"HOW DO YOU FIND READERS FOR YOUR BLOG?"
Now, I am no professional blogging marketer or businesswoman. I am just a regular person who started a blog and am learning as I go and DIY-ing all of it myself. So as far as attracting new readers to my blog, that has been very much a trial-and-error process for me.
There are lots of different ways to approach doing this, whether it’s guest posting, joining blog networks, taking advantage of social media, advertising on other like-minded blogs (which I’ve never done), etc. They’re all good ways to get the word out about your blog but I don’t think that any one of them, on its own, is going to be a magic bullet.
Instead, I think I’ve benefitted most from the cumulative effect of implementing a variety of approaches. And I think that’s true for most people.
One thing that I would suggest, before you even start trying to get the word out about your blog, is to set up some sort of tracking tool on your blog, such as Google Analytics or StatCounter, both of which I use to monitor my blog's traffic.
Once you are able to track where readers are coming from, you’ll know which of your approaches are generating the most hits. And then you can keep pursuing the most successful ones and scrap the ones that don’t work so well. I stopped doing a lot of blog link-ups because I discovered that they just weren’t worth it, as far as having new readers come to my blog and stick around. You want to be a good steward of your time!
When I first started out blogging, I sent out an email to my closest friends letting them know that I had started a blog and then I set up NetworkedBlogs app on my personal Facebook account to have my posts automatically post to my Facebook feed. When you’re starting from scratch, don’t be afraid to tap your friends and family to come read along! (By the way, don't forget to "like" Life Blessons while you're on Facebook!)
You can also check out blogging networks and cross-post your entries there. One that I like is 20sb.net, which is a blogging network for twentysomethings. They have lots of different forums and boards that you can post on and share your latest posts.
Another thing that I occasionally do that has garnered a small-but-decent amount of traffic is to periodically comment on blog posts of larger blogs. (Of course it should go without saying that any comment should be adding value to the discussion and not be completely self-seeking. People can see through that and will be less likely to click through.)
However, I’ve had the most luck attracting visitors by getting other, larger blogs and websites to link to posts previously published on my blog. For instance, I have submitted some of my craft and recipe posts to TotallyTutorials.com and MoneySavingMom.com and received tons of traffic from them. A plus from that has been that a lot of those posts have also ended up getting circulated on Pinterest, generating even more traffic. I've also been invited to submit my blog posts to a couple of larger media sites (most recently to Crosswalk.com), and those have been great boosts to my traffic.
Surprisingly, I haven't had near as much luck attracting visitors by writing guest posts, even for some decent sized blogs. But, I always figure that I might as well give an outlet a try once and see how it does. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised and then I know I can try to submit posts there again in the future.
So I think try a little bit of everything and see what works for you—what generates the most traffic, as well as what you enjoy doing.
Because while it’s nice to have lots of readers, blogging is not just about the numbers. Compared to a lot of other blogs out there, I don’t have a ton of readers. But the ones that I do have (you!) are really involved with the blog, commenting and tweeting and emailing me. That is worth far more to me than a million readers any day!
This post is part of my Better Blogging series, where I respond to some of the most common questions that I receive about blogging. Feel free to read all of the posts in this series here.
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Your Questions Answered: Starting a Blog
#101: A look back at my first 100 blog posts
I really like this post in your Better Blogging series. I actually first found you through 20sb! Sounds like you do a better job of tracking where your traffic comes from... I was surprised to hear that guest posts haven't gotten that big of returns!
ReplyDeleteHi Carmen! This post was INSANELY helpful and very timely. Thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm a blogger and Christian online therapist who found you over at Relevant Magazine this past weekend. I'm trying to meet and connect with like-minded bloggers out there who demonstrate Love, integrity, and wisdom in their blog content, yet have a casual and fun writing voice. (A tall order, I know!) Can you recommend any bloggers who fit this description?
Thanks!
Thanks, ladies!
ReplyDeleteI know, that fact has surprised me, as well, Emily. Everyone always touts doing guest posts, but at least the places where I've submitted have not been worthwhile. Guess it goes to show that what works for the goose doesn't always work for the gander!
Thanks, Kimberly! You can check out some of my favorite blogs on this page. There aren't a ton of blogs there, but I'm kind of picky and those are my favorites!
Well, to be honest I cannot remember exactly how I found you (my gray hair syndrome is kicking in - HA!), but I'm glad I did. I sent the post about your salsa recipe to a friend, plus your site was my "Web Site of the Week" for our ladies Sunday School class at church yesterday. I always like to pass along wonderful and encouraging links to those in our class on a weekly basis, so thank you for being there! I'm encouraged as I read more and more. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, Carmen.
ReplyDeleteThis really has nothing to do with this post. But. A friend of mine posted a link to one of your previous posts on her blog and brought me here. It was the one that referenced God using you in whatever position you're placed (the story from Judges in the Old Testament), and trying to live with more awareness of that truth, letting it guide and instruct you, while also giving you purpose.
Loved that thought today.
You are right about your recipe idea's on other blogs creating traffic. I found you when your pretzel bites recipe was posted on Money Saving Mom I think it was, and immediately liked you on facebook, and read your posts often. Oh and by the way the pretzel bites are a hit with my family and friends. Especially my husband's friends.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog on Money Saving Mom with some craft project, but was pleasantly surprised by your blogs about your journey with God and your husband, so I stuck around. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you so much for the kind words and for all your stories about how you found my blog!
ReplyDeleteIt's so neat to hear how you each found it (not surprisingly, a couple of you from Money Saving Mom!) and decided to stick around and keep reading.
Thank you so much for that!
And thank you so much for continuing to share and pass it along, too! I appreciate you passing my blog along to the ladies in your Sunday School class, Debbie. That is so sweet of you!
Hey Carmen--just wanted to say I found your blog through a comment on one of The Frugal Girl's posts. You both are encouraging, godly women, and your blogs are the only two I subscribe to and read every post. So glad I found your blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Carmen, I found your blog through your newlywed series posted on Relevant magazine's website. I subscribe to a lot of blogs but yours is definitely one of my favourites!
ReplyDeleteIt is so, so kind of all of you to let me know how you came across my blog! I'm flattered that you actually remember and that you've stuck around since then. Your kind words are such an encouragement to me :) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi, I have really been enjoying your posts. Especially the ones on blogging. I found them all really helpful. I am trying to add google analytics to my blog. I signed up and I am supposed to add the code before the < head >. I am not too sure where to go to do this. I also have a blogger blog. I looked in the help section and couldn't find anything. Maybe I didn't look hard enough. But I thought maybe you could help me?
ReplyDeleteHi Chris. Good first step to install Google Analytics! You might want to go to YouTube and look up some basic HTML tutorials to help you, because you want to know what you're doing when messing with HTML. But to add that in, you'll need to go to the Design tab in Blogger and then navigate to the Edit HTML section and paste it in. There might even be a tutorial on YouTube for installing Analytics. Good luck!
ReplyDelete