She’s the creator of the SOB badge you see so many Successful Outstanding Blogs wearing proudly. She’s both an inspiration and hero to bloggers all around the world who are passionate about building better blogs and businesses that are founded upon authenticity and community.

She was the mastermind behind this year’s first annual SOBCon where bloggers joined together to learn the insight of blogging experts and to explore ways to create better, more meaningful online communities.

She is Liz Strauss, the voice of Successful-Blog.

Although Liz has the reputation of a guru in the blogging community, while on her blog I feel that I can easily strike up a conversation with her in the comments box that she will participate in. Liz feels approachable. The first time I visited Successful-Blog, I got the immediate sense that she honestly cared about her readers and that she made time to listen to them and thoughtfully respond to each one individually.

When I talked to her for this interview, we traveled by phone in a taxi through the streets of Chicago to a restaurant where she would be having a good-bye lunch with her son before he moved away for the first time. Still, she made time for me – and for you, so that you could learn how to become a better blogger.

I hope that you’ll get as much out of Liz’s sage words of blogging wisdom as I did.

Liz’s 4 Rules of Blogging

Though she doesn’t like rules per say, she does say that there are a few to blogging if your goal is to build relationship-driven communities.

1. Leave your posts incomplete

Our eight grade teachers burned it into our minds that we should end our writings with a nice neat conclusion. But Liz says that when blogging, you’re not writing for your eighth grade teacher.

By over editing to tie up all of the loose ends on your post, you leave no room for readers to add to the conversation.

Blogging is a dialogue a conversation, and a good conversationalist invites others to join in by leaving room to talk.

If your post is a list, Liz suggests posting the first several things that come into your mind and not hunting for more things to add to the list. Leave some stones unturned and let your readers join in the conversation by allowing them to add ideas to the conversation.

2. Don’t be a reporter

Liz says that unless you’re a journalist, don’t be a reporter. For one, unless you’re a trained journalist, you open yourself up reporting misinformation. For example, if your post is review of a particular site, talk about the way the site made you feel (crowded, comfortable, etc), instead of spouting facts about the site. No one can argue with the way you feel.

Secondly, Liz says that people come to your blog to read about your unique point of view your presence.

The more you talk about my own experience, the more people can find themselves. If you’re general, the less people can find themselves. You can’t find yourself in a piece of white bread.

3. Don’t be an expert

Liz says that most bloggers take themselves too seriously. They try to be experts when they would be better off just being genuine.

Most people think that if you’re sitting in the blog post box that you’re supposed to be an expert. It’s more fun not to be one. You can become an expert by not being one.

She says that the more you try to become an expert, the more people will try to knock you down. Instead of approaching topics from an authoritative point of view, take a more community-based approach.

Instead of being authoritative, try going on a quest to find information and asking others to come along.

Liz makes a good point about how portraying yourself as too much of an expert can weaken your community. Many people already feel intimidated about leaving comments and setting a precedence that you’re a high authority expert only increases this level intimidation. In order to build a relationship-based community, your readers must feel comfortable engaging in dialog with you and other readers.

Come down off the podium and don’t lecture. The minute you’re up on the podium people don’t want to talk anymore.

4. Engage in comment conversations

2 years and 39,000+ comments ago, in an email from reader Hartley Singer asking that the comment feed be fixed, Singer so wisely said ‘half the show is in the comments.‘

With lively dialog between readers being such a critical part of a blog’s success and attractiveness, Liz says she’s amazed at the number of bloggers that don’t respond to a second comment from a reader in order to carry on the conversation.

When you answer my comment and I answer back, answer again!

The statement just makes so much sense. Instead of considering replying to comments as a way to be polite or because a blog how-to guide said this was a good idea, reply to comments because you want to continue the conversation, to dig deeper into the thought, and to get to know your readers! Leave it to Liz to point out the elephant in the middle of the room that no one else seems to notice.

So much more than a list of tips

I don’t want to turn this into simply a list of tips on blogging. What I learned from Liz I found between the lines of the words she spoke to me –something that revolutionized my thinking.

I was curious; how had Liz become such an authority in the blogosphere after just 2 years of blogging? How does anyone rise to the top of their profession while others labor for years hovering somewhere around the middle?

The answer again comes back to the importance she places on people and the value of their perspectives and ideas-the same principal she is so passionate about when it comes to blogging.

She truly values the perspective, experience and knowledge of other people. She genuinely wants to know what you think. She talks to a blogger every day on the phone because she is interested in bloggers. In her words, ‘It’s just one of the things that I do.’

She’s gained a wealth of knowledge by first respecting the insight of others and then by actively seeking it. Couldn’t we all do more of this?

How has Liz affected you?

Liz regularly turns the spotlight onto others. She never seems to make a big deal of herself, though she has impacted the lives of thousands of bloggers out there- maybe even you. I want to know, how has Liz impacted your blogging, your business, or your way of thinking?

Every Tuesday, we feature someone in a NON-sponsored interview like you just read above. You can learn more about ‘Interview Me’ by reading this page. If you would like to recommend someone (including yourself) to be featured, please e-mail Christine [at] Create Business Growth [dot] com and tell us the WHY behind your recommendation.

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