It’s finally happened. I’m out of blog ideas!
Just kidding.
But the #1 question I’ve been hearing lately is, “How do I get more traffic to my blog?” So I want to focus over the next few weeks on the practical, actionable strategies that will help you get more traffic to your blog.
And the best way for me to help you with that is to know what your biggest challenges are right now.
Would you share your promotion and traffic generation questions with me? I’ll put together posts that answer the ones I can help with over the next few weeks (and credit YOU with a link to your blog if I use your question so be sure to put your URL in the box for it with your comment!).
Bonus points if you tell me your questions and share what actions you’re already taking to promote your blog and get it out there. :)
Of course this is the 64 thousand dollar question. It’s a big one – personally and for the clients I serve. For me, today, it’s how to engage people, not only through great content, but also through the most effective social media plugins to make it easier to spread the word. What do you recommend? And what are the best networking blog sites ?
Great questions, Rachel. Short answer – I like combining a plugin that floats on the side of the page with one that sits at the bottom of my posts. I’m currently using Sharebar and SexyBookmarks on my blog here.
As to the best networking blog sites, it really depends on who your audience is. :) I’ll post more about that!
Really don’t have a clue what to do first. I need a press release but have no idea where to send it if and when I write one. I do get an article posted to ezine articles once in a while but most of the time I am writing, I use it on my blog. I’ll enjoy learning whatever steps you write about.
It surely is a BIG question for all of us!
Speaking of myself, it’s always been by making or building relationships with people who then come by and comment on the blog. Yes, I visit their blogs because I like what they shared and they do the same, even though we aren’t many a times from the same niche. For me, that’s the biggest way I get traffic, though I do wish I had more working hours to manage my social media, which I do well with now too, but one really can’t be present all over all the time.
I wonder though that with the limited time we have in hand, how else can we drive traffic to our blogs. Yes, I know about guest posting, videos etc, but time constraints are a problem with most of us I think.
Thanks :)
Michelle, I need to know how to find my audience. To get my content (blog posts and videos) in front of people who want to know about the top fitness and wieght loss products. I need to build trust. I alrady post several times a week. I have several YouTube videos and some Ezine articles. But I’m not making very many sales. How can I improve?
I came up with over 100 ways to bring traffic to my site; I also know that the way to keep traffic. What I want to know is how to bring the RIGHT traffic to my site. I want dog lovers who are willing to spend money. I promote myself heavily and the traffic is steadily climbing, but I want to take the lead in dog blogs.
I’m on the social networking sites, I’m in pet forums/groups, I respond to HARO queries. What else can I do to bring targeted traffic to my site?
How do I choose which blogs to sponsor? What is the most important thing(s) in a blog button?
So far, I have done up a facebook account (facebook.com/DawnsDisaster) and a Twitter account (@dawns_disaster), which I had previously sworn off – I try to Tweet at least 5 times a week. I started my own blog hop, but it seems like a lot of work for OTHER PEOPLE to gain followers. Lately, I’ve only received a handful, but a few of the “regulars” seem to be leaping numbers!
How do I find the right people? By this I mean the people that might turn into clients, and not just people looking for free info.
I second your question. Getting traffic to your site is one thing but getting the right traffic is the key. I think maybe understanding the whole sales funnel would be beneficial.
Knowing that a majority of the people who visit will be at the top (free or low cost buyers) of your funnel but by getting them on your list, you can build upon the traffic that really matters thus developing relationships with your readers.
@Michelle, maybe you can write a post on different levels of traffic. Traffic for numbers sake vs traffic that will eventually turn into subscribers and eventually your clients.
Thanks for sharing the topic. I require to know how to find my target audience.
Getting people to share my content is my concern. I read that Google ranks sites better when they are shared. Apart from the obvious one of writing good content, what else can I do to get people to share content without having to beg or bribe people?
Hi Michelle,
I’m glad you posted this question. This is actually a very good lesson for us as bloggers and marketers to learn here on how to engage readers more by letting them ask direct questions that could help their results.
Fortunately I have followed my coaching to a Tee and thus I have been able to drive a good amount of traffic to my blog through social media and from ranking several articles in the SERP’s to page 1 in Google.
My question is bout adding calls of action in my articles. What types of calls of action do you use to drive traffic to to offers, to get people to comment on your blog, to get people to opt into your list. Is there a right way and a wrong way. I’m very interested in your answer.
Best,
Bart Nash
IM Journal
I am not sure you want to address this issue. Many of us (no names here- but I admit to being one) belong to “groups” which are supposed to read each others’ blogs, comment, and tweet. Some “meet” once a day, others twice a week, others still just once. Invariably, performance drops off- oh, they’ll post, but don’t reciprocate. Which means the one who keeps their end of the bargain gets burned…
Any ideas? or is this potato too hot to take out of the microwave yet?
Hey Roy, thanks for a great question! I don’t mind hot potatoes. ;) I just answered this question in a video post: https://michelleshaeffer.com/do-comment-clubs-work-what-if-they-arent/2013/01/11/
Ah, great idea, Michelle! I want to know what do you recommend as the top 3 strategies to fit my “blog promotion and traffic generation” tasks in exactly 1 hour per day, no more than that :) Thanks in advance, I know you’ll come up with ideas to help me!
I think its been covered by how to you drive the RIGHT traffic to your blog? The kind that will interact, comment, and come back? Thanks for this, I like the interaction.
I’m still trying to figure out how to get more traffic. My average each day is 300+ visitors and I had a few days with 700+. Presently, my blog posts and sharing through Social Media bring visitors to my site. Most of my visitors find me through Google, Facebook and LinkedIn – in that order. My challenge is all the postings I do to the various platforms, blogging, and all that’s involved with being a solopreneur. I know the answer to this is having a team. Until that happens I have to do the work. I use SocialOomph for auto updates and Seesmic to ping my posts. My question then would be: what tools and strategies can I use to leverage my time and increase traffic when I’m doing it all by myself.
Hi Michelle,
I feel that there are plenty answers on the Internet about how to draw traffic, and you’ve certainly given us answers to this before. But so many of the answers contradict each other. Many say just focus on writing quality content at regular intervals. Others say write on your own blog less and seek to guest blog on site with big lists to build your reach. Then there are those who stress having a social media strategy that draws traffic. Which of these of what combination do you recommend and why?
Now I have so many doubts in my mind first one how to target audience specifically.
Michelle I’ve come to this post from your most recent post “The #1 Question You Must Answer Before You Drive Traffic to Your Blog”
In answering the questions you posted there I realized I need help with this one:
“Is your conversation engaging enough to create a discussion?”
I’m not sure I know how to do this for my blog. In my newsletters I ask a question at the end of the article. So, maybe I should be posting more questions? I’m feeling I need to maybe change the way that I’m presenting my content for my blog vs. my newsletter?
Actions I’m already taking to promote my blog and get it out there.: I’ve joined the blog challenge today. I have posted on Facebook before.
I have great passion and commitment towards my weekly newsletter and I feel I have not been as consistent with my blog… hmmm need to make more time for my blog too! #insightfulmoment
Thank you!
Biggest question on getting traffic to your blog – How do you keep them coming back?
Once people visit your site, get what they came for (i.e. free pattern, article etc) how do you invite them to come back to your blog to see what other goodies you have for them.
Per your other post – what I’m doing now?
I’ve participated in blog challenges which greatly increases traffic for a short time, I share my posts on social media, and just recently started linking my old posts in my newsletter.