This post was most recently updated on February 22nd, 2014
This week I am honored to have Adrienne Smith as my Guest Blogger.
Adrienne and I met on Facebook. Since then, we have learned so much from one another. If there is one thing I respect, it is a blogger who gives great content and also leaves incredible comments on blogs. That is Adrienne. She is fun, upbeat, has a great sense of humor and has a blog I visit each week! I just love her and wanted to share her insights with you.
So take it away Adrienne…. (Here is Adrienne’s Guest Blog Post):
When it comes to social media, Donna is definitely someone you should listen to for advice. She has really built up a great following and has even built relationships with some of the top names in social media. She is a very successful coach and is doing extremely well.
I met Donna through a group on Facebook and I knew from the start she was someone I could learn from. So I sent her a message and asked if we could have a conversation on the phone. I just wanted to get to know who Donna is and there are some things you can’t learn about someone just from reading their content alone.
So why is building relationships super important?
For starters, had I not built that relationship with Donna then I wouldn’t be here! She invited me to write a guest post and told me I could blog about anything I wanted to share. Since relationship marketing seems to be an area I’ve excelled in, I thought I would share with you why building relationships is super important.
The Advice I Didn’t Take
I’ve been online now for several years and in those early days I honestly had no clue what I was doing. I didn’t know which direction I wanted to take, I didn’t know who to listen to and I had a difficult time finding information I could understand. Those early days were no fun at all.
One thing that I do remember is the advice that I should just be myself. I have absolutely no problem doing that in my real life but I was so intimidated by people when I came online.
Every site I visited, every blog post I read, I just knew these people knew so much more than I did. I was extremely uncomfortable just being myself.
Want to know why?
I didn’t understand 70% of what other writers shared, so I thought I would sound dumb asking so many questions. I thought I needed to have more knowledge under my belt before jumping into conversations, which is why I never participated in any groups online or commented on any blogs.
What Changed All That?
I purchased a course toward the end of 2010 and I promised myself that I would do everything it taught me to do, even if it was outside my comfort zone.
Trust me, most of it was.
One of those “uncomfortable” things was commenting on other blogs. This was an area I found difficult because every blog post I had read up to this point, I just knew these people were so knowledgeable. I thought I would sound ridiculous and stupid. But you know what? I did it anyway.
I just shared my own experience of what I had learned, or things I had done related to what they had shared. After about the third month of visiting other blogs consistently every day and leaving a genuine comment in my own voice, I started getting more traffic to my blog.
Know what else started happening?
I started getting a lot of comments on my posts and they appreciated what I had shared. I was surprised, delighted, excited and downright blown away.
Building Relationships
The next thing that started happening is that because I ask a lot of questions in my posts, people started interacting more in the comment section and then I started receiving personal emails with more questions.
Because I took the time to connect with these people (I even spoke with some of them on the phone or Skype), they saw me as a real person who cared about them and their progress.
As time went by, I continued to get more and more traffic to my blog and comments on my posts.
This started leading to people wanting to interview me. I’ve been invited to write several guest posts on numerous blogs and some are big names. I’ve been invited to join large tribes on Triberr and private groups on Facebook.
I’ve been asked to promote other people’s products and have even been asked to partner with a few.
None of this would have been possible had I not started building those relationships. And it all starts right on your very own blog.
My Advice To You
Be yourself in your posts. Share some of your own experiences in your own words. Ask questions that will get conversations started in the comment section. Don’t forget this: Always respond to every comment left on your blog.
If you think it’s not worth your time, think again.
Everyone online is their own person and we are all unique in our own way. Not everyone is going to connect with everyone and that’s okay. Life wouldn’t be very much fun if we all thought the same way, acted in precisely the same manner, and if we all shared the exact same information.
Speak in your own voice. You will attract those people to you that you’re supposed to. Start building a relationship with them on your blog, seek them out on Facebook and start a conversation and follow them on Twitter. Share their content and help them to get what they want… it will definitely come back to you.
What Do You Think?
As I had mentioned, I like to ask questions in my posts, so now it’s your turn. I would love to hear your thoughts on what I shared.
Were you, or are you now, confused and lacking in confidence like I was when I first started? Are you just starting and not sure where to begin? Do some of these bloggers intimidate you too?
All of your comments are welcome and I promise to stick around Donna’s place for a while and reply to them all.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and if you have any questions, just ask away. I’m eager to hear your story.
Adrienne Smith confesses to be a self proclaimed blogging, internet marketing, network marketing and personal development fanatic. Guilty as charged… She enjoys helping others achieve success online so any tips she shares on her blog, she hopes you find beneficial. Please stop by for a visit at http://adriennesmith.net/.
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