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Popular blog search engine Technorati says that there are 175,000 new blogs born everyday and it is currently tracking 112.8 million blogs. Since spam dominates almost every kind of data related to the internet, you can safely assume that a huge percentage of these blogs are spam blogs or splogs, as they are called. But this doesn't mean that blogging as an occupation is any less popular.From my own experience, since reading my first blog about 3 years back, I can see that blogs have come a long way and the blogosphere has experienced huge, almost unimaginable growth in the last 3 years.
It's true that many blogs today are full fledged internet businesses and it's equally true that there are many more blogs which people just don't know about in spite of their good content and some serious efforts. Usually there are 2 reasons behind such a miserable state of a blog - 1. The blogger isn't doing things in the right way or 2. The blogger is lazy and just doesn't want to do things in the right way.
This article is for those bloggers who fall in the first category. If you are someone who doesn't want to work then I can't help because there is no shortcut to success and you have to work your way to it. Also I'd like to mention that I started my own blog some 4 months back and today it has a good number of subscribers and receives anywhere between 150,000 - 200,000 pageviews per month. It still has a long way to go to achieve stardom but I certainly think it's on the right track and hence the following tips should benefit you too, because most of them are something which I've tried myself successfully.
- Start Some Serious Networking
If you have been focusing only on content creation and have ignored networking, then you've made a big mistake. There are people who would readily agree to help you expose your great content to thousands from the few hundreds who are currently reading it. So be active in the blogosphere, get in touch with more people and start talking! - Comment On Other Blogs
I'll be honest here. I personally don't get time to comment on blogs but still I strongly recommend you to do it if your blog isn't getting the traffic you want. Moreover, blog commenting is another effective way to make relationships with your fellow bloggers.
Here are my 3 tips to get the most out of blog commenting:- Always make relevant comments which give some valuable information, rather than just saying, "Great post" or "I love this article".
- Keep a good mix of popular as well as small blogs while commenting.
- If you are commenting on popular blogs, try to be the first one to make a comment to keep your name at the top.
- Always make relevant comments which give some valuable information, rather than just saying, "Great post" or "I love this article".
- Participate In Forums
Participating in forum discussions could bring a good number of visitors who could later become loyal readers of your blog. There are forums in almost every niche so you just need to find out the right forum which represents your blogging niche and then start participating in the discussions. - Improve Your Content
While you are marketing your blog, you shouldn't slack on creating great content. There is always room for improvement so try to make your content better and more insightful. - Write Guest Posts
Writing guest posts on popular blogs could bring a lot of visitors to your blog and also open up new avenues of opportunity for you. - Read And Research
Subscribe to great blogs and other blogs in your niche and analyze their style of writing and promotion. The more you read and research, the more you'll know about the nuances of managing and promoting your blog. - Get Some Advice
If you're in doubt about something, don't hesitate to ask. Ask in forums, ask your blogger friends, ask your readers or email the popular bloggers...but just don't hesitate to get the advice. - Prepare For The Traffic
While you are working hard to promote your blog, it's also important to prepare your blog for the surge in traffic. If you aren't sure about your hosting, get a good host. If you think there could be better elements in your blog design which could help visitors turn into loyal readers then make the change! - Connect With Your Readers
Connect with your readers by replying to their comments, answering their questions or sometimes sending them a thank you email. This will help you build a great rapport with them and they will come back again and again to your blog. - Just Don't Give Up
This is a kinda universal advice. It's true with almost anything you do but in case of blogging it's more true because blogging is something which requires loads of patience and persistence. and you shouldn't give up just after trying for a week or two. Carry on the momentum and your efforts will bear fruits sooner or later.
Cheers,
Abhijeet
