The ultimate guide to networking for bloggers in 2021

Why You Need to Network

Whether you are a newbie in the world of blogging or you’ve been publishing content for some time, you can always benefit from new readers. One of the most effective ways to steadily increase your readership base is through blog networking. Just like with any other business, knowing the right people can help you get your foot in the door.

The same goes for having a blog online: a bigger network means more opportunities for partnership deals, commercial assignments, and even sponsored posts. But perhaps the main advantage of having an active network is that it can give you access to a broader audience. Leveraging other blogger’s audiences is a sure way to build traffic faster and enjoy the influx of new readers and subscribers of your blog.

Even though the power of connections is hard to underestimate, many still hesitate to take advantage of blogging networks. Let’s be frank: making new contacts can feel slightly awkward and a bit nerve-racking even in day-to-day life. And if you are just starting to blog, chances are high that you might feel insecure about your content or simply don’t know where to start.

The truth is, everyone can network! We gathered a few effective tips for beginner bloggers in networking that even experienced content creators can benefit from. A little practice goes a long way, so buckle up and take notes on which everyday actions you can take to bring your blog to the next level.

How to find bloggers for networking

For building a blog network that works, figure out a few niches with potential bloggers-collaborators first. Not all of them have to write content that speaks to your target audience completely. Ideally, you need a few groups of bloggers whose content has a number of correlations with yours. Think about what information outside of your blog can be of value for your reader and start reaching out. Here are some ways to find bloggers for networking.

Comment on blogs

One of the easiest and most underrated ways to build your network online is to start commenting on other blogger’s posts. By sharing your opinion on the article or blog post you not only support your fellow bloggers, but also get yourself noticed. Bloggers are really keen on receiving feedback on their content and your take on their work, in most cases, will always be recognized.

Try to add a pinch of individuality in your comments and whenever possible strive to start a conversation with an author. Instead of simply writing “great post” or “thanks for the post” you could share what resonated with you the most or ask a clarifying question. In this way, you show an author that you actually took an effort to read their work and are genuinely curious.

Commenting can become your first step into building a meaningful relationship with other bloggers. It could be that bloggers whose posts you comment under start checking out your content as well and even suggest your blog to their own audience. We recommend setting aside about 30 minutes every workday for reading blogs that are relevant to your audience and leaving a personalized comment after each text. Set your intention on being of service first and you’ll soon notice how your effort returns twofold.

Share posts on social media

Another great way to strengthen your network is to share posts on your social media platforms. Depending on which social media accounts your audience is most likely to follow up on your recommendation, you can utilize multiple platforms. For instance, blogs that cover career and work performance topics are better suited for LinkedIn. Sharing a link to a recent blog post you discovered on your LinkedIn feed can in turn bring new traffic to your fellow blogger. Sharing other bloggers’ posts on Facebook and Twitter works great as well.

Keep your audience in mind and try not to overwhelm them with too many blog references all at once. A sound strategy could be selecting one day a week for sharing inspiring content with your readers. Also, make an effort to provide a short description to your readers about why you believe this content can be useful for them. Curating content in such a way can help you show your readers that you value their time and only share high-quality content with them. This in turn can inspire other bloggers to consider collaborations with you, since you’ve established a strong bond with your followers.

Reply to Newsletters

Need more tips on how to connect with other bloggers? Consider signing up for a newsletter from those bloggers who you would want to have in your network circle. As a rule, most bloggers offer regular newsletters to their audience. Sign up for a few and reply to those you find most appealing soon after you’ve received them. We recommend turning on a notification for emails from bloggers you favor.

Blogging can feel like a lonely job at times, so getting feedback from readers would be a great treat for a blogger. Chances for response are higher if you reply to the newsletter soon after you get it. The simplest way to start is to thank the blogger for their newsletter and point out what sparked your interest the most. It would be even better if you take the time to give more extensive feedback on their newsletter. Don’t be shy, get out there!

Get active on social media

You would be amazed about how many groups and communities are out there all with a single purpose—to support each other. We highly recommend joining social media groups and actively seeking advice. A rule of thumb: before getting something from the group, offer help whenever possible. Some bloggers could be seeking expertise that you possess and what you consider obvious could be a great time saver for someone else.

