Calling any Bloggers who want to find their community
Are you wanting to find like-minded bloggers out there, or join a linkup and don’t know what’s around or where to start?
I wrote some of this post last year Do you feel a part of a blogging community? and thought I’d take the opportunity to update the information as things change quickly – it’s a fast paced world out there!
People blog for a variety of reasons – some want to interact and engage with others while some want to stay in their own lane and do their own thing.
There is no right or wrong way to blog, it’s as personal as your choice of underwear!
I have been blogging for many years now and still enjoy it. It’s something that’s become a part of me and has helped enormously in many ways over the years. Through the good times and the bad, my blog has waited patiently for me, knowing I’d be putting my thoughts into words at some stage.
It’s been partly therapeutic, a bit insightful, a tad honest, and then again sort of addictive. When I blog I feel productive, creative and connected – it makes me a more observant person and gives me a desire to share and explore the world around me – whether or not anyone reads my words.
We all have stories to tell and usually our blogs are the way we share our thoughts – for whatever reason.
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I’m the type of blogger who likes the feeling of belonging to a ‘group’ of like minded people spread all over the world.
I’ve made many friends, met some in person and others are friends inside my computer. I got over the scary feeling of meeting bloggers in real life because when I did meet them they were exactly as I’d imagined from their words and views.
My most recent meetup in real-life was Jen from Next Phase in Fitness and Life. I knew I was near where Jen lived as we were riding a Rail Trail she often mentions in her blog, so reached out with a brief message. We arranged to meet up at her work the next day as we were riding to her town.
We had a lovely chat while she was on her lunch break but we managed to cover lots of ground and get a photo. She was exactly as I expected and we have lots in common! I now have a bit more understanding of her and an even better connection than we had before through our blogs, having met her in person.
Many bloggers have also said they didn’t expect to find friendship and acceptance as a part of their blogging ‘journey’. But they did. And so they continue.
In a post I wrote What makes you return to a blog again and again? I asked readers to tell me why they return to some blogs more than others and the results were very interesting!
Do you join in link ups?
One of the best ways to find bloggers, and a community that you feel is right for you, is through link ups or link parties, which can be a good way to meet others but also can be problematic if they are too big and unwieldy.
Usually if you leave a link you are expected to comment on the host’s post and on one or two other posts that have linked up. It’s up to you to see how you feel about joining in, but you won’t know until you try it at least once!
I participate in a few link ups as a co-host or contributor – not all the time but when I feel I have something to say.
I’ve listed a few of my favourites below, broken into weekly and monthly linkups.
Monthly linkups:
- What’s on your Bookshelf (#WOYBS) on the 3rd Friday of each month co-hosting with my friends, Jo from And Anyways, Sue from Women Living Well After 50 and Donna from Retirement Reflections. This linkup is all about sharing what you’ve been reading and we always get great recommendations!
- What’s Been on Your Calendar (WBOYC – including Word of the Year updates) which can be a great way to catch up with what you’ve been up to with monthly updates on the last Friday of each month. My co-hosts are bloggers I’ve met through blogging and a connection was made through reading and commenting on various posts and I consider them to be some of my closest friends. Same co-hosts as with WOYBS above 🙂
- What’s on Your Plate (WOYP) is hosted by Donna (Retirement Reflections) and Deb (The Widow Badass) on the first Wednesday of each month. Now I’m no cook, as almost everyone knows, but I enjoy the camaraderie and I’m made to feel included by the hosts in their comments. It’s fun seeing what others are cooking!
- Tell Us About…is a new monthly opportunity for bloggers to showcase their creativity. On the third Thursday of every month we’ll respond to the prompt “Tell Us About XXX” which could be absolutely anything. And how we respond is also wide open. It could be a blog post with our opinions or reminiscences; a poem, photos, a short story or whatever takes your fancy – it could even be a mix of all these! The next linkup is Thursday 16 February with the prompt of PLAY. I’m pleased to join Gail from UK, Jill from Aus, Penny from UK and Mary Katherine from US as a co-hots of this one.
