This post was most recently updated on September 22nd, 2017
Do you know how to get out of your “Blogging Bubble?”
Moreover, do you even know whether or not you are trapped inside of it?
The blogging bubble is a private little workspace you create to do your “blogging.”
This is where you create and schedule your content… your blog posts.
It’s where you play around with different plugins or software to get more of your readers to subscribe to your email list.
It’s where you take care of blog maintenance issues like site speed, plugins, blog design and so forth.
On your blog site, you organize pop-up windows, guest writers and paid ads, like AdSense and others.
It’s where you can spend so much of your time and effort that you hardly have time for anything else.
This is what I call your secluded, isolated little “blogging bubble.”
It’s safe and cozy.
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You get to the point where you kind of like hanging out there because you’re familiar with it.
When you feel challenged to do things outside of this bubble, you resist.
You don’t want to be bothered with things like marketing, squeeze pages, sales funnels, joint ventures and other things that can make your blogging business a success.
So, you just stay in your private little blogging bubble, instead.
Who Is In A Blogging Bubble?
The new folks to my blog have been amazing me lately.
So many of them are doing a great job.
And I’m thinking it it makes no sense that they are blogging with really good content… but they are getting very little traffic.
Plus, nobody’s leaving comments on their blogs.
You see, many of them are blogging in exactly the kind of bubble I’ve described.
This is partly because they don’t do any “off page” engagement with people.
They just stay on their own blog day and night, day in and day out, and never venture away from it.
You might find that you are doing this, too.
Maybe not all the time, but too much of the time.
How I Get Out Of My Blogging Bubble
The thing with my blog is that before I answer comments, I usually go to the other person’s blog and see what they’re up to.
I leave comments on their blog and then come back to my blog and reply to their comment.
That way I get to know who they are, and they get to know a little bit more about me.
Now this doesn’t happen because I stay stuck on my own blog, just replying to comments.
It happens because I get out of my blogging bubble and go find other blogs and get involved with them.
I also get to reach out to their friends and readers, and their readers get an introduction to me and to my blog.
Above is a Facebook Live Streaming Video.
You must hover over the lower right and toggle the audio slide to hear it.
Now, a lot of new bloggers are simply not going to other blogs and getting involved in that way.
Then they wonder why people are not visiting their blogs, and that’s probably a lot of the reason why, right there.
Even on their own blogs, many of these “bubble bloggers” drop the ball when it comes to engaging with people.
I’m seeing that they often have no comments because they either don’t allow comments or they only have some niche site where they’re just selling something.
Most of them want comments, but they never get any because they never go to other blogs to begin with.
The Comfort Zone
So, they do what they’re comfortable with.
They stay in their little bubble and just keep putting out a whole lot of content.
They don’t really care about comments or engagement because they’re only trying to sell stuff.
But that shows up in everything they do.
So people are not really interested that much in their blog.
They understand that it’s basically just self-serving and a vehicle for monetizing something.
Reciprocity
Now, I reply to people when they comment on my blog because that’s what you do.
You comment and you visit their social sites whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter or something else.
You join them there.
You tweet their content, or mention them on Facebook or do whatever else seems appropriate.
This is what I do.
It’s called reciprocity.
It’s really important that when your blogging you learn not to blog in a bubble.
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Writing content is great but that’s really not the whole story to blogging.
The thing is that blogging can be a really lonely place.
If you just stay in your own blog and don’t talk to anybody, and nobody talks to you… you’re in a blogging bubble.
Then you really don’t have any reaction to what you’re doing you don’t get any feedback to things you’re putting out there.
The result is that you’re missing out on a great opportunity to grow as a blogger and as an online marketer simply because you’re staying in your blogging bubble.
And things just aren’t going to happen for you when you stay there.
People aren’t going to get to know you.
They aren’t going to get to see your content in any context other than on your blog.
They’re not going to see you engaging in conversations or standing out as an authority or leader in your niche.
They’re just going to see you as a blogger who puts up content.
End of story.
And it’s because you are failing to leverage the awesome power of reciprocation.
The Lonely Blogger vs. The Worldly Blogger
Blogging is a very lonely place when you stay inside your blogging bubble.
But it’s only lonely If you let it be.
It’s also a highly vibrant, fantastic party if you want to step out of your bubble and get on the dance floor.
It’s like this… I’m meeting people from all over the world.
I just say “where are you from?” and they tell me India, Africa, England or wherever.
It’s amazing.
Then we get to be friends on social media sites like Facebook and others.
