Whether you're blogging to make money or "make friends and influence people", the right approach can mean all the difference.
Without a doubt, certain tools and techniques will help to elevate your status in the Blogosphere, separate you from the pack, and take you from zero to hero!
In today's blogging environment, it's important to remember that we are competing for the attention of today's busy reader, with an array of choices and limited time.
To increase your blog following and decrease your bounce rate, here are a few tried and true methods to try your hand at.
5 Strategies to get more buzz (and bang) for your Blog:
1. Consider having a cute tagline or slogan for your blog and what it represents. It helps to become more memorable and furthers your branding. For example: Pen and Prosper is promoted as "Required reading for today's smart writer."
My blogging buddy Sibyl uses, "Live today better than yesterday."
You might use something like "the small blog with a big heart!" Get the idea?
People should know what your blog is about without having to spend 10 minutes navigating different sections of your site.
2. Provide variety. It is indeed the spice of life.
How? Have guest bloggers present different voices and viewpoints. Tackle controversial topics from time to time. Do interviews with other artists.
3. Post pictures that show other aspects of your life, or share a hobby that adds dimension to your online personality. Some time ago, I did a post about "Craft Therapy", where I shared and discussed how writers have other areas of creativity that allow them to unwind and express themselves through other gifts.
Like how many times singers might paint, or authors also sing. While I dig creating gift baskets. Anyhow, I ran that post on the weekend, and it was very popular!
4. Post on weekends. Although some see it as a kiss of death, in terms of traffic, it sometimes is a way of attracting new followers who are looking for fresh content at the end of a grueling work week.
5. Make it a point to share positive readers' comments and testimonials. Let's face it---we all think that our Blogs are hot spots, true? But it takes on a whole new meaning and new levels of awesomeness when others echo it.
Well folks, that's my story and I'm sticking with it...
What's yours? Agree or disagree?
Image Contributor Photostock
Good "buzz" tips. Thanks for sharing this. EVERY little bit helps in this wicked business of publishing.
ReplyDeleteHi Ricky,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to hear from you today. You're right: "EVERY little bit helps."
Thanks for your thoughts today. :-)
Good tips. I agree - shake it up, mix it up, and let your personality shine through. It's a winning combo for a great blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen. Always good to get your perspective here. :-)
ReplyDeleteJennifer, this post is very helpful to me since I'm new at blogging. I also think it has a lot to offer experienced bloggers, too. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLynNerd,
ReplyDeleteI think you'll find the blogging journey to be an enjoyable one! Welcome! Let me know if you'd like to have any specific topic addressed or have questions at Pen and Prosper.
I appreciate your feedback and your time.
Hey Jen: It's your blogging buddy here :) Thanks for the shout out. I was just dropping by to get some good advice and was so surprised to see my name and tagline. I agree with you though that having a tagline can really help you drive a consistent point home and help with branding. Interesting point you made on posting on the weekends. Hadn't really thought about that, but it does make some good sense. Thanks for the great tips:)
ReplyDeleteHi Sibyl,
ReplyDeleteThanks for adding to the mix here. And it's proof positive that folks do read blogs (and post comments) during weekend hours. :-)
Yes, I like the idea of using a Slogan or Tagline, and for my Happy Writing Blog - besides Happy Writing - I also have
ReplyDeleteas a (possibly still somewhat vague) tagline:
'About Blogging,
the Writer's Lifestyle and More.'
Possibly I could use a better one to better - Position -
my Blog, because - Happy Writing - is also probably
still a little vague, 'It's a work in progress...,' :)
As you can read on my Digital Camera-ideas Blog I also like to express myself with Photography, and for a while now I have been working on my own Stock Photo Catalogue with Several Categories of Digital Photo's.
Because of that I now can also possibly use some of those Photo's to help Illustrate and Sell Filler Articles for Newspapers or Magazines, So maybe I will possibly use some of my own Photo's (or Photo's bought from Photo Stock Sites) to Illustrate Blogposts as well in the Future.
I am also thinking about possibily selecting some Photo's for other things like for example Photo Comepetitions or Selling some of them to Photo Stock Sites. Because I won Prices, and had little Successes with Getting Photo's Published in the past. (Also recently submitted a few New Photo's for Photo Comepetitions.)