Isn’t it great that blogs, like people, are organic and evolving? After all, there’s only one Immutable Law of Business Blogging, right?
I have had some folks ask why I don’t have a blogroll on my blog. Don’t I think they are important? Yes, yes I do think blogrolls are important. And, there are different ways to use blogrolls. I point out that I have a separate page for my blogroll, and then they ask why I have so many!
Ben Yoskovitz suggests the use of blogrolls may be getting out of hand – by neglect, not usage.
A blogroll can be a list of those who you consider part of the community you’re most active with – as in the case of Joe Thornley.
Jason Preston shares why sites on his blogroll are different than those he reads regularly. I like that idea. Apparently, it works for Jason and his audience.
What about asking permission first? Lorelle VanFossen answers this question in-depth. Ignat Drozdov provides a bit of blogrolling Pro and Con.
We can see that a blogroll can serve in different ways and different audiences. Here’s a way to ACE the blogroll challenge:
- Association – Blogs listed may be those who you interact with – online or offline.
- Commonality – Blogs on your list will attract instant commonality. "Hey, if they read Scott Weisbrod, too – they must be alright."
- Extension – By extending the conversation outward, you become a resource for your readers.
As for reciprocity, I’ll never ask for return links. Bad form. Let your blogroll be a benefit to your audience. If you provide value on your site and add to the conversation on others – you will find yourself appearing on blogrolls.
As for the ConverStations BlogRoll, I hope you find it valuable. Many have shared compliments. It is a tool I use, sharing it with the business people I coach and counsel, giving them a foundation of good blog reading and blogrolling.
I’ve recently added some new, and removed the stagnant (thanks for the reminder, Ben). Note some of the additions (most found via MyBlogLog):
Arts & Inspirations: Carolyn Manning
Blog Strategy: Daniel Scocco, Divya Uttam
Blog News: HitchHikers Guide
Careers and HR: Harry Joiner, Justin Driscoll
Entrepreneurial Spirit: Sherry Heyl, Stefanos Vasdekis
Leadership and Management: Jamie Parks, Kent Blumberg
Marketing: Douglas Karr, Pamela Heywood
Tech & Web 2.0: Ian Delaney, DJ Neawedde
VC & Deal Flow: Howard Lindzon
Writing & Journalism: Robin Seidner
We’ll be making some changes soon to the ConverStations blogroll page. New tracks are being laid for the growing list of businesses that blog.
How do you use your blogroll? Do you find value in the rolls you see on other sites?
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