Weekly linkups:
- Denyse (a fellow Australian blogger) has a linkup each Wednesday called Wednesday’s Words and Pics which is open early in the morning for 2 days and all are welcome to join in.
- Natalie has a Weekend Coffee Share linkup on her Natalie the Explorer blog – usually from Friday to Sunday but be aware that Natalie is in Canada so there are time differences!
- Terri’s Sunday Stills over at Second Wind Leisure – this is a photography based challenge and Terri has a list of prompts here for the month ahead and she always includes a link to anyone who joins her on a Sunday or anytime throughout the week.
- Gail’s Wow on Wednesdays on her Is this Mutton blog and although there are lots of fashion links from all over the place I can still link up my not-about fashion post and get some traffic from the linkup. Gail is in UK and her linkup goes up on her Wednesday morning and it’s open for a week.
- Marsha’s Wednesday’s Quotes on her Always Write blog
I’ve included links to some of the most recent posts by the hosts so you can find them easily. These are just a few that I like to pop in and out of as the whim takes me. Many of these bloggers are women I’ve not met in person, they live in Canada, America, England and Australia but they are still ‘friends’ of mine.
How do you join in?
To join in most of these I’ve listed is as easy as copying your post’s URL, clicking on the box that says ‘You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!’, usually at the bottom of the post and pasting your post’s URL in the required spot. If you haven’t done it before it might need you to register the first time but after that it’s easy-peasy!
Sometimes it’s also good if you can link back (create a pingback) to the host’s post so they know you’ve linked up and others can click on your link to be taken there directly. Blogging is quite neighbourly that way 🙂
Why would you join a linkup?
Some people like blogging on a prescribed theme or a prompt, as they feel it helps sharpen their skills, puts them outside their comfort zone and opens their minds to other perspectives. It can challenges your thinking at times too and seeing what others write is a way to understanding other people.
For some who want to write but don’t know what to write about it gives them a direction and focus and sometimes we all need this as a boost to our creativity. On the other hand I know some bloggers who just write to the same topic or theme all the time with variations, and they’re happy to do that!
It’s whatever floats your boat really – you do you!!
The Rules
When joining a linkup, the rule is you don’t link and run. Always comment on the host’s post and follow any rules, whether it be to visit/comment on at least 2 other posts in the linkup or something similar. As we all have limited time available it’s becoming harder to visit all the blogs we want to, so many people are being more selective in their engagement. But it’s a rewarding way of doing things and I enjoy the engagement.
As a co-host of our link-ups I always try to visit everyone who shares a link and I’ll leave an appropriate comment. Yes it takes time but it is part of being a blogger, it’s a 2-way street and interacting with others is a big part of it.
Friendship is mutual. And honesty shines through. Every. Time.
Source: Deb from Deb’s World
To answer my own question
My title asks a question and my answer is it that takes time to find that perfect mix of blogger and topics that appeal to you. I like to do other things apart from blogging so I try to work out the right mix of linkups that fit my schedule, because I know I not only have to write and share a post, but also be prepared to engage with those who take the time to read and comment on my post. If I’m not up to it, I just don’t share links so I reduce the pressure on myself. I also only write posts that suit my world – I’m into midlife issues, travel, adventure, photography, creativity, family, cycling, reading – some bloggers have a niche that doesn’t suit me and that’s fine, I might visit them every now and again to see what’s happening in their world but I don’t follow their every word and neither would I expect anyone to do that for me!
I do feel a part of a blogging community and link-ups like these are one reason why. Many of my non-blogging friends and even members of my family often wonder why I do this ‘blogging thing’ but I do it because I’m passionate about words, sharing thoughts, connecting, staying engaged and exploring different worlds. It’s also great fun and I get to meet some lovely people along the way!
Feel free to reach out if you need any help or have suggestions for me and I’ll happily share. You’re very welcome to join any of these linkups and will be made to feel a part of the community!
What about you? Have you found your blogging community or are you happy doing your won thing and not getting too involved with others?
Deb xx
Joining Natalie for her Weekend Coffee Share linkup
You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.
