One of the best parts about what we do is being exposed to so many different websites. And in today’s world, that typically means blog sites where people are just chatting it up and anyone interested is free to chime in. And take it from me, it’s a lot better when you actually participate in the conversations.

I haven’t always done that, but I’ve been trying to do a lot more of it this year. I’ve mentioned it here and there and I can honestly say that I’ve been making an effort. Lurking is easier…non-committal. But communicating is much more rewarding.

And there are so many cool sites out there that it amazes me. Some make a huge impression just because they way they look. You know, as soon as the page loads you’re like, “Wow. That’s a pretty cool site.” Other times a site is great because the voice of the writer grabs you in that certain way. Or maybe the content is really useful. Maybe you like the message. Maybe you bought something. It can be a lot of things but what you shouldn’t do, is move on without saying something. Anything.

Now when I come across something I’ve never seen before and really like what they’re doing, I’ll just leave a quick comment on their blog. And what normally happens is that person will comment back or shoot me an email. And there it is; dialogue. Isn’t that awesome?

A lot of times what you’ll find, depending on the reason you contacted them to begin with, is that the person on the other end of the line is really interesting or really friendly or could be an asset to you in some way. (And they can also be jackasses or rude or almost worse; non-responsive.) But no matter what, just being social is what it’s really all about.

It’s been a lot of fun reaching out to people and I’m going to try to pick up some steam on this. But for the folks I’ve met recently – whether you’re a LinkWorther or not – here’s my shout-out to you.

PEACE!