2012 is no different from 2011 when it comes to the need for blog traffic. The methods haven’t changed that much either! So what’s changed? Well, readers are savvier and expect more; there are more blogs now in every niche; Google Panda is under active attack. What else? Oh, yes, blogging is a whole other ball game in 2012. You need these tips to get that traffic going now.
Change Your Blogging Attitude
The way people interact with online content is changing. The novelty of blogs wore off long ago and now it’s all about survival of the most creative.
1. Offer More Than Boring Text Posts
Nothing wrong with text-based posts but they have sort of become the norm, and people want more. Explore audio and video podcasts, infographics, slides, cartoons, unique graphics, docs and webinars.
2. Be A Purposeful Guest Blogger
Guest blogging mainly to prime readers with regard to a unique selling proposition on your own site. For example, if you’re selling an eBook about rare medicinal herbs on your site, write a guest post about the benefits of growing rare herbs in one’s own garden.
3. Start Networking With Influencers
Use a good social media feed analyzer tool to keep tabs on the major influencers in your blogosphere. Network with them, guest post on their blogs, leave comments, interact with their readers and promote their blogs.
4. Ask Other Bloggers To Share Your Content
Write terrific blogs and email top bloggers with a request to share the content with their readers. A polite note with the right tone can work wonders and doors will open for you.
Enhance User Experience On Your Blog
If you want a visitor to come back time and again, you’ve got to lay out a thick welcome carpet.
5. Test Your Site Design
Here you were, pumping great content out every week and still not getting repeat visitors. Ever wondered if it’s the not-so-friendly navigation or the weird color combinations that’s keeping them out? Get a professional design unit do a once over for design, speed, SEO, user experience and usability.
6. Cut The Clutter
It might feel great to fill every corner with Ads and other stuff to keep the pennies rolling, but you’re actually keeping the big notes away with this method. Cut out unnecessary Ads, especially the ones in the sidebar. Keep only relevant Ads for now.
7. Understand How People Digest Information
Bloggers discuss endlessly about long posts and short posts. The only kind of post that’s relevant is a readable post. By that I mean attention-grabbing headlines, headers, sub-headers and bullet points, all within a decent length.
8. Avoid Overkill
Don’t add too many charts and graphs into your post’s body; provide links so people can click to view them if they want to.
9. Have A Care About How You Write
Your language, expression, length of sentences and writing style can attract, repel or leave a person feeling indifferent. Study effective blogs to learn how other people write. Best of all, get your family and friends to read your posts and record their reactions.
Target Your Content
A targeted audience can do wonders for your traffic-starved blog.
10. Target Audiences That Share Content
Study the types of content people tend to share. Funny stuff, infographics, great slides, videos, podcasts or eBooks are usually more popular. Find out which subjects are the easy-share types – beauty, fashion, health and so on. Combine target groups with targeted content and you’re a winner.
11. Join Forums Haunted By Your Audience
Find out which forums and online communities your potential audience haunts and join in. Be an observer at first and then start promoting your strategic, audience-targeted blogs.
12. Make Social Networking Work For You
Twitter, Google+, Facebook and LinkedIn – these are there for you to leverage traffic if you do it the right way. Create two accounts on each – one personal and one blog brand. Make each profile compelling and complete and use great profile pictures. Network with personal and professional contacts; follow key influencers, blog celebrities and connectors. When you’re ready, share your thoughts, your blog posts, retweet tweets from key players and promote others’ blog posts.
Build On That Email List
One hopes you already have an email list up and running. If you don’t, don’t wait a second before getting a list ready.
13. Make It Easier For Visitors To Opt-In
Place your opt-in in the sidebar, at the end of posts, on your main web pages, your subscription page and above the fold feature box.
14. Try New Techniques To Increase Subscription Rates
Are you doing everything you can to increase your subscription rates? What about providing coupon deals, freebies, memberships to member-only premium content?
15. Provide Exclusive Subscribers-Only Newsletters
Consider creating a subscribers-only newsletter that can be accessed via a secure members-only log in on your site. Provide valuable information in text, guide and graphic formats.