I don’t know about you, but sometimes learning the simpler aspects of something is the hardest part of the learning process for me. Take networking, for example. As a new blogger, I found myself with a pretty steep learning curve since I started my blog. My blog is in a very competitive niche, the “make money online” niche. Sure, I had read John Chow’s blog and many others for about a year prior to deciding to dive in to blogging.  I read about their strategies, I read about the money they were raking in and thought that all I would have to do to be successful was start writing.

Now it’s been 3 and a half months since my blog went live and things are looking up. I’ve done some guest posts on TylerCruz.com and now here at the Cow’s place. I’m doing my best to learn from others who are more successful than me and have learned a few lessons along the way but the one cliché that is just as true in blogging as it is in the business world is the old “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. In short, it doesn’t matter how well you write or how novel your ideas are, but it’s about who can help you get the most exposure to your blog at the smallest cost.

It’s Not (Only) What You Know

Blogging on the topic of “make money online” has been very personally rewarding. I feel as though I have learned a whole lot about what it takes to create a blog that actually makes money and is able to evolve over time by growing its readership and adding income streams. Learning strategies like how to successfully run a contest, how to write reviews, and how to sell ad space have added to my knowledge arsenal and I am now able to talk shop with the best of them. I also think that I learn even more by making posts on my blog about these topics. When I regurgitate what I know, I do a little more fact checking before pushing the “publish” button to make sure that nobody laughs at me (too much). However, no matter how exciting or insightful my posts are, they are worthless if nobody is reading them. It’s like the old saying goes “if a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around, does it make any sound”? What good is an excellent post with tons of helpful information if nobody is gaining from it? What good is me spending an hour or more on one post if nobody is every going to see it? This is where networking comes in.

It’s WHO (Moo?) You Know

Getting over the initial resistance and reaching the point where your blog has some momentum takes a lot of effort. From my part, it required being active in places like the forums at Digital Point and getting to know some bloggers like Tyler Cruz and Gyutae Park from Winning the Web. It’s also required me becoming active in others’ blogs by making comments and letting people know that “hey, I’m here too”! Networking has played a huge part in the life of my blog and I think that it will continue to do so. If you’re unsure how to network, here are 5 tips to get you started:

1. Be active in other blogs. This is a simple and fun way to participate in the current events of your niche. I’m sure you read other blogs, so why not post helpful comments that help you to stand out as an authority on a subject? Don’t just be a flamer, but actually try to help and participate in the discussion. Once people see that you’re actively participating in these blogs, they’ll be more likely to check out your blog in return.
2. Participate in your niche’s community. You community is probably full of resources. Do you know them? Do you know the biggest hangout for people who are interested in the same things that you are? Do you talk with members f the community? Do you give helpful information to those in need? If you’ve answered “no” to any of these questions, then you need to bring your game up a notch! Start looking for the places to go and become active!
3. Meet bloggers in your niche. If you’ve done steps 1 & 2, you’ll probably already be familiar with others who are blogging about your niche. Now that you know who they are, drop them a line to say “hello” and tell them who you are. Chances are that they’ve already seen your screen name around and will be happy to get to know you. Once you’ve opened up a line of communication, you’ll be able to start working on projects together and be able to promote one another’s site.
4. Learn all that you can about who is who. The “who is who” list is an important one. Once you know the top cats of your game, you should learn all about them. Not in a stalking kind of way, but in a “how did they get to be so successful?” kind of way. Learn about their strategies, learn about their networking communities, and try to do the same. Think of yourself as a virtual James Bond; be the part and know the part! If the people on top of their game are doing a certain thing, you should probably follow their lead. If they are hanging out at certain forums, you should probably be there listening to their advice.
5. Do guest posts! After you’ve met others, become active in your community, become aware of what others are doing and know what the trends are in your niche, it’s time to go all out! Guest posting has been great for my blog as it’s widened my site’s reach and helped me to gain confidence in blogging. By guest posting, not only do you help out a blogger in need but you also get to share your ideas with blogs that are bigger than yours. This is a win-win!

Nick is a 20-something full time grad student and full time IT guy. Specializing in Information Architecture, he often dabbles in online projects. His latest project, a blog at http://www.learnhow2earn.com, is a blog that details his online money making experiences. Like what he has to say? Check him out and drop a comment!

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