The document discusses the importance of building a community around a blog to enhance reader loyalty and engagement. It highlights the limitations of traditional comment sections and suggests using a plugin to integrate a forum for more interactive discussions. The steps provided include downloading a specific plugin to embed a forum and activate user engagement tools on WordPress.

1. Building a Community
Around your Blog
@digibomb

2. If readers h ave a personal
attachm ent to you and
other reade rs of your blog
they’ll be more likely to
return agai n and again ...

3. The pro blem with blogs

4. 1 Community is only in
the comments, and that is
ver y limited!

5. 1 Community is only in
the comments, and that is
ver y limited!
Reade rs are forced to
discuss the topic at hand.
No new discussions.
No interaction.
2

6. What’s the
solution?

7. Anybody?

8. Stop speaking and listen!
Let the comments be your content.

9. Interac tivity engages
readers a nd creates a
positive impression

10. Interac tivity engages
readers a nd creates a
positive impression
A sense of community
creates loyal readers

11. Interac tivity engages
readers a nd creates a Readers who like you
positive impression will help you out in
various ways
A sense of community
creates loyal readers

12. Interac tivity engages
readers a nd creates a Readers who like you
positive impression will help you out in
various ways
A sense of community
creates loyal readers
Even if your community is
small, it p rovides you with
an o ppor tunity to get to
kno w your readers

13. Where do
I start?

14. Get the
plugin!

15. Get the
plugin!
So easy a Caveman can do it.

16. Dow nload the plugin
from WordPress.org

17. What’s inclu ded in the suite
<embed> Vanilla plugin – Allows you to embed your
Vanilla forum into WordPress with a single line of code.
Discussions widget – Displays recent discussions.
Activity widget - Displays recent activity.
Users widget – Displays recently active user profile photos.

18. ... then download Vanilla

19. Download for FREE Signup for FREE
at VanillaForums.org at VanillaForums.com
or

20. The sweetest forum on the web!

21. ok, but
how does
it work?

22. 1 Activate the WordPress plugin

23. 2 Tell WordPress where your Vanilla Forum is located

24. 3 Set the <embed> options in your WordPress Dashboard

25. 4 Set the <embed> options in your Vanilla Forum Dashboard

26. We get ... Embedded Vanilla Forum
Stand alone Vanilla Forum

27. 5 Enable the Vanilla Forums WordPress Widgets

28. We get ...
Forum data on ever y
page of our blog!

29. Some examples

30. It’s that simple!

31. I’m a Winner!

32. Thank You!
@digibomb