7 Things You Can Do to Help a Fellow Blogger

Kailani, from An Island Life, tagged me for a meme. It's been so long since I did one, and I thought it would fit perfectly with an idea I've had in the works. The original meme is simply 7 Random Things. Of course, I just can't follow directions, so I'm putting a spin on it! My last 7 things meme turned into "7 Things I Found Under My Couch Cushions."

Kailani is one of the most generous bloggers, always helping beginners, so I thought I'd post some things we all can do to encourage each other.

1. Link to other bloggers! This is one of the most important things to a blogger, as you probably well know. Add a new blogger to your blogroll, or highlight a post you loved. Include them in a "round-up" post with a collection of posts on a topic. Speaking of links, did you know that Technorati links expire after 6 months? I posted my blogroll in a separate post, so I can re-post it each 6 months.
   
2. Visit and comment on their posts. OK, I know these first two are very basic, but I guarantee there are people who have never heard them! If you read a post you love in a feed reader, click through and up their stats for the day.
   
3. Click ads on their pages. (note: don't click many Adsense ads, that can work against the blogger.) It is against the rules for a blogger to ask you to click ads that pay-per-click. I don't have any pay-per-click ads on my site, so I'm certainly not asking you to click mine. It wouldn't do me any good, unless you're really interested in the product. But sometimes I make it a point to click ads on sites I enjoy, even though they won't know it was me. If I buy something on Amazon, I'll find a blogger affiliate and go through their site. I don't believe in karma, but I do believe, "you reap what you sow."
4. Subscribe to his/her feed. (How?) Subscribing is like saying, "You're writing is worth keeping track of, and you're worth my precious reading time!"
   
5. If your post is included in a carnival, give the host a link somewhere, and direct your readers there, even if it's a little note at the end of a post. Organizing and hosting a carnival is sometimes a lot of work!
   
6. Give opportunities for guest-blogging. You can announce it on your blog; for example, "Is there anyone out there with experience in Potty- Training? How about writing a guest post?" (What? Everyone doesn't need potty-training advice? Hmm.) You could also email a blogger whom you know has expertise. Deb, from Mom of Three Girls did a great one here about being a Working Mom.
   
7. Review a post that you enjoy on Stumble Upon, Digg, or Del.icio.us. I am so thankful when someone submits my posts to Stumble Upon. (hint-hint... Just kidding!) It's one of the biggest compliments you can give, and it has the potential to give a huge spike in visits.

OK, there is just one more! If a blogger makes a mistake, (ie: etiquette or political correctness), think before you attack! Ask yourself if the blogger meant harm, or just didn't think something through. Before you fire off a nasty comment setting them straight, cool down a little, and email him/her privately first. Most people will say at least one inadvertently offensive statement during the course of their lives. I know I have.

The blogosphere can be an awesome place, but at the same time scary. We are putting ourselves out there for anyone to see, sharing our souls with the world. We need to encourage each other as much as possible, and dare I say - share the love!

Do you have any creative ideas to encourage another blogger?

By The Way - TAG!!!
You're all tagged! Every single one of you! Yes, even you!
Hey!....There is no home base in this game! You're it.

If you play along, leave your link in the comments. (I follow) I'll add your link to the post.Visit these good sports: Lynnae, Jendi