Friend Friday...

Welcome to this week's edition of Friend Fridays, sponsored by ModlyChic.

1. Guest posts are a good way to gain new exposure. What do you think is the appropriate way to go about securing a guest spot?

I can't speak to this, as I've neither written nor solicited a guest post. The guests post I have enjoyed reading the most are ones where the two bloggers are actually friends (whether IRL or online.)

2. Leaving comments is essential to growing your blog. But how can you leave a comment without coming across as ‘Follow Me. Follow Me!’?

Leave a comment that's relevant to the post you are commenting on. Show that you are actually interested in the blog. Don't leave a "follow me and I will follow you!" comment -- those are THE WORST. I only follow blogs that I'm actually interested in, and asking me to follow you is a surefire way to ensure I will never lay eyes on your blog. In the end, if you have good content, people will follow.

3. We’ve all gotten a mass email at one time or another asking for blog exposure, a link exchange, etc… But the mass emails don’t work. How do you make your email stand out from the crowd?

I don't send many emails, but I do try to leave comments -- but as I said above, I leave comments because I have something to say about the post. Don't leave what I think of as a hit-and-run post -- even if you don't specifically ask to be followed, if you just "tagged" my blog and didn't put any thought into your comment, it leaves the impression that you ONLY commented so that I would heck out your blog. Just be yourself, and you will stand out for that.

4. In interacting with other bloggers where do you draw the line between seeking support and begging for exposure?

I try to build real relationships, much the same way I would try to build them in real life. If someone knows you actually care about them and what they have to say, the support will just come naturally. Put the focus on them, not you; otherwise, you are pretty much just saying, "Hey, look at me!" This isn't really a good look on anyone.

5. What’s one rule of engagement error you made and how have you remedied that?

I have been really horrible at responding to comments.
The last few weeks, I have made a bigger effort to respond to every comment someone makes on my blog, but I'm not always sure if people see my responses. I have considered switching my commenting system to DisQus, but I'm not completely sold yet. But essentially, I am making more of an effort to make it clear to my readers that I care what they have to say, and I'm glad they made the decision to visit my blog!