ProBlogger: Are You a Generous Blogger?

Posted: 16 Jul 2011 07:08 AM PDT

I know what you’re thinking.

“Of course! I’m a lovely blogger! I’m always giving stuff away—advice in my posts, free chapters from my ebook, whitepapers, time, and a whole swag of fun fun fun on my Facebook page!”

That’s great—and certainly generous—but what I’m talking about is something different.

A generous blogger is one who shares such valuable information that readers immediately start searching for their contact details.

In a blog post, we’re scrambling for the comments so we can thank them, and add our own thoughts.
After using their product, we head to their Contact page so we can let them know what a difference the information has made to us.
In a guest post, we’re scrolling frantically for the bottom of the post so we can find the author’s bio and check out their site, now!

As we consume their information, we find ourselves thinking, “This is amazing. Who is this person?”

A generous blogger doesn’t need to sprinkle their off-site content—comments on others’ blogs, Twitter replies, and so on—with links to their own blog: they freely provide information that’s so valuable it makes readers want to seek them out.

They explicitly ask for feedback and happily engage in hearty, thoughtful exchanges with readers.

And they encourage goodness—by alerting readers to All Things Good, not just their own thoughts or products, or programs they’re affiliated with.

Generous bloggers let their content and actions do the talking, while their easily findable bio, linked name (in post comments), or contact page lets readers get in touch, or get more information, if they’re interested.

Are you a generous blogger?

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger