Thanks for all the comments! The Squarespace community is already thriving, which is much sooner than some blogs that don’t already have the attention of awesome, blog-savvy people. Of course, if you don’t have this network available, how do you build a community on your blog?


There are lots of blogs out there that have a big following and they always seem to have many posts every day. While posting often is definitely a big component, keep in mind that these blogs most likely didn’t start out this way. If you have some content that is worth reading, people will read it, and if they like it, they’ll stay. Fairly frequent, insightful commentary and content comes first, ramping it up into a major portal comes later, bit by bit.


Also, if there is one person who has left comments on multiple entries, consider reaching out and connecting to them. One engaged user can encourage many more commenters in a lead by example sort of way. On some blogs, you don’t know if it’s “okay to leave comments” even if comments are enabled. A blog that has someone already engaging in the conversation tends to collect more replies. This can be even more effective if the blogger gets involved in responding directly to these comments as well.


Ask for input. If you’re on your soap box and don’t seem receptive to comments, you probably won’t get them. If you engage with and are interested in a community, that is the kind of environment you will encourage. Ask questions; your readers know a lot.


Once you have a loyal group, be loyal to them. You don’t want to shun them at the first sign of trouble. Getting through and embracing the tough times when your audience disagrees with you can lead to a more dedicated group in the long run.


If you appreciate your readers and give them something a little different, you’re more likely to keep them and get them involved. These are just some thoughts of mine. What do you think?