Everyone has a story to tell! Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. She never imagined being Granny Debs would bring so much joy to her life! You can read more of Deb’s story here
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Deb's World 
Being part of a blogging community has widened my world and my perspective – and through these (originally) virtual connections I’ve met people who have become some of my closest friends. Great post Debbie.
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Thanks Jo, you’re right, we learn so much from others and also about ourselves when we blog. Some of my closest friends are those I’ve met through blogging too. xx
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Thanks. I have mostly gotten the link ups through Bloganuary and then during the year things fade off. Thanks for your tips. Never thought of meeting up with people.
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It’s a real blast when you meet a blogger in real life – highly recommended if you can arrange it!
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HI Deb, I’ve met some wonderful women through blogging and formed firm friendships. I’ve been very fortunate to meet several of my blogging friends IRL and treasure meeting my good friend Donna from Retirement Reflections when we visited Canada. Link ups are a great way to get to know others in the blogging community. However, the reason for link ups is to discover other bloggers and to appreciate their work. It is often disappointing when some just link up and not visit or comment on any posts.
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Thanks Sue, I’m so glad to have met you through your blog and our many face to face meetups over the years. I really want to get to Canada one day mainly to meet Donna. I agree with your comment about linkups being a way to discover and appreciate the work of other bloggers and it is very disappointing when some choose to link and run. A lot of effort goes into running a linkup so a comment is the least we can do when we decide to join in. You are an exemplary blogger and inspire me and many others with your posts and podcasts. xx
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Although I’m not a regular linker-upper, I do enjoy them when the topic inspires me or I feel that I have something to contribute. Love, love meeting other bloggers… it’s a bonus to blogging that I didn’t even know about when I started eight years ago. Now, I’ve met over a dozen fellow bloggers… and counting.
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Hi Janis, I understand what you say about joining in if the topic interest you or if you have something to contribute. I know I don’t have the time to write a post if I’m not invested in the topic in some way. Some prompts end up challenging me to think outside the square and your recent creative stories have been a great way of sharing your talents to a wider audience. I love meeting other bloggers too! Thanks for your contribution to my post it’s much appreciated 🙂
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Janis, I’m in the same boat. I enjoy the community, getting feedback and even now meeting bloggers in person (thanks to Terri @SecondWindLeisure). I realize I only have so much time available especially in the weeks we’re traveling and need to keep my commitments to something I can stick with. Even now, I suffer from being able to give back more than I’m receiving…sounds like a 2023 goal to work on! I love the creation the prompts drive, the inspiration and out of box thinking beyond my own personal stories and blog posts.
Love hear from both of you Deb and Janis. Deb, thank you for a great summary and sharing your own experiences.
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Hi Steve and Cheryl, yes time is the biggest hurdle for many of us. Enjoy your travels and thanks for joining in. I’d love to meet Terri IRL one day!
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Hi, Debbie – That’s a great title question! I love your thoughtful and candid answers. In January 2017, when I pressed “Publish” on my first post, I never anticipated the deep connections and friendships awaiting me. I have met eleven bloggers in person, and as with your experience, every single one was exactly like they appeared on their blogs. Many of my closest friends are bloggers — and that’s what motivates me to continue. ❤
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Thanks Donna, your comments are always valuable and add to my thoughts on blogging. It’s always a surprise to hear others say they didn’t realise how much the connections would come to play when they started blogging but it seems like many of us feel the same way 🙂 I consider you a close friend despite the fact we’ve not met IRL yet xx
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Hi Deb – the blogging community and blogging friendships were the icing on the cake for me – something I didn’t know existed when I started blogging, and probably they’re what keep me coming back and continuing on when I’m feeling a bit dry. I’m not as big a fan of link-ups as I used to be – I don’t write to prompts anymore, so that crossed several off the list, but there’s a couple I wouldn’t miss and that I use to keep up with my wider blogging community. I’m so grateful for the people I’ve “met” and the friendships I’ve made through my blog. x
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Hi Leanne, yes I agree they’re the icing on the cake for me too. I’m glad you can join the linkups you enjoy and one day we’ll meet up in person 🙂
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Hi Debbie, Thank you for mentioning my weekly Weekend Coffee Share linkup. Like many bloggers, i find my blogging community by joining linkups and following blogs that I like. By hosting a linkup, I also build a blogging community. I’ve met six bloggers IRL and hope to meet more blogger friends, including you, in the future 🙂 Have a great weekend!
