If you've blogged for awhile, you may have
1. 1. The
more concise your post, the more readers
you attract. Most bloggers visit dozens
of blogs. They don't have time to read and comment on long posts.
As
you exercise self-control in writing tight, short posts, this discipline slips into
your conversations. You find yourself getting
to the point in fewer words, leaving room for others to chat, showing them
the respect they need.
2. 2. Asking questions at the end of each post engages
your reader, and makes them feel important. You can blather on about your
vacation to Colorado and bore your reader for 500 words, or give us a 200-word
run-down, then ask, “Where have you vacationed that you’d love to return to?”
If
you ask questions of friends while talking with them, you make them feel
important. They are important. But now they want to hang out with you
because you showed an interest in them.
3. You
learn more by listening than talking.
When you visit others’ blogs, you pick up trends and tips that help you,
whether it’s a new recipe for chicken chests, a better way to parent, or a link
to help you market your book.
So
it is with conversations. You already
know everything you know. So, the more you listen, the more you learn. And
grow. And become a more interesting person.
Did I leave anything out? How has blogging helped you become a
better friend?
P.S.
The winner of Diana Savage’s devotional 52 Heart Lifters for Difficult Times is Quiet Spirit of Following My King.
Congratulations, Quiet—I know you will love this book; it is one of my all-time
favorites!
I have never paralleled blogging and being a friend. Great points! I know I can talk a lot sometimes which coincides with my posts being a bit longer than intended, and have to edit out the unnecessary. I definitely can see a need to apply this edit to my 'real' conversations.
ReplyDeleteOne of the hidden benefites of blogging is making new friends. I appreciate these pointers. Thank you for them and for being my friend.
ReplyDeleteExcellent points, Jen. I agree, using these tips can help a blog better engage readers. Which of course, means making more wonderful friends. :) Congratulations to Cecelia!
ReplyDeleteInteresting concept. The blogosphere is all about friendship and supporting each other. When we take that caring attitude into our daily lives, it will enrich our relationships. I never quite thought about it from this angle.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Jeanette. and agree with all 3 of your points. Being concise is certainly a work in progress for me. I am envious of my writing friends that offer substance in 2 sentences whereas it would take me 1/2 of a page to describe something similar.
ReplyDelete