After posting how I marketed my news breaking post, I had a few questions via EMail about how to properly address other bloggers and create networking opportunities.

So let’s jump into how you can start to build a networking relationship with other bloggers.

Know the Blog

This is probably the most important factor. Before contacting a blogger, know what they talk about and if they have any posting schedules. For example, if you’re asking for a link you might want to first know if they do a weekly round-up of links or when the blogger might be making a post that is relevant to something you have talked about.

Make Yourself Known

Tread lightly when putting yourself out there. Be a regular visitor to the blog, leave comments, join the community, and associate your self with what the blogger is doing. I’m more inclined to do something for those who come around, make themselves known, comment, and interact with me on my own blog.

Keep coming up with ways that you can make yourself known to the blogger without being a problem. You want to be seen and treated as a valuable member of the blog’s community. Stay up to date with good commentator traits and practice them when commenting.

Social Network

I have always said, if you like a post at any time you should be taking the time to submit posts to social bookmarking sites: StumbleUpon, digg, Reddit, Deli.cio.us, etc.

With the growing popularity and wide variety of social networking sites they’re becoming more and more valuable for bloggers to have their blogs within these networks. By bookmarking posts you’re doing a favor for the blogger.

As an added bonus, when you submit quality posts you’re building your own networking profile to gain more attention.

Seek Friendship

Networking sites make it really easy to become a “friend” with anyone. If you enjoy a blogger, seek out their social networking profiles and add them as a friend. If you get them to add you as a friend in return then you’re a step closer to creating a networking friendship.

Share quality links with blogger friends that have nothing to do with you.

Read that sentence again and again!

Human nature says that we’re more open to contact with others when we see how it is beneficial to ourselves, not other people. If you can step outside of those bounds and genuinely share quality information with other people that do not lead them to your own blog you’ll build a lot of trust, respect, and authority.

Learn what your friends enjoy on networking sites and share content with them that you believe will be of interest, helpful, or entertaining. Quality information is appreciated by a lot of people and you’ll be throwing yourself out there to be a source of a wealth of information.

Personal Approach

Once you have done what you can to get to know another blogger, you’ve already got your name in their minds. Here’s your moment to ask for a favor…

• Be respectful and polite. Remember those manners your Mom taught you! Please and thank you go a long way and will get you far!
• Expect nothing. Of course we’d love for people to always do what we ask but they won’t so understand if your request for a favor is declined.
• Briefly explain why you’re making the request (my post is relevant to a recent conversation on your blog, because of your recent interest in one post; I thought you might enjoy my post on the subject, etc.)
• Know who you’re talking to. For heaven sakes don’t tell me you’ve been reading my blog for years and then call me Kathy or spell my name as Katie.

When sending off an EMail be respectful of the blogger’s time. I’ve got less than a minute to read and reply to a lot of my EMail. If you can get to the point and take up just a very brief moment of my time I’m much for faster to help.

Suggest a return of favor: “If there’s ever anything I can do for you…”

If you add that statement to any EMail sent to me, believe me that I complete your favor I’ll be calling on you for a favor of my own. Once you have created this connection with me the first time, it’ll take very little for you to get the next favor from me.

Some Thoughts

Not all bloggers are into networking. You’d be surprised how many want to sit back and do their own thing and if they never have a StumbleUpon account it’ll be too soon. Ensure that you recognize this kind of blogger. They’re great for reading and talking to but consider others when seeking out networking opportunities.

Use favor requests sparingly and never forget what did in the beginning to build a relationship. Just because you had a favor request successfully completed doesn’t mean they’ll be happy to do the same thing the next day. Take it easy!

Keep networking and communication lines open. Don’t get what you need and lose touch, keep at it. Building a strong networking relationship holds a lot of value and the more that you can create these relationships, the better place you’ll be in.

Your Strategy

How do you start out a networking relationship and seek the attention of other bloggers? Have you ever sent off a request for a favor from another blogger and got something you weren’t expecting. And from your stand point, how would you like to be approached by other bloggers?

[Image By thijsone]