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Hi Debbie, I’m back to say thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare this weekend.
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It’s my pleasure Natalie, thanks for having us over every week 🙂
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It’s my pleasure to mention your linkup Natalie, thanks for all you do in having us over each week. I hope to meet you one day IRL 🙂
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Thanks for linking up to my post Terri and for your continued Sunday Stills challenges.
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Hi Debbie, what a wonderful post to encourage other bloggers to check out all the great link features we can all enjoy! Thanks for the shout-out as well. I always appreciate your contributions to Sunday Stills. I can’t even tell you how many other bloggers I have met in person–perhaps 50? Of course, it helped that I attended three bloggers’ conferences in 2016-2017. That got the ball rolling I believe. When we would travel, I would connect with bloggers with whom I developed relationships and contact them for a meet-up!
Funny story, as I was reading your post, my hubby was sitting by me and commenting about your colorful outfit. I told him that you and I had a lot in common, etc., and even the towns we live in (Tum Tum–outskirts of Nine Mile Falls, WA) and yours, Tumbarumba…and melded them into TumTumbarumba, LOL! I told him we would be fast friends IRL! One of these days!
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Thank you so much Terri! Your words made my day 🙂 Yes we would be fast friends IRL, and I love the connections we have, and none more so than where we live – your Tum-Tum and my Tumbarumba 🙂
I’m always happy to promote others and you do a fabulous job each week with Sunday Stills. Thank you xx
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My life has changed because of blogging. I never never thought that would be the case. I have met so many new friends through my blog and theirs, although most of it is virtual. Yet I still feel like we are close friends. I have learned so much from reading blog posts and I have gained confidence in my writing and my stories because of the comments of followers. It’s almost miraculous- the blogging world!!
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What a fabulous comment on your blogging experiences, I couldn’t agree more with your sentiments! Thanks so much for joining in.
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BlogFriends are a treasure! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your various linkups & communities!
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Thanks Ju-Lyn, I met you through one of these linkups I’m sure 🙂
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I think so; we’ve shared space many a time through the years.
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I really enjoy being part of the wonderful community of bloggers. Like others have said, I feel I have learned a lot about new and familiar places, discovered new books or new foods, look forward to reading about what people have been up to.
We are actually in Melbourne right now, and I saw something in a museum that came from Tumbarumba and I thought…I know someone who lives there…
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Oh my goodness, I’m wondering what your saw that was from Tumbarumba?? It’s not a very big place 🙂 I’m so glad to have met you though blogging and appreciate your comments here.
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It was an old film projector! I’ll post the picture on Monday.
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Hi Debs – whilst I’ve been blogging for a little while, I’ve only just started to discover the joy of a blogging community. This is mainly due to discovering your blog and your fellow hosts blogs. I’m glad to hear that you often dip in and out of link up parties as I do struggle to meet link up deadlines. However the link up dates do make me focus on trying to be more consistent with my writing. Thank you for sharing part of your blogging story. It’s always interesting to hear how others manage their blogs.
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It’s been great to find you and your blog through the linkups Janine. Struggling to meet deadlines and finding time are two of my biggest hurdles with blogging but I’m lucky to be retired so have fluid days – it was hard when I was working but I seemed to blog more back then believe it or not! Thanks for joining in with your thoughts 🙂
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Thank you for including me in your community and showing me what’s possible as a blogger. I’m supposed to be getting more time now my children are older but there still never seems enough!
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Great summary, thanks for posting this. Do you know if there is a cooking /recipe/food related linkup or one of the above that would lend itself?
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Yes the What’s on Your Plate linkup would be perfect for that, on the first Wednesday of the month. Good luck and thanks for your comment.
