how to get people to read your blog...

[MommyHawk]

Ok, so I have this blog that I believe only about 5 people come to...and I am doing this as a way to 'create a brand'...I went to a writer's meeting that was all about making your name/pen name your "brand" and getting it out there with blogs and websites and yada yada...so, I have this blog...and I write great things! But how do I get traffic? It's not like everyone is begging for something to visit/read. There is soooo much out there! I actually just asked my favorite author to come visit and check it out if she had a sec - is that sad or what!?! But I digress... how do you do it? Guest blog? Ok, where? Drop your link everywhere you go? Where should I go??

I am a web geek but this getting traffic thing still doesn't make sense to me. Maybe because it's really a marketing deal...

anyone?..

thanks

[j.lucymuses]

When I first started my blog I was going crazy with this issue (as you can read in my early - July 08 - blog posts - shameless self-promotion there ). I tried researching all the social networking sites and I got so overwhelmed I had to give up. I'm not web savvy at all! What I ended up doing was just visiting other people's blogs and making comments. Little by little I started to get traffic and I have some repeats (mostly friends and family, but I'm OK with that for now). I actually get most of my traffic from MDC. I've now adopted the theory - if you build it (and they like it) they will come (back). For me, writing the blog itself is the greatest reward; seeing the traffic ticker go up is just a bonus.

I will visit your blog in depth later (wedding to get to today) - as I am an aspiring 'in print" writer (and I just noticed our children were born in the same years), I think we may have some things in common.

Good luck!

[MommyHawk]

Originally Posted by j.lucymuses

When I first started my blog I was going crazy with this issue (as you can read in my early - July 08 - blog posts - shameless self-promotion there ). I tried researching all the social networking sites and I got so overwhelmed I had to give up. I'm not web savvy at all! What I ended up doing was just visiting other people's blogs and making comments. Little by little I started to get traffic and I have some repeats (mostly friends and family, but I'm OK with that for now). I actually get most of my traffic from MDC. I've now adopted the theory - if you build it (and they like it) they will come (back). For me, writing the blog itself is the greatest reward; seeing the traffic ticker go up is just a bonus.

I will visit your blog in depth later (wedding to get to today) - as I am an aspiring 'in print" writer (and I just noticed our children were born in the same years), I think we may have some things in common.

Good luck!

oh, you're so kind

what is an 'in print' writer? I've been a 'closet' writer for so long I don't know any of the lingo...I'm out of the closet now

[Deer Hunter]

Here is what you can do that I know works:

1. Put a link to your blog in your sig files on any forums you are a part of.

2. Write some articles for www.ezinearticles.com and put your blog's link in the byline or resource box.

3. Use blog search engines, such as the one found on Google, and connect to others' blogs. Comment them, and chances are that they will see your comment and follow the link back to your blog and read it.

Hope this helps.

[j.lucymuses]

In print vs. online. I never knew there was anything but in print - I was a snob who thought writing online wasn't "real" writing.

I've been in the closet for years too - so far back, in fact, it was too dark to write anything readable . I just knew I wanted to be a writer. But the irony is, it wasn't until I began writing online that I truly had the confidence to say "I am a Writer" and believed it myself.

Read a little of your blog - I like it. I will try to squeeze some more in today.

[Kinguk]

I posted my favorite poem ever in one of my blog entries. I notice I am getting a lot of traffic from that one poem through people searching for it through Google searches. I mean loads of traffic :

[MyTwoAs]

SEO - search engine optimization; this is a great way to generate traffic. Congrats on the traffic to your poem.

[MommyHawk]

Originally Posted by j.lucymuses

Read a little of your blog - I like it. I will try to squeeze some more in today.

oh, wow, thank you

[MommyHawk]

Originally Posted by Kinguk

I posted my favorite poem ever in one of my blog entries. I notice I am getting a lot of traffic from that one poem through people searching for it through Google searches. I mean loads of traffic :

nice touch...and then I can read it often too

[AngelBee]

:

[vegmom]

I find that good content that people want is supposed to be key for getting traffic.

Yesturday I posted my first youtube video with a direct link back to my website. I know that this is about writing but I had such a writing block yesturday that I used my webcam instead of my keyboard and had video up in 15 minutes. And so far I have had eleven views. Not bad for it being up less than 24hrs and it being my first video and totally unknown.

[Violet2]

Do you want traffic or do you want readers? The two are different imo.

