Engagement.
What does it mean?
Is it curation? Does it mean finding posts that are going to have a great value, and riding that value up while you can?
While curation can definitely be a part of the process, what you're really trying to do is gain a base of friends and followers.
Source: Pixabay.com
We build our base by reading and commenting on other people's posts.
That base can be a foundation from which your readership will grow.
One misconception that people have whenever they join a site like this, is that great content will rise to the top.
That is only half true though. Great content is important, but even more important is making connections.
You could be the best writer on the planet, but if you are so introverted that you don't even comment on anyone's post then you certainly won't build any kind of a readership.
We must comment, we must engage, we must participate in all of the social aspects of the community in order to build ourselves up.
This takes hours. Every single day.
First there is the reading and responding to every single comment made on your post. How rude to not respond to someone! It takes time.
Then there is the searching through your homepage to see all of your friends and followers. Have they posted something great? I usually try to reply to about 10 posts per day on the homepage.
I don't always make it to that many though.
It's also a good idea to check the trending page. Making a comment on the trending page can sometimes get your name noticed, especially if that comment gets voted up near the top of the list. I advise against self up voting comments in a situation like that though, because it just makes you look greedy.
The trending page might not be your thing, but it's a great way to see what kind of information is making it to the top. Some of it may be based on bid bots. That is true. However, it's always good to see what's happening.
Make well thought out comments, make meaningful conversations happen.
In order to truly become a powerful blogger on a site like this, you can't just put out great content. You also have to read, comment, and engage every day.
Yes it's time consuming. Is it worth it? Definitely. I love to write, I love to interact, and I love to see what it is that's going on in everyone else's world.
So before you decide you're a great blogger based in your content, you really have to ask yourself this question....
How many posts do you actually read each day?