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My blogging community was born from an online scrapbooking course run by Shimelle. It was quite the thriving community at the time but over the years, one by one, people dropped out. I stopped scrapbooking a long time ago now but kept my blog; one of the original bloggers had some great imaginative ideas for storytelling via your blog rather than on scrapbook pages. Then she stopped blogging and my enthusiasm waned – what did I have to blog about? But I am happy to say I kept going and have gradually found blogs that I thoroughly enjoy and keep my interest in blogging going. How did I find your blog? I have no idea! I think I must have been randomly looking at blogs that other people followed and found you that way – however it happened I am very pleased I discovered the other Deb’s World!
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That’s very interesting to read how you started blogging Deb, it’s always fun finding out how and why bloggers started their ‘journey’. I’m so glad the two Deb’s Worlds have found each other! Thanks for joining in the conversation.
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Deb, great post! Thanks for all these longs. I’m getting close to my 10th anniversary of blogging. If I didn’t love it I wouldn’t keep doing it! I have never had the opportunity to meet a fellow blogger in person but there are some who I consider my blogger friends.
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I’m with you, if I don’t like doing something then I wouldn’t keep doing it. Congrats on 10 years of blogging, it is a great hobby to have in my opinion. Many of my friends are bloggers I’ll probably never meet in person :). Thanks for your comment on my post!
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Great post Debbie, thanks so much for including my #WowOnWednesday link-up. I love the community that results from link ups. I’ve met several fellow bloggers from the UK and Ireland, and like you say, it’s always very easy, we are kindred spirits!
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It was my pleasure to share this information and a range of different linkups Gail. We really are a family of kindred spirits, that’s a lovely way of putting it.
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What a lovely post about blogging, Deb. Thanks for linking to Always Write! It is so amazing that you can cohost so many blogs. As you say, it takes so much time to host because you don’t just visit one or two bloggers in the community, you visit them all. Terri and I are on the phone as I write, and we were talking about your great post here! Are your ears burning? I’m so glad you got to meetup with another blogger. 🙂
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Hi Marsha, thanks for your lovely comment. I enjoy writing and make sure I find time when I can and when inspiration strikes! I loved that you and Terri were on the phone and I came up in your conversation, show sweet!! My ears weren’t burning but I am more than happy to share my blogging thoughts and hope that the information can be useful for some. My post was a great way to share the work of other amazing bloggers like yourself and Terri :). xx
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Thanks, Deb. It was kind of funny. I was in the middle of reading your post and writing my response when she called and she had already read it. You gotta love blogging! 🙂
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Firstly, how snazzy is your cycling jacket? It’s fabulous!! Anyway, I like the link ups because they do create a sense of community. But they aren’t what they were. And seem to be dwindling. I will try to make your thursday one but I’ll be away for the books and the calendar one, but next month I’ll be back to normal…#WeekendCoffeeShare
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Yes our cycling vests are fab and always get comments when we’re out and about – thanks for noticing! Lots of things seem to be dwindling these days but I’m glad to see you on some of the regular linkups. Thanks for your thoughts 🙂
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Hi Deb, I received a huge shock, as I was reading and loving your post and then saw myself. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to catch up. We did say we seemed to have a few things in common. Well it does seem that great minds think alike as I have been drafting a post about our face to face meeting. This post about blogging connections has really made me think so I might combine a post with my thoughts and also our meetup. I love participating in link ups but would never drop my link and run, so I have limited them to just four. If I had the time, I would love to take part in more as they are great for blogger connection.
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Thanks Jen, I hope the shock wasn’t too shocking!! It just seemed a good place to share the photo of us. I’m glad you enjoyed my post and think it’s a great idea combining your blogging connections with our meetup, feel free to link to this post if you’d like to. I get the way you limit yourself to just a few linkups and admire your diligence. It’s always good to read your posts and see your comments, so thanks for joining in!
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I’ve often wondered how to meet like minded people through blogging. Thank you for this wonderful information.
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Thanks for your comment Melanie and follow. I’m more than happy to share what I’ve learnt over the years of blogging. I hope you can join in a few linkups and meet some new bloggers.
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I would love to learn more Debbie! I’m going to try a few linkups. Thanks.
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While I haven’t met any bloggers in real life, I do feel like I’ve made a real community of friends and found most of them through link parties.
