17 January 2008
by 
11 CommentsThe cyber world is a complex maze of sites, sprawled in haphazard excess. We create our online presence with a desperate need to find each other. We blog to be heard, and sometimes our voices are lost in the vastness of cyberspace. In this echoing virtual reality, how can we project our voices, connect with others, and ease our lonely hearts?
1. Be Selective – Choose Your Niche Topic
It can be tempting to want the love and adoration of everyone you meet online. The key to success, however, is to be selective. Choose your friends carefully and get to know people who share your interests. You’ll have more in common, find it easier to get to know each other, form stronger bonds, and have more time to maintain your connection.
2. Be Hospitable – Write For Your Readers
Be warm and inviting in your cyber home. Offer your guests what they want and give them the opportunity to feel comfortable. Having familiar mainstays can help your visitors feel at ease and it is important to talk directly to them, and invite their responses.
3. Be Honest – Tell The Truth
Trust is a vital factor in all friendships. You might fool someone, some of the time, but if you can’t be honest your friendships will wither in the darkness of secrets or lies. You do not have to reveal every facet of yourself, indeed you should not, but be real and be your self.
4. Be Entertaining – Write Interesting, Active Posts
Entertaining your guests is more than telling ribald jokes and offering nachos and soda. When you associate with others you should share topics of interest to them, not just yourself. An entertaining host invites interaction amongst all her guests, she stirs the pot of her party community, and draws her friends together.
5. Be Attentive – Listen And Respond
The final key to creating friends is to listen, be responsive, allow your friends to have a voice and tell their own stories. If they ask questions, take the time to answer. If they speak, acknowledge that you heard them. They are looking for a connection too and truly appreciate a friend who offers them an opportunity to share themselves.
I’d like to thank Michele of Writing The Cyber Highway for inspiring this post with her “How To Blog” meme. Thank you for the tag, Michele!
If you’d like to share your thoughts feel free to comment or consider yourself tagged and leave a link to your own blogging secrets. For more blogging tips check out Seven Surefire Ways To Commit Blog Suicide and 10 Tips To Blogs That Get Read.
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Wow, what an amazing job you’ve done, Rebecca! I love your tips and how you’ve written this post, and I love the title too.
I’m trying to follow your tips already. My readers voted in favor of my move to WordPress and I hope they exercise patience with me as I begin that journey to the other side of the cyber highway….
Oh, and I appreciate the link love!
Smiles,
Michele
Thanks, Michele! I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
I know the transition can be challenging, especially without technological experience but you really will appreciate WordPress. Don’t forget you can call on me if you need help.
You’re very welcome for the link love. It would be great to see others join the meme fun. I know I should have specifically tagged someone but I’m always worried I’ll put someone out by challenging them. *blushes* I know, I must remember the rule: “Ask, you’ll be surprised who says yes.”
You’re most welcome, Rebecca. You deserve all the compliments you can get!
As for calling on you for help: I may have to.
I sooooooo appreciate your offer. You’re too kind!
And… don’t worry about the tagging. I’ve stopped tagging for every meme and only call out specific people sometimes now. I know what you mean. There are always others I think of, but I’m afraid they wouldn’t appreciate the tag. I thought you’d be ok with this one since you could share some of your awesome blogging tips.
Thanks again for participating!
Smiles,
Michele
Thanks, Michele!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who is cautious about seeming like a mosquito to fellow bloggers. I might hope others are as eager as I am to take up a meme challenge, it’s certainly a great way to have an idea for our next blog post.
If you think about it, meme tagging is a great way to build community all around. I’ll definitely make sure to tag next time. 
Great suggestions! You definitely captured why many of us write. I completely understand about finding a niche. I’m definitely still finding mine–writing, being a mom, politics, humor, reviews . . . I just can’t seem to settle.
Just because it is ‘best’ to find a niche, doesn’t mean you HAVE to, Laski. If your readers are enjoying the mixture and you’re enjoying writing with a broad focus you can continue. If you’d like your blog to have greater success than a niche may be the way to go. Don’t forget, just because your blog has a niche, doesn’t mean you can’t have other blogs with other niche’s.
Writing Blog – Parenting Blog – Politics Blog – Humor Blog – Reviews Blog. Give each it’s own one, two, or three day posting schedule and you can have lots of fun writing for them all and more readers because they’re after that specific topic but aren’t interested in the rest.
Anyway, full of ideas. It’s that waterfall. Thanks for stopping by and it is wonderful to know others feel the same way about writing.
Hi Rebecca! As always, great tips! I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve given you an award over at my site. You may have it already but I haven’t seen where. It was given to me by the lovely Michele, and I had to share.
Thanks for all your wisdom!!
Grandy
Thank you, Grandy, and I’m truly honored by the award.
I’ll be blogging it very soon I hope. Probably Saturday. I’m glad you enjoyed these tips.
Hello Rebecca,
It’s a small world.
Earlier today, I was going through the comments on Problogger’s site. I was in search of a new blogger (less than 3-4 months old) to showcase as my “new blog of the week:…a mission I’m on to help new bloggers “get found”.
Anyway, I clicked on your name, and came to your site. I knew you had blogging down, but was intrigued by what I say. You write so beautifully, I knew I would have to come back.
Then, within an hour or so, you left a comment on my blog (the one about profanity in blogs).
I believe I have found another great cyberspace “friend”.
I’ll be back again soon!
It is wonderful to get to know you better, Barbara. I loved what you had to share about the place for profanity. I’m looking forward to spending more time exploring your blog too. (Can we add a few more hours to each day?)
I love your mission. It’s a great idea. I’ve taken to giving random blog reviews from time to time here and have discovered some wonderful bloggers and friends. I think community is one of the most important roles blogs have. The ability to connect with like minds around the world is amazing and truly enriching.
Thank you for sharing your friendship with me. I’m looking forward to ’seeing’ more of you and reading more of your blog.