Post Frequently on Purpose
The best way to drive traffic to your blog is to post frequently, at least 2 to 3 times a week. The more you post, the more traffic you attract. We have experimented with this and found that when we post every day, the number of visitors goes up dramatically. Where do you find enough stuff to write about? You will need to read other blogs to find sources and ideas for blog posts.
Be sure to use blog search directories like
http://www.Technorati.com and
http://www.blogsearch.google.com
to find relevant blogs in your field. If you are posting 2-3 days a week, use the other days to search for good content on other blogs. Also, sign up for Google Alerts:
http://www.Google.com/alerts
to get daily emails with blog posts related to targeted keywords. Not only will you know what's going on in your niche, you'll get tons of ideas for blog posts. When you find good stuff, make sure you refer to it in your own blog posts, and leave comments on those blogs. This helps you get known in the Blogosphere, establish your reputation as an expert and builds your credibility. It's also a good way to build traffic to your blog. Don’t be afraid to disagree with others in your comments. A good conversation requires different perspectives. Of course, always be respectful.
Once you leave a comment on another blog, be sure to blog about it on your own blog. Always link to outside sources and other blogs. New bloggers often question whether they should really link to competitors’ sites. That is up to you; use your common sense. While you don’t want to lose readers to a competitor, if you’re writing about them, you need to link to them. Establish yourself as a go-to resource for your readers; they will come to your blog to find out what’s going on in your field that they need to know.
Being clear about what you want your blog to do for your business will help guide you in selecting topics and linking strategies. Yet many new bloggers skip this step and just start writing. You will have an advantage over your competitors’ blogs if you know why you are writing on your blog, and what you want readers to do. Do you want to educate them? Do you want to build credibility and trust and a relationship with them? Be sure to stay on target. Telling personal stories is a great way to build relationships with readers, but only if there is a point to it . . . something that readers can take away.
