Today I want to share with you 15 easy ways for you to get your blog out there. Some of them may seem obvious, and others not so much. I have been doing these things for a while now, and I have really noticed an increase in my readership here on my little corner of the web.
Blogging should be about sharing your passions with others, it shouldn't be something you have to force yourself to do. If you don't enjoy blogging, change what you're blogging about. Post a survey to your readers and ask them what they would like to see on your blog, so you can get some more inspiration for content. I have a constant internal battle with this though.
Sometimes the number of likes I get fuels my passion for blogging, and I feel drawn to post what is currently trending. But most of the time, I know that this blog is me, it is about me and what I like. It may be a small niche (searching for the pretty-ness in everything is not everyone's cup of tea) but if I stick to blogging about what I like and what I find interesting as opposed to what I hope other people will like, then that's real.
And that makes me happy.
15 Easy Networking Tips for Bloggers
1. Network. Network. Network. In other words, use the social media accounts you have to actively engage with your followers.
2. Reply to every comment on your blog/Facebook/Instagram feed.
3. Comment on other blogs, often! This seems obvious, but it really does help to get your blog noticed. When I see a reader has commented a couple of times on my blog, I am more likely to search out her blog (if they are a blogger) or spend some time finding them on twitter/Instagram and sharing some love on their accounts.
4. Email bloggers whom you admire, tell them that you like their blog. Be real. Don't just write something like 'Hey. Love your blog. Here is mine...etc'. Be honest with what you like about them, then just leave a simple link to your blog at the end of your email. There is nothing nicer than getting a email from a happy reader who wants to share her love for your work.
5. Start a Facebook page and use it for your blog rather than your personal Facebook page. I could tell from the decrease in engagement I got from my posts on Facebook after the first few weeks of spamming my friends and family with my blog posts on my personal page.
6. You don't have to be a wizz at every social media platform. Rather choose one that you can commit to as opposed to having four accounts with little to no activity. Choose a platform that you genuinely enjoy using. Social media is fun, it shouldn't be a chore, and you shouldn't dread your time spent on it (on the other side of the coin, make sure to schedule in 'breaks' from the screen to ensure a healthy balance between real life and the online world).
7. You don't have to blog every day. This is tiring and you lead to you producing mediocre content rather than interesting and engaging material. But try to post at least 2 to 3 times a week to keep your content fresh.
8. Email other bloggers and ask about doing a guest post on their blog. This gives them new content and you get a chance to reach new readers. The worst they can do is not reply. At least you've put yourself out there and most likely they will at least click through to your blog and you might gain a new reader.
9. Ask questions at the end of your blog/Facebook posts. People are more inclined to respond to a question and comment, you are inviting them to actually do something as opposed to them passively taking in your content and moving on to the next post.
10. Use Facebook for short, catchy posts like quotes and photographs. People are visual, and drawn to interesting graphics and images as opposed to long lines of text. When you do use text, break it up into easy to digest chunks (the same goes for your blog posts). With Pinterest, people are being exposed to so much great content all the time, us bloggers have to work harder to make our blogs appealing to people. Why would someone go you your blog for recipes when they can go onto Pinterest and have thousands of red velvet cake recipes at their fingertips in seconds. No matter how many hours you spent prepping that post, you need to work on being different. What can you offer your readers that Pinterest can't? You might have a great sense of humour when you write your recipes, something that they can't find on Pinterest..put those thinking caps on!
11. Carry business cards with you...everywhere. You don't have to have a massive following to be allowed to have a business card. It makes you look professional, and you can quickly whip one out to give new friends you meet (people qill quickly forget your web address, even if you think it's the easiest name to remember).
12. Find other bloggers in your area and connect with them on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram. This means following all of their accounts and not expecting them to do the same (don't announce to the world that you've followed someone in the hopes that they return the favour). Follow them because you genuinely want to read about what they are up to, then engage with them in an honest and real way and they will in all likely hood follow you back.
13. Meet up with other bloggers. Don't be scared off by the fact that they might have 893 likes on Facebook and you have 12. We all start somewhere. I have met a lot of new friends this way (and I'm sure a few of them thought I was some crazy stalker when I first got in touch with them lol). But gently does it. You should be getting to know them through their blog and twitter accounts first before ambushing them into a coffee date.
14. Take your own photographs. Always. And when you can't find the right photograph, make sure you properly credit the rightful owner or email them for permission first. Rather have a blog post delayed while you get permission for using an image than get into legal trouble like this blogger. Oh, and Pinterest, just like Google, is not a source (read this great post on sourcing images from Pinterest).
15. Have patience. You should be blogging because you like blogging. Not because you want to become famous. Although that's nice too.
