By Karen Rynes, Director of Marketing

Blogging is about people and relationships.  The biggest thing to remember about the blogosphere is that many conversations are happening among many people.  Writing on your own blog lets you voice a view.  And, if you allow comments on your blog, you can get a two-way conversation going there.  But that is not enough.

The key to successful blogging is to join in the conversation by not only posting to your own blog but posting comments at and participating in other blogs.  You'll evolve from being a blogger who posts to being a blogger who participates in bringing both sides together...and become an active member of the community.

Doesn't this sound like relationships in real life?  That's why I said that blogs are about people!

As Liz "ME" Strauss at Successful (& Outstanding) Blog(gers) puts it, "Visiting a blog is much like stopping by a neighbor's house.  It's a cordial way to let the owner know that you stopped by.  If you've stayed long enough to read something, leaving a comment is a nice gesture and a relationship-building act.  It's like leaving your calling card on a business call or leaving a note at the house of a friend."

Reading and commenting on other blogs provides many benefits.  You can:

• Get to know new colleagues
• Stay relevant on industry news
• Learn new tips
• Increase traffic at your blog
• Enlist new customers
• Find content to post on your blog
• And much more!

Additionally, you also need to respond to comments that appear on your own blog even if it is a simple "thanks for the comment."  This will show your readers that you are listening and value their comments, which will make them come back again...and again.  And with that, you have started a relationship!

This week, I encourage you to take the time to visit, read & comment on at least 3 new blogs.  You'll get the satisfaction of sharing a few of your own opinions and you'll also probably gain a few new readers!

Thanks again for tuning in to this ongoing series on Social Media that I post every Monday.  In case you missed it, here's last week's post on honesty & full disclosure.

P.S.

• For more about commenting on blogs, check out what else Liz "ME" Strauss has to say about Comments & Comment Policies.
• Back in October, Mack Collier of The Viral Garden decided to "walk the walk" and lead by example to fellow bloggers by posting "100 Comments" in under a week!  He runs a very popular marketing blog centered on the community...and commenting is definitely a community-building tactic.  Here's the post.