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Thanks Joanne, it’s nice to meet bloggers in real life but we still get a good sense of them through our blogs. Link ups are a fun way to find people we have similar, or different ways of life and to learn more about our world.
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Hi Debby, thank you for this post. I started blogging years back and I have met amazing people and this year I want to read and hope to met more people.
https://www.melodyjacob.com/2023/02/does-inflammation-have-effect-on-fertility.html
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Thanks Melody, good luck with your blogging!
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I enjoy the blogging community. The coffee blog for example has always been very supportive and fun to be a part of. Great post, Deb.
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Yes Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share is a fun linkup and most people reciprocate. Thanks for joining in with your thoughts.
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I enjoy being part of blogging communities. The challenge is finding the time–to post and to visit, read, and comment on the posts of others. There are so many blogs I’d love to read regularly, but time feels so short.
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Thanks Janet, you’re right time is the main challenge, so we have to prioritise some things over others. Thanks for reading my post and taking time to leave a comment, I always appreciate it!
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Thanks, Deb, for the helpful blogging information! I so agree with Janet Alcon’s statement.
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My pleasure, and yes time is the real challenge for all of us!
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Hi Deb.
I’m not sure that I have found my community yet. I’ve cobbled together a small handfull of folks who read my stories which is exactly what I was hoping to find via my blog, but I still often feel like that square peg in a round hole.
I recall being astounded by how so many bloggers seem to use their blogs as a public diary which still strikes me as strange. I know that I’m a bit too private to do that, but have also learned that people want to know some about the authors they read so participate to a degree and to this end, the weekend coffee share has bee very good for me. Through it I’ve found quite a few folks who I now feel are friends and readers – a bigger blessing than I could have hoped for.
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I know Gary, the dilemma is real at times as blogging often feels like we’re talking to a group of friends but we forget our words can go far and wide!! Some care must be taken when we share personal things. After working in a jail for 22 years I’m very aware of boundaries and keeping some of myself away from prying eyes. The weekend coffee share is a nice group of bloggers and we’re fortunate to have the support of others. You are doing well with your stories and writing and making connections that are real. Keep on going! Thanks for your comment on my post, it’s good to hear everyone’s perspectives.
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That was such a lovely read and your reasons for blogging and linking up are similar to mine. I have been absent more from social media (blogs more) this week and will be even more soon. The explanation will be shared soon. Promise it’s good news!! And as always thank you for your kind shout out for my linky. How good is it meeting another blogger! Hope we get to do that one day too. Denyse
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Thanks Denyse, we are on a similar wavelength aren’t we? I’m looking forward to hearing your good news 🙂
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One of the aspects of blogging I enjoy the most is connecting with other bloggers. I also like link-ups and used to link with other blogs focussing on France, travel, and animals. These are three topics I cover in my blog. Sadly, all these links have folded but I still link with #PoCoLo’. Thanks for all the other link-ups you have mentioned. I’ll check them out!
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Hi June, I hope you find something in the linkups I’ve mentioned. Thanks for your comments and I’m sorry your link ups folded – keep smiling!
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Blogging makes me smile, Debbie! 😊
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I’ve had a blog since high school and my community changed over time. From high school to after college, my community was more like fellow peers from school who happen to have a blog. But later on, a lot of my friends blogged less frequently and then stopped. I think I am the last one from my friend group standing though through most of my twenties my frequency dropped but I didn’t want to stop blogging. It’s therapeutic and I enjoy the idea of connecting the world to exchange ideas. I think it’s why I fared pretty well during the pandemic.
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Good on you Julie for continuing on with blogging when others stopped doing so. It is therapeutic and can help keep up technology skills and writing helps in many ways. Thanks for your thoughts 🙂
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I started my current blog when I retired, with the aim of giving myself an ongoing project that would keep my brain active. It’s worked, but what has surprised me is how much I’ve also enjoyed interacting with other bloggers. I’ve valued their insights into what I have to say, and have enjoyed their reading and commenting on the work of fellow bloggers writing on a variety of topics. All of this is totally unexpected, and absolutely delightful.
