How many blogging communities-groups do you belong to? How many of them are on Facebook and how many of them did you actually join yourself? How many of them do you feel you actually benefit from? When was the last time you looked on your list, and do you notice groups you didn’t know you were a part of?

50+ Blogging Communities-Groups!
Huh? Really how? Phase I

I belong to several blogging communities-groups, many I’ve joined on my own and others… well here’s my story…. I noticed months ago the number of groups I belonged to was adding up, and as an experiment I decided to let them pile up. As of yesterday I am a member of 50+ blogging groups on Facebook, how did I get to be so popular? More importantly  ”when did I start sleep walking and sleep Facebooking?” Over 40 of these groups I didn’t know existed.

How is this happening? Aliens logging into my Facebook while I sleep? Doubtfully!! but in all honesty it would be nicer if it were!! Why do I say this? Because in most cases this is how it happens, Facebook is for networking (right?) so you join a blogging group, make friends (some more personal than others), its OK that’s what Facebook is for (networking with old and new friends) then someone you’ve added as a friend from the group (may I add, the group you actually JOINED on your OWN) decides to start a group and adds you (there isn’t a notification sent that you’ve been added) So you’re floating around in another group, someone see’s your name and adds you as a friend (let me add, I always look to see the connections we have in common, before accepting a friend request) and the cycle repeats it’s self. End result you’ll belong to 50+ blogging communities/groups. So breaking it down, basically if you and I are friends, I can add you to any group I create, or belong too (that isn’t being moderated by the creator which many aren’t). I can add you without your permission and without you being notified.

I’ve created a group called test, for the purpose of showing anyone interested in what I mean above. If you’d like to see the above mentioned in action, leave “let me test” with your comment. I’ll add you to the group, and you can see for yourself. (if you haven’t already experienced the above mentioned scenario)

Don’t get me wrong, I think belonging to a group/community for us bloggers/writers and even company owners is a good thing, I just don’t approve of how it’s being done.

Phase II – Can I benefit from all these communities/groups?

Now that I am a member of 50+ communities-groups it’s time to use them. So I start visiting 3 a day, I introduce myself, my blog (hey, I am polite). I get the feel for the different groups, often wonder how my blog fit into their group, but what the heck I can blend and mash. I visit a few blogs, read their latest article, leave a comment etc. I did this for weeks, finally making my way through each group, repeating my actions daily.

What was the benefit of doing this, and belonging to so many groups? Well out of the many blogs I visited, I did find a few blogs beneficial, some techie blogs (which fits in with my geeky side) a few that were just funny (we all need a good laugh right?) I started communicating with a few members, you know leaving little comments under their posts in the group wall. I wanted to see how each group benefited me and my blog. A few of the groups, people responded, they’d pass by my blog and a leave a comment. (very few) Hey I might be boring to some and that’s OK and I most certainly don’t expect anyone to follow me, just because I follow them and vice verse. My conclusion to phase II, just because you belong to 50+ groups doesn’t mean they actually help you.

Phase III – Weed out communities/groups that are non beneficial!!

Many of these groups were actually a drop your link fest, that’s when I decided it’s time to weed the garden of groups. There isn’t a point in being in a group, that you can’t fully relate too. I normally don’t think this way, but a member of one of the groups got me thinking, by a remark he made. Long story short it was a techie group, not really my niche but who can’t benefit from learning new techie things about blogging? One day one of the members needed shares, likes, etc. I head over to his blog and notice that he already has 350+ likes and comments. OK why would 1 more comment help him. I later get an invite to guest post on his blog, (I guess he saw some of my techie comments and felt he could benefit from my posting.) I then invite him to post on my blog, now this is where I laugh. He replies back, I’ve been to your blog, it’s beautiful and has great content but it’s not my style. OK that’s all fine in dandy, but couldn’t you have at least commented on my article? Maybe show some blogger support? Hello maybe a share or a tweet? It’s only a click … Really!! Where does it say that my blog, couldn’t benefit from having a techie post on it, I do have “my geeky moments” series. Anyways, from that day forward, I began to realize that in some of the groups it was just a drop your link fest with no support from the community. My conclusion to phase III – link fest types of groups aren’t beneficial, and it’s time to weed the garden of groups.

Blogging Communities/Groups, What are they for anyways?

Blogging communities-groups in my opinion (and we are all entitled to one) are for meeting other like-minded bloggers, sharing your interests, articles. It’s about community/group support, showing each other your support, by visiting, sharing and commenting on their blogs. You’re not going to always connect to everyone and that is fine, you’re not going to completely relate to every article you read, that is fine too! But belonging to a community/group is about supporting each other, through the many social medias, and leaving comments etc.

I wanted to see what others think a community is for, so I googled “what are blogging communities/groups for?”

findings -
An online community is: Where a group of people with similar goals or interests connect and exchange information using web tools. – from  web-strategist.com
That was the only article that came up in google that actually completely related to my question. Either way I am satisfied with his explanation. Basically I had the right idea.

Blogging communities-groups are supposed to be a “drop your link fest”. Really? what is the point of dropping your link in a group of 100+ people, when the only thing you get from it is another person dropping their link for a 3rd time above yours?

So I leave you some food for thought,  How many blogging communities/groups do you belong to? How many from Facebook did you actually join yourself? How many of them do you feel you actually benefit from? When was the last time you looked on your list, and do you notice groups you didn’t know you were a part of? Lastly What is a Blogging Community/Group to you?