We gathered 10 Facebook groups that can help you get started:

Link to other blogs in your posts

One more easy way to score more supportive relationships is to link other bloggers in your posts. Whether it’s a story you’ve been inspired by from a certain blogger or expert advice you stumbled upon on someone’s blog, do mention your sources. Tag authors, provide links, and generously promote others in your posts. Your current readership is a new source of traffic for bloggers and this kind gesture will be appreciated without a doubt.

Next-level networking for webmasters is to co-create a blog post with other bloggers by asking them to contribute their views on a certain topic you investigate in your post. This can easily help you gain valuable content for your blog and broaden your spectrum of contacts—all with a single move. Make it effortless for bloggers to share their opinion with you and reach out to potential contributors with a clearly formulated post topic and questions, Google forms could be a great aid in this!

Attend Live Events

If you are really serious about building your network muscle, live events must play a crucial role in your agenda. Meeting the right person at the right time and place can be detrimental to your blog’s success. All you need is a few people to establish your close circle and going to industry events and exhibitions is an ideal opportunity to do that in just a few days.

If only the thought of having to introduce yourself and talk about your blog makes you sweat, we suggest you start thinking about your preparation game. A well-shaped (and rehearsed) pitch can take some pressure off your shoulders and set you up for productive networking. In the pitch, share who you are, let the others know your blog’s name, and what makes it different from other blogs on the web, describe your audience and express what kind of opportunities you are looking for. This can get the conversation going. And remember, just like you, everyone else is there to meet and mingle, so chin up and go for it!

Guest post

Make it a regular practice to invite other bloggers to contribute with their posts on your blog and be open to doing the same. Guest posting (or guest blogging) is an effective technique that will enable you to exchange audiences with your network and grow your following. To learn more about guest blogging you can read our Step-by-step guide to guest blogging in 2021 article on our blog.

To secure new collaborations you might want to reach out to those bloggers first, whose content is different from yours, but you still speak to one audience. Let’s say your blog is about travel tips for couples with young kids. It would make perfect sense to seek partnership with bloggers who cover topics such as pregnancy, relationship coaching, kids education, etc. This way you have valuable content to offer other bloggers when you are guest blogging for them. At the same time, you are not presenting any danger of luring their audience away to your blog.

Run a Joint Project

And finally, one of the most fun networking blogging tips is to run a joint project together with other bloggers. This could be a giveaway action where you invite your readers to start following other bloggers from your group to get a chance to win a prize. Or any other idea that you come up with together that might be of interest to your readers.

Consider running a few Instagram shoutouts with fellow bloggers or brands you are interested in. An Instagram shoutout is an influencer marketing tool that helps users promote each other with their Instagram profiles. A shoutout can be both paid and unpaid. When it’s a paid shoutout you get a commission and/or product in exchange for promoting another user on your feed or stories.

Keep in mind that many big brands source content from their audience, when it’s appropriately tagged. So making a voluntary shoutout can result in new followers for your account as well. And you can also launch an S4S (shoutout for shoutout) campaign. This is when you agree to promote someone’s profile in exchange that they do the same with yours.

Networking best practices

Blogging can feel like a lonely game to play at times, especially at the start. So having your own support group of people from the same industry is a wonderful tool that can help you on your journey. To get the most out of it, we recommend incorporating a few small but regular actions in your workweek.

Build a daily routine: Start by setting aside time every day to connect with new bloggers, within and beyond your niche.
Personalize your messages: Writing sincere feedback or questions in the comments section under a blog is much more powerful than leaving standard replies.
Give then get: Focus on building personal relationships first and only then talk business.
Follow-up: Make it a habit to reach out to new contacts you make online and offline by reminding them about how you and your blog could add value.

How to Connect With Other Bloggers

These days there are many ways you can connect with other bloggers, whether you prefer to keep it online or you’re ready to mingle in the real world. If you are hesitant to connect with other bloggers directly, take advantage of existing groups for bloggers. Be active and reach out for advice. Even the most influential bloggers had to start from the very same place. We hope that this and several other networking tips for bloggers which we covered in this post will inspire you to start building your network today!