- Image via Wikipedia
One of the great things about the Internet is it allows you to get up close and personal, and you get to connect with people that share your interests no matter where they are around the globe. One of the best tools for finding and interacting with people who share your interests is through a blog. Part of the reason blogs are so popular is they allow you to interact in amazingly personal ways. So, if you want to increase the interaction you have with your blog readers — and increase your blog traffic — try getting more personal by implementing live chat with an IM client like Pidgin into your blogging strategy.
Although most bloggers have a way for readers to contact them, through email, generally, you can increase your interaction with your readers by posting an IM account on your site, so that if readers have questions or comments, they can contact you in real time. However, it might be a good idea to set up an IM specifically for your blog and let everyone know you will be on at specific times — you don’t want everyone and their dog trying to contact you at 3 AM on your personal IM account. And it will also serve you better to use a multi-protocol software like Miranda IM to help organize and communicate from one location.
Live video chatting is another great way to interact more with your readers. A number of services, like LiveStream, Ustream, and StickCam let you set up your own video channel where you can broadcast your live to your viewers and take questions through a public IM-type interface. Take this opportunity to answer questions, elaborate on earlier blog posts or give your readers an idea of what you are working on next. Who knows, maybe they will even give you ideas. And do not think you have to spend a lot of money on this IM software. Programs like X Chat and the ones mentioned above are free and open source so you won’t spend a dime.
Of course, there are a number of ways that you can increase interactivity with your blog readers, but if you want to get personal and give your readers a way to get to know you on another level, try IM and live chat.
