Thank you for making the last month more of an oasis for this introvert’s blogging efforts.
Often it can be either a desert or an oasis with online social media visibility. We can blog consistently, offer valuable and unique content, and can still think or feel, “Is this reaching more people?” Or even, “Where am I going with this blogging?”
Or is that just me? If it is, then you are way ahead of me.
Two unexpected and different kinds of recognition each arrived with their gifts. I don’t know quite what to make of it.
Most bloggers want to grow their reach.
But maybe you don’t care about recognition. It’s might be hard to believe an introvert would thrive in the limelight of it. But maybe in my situation it’s my award winning sales background that causes me to do a happy dance when winning something comes my way.
Is Your Niche Blogging Attracting and Growing?
LinkedIn Works When You Work It
My LinkedIn friend and top-quality blogger Sherryl Perry, and group owner of my most active blogging group Bloggers Helping Bloggers, emailed me saying, “You’ve got my vote, Patricia!”
At the Dedicated2Life blog there were 100 individuals, businesses, blogs and charities in different groups and there I was, listed in group five.
Was I excited? You bet!
Do you wonder if I voted for myself? Well, wouldn’t you? You betcha I did.
And in bloggers helping bloggers style, I social shared the blog post.
Then on holiday for two weeks, while I wasn’t fulfilling all my blogger group obligations, the LinkedIn group notifications would still arrive in my email box. On the one day I did more than open emails, I clicked on one, scanned a popular discussion and there were congratulations to me from resilient living blogger, Marquita Herald.
This recognition in part must have had something to do with increased signup activity to my blog while I was away. Maybe I should travel more often.
Thank you all who took time to vote and put me in the #10 position of passionate people!
MyBlogU Brainstorming the Introvert Way
Last summer I joined MyBlogU founded and created by Ann Smarty. MyBlogU has an About Us page that reads, “the innovative community of writers and bloggers who are eager to exchange their case studies, digital assets, expertise and knowledge to help each and get help in return!” My experience is its community of go-giver, quality bloggers, and if I can help, I’m happy to do so.
Requests suggested for your expert arrive via email although I don’t always find something I feel qualified to answer.
I also accessed people in this community to collect some metaphorical examples in my book, Communication Toolkit for Introverts: Find your voice in everyday business situations. The ones selected I mentioned at Brainstorming: Bane Of Most Introverts But Writers Block Tool For Bloggers.
So again about the time in heading for holidays with family, there was a request:
My email list is small being just under 2,000 but my blog subscribers, is even less with just under a couple of hundred, so you bet I want to reach more readers with my messages. I welcome most help I am offered.
To me, it was a little about having to toot your own horn. In my coaching experience, I’ve found both introverts and extroverts struggle with doing this. I’m no different. So I meditated the next morning with the intention of knowing what to say in my answer.
Just last week I got a notice from MyBlogU, “your idea is accepted.” Of course my now I’ve forgotten what idea this was, who I had helped and so, I clicked on the link and saw this:
Thank you, Nancy Seeger ! With a little more work to find 11 blogs with under 1,000 subscribers to nominate, I pay it forward.
Is Your Niche Blogging Attracting and Growing Your Online Reach as Much as You Want?
- There’s a serene kind of satisfaction and bursting heart gratitude when positive things happen even in physical absence. The universe is conspiring in a good way.
- Connections online and in-person are important. These relationships often bring along unexpected, mostly welcome business visibility.
- Pay attention to your connections where they may be mentioned. For this, I’m certain, is part of the gratitude circle.
Have you recently examined your intentions of being online – in other words, what is your motivation for blogging? What are your expectations of being social with “social media?”
Then if you find your actions aren’t fulfilling your motivations or intentions, try a LinkedIn group for bloggers or at least your niche, and get going with a brainstorm request of your own on MyBlogU.
Congratulations on your Top 10! That’s fabulous! I’ve never heard of MyBlogU. Might have to check it out.
B
Brenda if you want to connect with likeminded bloggers I do recommend MyBlogU. Whether you want to help others or you want others to help you, in a quiet kind of way, it’s worth it. Thanks!
Have to admit I had never heard of MyBlogU before, Joined and as soon as they send me the email to confirm I’m me I will also be a member.
Personally get most traffic directly and Linkedin comes second. Am content with the amount of readers I get but, needless to say, it would be nice to attract even more people:-)
Catarina I think you will like it. It’s a good community. Great your blog is performing with amount of readers. You can find Brainstorming, Interviewing and a couple of ways to either contribute or ask for help.
Am now in the process of them verifying that I own my blog. Then we will see..
Hey Catarina, I just found and replied to your verification email! So sorry it took a bit longer than usual! technology ugh 🙂
Welcome to MyBlogU!
Great, Ann. Thank you.
Ann from what I am reading here, you’ve got some HIGH power, outstanding content and genuine go-giver bloggers coming over to MyBlogU. I’m confident they will find their experience mutually beneficial.
Congratulations on the Top 10! You got my vote! And thanks for the heads up on MyBlogU. I really would like to up my subscribers. I’ve been struggling with this for a while now. Love and admire that you are always paying it forward Patricia. You are a great inspiration to me…and I suspect many many others:)
We’d be thrilled to have you part of our community, Jacqueline!
Until you try it Jacqueline, you can’t know if it will work for you. I’ve found success just by the helping of others get answers to THEIR requests. I rarely ask. Hmmm. Maybe I NEED to! hahaha
Congratulations, Patricia, on your top 10 Award! I, too, hadn’t hear of BlogU and watched their video and then registered to join. Unfortunately, the confirmation link led me to an error page on their site. Tried twice. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be! But thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Hey, Jeannette one of those attempts must have worked because your account looks activated! Please try logging in. Feel free to tweet to me @seosmarty or email seosmarty AT gmail if you need any help!
Thanks Jeannette! you’ll find Ann to be exceptionally responsive. Let me know of your experience and I will look for you there too!
Yes, definitely congrats on the award 🙂 Blogging has brought all kinds of unexpected results my way because I never gave up at it even though it took forever to find a true focus which led to more freelancing. Just today I had a meeting with an author I interviewed a least two years ago. Now we’re going to work together as an editing team on future projects where she handles the developmental side and I the proofreading. So many bloggers are so incredibly supportive of one another and good things come from that in many different forms and at many different times.
Jeri, I think my focus is evolving over time. What a terrific story of how your consistency has be mutually fruitful in the successes!
Wow this is so awesome, Patricia! You so much deserve all those awards!
Thanks for being a valuable member of MyBlogU!
Thanks Ann. I already noted but wanted to say again, from what I am reading in the comments, MyBlogU is attracting some high-power, rich content and long-time bloggers. Wishing for their experiences to be as positive as mine!
Congratulations Patricia! This is really a testament to your community building skills. Your community is supporting you and promoting you even while you’re on vacation. 🙂
Thanks for the shout-out and the mention of our LinkedIn “Bloggers Helping Bloggers” group. It’s a small group but we’re passionate.
I am a member of Ann Smarty’s MyBlogU but (alas) up until now an inactive one. I haven’t got a good reason though. I’m a huge fan of Ann and I follow her on Google+. (That’s how I found your post.) So, I need to get my butt in gear and get over their soon. Thanks for the nudge!
Sherryl THANKS! You were the person who alerted me to my nomination in the Top 100 Passionate People. If you were the one behind that, or even if you voted for me THANK YOU again.
I’d say just give MyBlogU a try. You’re a huge giver and my guess it, you will find it useful.
Yes, I need to go on vacation more often. hahahaha
Congratulations Pat – you deserve every award. I love your friendly, positive outlook and your willingness to share information with us all.
I am a member of MyBlogU but haven’t really learned how to use it’s potential. I’m not sure if it’s a good fit for my type of blog.
As for why I blog – It’s basically for personal pleasure with one of the amazing side benefits being the friends I have made on Bloggers Helping Bloggers.
Thanks for the kind words Lenie.
I believe it would be a TERRIFIC help for your blog and that you could help others there. PLEASE, I mean this (and it case you miss this reply I will message you via LinkedIn) let me know if you want to Skype or phone talk your way in and around the basic starting points of it.
I don’t find it at all surprising that an introvert loves the limelight. Remember that Robin Williams was an introvert. I worked on a set with Christopher Lloyd back in the day. I know him most from his crazy character in back to the future and he was the quietest, most private and introverted person I have ever come across. So not surprising at all.
Congratulations on having so many things come together in the last few weeks. It is so exciting when your hard work really pays off, and it is funny how many people are surprised by their “good luck” after so much dedication.
Thanks Erica. You’re a wise woman about introverts! Not all of us are and I so appreciate you bringing up the two celebrity names you did to enhance the point about being in the limelight.
It’s more about the specific good luck which was nothing I purposefully sought or “intended.” I love blogging, as so many, if not most bloggers do!
Hi Pat, congratulations my friend on being awarded One of the top 10 most passionate people. I think they made that award with you in mind. Good job!