golden rule to being a better blogger

On our first date my husband and I met in Chinatown and walked around San Francisco and got lunch. I don't know if we both knew that this was the real thing and we might as well get down to the tough stuff, but at that lunch we discussed religion and some other topics that don't usually come up on the first date. We actually talked for hours that day. It was the longest and best first date I have ever been on. Opps...a little off topic. I don't remember the exact question he asked about religion but I remember my answer. "I grew up in the church, I don't go now but I believe everything comes down to one simple rule, treat others as you would like to be treated." This is how I try to live every aspect of my life.

I have become very involved in blogging again. As I have learned more about the people in the blogging community I have been drawn in even more. I have been telling my husband that it would be nice to find some people that are interested in the same things I am and the blogging community is providing that. It has been fun to get to know some of the ladies and follow along on their projects and ideas.

In this community there is a lot of advice that to build your audience such as you should get out and support others posts by making comments, linking to their pages etc. I think we all hope this is what people do for us. I however, think too many times we comment for the wrong reasons. I think more of us could stand to remember how we want to be treated as a blogger and treat others that way because it is the right thing. I would focus this to the little to medium size blogs. We are the ones that probably have more time and could stand to pay it forward, spread it around and share the love. When someone does treat me the way I want to be treated I have been trying to make more of an effort to comment on someone else's  post. If someone new comes by the blog and makes a comment I try and head back and repay the favor. If I am really aware I will add someone on facebook or twitter. I have even tried to get better about finding a board on pinterest to follow after a person follows one of mine. This is how community is built. This is how the community was built years ago when your favorite big blogs got started. This is how bloggers became friends with thousands of miles in between them and how we will continue to build these relationships. It is an unspoken thank you.

What made me think of this is that one of my favorite bigger blogs started following me on twitter and stopped by and commented on my blog. It made my day. I don't expect her or anyone for that matter to stop by every post and comment but it meant so much to me that it reminded me that I want to make a better effort to comment on the blog posts I enjoy. We all hope that on those great posts that someone will stop by and make a comment and it is fun to know that I can be that comment for someone. Hopefully on the days I write a great posts someone stops by and lets me know. Maybe they think to add me on facebook or twitter because there were a couple posts they liked and don't want to miss any more.

Be neighborly, reach out and make the community a little stronger and comment on a post today. Maybe it will come back to you or maybe it will be payed forward to another deserving post. Even if it doesn't come back to you if you treat others as you would want to be treated because it is the right thing to do your personal community will eventually grow and the blogging community will continue to be strong. Don't do it to get the comment back do it because it is how you would want to be treated.



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