A few years ago, I did a Twitter thread of all sorts of different ways you can support bloggers. In that thread, I just listed ways to help and didn’t really give any extra information. If you like a blogger’s content, like them as a person, want them to succeed, want them to keep creating, or some other reason, you can support that blogger in a variety of different ways. I’ve taken that thread (which I can’t find anymore because I tweet way too much) and expanded it here with how these things support bloggers and tips doing them.
Click into the post and read it – I know that this sounds so simple and obvious, but it’s still worth saying. If you like a blogger, read their posts! And, ideally, read it from their blog so that they get the page view. I say that because sometimes people read blog posts through readers like Bloglovin. I personally have my Bloglovin settings set so that when I click to read a post, it sends me to that blog and not a Bloglovin page of that blog post. That way, I’m not just supporting that blogger by reading what they create; I’m also spending time on that blog. Page views can mean that a blogger gets a sponsored post, an opportunity to go on a trip, a way to pay the student loans, etc.
Share the post – Share that post! Help get eyes on it! Most bloggers have ways that you can super easily share posts, like the social icons that stay with you as you scroll, buttons to share at the end of a post, an easy click-to-tweet plugin within the post, or a rollover pin-me button on images. It takes likes 3 seconds to share a post you enjoyed.
Comment on the post – Give that blogger feedback! Sometimes it can feel like I’m yelling into the void on this blog because I don’t always hear feedback on my posts. It can be anything from “Love this post!” to engaging with the topic. And a lot of times, bloggers will have questions at the end of their posts to encouraging responses, so respond! You generally don’t have to log in somewhere to comment, too, so it’s not like you need to make one more social account.
Follow them on social media – This is another pretty obvious one, but it should still be said. Follow them on social media! If you’re like most people, you already have multiple social media accounts, so follow the blogger on the networks that you’re on.
Engage with their social media posts – Obviously, if you follow an account, you should probably like their posts. I don’t mean once you follow them you should like 10 posts regardless of what they are. Like the posts you actually like as they’re posted. Not only is this helpful for the blogger’s general knowledge – they’re learning which posts their followers like and they won’t feel like they’re posting into the void – but it’s also helpful for them when it comes to getting sponsored content. One thing that brands will look at is not just the follower count but the engagement percentage. That means the average percentage of engagement on a post, or comparing the number of likes and comments to the number of followers. So if an Instagram account has 5,000 followers and an average of 100 people like each post, that account’s engagement is 2%.
Subscribe to their newsletter – Most bloggers have newsletters, including (shameless promotion) myself. Sign up for it! Some bloggers send theirs out whenever they have a new post, others every week, like me. And many give away free things when you sign up!
Open and read the newsletter when you receive it – This is the other thing: open their newsletter. A lot of us spend a lot of time on our newsletters, and it can be frustrating to only have a small percentage of people opening it. (Of course, this is kind of because we get people to sign up by offering free things, and so sometimes people don’t care about our newsletters even though they signed up. But I digress.)
Enter any giveaways they have – Hey, who doesn’t want free stuff?! But by entering giveaways you’re not just entering to win a prize; you’re also helping a blogger build data for future projects. For example, one of the sponsored options I provide brands with is running a giveaway for them. This means that I get paid to have a giveaway on my blog. If I can provide them with the data of “x% of my readers enter giveaways” or “my last giveaway had y people enter,” I can give give brands more detailed information on my followers, which can also lead to me charging more to run giveaways. And ya girl has Vanderbilt student loans, so that really matters.
Recommend their blog – Word of mouth might be a bit old-fashioned, but it can also be so helpful. People are more likely to check out something recommended by someone they know and/or whose opinion they trust. So if you know someone who you think would like their blog, tell that person about the blog. Share on your social media networks that people should check out the blog. Let people know that you know a blog they would enjoy.
Tell them that you like their blog – This is so simple and easy but it means SO much to bloggers. Tell us that you like our work! You don’t have to write a heartfelt email; comment on a post, reach out on social media, etc. Just tell them you like what they’re doing. It means a lot.
Click on their affiliate links – Most bloggers use affiliate links to try and make a little extra cash. We’re required by the FTC to share when a post contains affiliate links, so if you see that in a post, click on some links! Some programs pay bloggers per click and not just per purchase, so just clicking can help.
Buy through their affiliate links – If you’re already going to buy something, buy it through their links! Depending on the services they use, they might earn pennies per product or maybe even dollars, but it helps. But generally it’s not a ton unless it’s a really expensive product, so every little bit counts.
Share their product – Sometimes, bloggers will create a product and sell it. This could be t-shirts or cross-stitchings or an ebook. Even if you don’t buy it, you can share it, which can result in others buying it.
Vote in their polls/complete surveys – Data gathering is a surprisingly significant part of being a blogger. We want to know where our readers are so we can create content that applies to readers. We want to know our readers’ average age for creating content and working with brands. We want to know what sort of content our readers like or dislike. This is why I do a reader survey every June or July, so I can get information on what you guys like or dislike, want more or less of, etc. So whether they do a poll online or an annual reader survey, complete it!
What are some ways that you support bloggers?
Like this post? Check out:
All blogging posts, What Do Bloggers Do?, 11 Blogging Tools To Try in 2019, 6 Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging, Why Social Media Matters for Bloggers
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
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