is simple: [re-posted] or
  or [news article]

3.  Can you offer interactive options-why not?

There are many multimedia tools that promote interaction.

• Ending with a question to your readers to prompt discussion is the simplest.
• Add a live twitter feed to involve people in the second and acknowledge the hashtag used to encourage them to tweet and take part.
• Ask them to “Share this” or “send to a friend“.
• Embedding a Youtube video or slideshare can do wonders to engage an audience.  There must be something about that play button icon that makes you want to push it.
• A map with a location marker of where the story takes place can personalize your post and let your reader remember their experiences in that area.  Chances are if you have sparked a memory they will share it.
• Surveys, contests, rate this article… all promote interaction and can help you determine the level of interest you have achieved but remember to share your results in real time.
• Anything that lets your readers relate the story back to themselves is a GREAT way to promote interaction.

One last note, unless your readers are very involved your comment metics might be low.   Don’t get discouraged just appreciate the ones that do take the time to read, login and write to you.  This Early 2010 Twitter statistics article will help you appreciate this. http://bit.ly/TWstats

4.  Now that you have written it- Time to tell the world.

Don’t wait for search engine robots to find you.  Take your message to the world.

• Using a URL shortener like bit.ly advertise your blog post on your own Twitter account.  (You will be surprised how quickly followers of like interests will find you).
• In the comment section of related blogs – if relevant- leave a link back your blog.
• You can also link your own related articles together.  Tags and categories work well to lead readers to relevant content that they may have missed but a well placed hyperlink takes the work out of it.
• Tell search engines that you are out there.  Most have an email where you can send your web organizational trees.
• Comment on others blogs and social networks.  The more your name is seen with relevant comments the more likely that observers will follow you back to read more.
• Don’t forget the power of using blogrolls to cross-market.  There is nothing wrong with using the Contact us page to email the Blog creater and ask to be added to their blogroll.  If your material is relevant then everyone wins.

5.  Be aware of your voice.

Most of your readers appreciate reading blogs over news articles or corporate websites because they feel they are communicating with a real person.

Via Flikr by Chapendra

• They feel like the writer of the article is speaking to them directly and why shouldn’t they? Chances are your audience is reading your blog alone and would prefer to be addressed in a way that suggests that it is just the two of you speaking.
• Get rid of formality.  This lets the reader feel comfortable showing support or disdain but most importantly promotes a dialogue.
• If your reader comments ALWAYS respond promptly, publicly and humanly.
• If you have a guest blogger be a good host and introduce them.  Tell your readers who they are.  If they blog often, why not offer a page about your bloggers with pictures and a brief bio.
• Always think about your reader.  Are they busy reading your article among 10 others and would appreciate a short post with formatting to draw attention to key points?  Are they using your blog to write a report, maybe they need to know where you got your statistics so  include the date of the study. What else will help? Locations, links to the source and email address to follow up privately might be just what they need.

Happy writing- If you used one of my suggestions please post the link to your blog in the comment section.