With the growing interest in blogging as a means of online promotion and branding, a lot of marketers are starting blogs to promote their opinions, products, books and services.
But a blog is like a website. "Write and they will come" isn't exactly a magic formula to bring in traffic by the boatload.
If you need to promote your website in order to build traffic to it, you need to promote your blog as well.
Here are some ways you can become a well-read and influential blogger.
1. Write Posts That People Will Want To Read
This should be common sense, but many marketers tend to forget that their readers are real people and that you need to use the principles of online copywriting to make your headlines and copy interesting to your readers.
If you write posts that people enjoy reading, they will reward you by returning to your blog regularly.
Make your posts conversational, pithy and topical. Keep them short and stick to one topic per post.
Write often and regularly so that both readers and search engines visit your blog more often.
2. Optimize Your Posts for Search Engines
I covered this topic in detail in my post on "Search Engine Optimization For Blogs (SEO)".
But here are the most important rules to follow to get your posts listed for keywords of your choice.
* Make sure your blog URL contains the primary keyword you want to optimize for
* Use your primary keywords in the title of your post
* Use your secondary keywords in the body of your post
* Use your keywords in the anchor text of links in the body of your posts
3. Submit Your Blog and RSS Feed To
Directories
If you publish a blog you should submit your blog and RSS feed to big directories like Yahoo and Dmoz, as well as the numerous blog directories and search engines.
Here is the best list I've found of places to submit your feed or blog, compiled by Luigi Canali De Rossi, who writes under the pseudonym Robin Good.
Best Blog Directory And RSS Submission Sites
Best Blog Directory And RSS Submission Sites
Another list of sites to submit your Blog
4. Ping The Blog Services
There are a number of services designed specifically for tracking and connecting blogs. By sending a small ping to each service you let them know you've updated your blog so they can come check you out.
Bookmark the Ping-O-Matic ping results page so you can visit it and quickly ping a number of services with a single click.
5. Build Links To Your Blog
I recommend the methods here as the best ways to get links pointing to your blog.
* Link to your blog from each page on your main website
* Trackback to other blogs in your posts
* Post legitimate comments on other blogs with related topics
* Offer to exchange links with other similarly themed blogs and websites
6. Edit Your Blog Posts Into Articles
One of the best methods for promoting your website is to write articles and submit them to article directories.
The suggestion for extending this to edit your blog posts into articles and submit them to directories.
You'll find an extensive list of article directories here
7. Create Buzz About Your Blog
Creating a buzz about your blog posts and topic in the local and online media will give your marketing a viral component.
* Create a controversy around your blog or it's topic.
* Distribute any merchandise with your blog's URL and tagline.
* Write a press release about something newsworthy and tie it in with your blog topic.
8. Capture Subscribers By Email
It may seem strange for a blogger to send out updates by email, but email is still the #1 choice of most people who want to receive news and information.
Using a free service to manage your subscriptions is easy and it allows your subscribers to manage all their subscriptions from one interface.
However, if you want more control over your list and don't mind mailing out the updates yourself, you can use an autoresponder system to capture and follow-up with subscribers.
RSS Responder is a new script that allows you to keep in touch and follow-up with your subscribers without the hassle of email.
These tips should give you a good start to building your blog traffic.
Showing posts with label how to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to. Show all posts
Monday, June 23, 2008
how to explode blog traffic
Rule #1. Write an article on "how to explode blog traffic !!!"
Rule #2. Read on
To be very frank there are quite a bit of so called tried and tested ways to increase you blog traffic, but these merely focus on increasing hits on your blog, but do not focus on the main reason why you want more traffic viz. to read what you write and keep coming back for more.
Sites such as Blogexplosion.com do deliver on their hits, but sadly most of these hits stay for a maximum of 30 secs only, after which they click on the next blog to increase their traffic.
That brings us back to the topic, What can really be done? Is there a way out? How do i make myself heard above the din?
Well, here are some tips for starters.
1. Write. Write stuff. Write stuff people like to read.Most often blogs end up being abused by people who think the world is waiting to know what happens to them every second (I don't deny them this right...they have it!), however the same thing can be presented in a way that forces the reader to continue reading. Simple check! read as though you didn't write it. Funny? worth posting? go ahead post.
2. Make friends.I don't mean going around shaking hands with people and expect a sudden spurt in your traffic, instead post reciprocal links on your blog. Yes people do read others links and if you are there, people will visit your blog. Its an easy way to piggyback on some good blogs.
3. Articles!!!!Take some of your posts, tweak them a bit, add a snazzy caption and Presto! you have your own article ready. Now take that article and post it all around you (on the net please....i don't expect people to walk around with faces stuck with paper muffling away....thish is smy aaarticle!). There are quite a list of websites that do this.
