Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Why You Need a Blogging Tribe

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Reasons why you need a blogging tribe: a group of like-minded bloggers committed to supporting- not competing with- each other.

Reasons why you need a blogging tribe: a group of like-minded bloggers committed to supporting- not competing with- each other.

I’ve been at this blogging thing for much longer than the 10 months this site particular site has been around. In fact, I had two blogs before I started Winstead Wandering. Each taught me a lot about blogging, about myself as a blogger, and about what I wanted to achieve by having a blog. I started this site back in January because I was finally ready to put everything I’d learned into action.

That’s not say I know it all; I so don’t. I like to share a lot of what I have learned, but I learn more each day.

One of the most valuable things I ever stumbled across as a blogger was this video about growing your blog with a tribe. I’d seen the word “tribe” thrown around a bit in a few of the big blogging Facebook groups I’m a part of, but I was unfamiliar with how they work and, most of all, with how vital they are to your growth as a blogger.

Now, six months after first watching that video, I’m a member of two tribes. I can wholeheartedly say surrounding myself with hardworking, funny, savvy women is one of the best blogging decisions I’ve ever made. If you aren’t already part of a blogging tribe, let me explain why I think you need to make finding one a priority.

Why You Need a Blogging Tribe

1. Collaboration

Having a squad of blogging friends gives you instant access to guest posters and collaborators. Need someone to write a post for you during your upcoming vacation? Ask your tribe. Want to boost SEO by writing posts with similar keywords and linking to each other’s blogs? Do it with your tribe. Looking for co-hosts for a link party or blog hop? Share it with your tribe.

Your tribe is a ready-made group of bloggers designed to help each other grow, and one way to do that is through collaboration. One of the best parts of collaborating with the people in your tribe is you already know their niche, and they know yours. It’s way easier to write a guest post for a tribe member because you already know what she blogs about.

2. Troubleshooting

Why isn’t my Google Analytics working? How do I get the most out of this new social media scheduler? Is my new plug-in working? Where can I find free photos for my posts? Can you pin/stumble/share this post of mine that’s going viral?

These are all questions posed in the last few weeks by members of my tribes. Instead of turning to the endless search results you’re sure to generate in Google or on Pinterest, you can ask your your tribe members. They’re always willing to help share your content. Chances are, at least one of them has experienced the exact technical issue you’re dealing with at any given moment.

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5 (more) favorite blogging resources

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5 favorite blogging resources to help busy bloggers- and who isn’t?- be as efficient and organized as possible. I bet you haven’t heard of some of these.

5 favorite blogging resources to help busy bloggers- and who isn't?- be as efficient and organized as possible. I bet you haven't heard of some of these.

 

I wrote a post a while back sharing my five favorite blogging resources. The more I thought about my list, though, the more resources I kept coming up with. I knew I couldn’t stop at just five.

Here are five more favorite blogging resources.

1. podcasts

Podcasts are the new Discman. I listen to podcasts while I cook, while I shower, while I work out. Basically, if my hands are working, but my brain is relatively free, there’s usually a podcast on. Granted, with two little ones around, I don’t always catch all the information, but I love that I can learn about writing great content, optimizing social media, or pricing sponsored posts, all while doing other things.

My two current favorite podcasts are Launch Ladies and Brilliant Business Moms. Both are packed with brilliant nuggets of information for any blogger or entrepreneur.

2. pin count

Ever wonder how many times your posts have been pinned? This awesome tool allows you to paste a URL and see how many times it has been pinned. It’s the easiest way I know of to get the pin count for your posts, and a it’s a great tool to determine which posts and photos are most appealing on Pinterest.

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5 favorite blogging resources

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5 favorite blogging resources to help busy bloggers- and who isn’t?- be as efficient and organized as possible. I bet you haven’t heard of some of these.

5 favorite blogging resources to help busy bloggers- and who isn't?- be as efficient and organized as possible. I bet you haven't heard of some of these.

 

Blogging is hard. You’re supposed to be active on 17 different social media platforms, read and comment on other sites, take award-winning photos. And, oh yeah, you’re supposed to write authentic, engaging content, too.

Sometimes, it feels like I’m being pulled in so many different directions as a blogger. Yes, I love it, but I work full-time outside the home and blogging is technically just a hobby for me. Here are five tools I use to make sure I get the most out of the few hours I do have to devote to my site.

1. coschedule headline analyzer
I first learned about this neat tool from a useletter (see #3 below). Basically, you enter in what you think you want your blog post title to be and coschedule analyzes it based on a bunch of different factors. You can tweak the wording until you get a title that, according to the analyzer, people are more likely to read.

2. link party list
One of my goals lately has been to participate in more link parties. I know they can be an awesome source of traffic, as well as a fun way to meet and interact with other bloggers. Pretty much any big blogger will tell you she got to where she is in large part thanks to link parties.

So how do you know who’s hosting parties and when? I use this huge list that my friend Brandy from The Dutchman’s Wife introduced me to. The list includes dozens (maybe hundreds?) of parties taking place every day of the week. You’ll never lack for places to party.

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