Are you someone who keeps to themselves a lot and doesn’t like to really communicate with others? Would you rather wait for someone to start a conversation with you, or are you a person who likes to start conversations? I guess what I’m trying to ask is, are you a networker?
The way you interact and communicate with others is a very important thing for you to take a hold of in your life for many reasons. To find love, to have those special moments with your friends, to improve you as a person, and a whole lot of other things. But, let’s try to apply these social skills you have to networking online.
See, “networking” is just the nerdy term we use to describe “socializing” and other types of interactions we have online. It’s about meeting people and connecting with them. You can do it in a variety of ways, and it is just so important for your blog:
- Connect with others on social media sites, like Twitter for instance
- Through a blog’s comment section
- Email and instant messaging
- Chatting with others on discussion forums
There are many types of services on the internet that were really created for you to socialize. There are a lot of different ways to socialize online, and there are always breakthrough services that further enhance the way we chat online.
Web forums were quite popular a few years back. They’re still around today, but services like Twitter started popping up and they started losing popularity. Sure, you most likely have different intentions when viewing a discussion forum and visiting Twitter as the two are very different format wise. But, you will see more people “networking” on Twitter than you will on a forum nowadays because it’s easier.
The 3 B’s of Networking
I’m not trying to teach you how to socialize, I’m trying to teach you the value of doing it for your blog. As I said, there are many different forms of networking available online that can be quite beneficial to you and your blog.
Now, the 3 B’s of networking are simply laid out to help you better understand the importance of networking and forming relationships with your peers online. This will of course, help you build a better blog.
Brand
The first B is brand. Your brand is really what you are recognized for, and the thing that your name is associated for. So, when you hear of Blogussion, and you know us — you think about the blogging tips we provide. That’s our brand, and we have some things about us that we use to strengthen that brand.
Networking with others is really the only way to brand your blog if you think about it broadly enough. The brand of your blog is really dependent on what people see and think of when they hear the name of your blog. So, it’s the people you reach out to and connect with that make the brand of your blog.
Buzz
The “buzz” you gain from networking is really all of the commotion and reactions you hear about your blog. The more people you reach out to when you network with them, the more opinions and feedback you will hear from them about your blog.
The “buzz” are the people who really take any interest in your blog. They are the people who share your articles on Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, or even take the time to link back to your post on their blog. The more buzz you can create, the more traffic, readership, customers, commentators and friends you can make.
Buddies
The final “B” is for the friends you make while networking. You can’t network alone, you need others to do it! When you have conversations with other people, you tend to become friends with them. Especially if you have something in common. Like blogging.
The friends you make online, simply put, you cannot have enough of. When you talk to your friends about blogging, you will be intaking a ton of different information. When I talk to my “blogging buddies,” I can usually walk away with a new perspective on something or a new idea on how I want to approach something with my blogs.
But having these friends can really change the face of your blog. If you bring it up enough, there’s no reason why one of your friends shouldn’t be reading your blog, so long as they have some sort of need for your content. Now, you have all of these people reading your blog that you are connected to on a personal level, and anything can really happen from there. You never know who you may be introduced to and become friends with. Maybe an “A-list” blogger? It’s not impossible, just network.
Tying the B’s Together
Brand, Buzz and Buddies are all things you can build by networking. When you start your blog, these are usually the three things that you do not have. So, as you build your blog along, you have to build up the 3 B’s along with it.
When you think about it, all three of these things can really tie together. They all depend on one another for a lot of the success they can bring to your blog.
- The brand of your blog will be responsible for the buzz that is created by being shared by your buddies.
- The buzz your blog gets will reflect the brand of your blog, which will create fans and some new blogging buddies.
- The buddies you make are usually a result of the buzz your blog gets, which can have an effect on the brand and face of your blog as your community starts developing.
Do you network?
How active in the discussions are you? Do you join in on any conversation you see amongst other bloggers, or do you just wait until you are made the center of discussion? The 3 B’s of networking are not achieved by just sitting around, so you need to go out and do just that — network!
36 Discussions
I think Brand B is the most important B here. Once you will get it other B will also come sooner or later.
So Alex according to you which B is most important and should come first.
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I like forum instead of twitter because in forum you start one thread and you can see everything and every one’s view together.
Buy 2 Pay for 1 Offer´s last blog ..Rapidshare accounts on sale!!! Low prices
They all really tie in together, and when you don’t have one, attaining the others isn’t so easy. I honestly can’t tell you which is the most important, because they are all must-haves. Sorry to disappoint!
Hey Alex! I also love your point about networking with a brand and how that is determined by what others think. The technical, geeky, business jargon for this is called a “brand image”. Technical, huh? And you hit on the main point that companies/blogs don’t determine the brand image, the consumers/readers do.
Exactly! That’s called Buzz. Innit?
King Sidharth´s last blog ..A How-to on Hardcore Motivation
Thanks for the comment Nick!
It’s always about the readers…they really determine where your blog will be in the future, so you just have to figure out how to work with them!
Hem… i think i am still lack of these three B things. I surely must improve it as these three B things is needed to gain success for my blog.
