How to be a Fantastic Blog Buddy

Image Courtesy of  The Graphics Fairy

 How to be a Fantastic Blog Buddy

You’ve gotta have friends, right? That’s true everywhere– including in the blog world! I rely on my fellow bloggers for advice, technical help, inspiration and support. I “met” many of my closest blog pals years ago when I was just beginning to blog, and our friendships are still going strong. It got me wondering… “What makes a fantastic blog buddy?” 

What Makes a Good Blog Friend?

 The qualities that make a good blog friend are the same attributes we tend to look for in our real life pals– someone who is generous, thoughtful, encouraging and kind. And having a sense of humor about the trials and triumphs of being a blogger is great too! I love when my blog friends share a craft fail or funny story about something that happened in their personal lives. We all have those days where things don’t go exactly as planned. We might as well share them and laugh together! When you have someone that you can share the good and not-so-good with… and feel totally comfortable doing so… you know you have a great blog friend!

I asked some of my friends to share their insights on the good, the bad and the bloggy. Whether you’ve been blogging for years or are just getting started, here are some Blog Buddy “do’s” and “don’ts”:

“Do’s” (A Baker’s Dozen)

1. Be Supportive: “Visit, take the time to comment, and help promote by pinning, sharing on social media and stumbling.” {From Niki, HomeMadeville} 

2. Play “Tag”: “Mention your bloggy buddies in blog posts or on Instagram and tag them.” {From Kara, Mine for the Making}

3. Make MEANINGFUL Comments: “In a world where social media sites like Pinterest and Facebook (which we all know are extremely valuable to bloggers) mean that less and less folks are commenting, I love when my blog friends get the conversation going on a post with meaningful comments. It encourages other readers to engage and creates a sense of community!” {Keri, Shaken Together}

4. Be Sincere: “Leave sincere comments and provide behind-the-scenes help.” {Steph, The Silly Pearl}

5. Surround Yourself with Positive People: Cultivate friendships with bloggers who are positive and encouraging.

6. Interact: “Give them shout-outs, follow their social media channels and interact on their Facebook and Instagram.” {From Sarah, Craft Quickies}

7. Connect: “I have two or three buddies that we have an ongoing message chat on Facebook with, then once a month we have chat on Google Hangouts where we share problems and help each other with solutions.” {From Kelly, Missinformation}

8. Help a Newer Blogger Out: “When I select features from my link party, I will often try to include a newer blogger. I remember my first feature and how excited I was.” {from Carolyn, Homework}

9. Be Gracious: When a blogger takes the time to feature your work or pay you a thoughtful compliment, acknowledge it and thank them. It will make them feel awesome, knowing they made you feel good.

10. Get them “On Boards”: “Feature their great projects on your site and pin them to large boards.” {From Carissa, Creative Green Living}

11. Think Snail Mail: “Sending snail mail little handmade gifts, supplies from our stash to each other is so meaningful. There have been a couple of people who have done that for me and touched my heart.” {From Johnnie, Saved by Love Creations}

12. Make it Win/Win: “A lot of people look at blogging as a competition but when you have a true bloggy friend they want to help you grow and don’t mind one bit sharing tricks of the trade – and you know it’s a true blog friendship when it’s reciprocated.” {Mary Beth, Cupcakes and Crinoline}

13. Pay It Forward: If a newer blogger reaches out to you for advice or insight– take it as a compliment and make the time to give them a well-thought out response. We all remember how overwhelming it can feel when you’re learning the ropes. Pay it forward!

And a Few “Don’ts”

1. Don’t Let the Green Eyed Monster Ruin a Friendship: Martha Stewart called and begged your BBF (Best Blog Friend) to be on the cover of Living as Crafter of the Year. You’re only human, and it’s natural to feel a little twinge of jealousy. But there’s enough good stuff for everyone out there! Something awesome will happen for you and your BFF will probably be the first one to put it on Facebook. Be there to support your friend in good times and bad.

2. Reread Before You Hit Send: Email and Instant Messages don’t “sound” the same as spoken words. When you are communicating with your pal, make sure your typed words convey what you want them to.

 3. Finally… Remember Mom’s Advice: “If you don’t have something nice or constructive to say… don’t!”  {From Kelly, Missinformation}

Are Blog Friends… “Real Friends”

 So are blog friends real friends? I asked my friend Colleen from Just Paint It to share what happened when her husband, Marlon became ill. Here is Colleen’s story: 

When Marlon first went into his first surgery, I texted a close group of blog friends on FB for prayers. Some of them – Brittany at Pretty Handy Girl in particular – asked their FB friends for prayers. I didn’t know this at the time as I spent nearly 72 hours at the hospital.

When he died, I let them all know. What happened next was amazing. Email after email poured in from bloggers, some small, some huge. I didn’t think the even knew I existed! All of the Haven coordinators wrote personal email condolences. I wrote some posts, just for my own sanity, and the comments that came in were just amazing and so very comforting, even though I’d never met these bloggers and probably never will. But that doesn’t matter because they all have a special place in my heart.

Brittany then went out on a limb and emailed me, asking if I was okay and was I going to be okay financially. She was embarrassed, she said, but she wanted to know if there was life insurance, investments, etc. There was nothing, and I told her so. I also thanked her for her concern. She wrote back offering to organize a fundraiser for me. I was stunned. It took a ton of time, loads of research, but she finally used Rally.org and Paypal and wrote a post about “giving back.” Many, many bloggers posted my photo in their sidebar. Money was raised and used to help pay bills that I have no idea how I would’ve paid. But beyond the money, it was the caring, the support, and the love that poured in.

Bloggers are an amazing community. Whether or not I ever meet some of my blogger friends irl does not matter to me. It is my daily social life. It is what has kept me going after my husband’s death. I simply – and I mean this with all of my heart – I simply would not have survived without my blogger friends. I could ‘talk’ when I wanted, grieve if I wanted, or not. The support was, and is, constant. To this day, I receive online support that I did not receive irl.

In Conclusion

 So after hearing Colleen’s story… what do you think? I think blog buddies are absolutely REAL friends. And I think like the friends you meet in your non-bloggy life, it can take time for your relationship to grow… which makes it an even better friendship! Do you have any tips to add? Please share them in the comments!