Build Great Offline Relationships: The Key to Becoming a Successful Blogger

Bloggers are basically writers who communicate with people online. As a group, though, we don't have the image of a writer with a pipe typing away at his typewriter; a lot of us are nerds without stellar real-world social skills.



I'll be in Las Vegas during the second week of November to make new connections, enjoy the night life, and go to INTENTclick's PubCon. When buying my plane tickets, I started thinking about how knowing other bloggers in-person can make someone a more successful blogger.

 

How does knowing other bloggers help my blog?

”Trust agents” are people seen by others as very knowledgeable in their area of expertise. This means that people believe what they say and quote them like a guru. The result is that if you become to be seen as trust agent, bloggers will reference your blog online for its actual content (not only to show up higher on Google). However, you also build your trust with search engines, since they show sites that they “trust” higher on search engine results. If you think you're a rock star then you act like a rock star. Eventually, people will start to think you're a rock star. When they do, you'll be a rock star.

Offline relationship strategy: Share readers with other bloggers

Share readers – people who read one blog will follow hyperlinks to other blogs and might start reading the second one too.

Share trust – if your friend's readers find your blog through your friend's blog, your friend's readers are more likely to trust you than if they found your blog through some other means since they already trust your friend.

Offline relationship strategy: Improve smalltalk skills

One of the most effective good small talk techniques is telling a story with an open loop. Listeners often get compelled by good, easy-to-follow stories that don't reveal the ending too fast and also flatter the listener.

Even though we're taught in writing class to cut to the chase, compelling stories and conversation doesn't work like this because the folks you're talking to keep wanting hear one more sentence. A good smalltalker has his or her conversation partner in the same mindset as someone who can't put a book down.

A great chance to meet other bloggers is at the Las Vegas PubCon after party I'm throwing for INTENTclick. It's at the Zuri Bar in the MGM Grand on Wednesday, November 9 in the evening. I hope to see you there!

About the author: Murray Newlands is the founder and CEO of Influence People, a San Francisco firm that does blogger relations and other online marketing strategies for a variety of clients. Murray has written many blogging and marketing books, including Content Monetization.