I don’t think link-ups would work for me (a bit too structured!) , but I can definitely see their value.
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I’m much the same, trying to keep my brain ticking over once I retired and so that technology didn’t scare me. It’s great to hear you’ve been surprised by the interaction with other bloggers, so many of us have noted this too. Link ups can seem to be structured but are one way of joining in and finding others out there. Well worth thinking about! Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂
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I loved this post Deb. I have enjoyed connecting with other bloggers through link parties, though on some I don’t really get many comments other than the host, but I suppose that’s okay. I always try to make it around to everyone else, even if it’s a week later…but I try, at least to the ones who take time to come and comment. Thank you for sharing some link parties in your post, I’ll have to look them up. Though if I join anymore I’ll hav to learn how to combine several into one post…haha.
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Oh I also meant to say that through my years of blogging I have met 5 bloggers in person and they have actually stayed as closer connections.
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Thanks so much for joining in with your thoughts Kirstin. You are very generous in sharing your time with commenting on posts and I always enjoy my visits to your blog. Combining several prompts into one post is a clever way to do it, so well done if you can manage to do that easily!
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Posts about blogging communities are always interesting and good to read. Thanks for this post, Debbie.
It’s excellent to see how well you have done with creating your blogging community.
I used to belong to many blogging communities, but over time found many of them to be overwhelming. I got drawn in and felt I had to visit, read and comment on all the members’ posts regardless of whether I found the content interesting. I found myself wasting lots of time reading stuff I didn’t enjoy reading and forcing myself to leave comments. That led me to feel guilty for not reading and commenting on all those posts.
I’ve also left some blogging communities where all the members like, and comment on each other’s posts regardless of what has been published. Those comments are generally short and don’t give any evidence of the post being read (great post, I liked this, etc etc). It’s always the same people that leave these short, pointless comments, so the comments section of these blogs are full of valueless comments.
It’s refreshing to see blogging communities where most of the comments left are not short and prove the post has been read, so they are engaging (like this post).
Many blogging communities also have many more female members than male members. Nothing wrong with that, but I can see why some male bloggers may be put off joining those communities.
But if joining a blogging community is your thing, and you enjoy it, then go for it. As you rightly pointed out, many new friendships can be created through them.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts Hugh, you always have such informative blogging advice posts and I hope mine helped fill a few gaps for some bloggers.
Linkups aren’t for everyone and as you say it can get overwhelming but I’ve learnt a lot over the years, I only join those I’m interested in. There should never be pressure to comment or link up so I completely agree with your thoughts on that.
I really appreciate you taking the time to join in the conversation as you always have something of value to add.
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You’re welcome, Debbie.
I forgot to mention that I do join some linkups, although they’re the ones where you drop a link to any post. I’ve had great success with them and seen plenty of traffic from them, so they’re a great way to get people to your blog.
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Yes, blogging can be slightly addictive..sometimes I find myself saying to myself..”I have to make time to do this post, who cares if nothing else gets done”.
I started blogging in 2007 and I think it was because I somehow stumbled across a few blogs and thought “this could be a fun way to keep family who lives far away updated on life, journal our lives, etc.” I took a few breaks when my girls were out of school and I didn’t know if I had anything to blog about. It’s always been more of a creative outlet than to do it for monetary gain, though that would’ve been nice.
I have loved finding communities of bloggers through link parties. Now that I’m typing…I actually think I already commented on this post, but hey…I’m reading it again, so I’ll comment again!!! It’s been that kind of week.
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Thanks for your thoughts on blogging Kirstin, it is a great way to connect.
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Great post Debbie and all interesting points. I’ve only been blogging a few years but feel I’ve made many online friendships. My blog gives focus to my day and I’m always on the lookout for things I could post. I enjoy the challenges and have now started the linkups. But the linkups are only open for a couple of days so I often miss those. I try and engage as much as I can with other bloggers and their posts, takes time though!
I love blogs like yours that tell me about your life 🙂
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This has been a popular post Ali, which is good! I enjoyed sharing my thoughts 🙂 and am glad you are joining up some of the linkups.
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