Self-contained is blogger mistake

One mistake that bloggers often make is to keep their blog self-contained they don’t like out to or refer to other blogs for fear that these blogs will take their audience away. By its very nature, though, the blogosphere is open and democratic, and therefore functions best when there is an easy flow of information in and out of blogs on the same topic. Assume that your audience is reading other blogs besides yours anyway and that linking out to or mentioning others won’t jeopardize the size of your readership. Embrace this easy information flow by acknowledging other blogs that inspire you in your own posts and linking out to other blogs that you feel may be useful or interesting to your readers. By providing extra resources, your blog will show that your business is willing to learn from others. As a spin-off, trackback functionality on most blogs means that those blogs will know you’re linking to them, so you’re exposing your content to other bloggers who may in turn link back to you for their own readers’ enrichment.
It’s important also to acknowledge when you’re mentioned on another blog. Whether it’s in a positive or negative light, don’t shy away from a response in your own post – this is another way of showing that your business is open to learning from others.
To find extra resources to include in your blog posts, join blog networks and use blog search engines and directories to see what other bloggers are saying in your subject area. Research who the influential bloggers are in your industry and read their blogs for ideas and information that you can share with your own audience. This can include anything from a plain blog post to rich resources like white papers, presentations, photos, podcasts.
As well as linking out from within your posts, your blogroll is a place where you can refer your readers to quality resources. Since a blogroll is usually highly visible on your blog’s home page, be discerning about the blogs you include on this list and keep them relevant to your industry.