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![[Artful Blogger: How to become an enviable member of the weblogging community]](22lead.gif)
Anita Bora
There's no point having a Weblog, if no one ever reads it. So, how do you
get people to visit and read your work? Here are some tried and tested
methods.
PUBLICISE: Tell the world
Get it listed in Weblog directories
The eatonweb portal lists blogs in
alphabetical order and by country. You can use this simple form to add yours
to the list. Weblogs.com maintains a list of recently updated blogs. Once you register, you can notify them of updates via this form.
Blogrolling automatically lists your site when it is updated at Weblogs.com. Greenspun maintains an unsorted page of journals
and diaries. Blogger and Pitas each have a page of recently updated Weblogs. You could also consider listing your site on Blo.gs and Linkwatcher.
Another way to popularity is to get your blog peer-reviewed. Submit it for
review to Blog of the Day, register with BlogHop and Peer to Peer Project for others to rate and review your blog.
If you want your blog to be read beyond the blogging community, get it
listed in search engines and directories. You can either submit it
individually to each of them or use site-submission services.
CONNECT: Form a link with the community
The more you connect with and participate in the blogging community, the
better the chances of your blog being read and referred. A good way to begin
is by joining a Webring of blogs.
Webrings usually consist of sites with a common theme linked in the form of
a group. I Love to Blog, for
instance, is for passionate bloggers and Wedblogs
is for those about to get married or recently married. Webloggers is a general Webring for bloggers, while
Blogs by Women is self-explanatory.
Most require registration and have some eligibility conditions. Once you are
accepted into a Webring, a piece of code pasted on your page allows you to
reach other blogs and others to reach yours.
COMMUNICATE: Tell others what you think
The best way of getting noticed is by communicating. Not just on your own
blog, but on others too. Most blogs have a section where you can comment on
posts. When you post your comment, you can leave your email and blog
address. If people like your comment/s, they might visit your blog.
Maintaining a 'Blogroll', a list of favourite blogs on your page, may be a
good idea. It's not mandatory for a blogger you have linked to, to
reciprocate the gesture. However, it is an effective way to tell others that
their efforts are appreciated and noticed. And, who knows, someone,
somewhere might do the same for you.
PARTICIPATE: Be a part of the community
Many blogs double up as discussion forums. MetaFilter is popular for its freewheeling discussions on a
range of subjects. But, at the moment, it's not accepting new registrations.
While you can read what others are talking about, you cannot contribute to
the discussion unless you are a member.
Slashdot,
Kuro5hin and Plastic are
popular destinations for discussions on media, technology, culture, etc.
Sites like Weblogreview and the Blogster Project will keep you updated on happenings in
the community.
Have Some Fun
You can participate in a number of interesting projects. The Ageless Project offers snapshots of bloggers by the month or
year of birth. Or, make your own statement about blogging with a Blogsticker. Friday Five poses five questions every week, while the MayFly Project asks you to summarise your life in 20 words.
Blogspeak
Blogging has spawned its own lexicon. So, if you are new at the game, get a
lowdown on the jargon at Blogicon. Almost Cool takes a flip look at blog slang.
Blog Etiquette
Etiquette that applies to much of our life, also applies to blogging. Your
first commandment: Be polite.
Some bloggers have attempted to formulate lists of dos and don'ts. Like, How to Maintain a Bionic Weblog, Blogger's Manifesto and the Manifesto for Better Blogging.
Blog Awards
Blogs get awards, too. The official awards are called The Bloggies, while Anti-Bloggies are a humorous take-off on them.
Read Part 1:
I, Me, MyBlog: The Net's hot new frontier
Also Read:
-- From the Trenches: Bloggers report on the WTC attack
-- Instant Journalism!: Indian bloggers tell their story
-- Weblogs: Your notebook on the Web
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