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“Dearest Max, My last request: Everything I leave behind me… to be burned unread,” says the writer in a letter to his friend. Throughout his lifetime he had already burnt most of what he had written and now only a slim file of work was left next to his cabinet. Should we have never known him? Should the world have never read his genius writings? His name? Franz Kafka.
I’ve met hundreds of talented people in my life but only a handful of those was hardworking. They say that geniuses lack that perfectly human longing for recognition and fame. Moreover, they’re not even bothered by other people’s opinion in general.
Were they to live in this day and age they would most definitely run a small blog with a few misguided readers. Search engine optimization? Social media? Google AdWords? None of these would even cross their mind.
The ones, however, who are willing to dedicate their time and mind to what they do and to work hard for their objectives, are those who achieve them. They get just as much time in this world as anyone else and yet they manage to succeed. So how can you succeed at what you do?
Help! Nobody Reads My Blog!
You run a blog, you write about what you love and put all of your daily efforts into it. Your work, however, doesn’t result in more than a couple visitors weekly.
I know you, I’ve been you and in a minute I’ll tell you how to promote your blog efficiently. Beforehand, let’s discuss your objectives.
First of all, “Nobody reads my blog” is not a diagnosis, it’s just a symptom. It means that there are a number of practices you fail to apply to your website. Whether it’s a neglected SEO, inefficient promoting or all of these combined, there are steps you can undertake to change it.
Next, website traffic shouldn’t be your number one priority when starting a blog. Create enthralling content which people consume with pleasure and focus on the quality of what you have to offer. Once you’re happy with it, you can take a look at the best traffic boosting practices.
Finally, remain consistent in your work. Just because at a certain point in time you receive a satisfying number of visitors doesn’t mean they’ll remain there forever. Try to apply these practices regularly to ensure you not only attract new readers but also retain the ones who are already there.
How to Promote Your Blog?
Once you have your objectives in order, it’s time to roll up your sleeves as there’s a lot of work to do. In a couple of weeks time, however, you’ll see that all of your efforts were worth it.
1. On-page SEO.
Offering a piece of content to a large audience, you need to ensure its self-sufficiency. This means that your articles and blog posts are required to not only be appreciated by human beings but also by search engines.
Starting with an optimization of the page itself will build the foundation of your further SEO efforts. The anatomy of the well-optimized page involves a number of practices including but not limited to:
› neat URL
› title tags
› H1 tags
› keywords and LSI
› optimized media
› outbound and internal links
To learn more about these essential elements, read our article on On-page SEO: 10 Key Elements.
2. Social Media.
The next vital link in the chain of website promotion is social media presence. While social media comes naturally to us millennials, there’re still bits and bobs that need our deliberate attention.
The most important rule when pursuing a social media fame is remaining relevant. This applies to both, the channels and the content you post.
Take into account the demographics of your audience when picking the networks you’ll signup. While Facebook is the most generic and essential media you can’t overlook, an Instagram account is not always necessary.
Finding out how to drive traffic to your website using social media can be a game-changer for you and your blog.
3. Guest Blogging.
I have to admit to reading numerous articles on the topic at some point. In all of them, guest blogging was either mentioned nonchalantly or not mentioned at all. It, however, could affect your traffic, your SEO, and anything in between.
Entering someone’s household means respecting their own rules and manners. That’s why, when you guest blog at another person’s website you’ll need to embrace their own tone and style. But how do you get to publish your articles as a guest blogger?
The first and most intuitive way is through establishing friendly relationships with fellow bloggers. Through local communities, social media, and other channels of interaction build a relationship with other bloggers in your area. Not only will that facilitate your guest blogging opportunities but also create a community where popularity is transmitted among the members.
Another approach is contacting a blog you like with a direct offer for writing an article for them. You might want to offer something in exchange, a similar guest blogging opportunity at your blog for instance. Most importantly, make sure to ask for a backlink and links to your social networks.
4. E-mail Promotion.
As opposed to common belief, e-mail is far from aging and people still trust the informative and engaging messages they receive in their inboxes.
Adding an e-mail opt-in to your blog and facebook allows people who are interested in your content to keep in touch with you. Offering exclusive tips or a cool freebie ensures people’s interest in your blog will retain.
Moreover, they might be willing to share your content on their own social networks thanks to a strong call-to-action and a list of your latest blog posts. If you still haven’t started with an e-mail campaign, you might be missing your chance of distributing your articles to a larger audience.
5. Advertising.
If after trying everything to promote your blog, you still feel like you’re not reaching as many people as you could, paid advertising may be the solution.
When done right, Facebook ads can convert people to your permanent readers. Try promoting one of the blog posts you’re proud of, or one that would provoke a discussion in the comments section. Google Adwords is also great when you want to promote your website for a certain keyword.
