You have an amazing blog. It’s just so good. You know it. The people who contribute to it know it. The problem is no one else seems to know it, and therein lies the problem.
So how do you rectify this injustice? The world needs to see your blog. The world deserves to see your blog, but how do you get more people to it? Moreover, how do you get them to keep coming back? The answers to these questions lie ahead.
Now, you’re probably thinking I have some amazing secret to share with you about this – something you probably haven’t thought of before. Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I don’t have some little-known secret for how you’re going to get people as excited about your blog as you are.
The good news is that the ideas I’m about to share with you are pretty simple to implement and can increase your readership considerably. Here are the five best ways I know, and I hope you find at least one or two that work well for your specific blog and readership.
Simply put, you have to promote. Now, I know what you thought the moment you read that. You heard the familiar “cha-ching!” going off in your head, and you’re afraid I’m about to tell you to spend money to make this happen. Well, I can’t promise that I won’t, but I can promise you that if you follow my lead, you won’t spend as much as you think. So let’s get on with it…
#1 – Make Proper Use of Social Media
There is no more powerful promotional tool out there than social media for blogging, especially Facebook and Twitter. These two networks make it incredibly easy to promote your blog, and if you already have a decent following on either, you can generate loads of traffic to your blog that will cost you nothing.
My running mantra about good visuals and compelling headlines not only applies here; they are vital elements to a successful blog. If you scroll through some of my other posts about blogging, you’ll learn quite a bit about how to do this right, so I’ll leave you to that and save the keystrokes here.
Now, if you still aren’t getting the level of traffic that you want, you might consider running some paid traffic in the form of boosting Facebook posts and utilizing Twitter Ads. I would hold off on this until you have a clear picture of how much traffic you’re actually getting and you know the type of content and blog format that gets the best results without paying for them.
#2 – Stick with What Works Best
On the heels of #1, not all audiences are going to respond the same way to the same kind of content or the same blogging format. Unfortunately, there is little you can do here besides a considerable amount of trial and error to get this right, but once you lock in to something that your readers consistently respond to, you have the biggest piece of the puzzle in place and you can focus on promotion.
You can (and should) explore a number of ways to present your blog content, but once you hit on something that works, stick with it. The tastes of your loyal readers won’t fluctuate much, and neither should the way you present your blog.
#3 – Promote Via Email
It amazes me just how much this incredible resource gets neglected. If you already have a large list, email is by far the most cost-effective way to promote your blog, and the ROI can be significant, to say the least.
If you need to grow your list, put an opt-in form on every page and encourage your readers to subscribe. You can do this by adding a simple call to action to the end of your posts to subscribe, or you can utilize pop-ups that either feature an opt-in form or direct readers to other similar content. Either way, you will keep people on your site, which helps reduce bounce and ultimately helps maintain the health of your site’s SEO.
#4 – Add RSS Code to Each Post
By adding RSS subscriptions to each of your blog posts, you give yourself the advantage of keeping more people in the loop, and you will generate repeat traffic to your site. This is also a great SEO strategy, and it’s a great way to stay in front of the readers who are most likely to want to hear from you. After email, this is the best option, and, best of all, it’s free.
#5 – Keep It Fresh, and Keep It Relevant
This is another one of my mantras, so I’ll keep the message here brief. A stagnate blog won’t attract new readers, and it will guarantee that the ones you’ve already captured lose interest quickly. Keep the content coming and maintain a clear message in everything you post.
On a final note, I also recommend utilizing a professional blog writing service to ensure that the content you present remains at a high level of quality and consistency. The number one objection I hear about blogging is, “we don’t have the time.” Yes, it will cost some money.
No, the ROI won’t be as good as some other methods, but doing nothing won’t make you any money or help you grow your audience, either. Spend a little money and give your readers a steady stream of great blog content. It’s well worth the investment.