They tell me about things that are going on in their lives and I tell them what’s going on with me.
We get to engage and sometimes build a friendship.
It’s a great, fun thing to do when you’re meeting people from all over the world.
Where else can you do this?
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How is this going to happen except online?
And blogging is the perfect vehicle for it to happen.
You see, everyone’s blogging for their own purpose.
Yet ,we have a common path and that is to improve our lives, and those of our readers.
Together, we all create such a great energy.
Everyone gets to help each other out.
Each of us strives to become better and better, every single day.
That’s really the heart and soul of what I call a Blogging Community.
Your Very Own Blogging Community
Yes, blogging is about great content.
But if you just focus on that, you can live (and die) forever in your lonely little Blogging Bubble.
You’ve got to get out of it, though.
Blogging goes so much deeper than that.
On the surface, sure, it’s purely digital.
But deeper down it’s uniquely human.
And personal.
And lately I’ve been doing a lot of live streaming.
“Live” as in real people, real conversation, real sharing and in real time.
So, I’m meeting a lot of new people.
And not only that, but I’m getting to meet them in increasingly personal and direct ways.
So, I go on people’s blogs and leave a comment and share it.
But then I take it further.
I invite them over to one of my live streams and we really get to connect in a way that would never be possible just from blogging.
And other people are there, too.
These people are interested in the same things.
This is how a blogging community starts and thrives.
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So live streaming has really opened up my blogging experience.
And it’s funny because people are so appreciative when I comment on their blog.
They often message me to say “thank you so much, what can I do to pay you back in return?”
And I simply tell them it’s fine this is how blogging works.
You commented on my blog and now I’m coming back to see what you’re doing on your blog.
But we could take this even a step further.
Why don’t you come join me on my live stream tomorrow at 11:00.
… something casual like that.
But you know people really do join up and come visit and it just increases the engagement and feeling of community exponentially.
And if you don’t know anything else about blogging, you have to know that it’s all about engagement and community.
Burst Out Of Your Blogging Bubble
So sure, I could just stay in my bubble and wish and hope that people will engage with me more.
But I’ve learned to get out of that bubble, to reach out to people in different ways.
Maybe through live streaming, or any way, just to say…
Hey, let’s connect.
Let’s get to know each other.
Let’s take this a step further
Blogging and Marketing
In marketing they call it “building relationships.”
But marketers just have this whole other energy.
They get all hyped up about making money, forming joint ventures, winning affiliate contests and all that good stuff.
So they have this energy that is just great, but then when it comes to their blog it falls apart.
That’s because they think building relationships is just a marketing strategy.
But if it’s just a strategy you use in your business and nothing more… people don’t really connect with you in the same way as when it just comes from your heart and it’s what you really feel.
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Now I say this not because there’s anything wrong with affiliate marketing, but just to make the point that affiliate marketers are often focused more on profit than on connecting with people in a human way.
And that just doesn’t work when you’re blogging.
If you’re an affiliate marketer you may be thinking “that’s not how I am.”
Well, that’s fine.
If you’re an affiliate marketer that blogs with passion and engages with people in a personal and human way….
then I would say you’ve mastered the art of connecting your business to your humanity.
It’s just not what I have found to be common in the high-energy, rush-to-the-top affiliate world.
In fact, I’ve done some affiliate marketing myself.
But it was never my main business model.
I was just someone who used certain products or training and was so excited by it that I just had to share it with my peeps.
So yes, there is a profit motive built into that.
Just like there is in blogging.
But it was relatively minor in the scheme of things.
All I’m saying is that profit can’t be your primary motivation in blogging, or an affiliate marketing for that matter.
Helping others is always what it’s really all about.
How To Get Out Of Your Blogging Bubble
So how do you get out of the trap of blogging in a bubble?
Well it really begins with sharing.
The first thing you do is write your blog post and then start sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and anywhere you can.
Do all that first.
Then you have to spend time with other bloggers.
That means going to their blogs and getting involved in what they’re doing.
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You see, nobody’s going to care what you’re doing if you don’t care what they’re doing first.
Then you can step it up even further.
Guest Blogging
My friend Ryan does tons of guest posting, for instance.
It’s a really neat strategy and he’s doing a great job with it.
Guest posting an amazing way to connect with people on their blogs.
But it goes a step further than just commenting.
When you guest post you really get to connect with the host blogger’s audience.
You stand up to the podium, so to speak, and command their attention.
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It’s a great way to get seen and noticed and get out of your bubble.
