So you're blogging and want to make a little extra money. It won't happen unless and until you begin to treat your blog as if it were a business!
Blogger Fabrizio Van Marciano recently published an article directed toward "Business Bloggers" - I've re-purposed that advice - I stripped down the essentials to points that little mister and ms bloggers should consider.
Know your Audience ::: First of all, there's no need to stop your EC dropping or bloghopping or whatever daily engagements or rituals you perform while you are online. But ask yourself "who am I trying to attract to my blog?" If there are a bunch of bloggers in that list, go examine carefully their blogs and read their posts so that you can determine what service YOUR blog can be to THEM. What could you present on your blog that would attract them in the way of widgets and interactive or affiliate programs? Certainly not things they already have on their blogs!
Make sure that the posts you write present new information or a new or controversial opinion or point-of-view on subjects THEY constantly write about and express interest in!
Fabrizio's take on that is "Don’t just use your blog to write about news and developments about your business although it’s good to do this, but use the blog at your advantage to get your readers talking about your products or services a lot more."
Fabrizio advises "one of the best ways to get feedback from your audience is to create a poll." - there are plenty of "free polls" on the Net that you can drop right in to your template no matter what blog platform you're on (maybe unless it's LJ, which is fussy!)
Contests and Giveaways ::: For the smaller, C-List blogger, and the newbie blogger, I'd advise keeping your distance from contests. Don't hold them unless you really have a valuable prize to offer. And if you get under 100 visits a day from the same people day after day, you need to encourage them to spread the word about your contest to others OUTSIDE your blog circle! This can be accomplished via posts on thier blogs and more effectively via their facebook, G+ and twitter accounts!
Unless you have no analog life, avoid the contests that want you to blog, tweet and facebook yourself and your links to death. You'll end up turning a lot of people off. Leave those contests to the Semi-pro and Pro Blog "gurus."
Know your Audience ::: First of all, there's no need to stop your EC dropping or bloghopping or whatever daily engagements or rituals you perform while you are online. But ask yourself "who am I trying to attract to my blog?" If there are a bunch of bloggers in that list, go examine carefully their blogs and read their posts so that you can determine what service YOUR blog can be to THEM. What could you present on your blog that would attract them in the way of widgets and interactive or affiliate programs? Certainly not things they already have on their blogs!
Make sure that the posts you write present new information or a new or controversial opinion or point-of-view on subjects THEY constantly write about and express interest in!
Fabrizio's take on that is "Don’t just use your blog to write about news and developments about your business although it’s good to do this, but use the blog at your advantage to get your readers talking about your products or services a lot more."
Fabrizio advises "one of the best ways to get feedback from your audience is to create a poll." - there are plenty of "free polls" on the Net that you can drop right in to your template no matter what blog platform you're on (maybe unless it's LJ, which is fussy!)
Contests and Giveaways ::: For the smaller, C-List blogger, and the newbie blogger, I'd advise keeping your distance from contests. Don't hold them unless you really have a valuable prize to offer. And if you get under 100 visits a day from the same people day after day, you need to encourage them to spread the word about your contest to others OUTSIDE your blog circle! This can be accomplished via posts on thier blogs and more effectively via their facebook, G+ and twitter accounts!
Unless you have no analog life, avoid the contests that want you to blog, tweet and facebook yourself and your links to death. You'll end up turning a lot of people off. Leave those contests to the Semi-pro and Pro Blog "gurus."
Let me add: ONLY if you are someone with a LOT of time - you're not going to jeopardize your studies or get your boss at work mad at you, or sit your ass at home on the computer when you should be with your family - if you have time, you can go ahead and partake in those social-media intensive contests.
Embed Videos ::: on YOUR little blog? ONLY if they are original content YOU created or uploaded!
Reply to All Comments! ::: YES, YES and YES! Before you do, there's something you should knwo about comments, and you'll find it here. Don't read on without reading that link first.
Make Sharing Easy ::: Stick with Fabrizio's words verbatim "No blog post should go without the tools needed to share content on the web, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and StumbleUpon etc. Ensure that they are visible as well and not small and hidden somewhere in your post…"
Give Praise ::: Giving another blogger a mention or praise is a great way to get others to recognize and interact with you and your blog. Nice words and abundant links!
Buy NO eBooks! ::: SAVE YOUR MONEY! Most are B.S.!
Tags: blog advice, How can I attract visitors to my blog?
Embed Videos ::: on YOUR little blog? ONLY if they are original content YOU created or uploaded!
Reply to All Comments! ::: YES, YES and YES! Before you do, there's something you should knwo about comments, and you'll find it here. Don't read on without reading that link first.
Make Sharing Easy ::: Stick with Fabrizio's words verbatim "No blog post should go without the tools needed to share content on the web, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and StumbleUpon etc. Ensure that they are visible as well and not small and hidden somewhere in your post…"
Give Praise ::: Giving another blogger a mention or praise is a great way to get others to recognize and interact with you and your blog. Nice words and abundant links!
Buy NO eBooks! ::: SAVE YOUR MONEY! Most are B.S.!
Here is a nutshell recap outline of the things you should do to increase engagement on your small personal blog or your C-list or (hopefully) money-making blog.
- Keep doing what you're doing if it makes you happy.
- Know your audience!
- Back away form Contests & Giveaways.
- Only embed original videos.
- Reply to all comments!
- Make sharing easy!
- Give praise!
- Don't buy any eBooks!
Now, if you have any tips or suggestions of your own you'd like to add, put them in the comments section below.
Tags: blog advice, How can I attract visitors to my blog?
