First of all, what is networking? There are many definitions … some make sense and some don’t, but for me, networking is simply the art of reaching out to people.
I’m sure you can agree that making this very first contact is not always easy. There’s a lot of things that can go wrong … you can sound aggressive, for example, or desperate, or simply not clear.
Also, anyone who says that you should simply “be yourself” needs to get a grasp on reality(!) … sorry for saying this 
Now, to blogging.
There are many important tasks for a blogger to take care of every day. Apart from the obvious task of publishing content, one also has to do some SEO, link building, guest posting, advertising (at some times), and … wait for it … networking.
The fact is that no website on the internet has become popular on its own. Every popular website is popular because at some point some other popular website mentioned it to their readers, and the whole thing started. (How many times can you say “popular” in one sentence?)
In fact, if you have a nice network of contacts you will do just about fine in the blogging world. That’s how important it is.
During the past couple of months I’ve been working on a Networking Guide for Bloggers together with Hongkiat. There are 7 chapters inside the guide. Each part/chapter has been published as a guest post at Hongkiat.com. Feel free to check it out:
- Part 1: What is Networking and Why You Want to Join the Band
- Part 2: How to Network Like a Boss – Goals and Rules
- Part 3: Choose People Wisely, You Must
- Part 4: How to Approach People in Their Natural Habitat
- Part 5: How to Make a Good First Impression
- Part 6: Crafting Your Message Like an Engineer… Leave Nothing to Chance
- Part 7: Simple Roadmap to Networking – Only 6(ish) Steps
By the way, the e-book version of the guide is coming soon. I’ll keep you posted.
P.S. The e-book will be available as a free download. No strings attached.
Related Posts:- 6 Step Master-Strategist Guide on How to Begin an Exceptional Blog Post
- What a High School Student Can Teach You about Networking
- 6 SEO Tips for Bloggers You Can Use Today
How About a Networking Guide for Bloggers? | newInternetOrder.com