5 Ways I’m Blog Networking And Staying Organized

After the closing of Examiner.com I was lost. So I needed to step up my blogging game and make things happen!

I was a contributor for Examiner.com (20 million monthly readers) for almost 2 years until July when I received an email that they were closing down their website. I was in shock, then panic kicked in. How was I going to be able to promote my blog if I didn’t have a large platform to write for anymore? My husband pointed out that he was actually relieved that they were closing. Why? Because now I could spend more time growing our blog. Also, some good news – I became a contributor for The Huffington Post which has millions more readers than Examiner.com’s ever had! Without Examiner.com closing, I may never have tried hard to get in to one of the most popular websites in the world!

I’m still learning more everyday about how to make our blog better. How to promote and get more readers, especially followers on social media. My Instagram account is finally starting to pick up after the 3 months its been out so I’m happy about that. My Facebook, not so much but my Twitter is still going strong and I hope to hit 10k by the end of the year! Is that too ambitious?

Here are 5 ways that I’ve been networking and staying organized for our blog this summer.

1. Work with other bloggers

Guest posts and blog collaborations are a great way to not only have a creative post and interact with other bloggers, but you can also gain new readers. I did my first blog collaboration recently and it was the most fun post I’ve written in a while! 14 Real Towns In Europe That Look Like A Fairy Tale would never have happened if I hadn’t reached out for help from other bloggers. I’ve only visited Italy so there was no way that I had the Europe photos and trip experience to talk about other countries that fit the fairy tale bill on my own. In addition to that, I’m now following new and inspiring bloggers I never would have known about if we hadn’t worked together. It also helped boost followers and traffic to my website by them sharing the post on their social media channels.

2. Join a blog community 

Once you’ve swam farther in to the world of blogging, you will realize that community is essential. This summer I joined the Facebook group for Girls Vs Globe, ran by the talented lifestyle blogger Sabina. Let me tell you – it was one of the best things I’ve done this summer for my blog! The community is welcoming, full of opportunities to work with other bloggers and the girls give very helpful advice. I’ve had so many questions answered for me with the click of a button and learned so much along the way. There are other groups too such as Travellers and Girls Love Travel which I have also joined – but honestly, I go to Girls Vs Globe 95% of the time because I just love it!

3. Write, post, share – repeat

You can write a spectacular blog post but it’s pointless getting the message out there if no one is reading it (unless you’re running a blog unpublished and private for yourself then that’s different.) It’s crucial to share your blog posts, it’s probably the main way that you will get readers for your blog. You don’t have to open hundreds of social media accounts, you can just start with one and work your way up as you become comfortable managing your blog’s social media accounts. You could even start with your own personal account and share it with your friends (that’s what I did on Facebook and still do.) Also, going back to joining communities, there are blog communities where you could post your blog for others to read. Twitter is also good with blog community accounts that solely retweet your posts for more exposure and followers. Becoming a contributor writer for other outlets is also a very good way to get exposure for your blog.

4. Make contact cards

If you’re really stepping your blog up a notch and it’s becoming more of somewhat a business, it’s probably a good idea to get some contact cards made. I’ve had my blog for 2 years but it was only last year when I really buckled down and starting to take it seriously. In turn, I also began going on media trips and writing sponsored posts. It was when we started going to different locations for the blog and meeting clients that I decided contact cards would be very professional. The Erin Condren team was kind enough to make some for me. They have very cute designs and I love how my contact cards get straight to the point without having to search around the card to find important information. You can find a design and personalize yours here.

5. Save your contacts

I know a lot of use our phones to store contacts, but call me old-fashioned, I like to write mine down. Plus, on many occasions my contacts have not been saving to my iPhone and I don’t know – it really is annoying so it’s good to have a back up plan. It’s so much easier for me to open a book and view a contact’s address, email, company they work for, etc. instead of scrolling through my phone. I’ve been using another great Erin Condren product – their address book in one of their newest covers: Flamingo!

This coiled book has laminated tabs from A to Z so you can keep your contacts organized alphabetically. Mirroring many of the features in their popular notebooks like their LifePlanner, the address book comes with a clear zip lock pouch, laminated interchangeable cover, double-sided Keep It Together folder and Perpetual Calendar.

There are also inspirational quotes throughout the book and a few pages open for you to jot down notes! I know it sounds like a broken record playing every time i say this, but I seriously am a lover of Erin Condren and have personally recommended it to my friends and family who also use her products. It really is amazing!

Do you have any blog networking tips? Are you just starting your blog or have been at it for a while now?

Bonus:

Use my referral link to sign up for an Erin Condren account (it’s free!) Once you’ve done that, you will receive a unique coupon code for $10 off your first purchase on Erin Condren’s website.

The address book and contact cards seen in this post were kindly sponsored by Erin Condren, as always my opinions are my own.