Dana @ Blogging Update´s last blog ..New Domain Adding in Web Hosting Service by use Cpanel Addon Facility
It’s tough, I’m going to be 100% honest with you. I have trouble with the B’s sometimes, but it’s such a great feeling to actually succeed with these B’s.
i am also lack of these 3 b things……surely going to improve these 3b ……..
Thankss
Keep working at them! Let me know what you do to improve as I am always looking to do better myself.
I’m an introvert that can start conversations if I feel comfortable. Naturally, I don’t have a problem reaching out online but I need to be able to do this in person.
I’ve already made a few online friends. I’m trying to figure out how to pull it all together and make these contacts beneficial.
Adrienne´s last blog ..23 Songs On My iPod That Embarrass Me
Use some of the social skills you learned offline to help you out online. The only thing that’s different is the computer screen in front of you. Honestly, that should be enough to cut out the shyness (if you’re shy), but just remember that face-to-face or online, you’re still communicating with a human being!
I feel you, Adrienne,
I’m an introvert to, so to counteract it, I give myself a quota – I have to at least have a brief conversation with 5 people at a gathering, then I give myself permission not to be the initiator after that point – usually by then I don’t have to because conversations just kind of naturally go back and forth between everyone who’s standing by.
As far as online, I’m regular social butterfly – or at least in my mind.
Kiesha @ WeBlogBetter´s last blog ..5 blogging niche ideas you should run from
The way you have given the definition about networking absolutely amazing. All three steps play major roles to make strong networks. Creating unique brand and engaging the visitor is most important.
Thanks Chris, glad you enjoyed the post!
Will you ever cease to write great posts? I don’t think so. I cam certainly networking – a lot. But I prefer personal types emails work better than twitter and facebook which are public.
Depends on the content of your ‘talk’ really.
Btw – that ‘Brand’ – ‘Buzz’ – ‘Buddies’ should be a triangle. Shouldn’t it be?
King Sidharth´s last blog ..A How-to on Hardcore Motivation
Thanks King, doing the best I can.
It can be a triangle, I just decided to do the images in a row. Still the same idea.
You have hit the nail right on the head. Loved the article.
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Great thoughts here! I am definitely one to join the discussion. I do this both online and offline. I love meeting new people.
Kevin M.´s last blog ..Favourite Links Friday
Hello, Thank you for the 3B theory, however I think it’s missing few elements and could be more than 3!
Good luck.
Boynton Beach´s last blog ..Welcome
Sure there can be! What else could we add?
I would really like to see a post where you suggest loads of ways of using the “3 B’s” and improving them . I’ve been reading some comments and they say that they don’t have these “B’s” so I think that it would be really useful if you could help us all out and write a follow-up.
Jasmine Henry from System Fail News´s last blog ..Which Console Do You Like Best?
Great collection guys! As always another great article from Blogussion, and I have to heavily agree with the first B – branding is extremely important!
Blogger Den´s last blog ..25,000 Entrecard credits – Simple Contest
Thanks for the comment!
Do you think you can still hit that success if you don’t have every single B I listed? Think hard about it.
Alex, I always enjoy your articles – well written, right to the point loaded with lots of useful info. Thanks!
Sara Weiss´s last blog ..Character Corner: Acceptance — weekly musings, quotes, and parenting tips from WisdomCommons.org
Thanks a lot Sara! I do the best I can around here.
This was a really helpful guidline that you posted here Alex and I think that it’s important that we always implement these into our blogging as all 3 can increase our readership tremendously – especially brand – no one will read our blogs if they don’t understand what we stand for, that’s why they start reading in the first place.
Jasmine Henry from System Fail News´s last blog ..Which Console Do You Like Best?
You’ve nailed it in few lines! “no one will read our blogs if they don’t understand what we stand for”
Love the way you’ve put it!
King Sidharth´s last blog ..A How-to on Hardcore Motivation
Thank you!
Jasmine Henry from System Fail News´s last blog ..Which Console Do You Like Best?
Glad you enjoyed the article Jasmine!
Do you think you can achieve the same success with networking by only really having down two of three B’s? How about just one?
An excellent article.All the 3 B’s play a keyrole in success of a business/blog.but however the first B plays a more significant role bcoz brand is given more importance everywhere…
krish´s last blog ..Sites to Submit your Articles & Get Back Links
Brand is certainly important!
How has your brand changed through networking?
Thanks for the tips of the 3B’s.
Kuswanto´s last blog ..Japan’s Illustrative Manhole Covers
Very well said Alex, and not an easy task to accomplish. Followers do decide out brand for themselves, which makes it up to us to do as good a job as possible describing ourselves through our articles.
If that made any sense whatsoever. lol
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Blog Updates: New Category-Pages Done, Like It?
I totally understand that Dennis! It’s the people who decide the direction of your blog really. They are the people who read your blog, so you better direct the content THEY want directed at them.
I have been proactive on Digg lately. Making a lot of friends and that has helped my views go up
Jadeslair´s last blog ..Battlefield Bad Company 2 Helicopters
Nice write up Alex.Easy read and quickly got the point across. Thanks for sharing.
Alex Monroe´s last blog ..The Entrepreneur All Star Football Team
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