Wayne Liew Dot Com

Bloggers always network or needed to network for the sake of information sharing or getting ourselves heard. We make friends, whom sometimes we don’t even meet before via such networking. A simple interaction such as an enquiry or a discussion can link two or more bloggers together.

Photo by StuSeeger

Making more friends, especially friends that share the same interest - blogging, has benefits that are being mentioned time after time. Today’s blogging tips on blog networking will be on what are the don’ts to avoid when interacting with your blogging pals.

You might think you know your blogging pals a lot but the truth is never be seen until he/she eventually become your real life friend. Thus, there are certain measures that you will need to uphold in such interactions.

10 Hindrances in Blogging Pals Interaction

Read me, link me, write about me!

If you are a Digg user, you will probably encounter this. People add you as a friend just to shout you their story so that you can Digg for them. Don’t shoot your blogging pals or contact them just because you want their attention for the benefit of your blog. This is just plain annoying and not only that you won’t successfully achieve what you are trying to achieve, you will also break the relationship that has been formed.

Back-stabbing

You can talk bad things about A to B but you’ll never know that B actually knows A and probably their bond is even tighter than yours with A or B! The safest way is to avoid back-stabbing. Talking bad things behind others’ back is immoral and you will lose two friends at once when your back-stab plan is being foiled. Anyway, why do you back-stab in the first place?

Be a busybody

When it is said that a subject is a secret or not to be mention again, don’t go all out to dig for it! Also, when your friend has already mentioned that something is personal, don’t ask why or what! You might think that you are being caring but you are more like an intruder into other person’s life.

Don’t know when it is time to stop

Anything has a limit. The number of times you seek help, demand for explanation, requests for discussion and even a joke, there is a limit. People don’t provide all the time in their lives for you. Be considerate. Ask them questions sparingly. Whatever interaction that you make, know the limit and know when to stop!

Photo by dboy

Being emotional

Sometimes we are controlled by our emotions. Incidents such as a theme editing mistake that spoils our whole blog, frustration because of no response by your friend will sometimes change the tune of the language we use. Refrain yourself, tell yourself that your pal might just be busy with something or they just accidentally miss out your message. Give them some time and nudge them after some time if an event is urgent for their attention.

Being sarcastic

When your blogging pals are sharing with you their success encountered in blogging or a discovery which they have found in a delighted mood, don’t break the scene with a "So what?" or "People found that ages ago". Come on, you might be telling the truth but adding in a complement is not too much to ask from you right?

"You are a complete dumb!" in an interaction

Every person has their own ego. In an interaction, explain yourself in a form of discussion rather than you dictating the whole process. Give your pals chances to talk. When they are wrong, don’t make them shameful of themselves! Put in your thoughts and a line such as "My findings are not quite consistent with yours, maybe we can perform some investigation on this?" will correct them and not make them felt ashamed in front of all people.

Improper use of language

Yes, what I am meaning here is foul words, bad words or not-so-nice words. Avoid using them in any way. The Internet is an international medium and is being reached by millions of users with different cultures. The famous four letter word might be a common word in your community but it might not sound too good in somewhere else. Build up your vocabulary on words to express feelings such as anger and disappointment rather than just foul words.

Faking

Be honest with anyone when you are online. Having things that are contradicting with your words being poked out by someone is the last thing you want to happen to cause a massive blow to your credibility. Keeping bad things is difficult but keeping a lie from being discovered is even difficult! Don’t fake and be transparent in any of your interaction. Maybe this is why it is important to show screenshots of earnings to make people believe that you are making a lot of money.

Photo by jurek d.

Use them as a tool

No one likes to being used and I would hate it! Don’t ever brand your blogging pals with names like "SEO Expert", "Content Promoter", "Code Troubleshooter" or even "Ideas Provider" so that you can always use them for your own benefit. This is not the way you treat a friend! You might think that they are completely frowned to your usage but if the day comes when you realized that they have been knowing this, it might be the day they stop replying your mails.

Definition of A Blogging Pal

It is hard to define whether a blog visitor, a person who contacted you, a commentator or a blogger whom you visit his/her blog frequently is your blogging pal or not. I have blogging pals that are formed from all the above categories since networking is so important in blogging nowadays.

All I can tell you is that when they are your pal, you will take the extra time to put in extra effort when they need your help. Someone that is interested in befriending you will show you the following signs for example:

• Contacting you frequently
• Commenting frequently on your blog
• Praising and giving constructive opinions on your plans and works
• Offering their help free of charge

Don’t feel obliged to return the favor if you don’t have the time but at least have a group that will support you all the time is a motivating factor in blogging.

My Stories on Blogging Pals

From the day I started to turn my old blogspot blog towards a blog with ads, I started to make friends all over the blogosphere. I will not mention here via linkbacks as it will make this post a long one. Wayne Liew Dot Com actually made me more friends than before.

I get to know more people who are devoted to blogging (this is a blogging tips blog), people who are willing to help, sponsor and provide opinions. Most people can be my friend but if you meet me in real life, no long and elaborated blogging tips please.

I make friends and I will try my best to keep them. They are the best ever "asset" that I have. They can be everything. They can be by source of inspiration, they can be a motivator and most important of all, they remind you that you are not alone in this difficult blog eat blog world.

Photo by ktylerconk

Feedback on Blogging Pals and Your Interaction With Them

Blogging pals can come and go anytime. You might not know everything about them and this is why it is important to uphold the few tips above when you interact with them until you are more confident about the relationship.

Don’t tell me that you don’t have any blogging pals. If this is so, you should get one now immediately and Wayne Liew is available!

Do you consider yourself to have a lot of blogging pals? What will you be aware of when interacting with your blogging pals? What will be the point when you consider them as your real friend? What exceptional experience you have when knowing blogger friends?

Subscribe to Wayne Liew Dot Com RSS Feed to get the latest blogging tips on blog networking.

Other blogging tips that you might be interested in:

• Blogosphere Summary Week #5
• Welcome to WayneLiew.Com
• 20 Tips For A Personal Blog Success [Part 1]
• Ask Your Blogging Questions At The Right Place
• Networking With New Bloggers - Pros and Cons