4. Check your Site title and description ( I think this should have come in second in order....lets just forget the order for now)Get a cool title something that makes people go, "oooohh thats hhhhhhooooootttttttt" (if not that much atleast.......a "i think this might be interesting"). And remember to give a matching description (the funnier the better). This will also help you get better results on search engines.
5. Submit to Blog Search engines.Most people search for blogs not on the major search engines, but on blog search engines. So make sure your blog has been submitted to these engines. The more the merrier. Search on google for blog search engines and submit your blog to all of these.
6. PHOTOS ROCK!!!!Face it, most people do search blogs to see something interesting and what best but a photo to give them a 24million color view of something. Yes photos rock, and they do bring in traffic. It kinda gives a coolness to your site. Its like wearing colors while everyone else is in uniform. Most blogging providers support photoblogging, but if you need a place to host photos photobucket.com is a place as good as any.
7. Get original ! Showing others content may bring people to your site, but it would not make them stay. all they would say is . ...."another smartass trying to keep his blog updated by somebody else's work". So keep the blog original with what you would like to say.
8. Publicize!!!I am not talking about banner exchanges ( not only do give free advertising on your site, you also have to put up with ugly graphics that can be out of place on your beautiful site.) Think up creative ways. Get a bumper sticker on your car, your boss's car, your company delivery truck...the works. Another easier option, get it on your company's email signature or at least on yours.
9. Evangelize!!! No i am not a religious nut and I'm not expecting you to be one. Write stuff that would make people go on and talk about you without you threatening them or paying them. And refer to "the blog" in common discussions, parties etc.... wherever you find people.
10. Ok so you got so far.......on more important thing.Don't expect to find any of the above on my blog, the only reason being, i don't need to explode my blog traffic !!!!
Rule #2. Read on
To be very frank there are quite a bit of so called tried and tested ways to increase you blog traffic, but these merely focus on increasing hits on your blog, but do not focus on the main reason why you want more traffic viz. to read what you write and keep coming back for more.
Sites such as Blogexplosion.com do deliver on their hits, but sadly most of these hits stay for a maximum of 30 secs only, after which they click on the next blog to increase their traffic.
That brings us back to the topic, What can really be done? Is there a way out? How do i make myself heard above the din?
Well, here are some tips for starters.
1. Write. Write stuff. Write stuff people like to read.Most often blogs end up being abused by people who think the world is waiting to know what happens to them every second (I don't deny them this right...they have it!), however the same thing can be presented in a way that forces the reader to continue reading. Simple check! read as though you didn't write it. Funny? worth posting? go ahead post.
2. Make friends.I don't mean going around shaking hands with people and expect a sudden spurt in your traffic, instead post reciprocal links on your blog. Yes people do read others links and if you are there, people will visit your blog. Its an easy way to piggyback on some good blogs.
3. Articles!!!!Take some of your posts, tweak them a bit, add a snazzy caption and Presto! you have your own article ready. Now take that article and post it all around you (on the net please....i don't expect people to walk around with faces stuck with paper muffling away....thish is smy aaarticle!). There are quite a list of websites that do this.
4. Check your Site title and description ( I think this should have come in second in order....lets just forget the order for now)Get a cool title something that makes people go, "oooohh thats hhhhhhooooootttttttt" (if not that much atleast.......a "i think this might be interesting"). And remember to give a matching description (the funnier the better). This will also help you get better results on search engines.
5. Submit to Blog Search engines.Most people search for blogs not on the major search engines, but on blog search engines. So make sure your blog has been submitted to these engines. The more the merrier. Search on google for blog search engines and submit your blog to all of these.
6. PHOTOS ROCK!!!!Face it, most people do search blogs to see something interesting and what best but a photo to give them a 24million color view of something. Yes photos rock, and they do bring in traffic. It kinda gives a coolness to your site. Its like wearing colors while everyone else is in uniform. Most blogging providers support photoblogging, but if you need a place to host photos photobucket.com is a place as good as any.
7. Get original ! Showing others content may bring people to your site, but it would not make them stay. all they would say is . ...."another smartass trying to keep his blog updated by somebody else's work". So keep the blog original with what you would like to say.
8. Publicize!!!I am not talking about banner exchanges ( not only do give free advertising on your site, you also have to put up with ugly graphics that can be out of place on your beautiful site.) Think up creative ways. Get a bumper sticker on your car, your boss's car, your company delivery truck...the works. Another easier option, get it on your company's email signature or at least on yours.
9. Evangelize!!! No i am not a religious nut and I'm not expecting you to be one. Write stuff that would make people go on and talk about you without you threatening them or paying them. And refer to "the blog" in common discussions, parties etc.... wherever you find people.
10. Ok so you got so far.......on more important thing.Don't expect to find any of the above on my blog, the only reason being, i don't need to explode my blog traffic !!!!
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