Traffic is easy to get. Just mention naked pictures of a hot celebrity and voila! Instant traffic.

I once mentioned something about being punched in the belly and was instantly the first search result for erotic belly punching (yes it exists) even though that was sooo not what I was talking about.

So sex and celebrities always bring in traffic. Mostly from people with one hand down their pants

As for readers, if you are using blogger everything you put in your profile becomes linked to other bloggers who put the same thing in their profiles. Even if you aren't using blogger it's worth it to set up a dummy account to mine those links for other bloggers. This is a great way to find like minded bloggers

Then from there, hooks, hooks, hooks. You need super catchy titles and great first lines to catch attention. I once used a title of Squid P-orn to title a book review post. Stuff like that makes people read.

ETA: Oh hey look! My 1000th post is about Squid P-orn.
HTH
V

[captain crunchy]

How do you even tell how many people are visiting your blog? I am so not good at knowing stuff like that

I get most of my "traffic" from MDC because my blog is in my siggie and the people who tend to read my blog and like it are the people who tend to like my posts. I have no idea how many people read it other than the people who tell me they do...which for now... is like, 5

[j.lucymuses]

Originally Posted by captain crunchy

How do you even tell how many people are visiting your blog? I am so not good at knowing stuff like that

sitemeter.com
Warning: it's addictive!

p.s. you just got bookmarked - you make me laff!

[captain crunchy]

Originally Posted by j.lucymuses

sitemeter.com
Warning: it's addictive!

p.s. you just got bookmarked - you make me laff!

coolness thanks!

[MommyHawk]

awesome!

[3pink1blue]

I haven't done much of anything to get readers, but I have them. Somehow I got noticed by a big mainstream blog (mainstream as in, crazy popular) and they featured me, and now I guest blog there from time to time.
Also find blog carnivals to participate in, that will get you mad readers. You could join a ring too, which is another thing I did.

I still don't make hardly anything, money-wise, from my blog, but I don't care. It means more to me that people love it.

I use statcounter.com and I can see that my posts are being emailed and talked about, and I love that too. I don't like sitemeter because I can't figure out how to make it private.

[Miss Information]

Originally Posted by j.lucymuses

In print vs. online. I never knew there was anything but in print - I was a snob who thought writing online wasn't "real" writing.

I've been in the closet for years too - so far back, in fact, it was too dark to write anything readable . I just knew I wanted to be a writer. But the irony is, it wasn't until I began writing online that I truly had the confidence to say "I am a Writer" and believed it myself.

Read a little of your blog - I like it. I will try to squeeze some more in today.

I'm right there with you. In fact, I blogged about finding an email I wrote about 9 years ago with a desire to write instead of trudging along at my laboratory job that was not very creative but paid the bills.

And still, I have a need to write and express myself and I blogged about that in a post about cultivating my passion for writing.

And yes, I have shamelessly plugged my own blog twice, in the same thread.

The thing is, I like when people link to their blogs. I like seeing how other people are using blogs to express themselves.

Oh, I do have a decent readership, but I really wish more people would comment on my blogs. That's the harder part.

Sometimes just by commenting on another person's blog, you get readers too.

Oh, and check to see if your blog can be accessed through search engines (you often have to check your Settings designations). I get half of my readers from mothering message boards, and half from search engines looking for particular topics.

[boatbaby]

Originally Posted by captain crunchy

How do you even tell how many people are visiting your blog? I am so not good at knowing stuff like that

I get most of my "traffic" from MDC because my blog is in my siggie and the people who tend to read my blog and like it are the people who tend to like my posts. I have no idea how many people read it other than the people who tell me they do...which for now... is like, 5

You can also use "Feedjit Live" to see who visits and what part of the work they are from. Click on my siggie "Zach aboard" and look on the right. It's fun!!!

[captain crunchy]

Originally Posted by 3pink1blue

I haven't done much of anything to get readers, but I have them. Somehow I got noticed by a big mainstream blog (mainstream as in, crazy popular) and they featured me, and now I guest blog there from time to time.
Also find blog carnivals to participate in, that will get you mad readers. You could join a ring too, which is another thing I did.

I still don't make hardly anything, money-wise, from my blog, but I don't care. It means more to me that people love it.

I use statcounter.com and I can see that my posts are being emailed and talked about, and I love that too. I don't like sitemeter because I can't figure out how to make it private.

: I love your blog!