So, like I said, Ryan illustrates a great example of how to get out of your blogging bubble.
He starts by guest posting.
Now, that’s taking a big step away from his own blog.
Yet it brings people back to his blog in the long run.
First, he meets them as a guest blogger.
Then he further connects with them in his daily live streams.
From there, people are invited to his blog.
You see, he’s bringing an audience to his blog not by staying in his own little blogging bubble.
He’s getting them there by getting out of that bubble and reaching them where they are.
Then he invites them back to his own site.
It’s like one great big circle.
The effort you put into getting out of your own little blogging bubble certainly returns great rewards in the long run.
Hosting Guest Writers
Another way to burst through your little bubble is to host some guest bloggers on your own site.
So for instance, you might reach out to Ryan or another guest blogger and ask them to write an article for you.
That way you bring their audience to your blog.
It’s another way of reaching out to other bloggers and, indirectly, to their audiences.
Guest blogging is really just a joint venture at the end of the day.
Both the guest and the host blogger benefit from tapping into each other’s audiences.
Find What Works For You
So find a strategy that works for your blogging business.
It doesn’t have to revolve around guest posting or live streaming, but it has to be something.
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Just figure out what strategy works for you and then implement it like crazy.
I think you’ll find… that’s what most successful bloggers do.
Monetizing
Now another way you have to get out of your bubble is to start telling people about your products and services.
Don’t be afraid to sell things on your blog.
I don’t suggest you make it the centerpiece of your blog.
But when you have something that can help your readers to reach their goal, don’t be shy.
Let people know about it.
That’s your job as a blogger.
Don’t get all caught up in producing endless amounts of content, or in raising your domain authority or getting more Facebook friends or Twitter followers.
These things may be important but don’t forget about your central monetization strategy.
How are you making money on your blog?
That doesn’t mean making money on your site necessarily.
But it means routing people into your business via your blog and your blog content.
Just know that in order to get customers and clients you need to tell them what you have to offer.
Too many times I see bloggers go overboard with content and they never put together a decent monetization scheme.
So whether you’re driving people to your coaching program or to affiliate products or to a graphic design service that you offer… just do it.
Now, I’m not talking about micro-niche sites.
Those are sites that are really not blogs in the true sense, but just websites created to sell a particular product or genre of products.
I’m only talking about using your blog to route people toward your product or service.
So when you blog about a topic in your niche, you know to address the problems people are probably having.
You are a problem solver, right?
You demonstrate that in your blog posts.
I’m just saying, don’t stop there.
Let people know, on your blog and in your social media outreach, that you have created an information product, for instance, that will help them solve a problem.
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Or make sure that they know you have a service set up that can help them.
For most of us, blogging is not just about pouring out and endless stream of information.
It’s about connecting our knowledge and expertise to our monetization scheme.
That means to our products and services.
So make that connection for people.
Don’t assume that they’ll just figure it out on their own.
You notice on my blog that I usually link to my products and services.
Sometimes I’m just offering an ebook or sometimes I’m linking to my coaching programs.
Either way, I’m letting people know that I want them to join my email list or sign up as a client for one of my services.
I’m connecting the dots for them.
You have to do the same thing on your blog.
Not in the same way, maybe, but you have to do something to let people know what you have to offer in terms of products and services.
Enthusiasm
I think the most important thing in all of this is to show enthusiasm in your blogging.
In other words, get out of your emotional bubble.
Don’t keep all your thoughts and emotions bottled up inside yourself.
Share them, just like you share information and ideas.
In fact, your enthusiasm is more important to your readers than your information and ideas.
Chances are, they’ve already see the information before.
But now, they get a chance to see it through your eyes, your perspective, and mostly, through your enthusiasm.
You have to show people that you genuinely care about them.
And you have to have fun while you’re doing it.
No matter what you write or say, when you do it with enthusiasm and joy people will be far more attracted to you and your message.
If you do it without enthusiasm they probably won’t even hear you.
And even carry this attitude over when you’re visiting other people in their blogs.
Carry it over into your social media interactions.
Everywhere you go let people know you care about them and that you’re having a great time connecting with them.
Blogging is not just about the content you put on your blog.
It is about sharing your message far and wide outside of your blog.
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So what do you think?
Do you ever feel like you are isolated and stuck in your own little blogging world?
How do you get out of your blogging bubble?
I’d love to read your comment below.
And please share this article on your social sites.
If you’ve found it valuable, your friends will, too.
-Donna
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