by Tina Gasperson
So you finally took the plunge and set up a blog. But where are the visitors? You have lots to say and it would help if there was an audience. Never fear, it’s out there – people just need to know you exist. There are many tried and true ways to get the word out on the Internet to build traffic to your blog – and you may even find that you can cultivate a devoted following over time.
First, it may help to determine the theme of your blog. Sounds obvious, but many blogs suffer from a lack of direction. If you can determine your niche right from the start, you’ll know better how to market yourself to potential visitors. Your blog may be all about plastic widgets, or it may be all about daily life with your family. Whatever the subject, make sure you know what it is so you can communicate it to your audience.
Next, it’s just a matter of getting the word out, and fortunately, there are multitudes of ways to do that. If you belong to any social networking sites, these are very good places to announce your blog. Facebook has applications that can link your blog so that whenever you publish a new post, your Facebook account links to it automatically. For a broader audience, adjust your privacy settings on Facebook so that everyone on Facebook can see your posts. Be sure to sign up on Twitter and announce your blog there. Twitter also offers a plugin for most types of blog software that automatically tweets your posts.
Make the titles of your posts descriptive and tag your posts well with relevant keywords so that your blog turns up in Web searches often. If you write a post about vintage copper jewelry, tag that post with jewelry, copper, vintage, antique, collectibles, and any other legitimate and relevant keywords you can think of.
Put your blog URL in your email signature so every email you send has a link to your site. Find and participate in discussion forums and email lists relevant to your topic. Don’t blatantly promote your site in these forums – instead just put a link to your blog in your signature block. If you participate in the discussion, ask questions, and give good advice when you can, people will visit your blog and may comment, especially if you solicit comments in your posts by asking “What do you think?”
Finally, respond to your comments. Let visitors know you value their participation. People are more interested in blogs that are interactive and where they feel they have a voice. Create a sense of community and your audience will show up. Enjoy it!
Tina Gasperson (tinahdee@gmail.com), affectionately known as Computer Lady by her family, has been writing about IT, home computing, and the Internet for more than a decade.