#bloggingchecklist

Why You Need to Drive Steady Traffic to Your Blog Traffic is so important because of the following reasons: People come from search engines and other sources to make your blog popular & widely-read More traffic = More readers Higher volume of traffic means you’re more likely to hit your target More traffic = More sales More traffic means more opportunities to engage with people Traffic = Credibility Your blog can become a lead magnet for your other sites Your blog can become a fulltime job with enough traffic Define the specific purpose of your blog The Most Effective Methods to Drive the Right Traffic to Your Blog Some traffic strategies are very common as they produce great results Always be on the lookout for alternative strategies Social Media traffic Create a profile Connect Share and read content Utilize the sites unique features to engage Guest Blogging Write a post on someone else’s blog Get exposure to their audience Online Forums Create a profile Discuss common interests with other users Blog Commenting Read other blogs Leave comments with links to your own blog Email Create a feed Send an email out to all subscribers whenever you post something SEO Use methods such as keywords Improve your search engine rankings Base your strategy on where your target market can be found Maximize Your Blogging Efforts Through Social Media Interact with other users and build relationships Learn about your target market Some best practices include: Research the sites your target uses Spend some time seeing how sites work Put links to your blog wherever you can Write a description with emphasis on why people should look at your blog Update social media whenever you post anything Look at the content your audience is posting and interact Get an understanding of your audience’s interests Pay attention to audience reaction and tweak accordingly Make sure your blog is mobile-friendly Using Facebook to drive traffic: Use visual content Keep it minimal Share teaser videos Use Facebook ads Using Twitter to drive traffic: Shorten your URLs Keep posts quick and to the point Use a quote from your post Ask a question Include a statistic Use numbers (“35 Ways to…”) Include images with tweets Use hashtags Use ‘Please RT’ Using LinkedIn to drive traffic: Use LinkedIn to reach business professionals Interact with people using the groups Engage to build trust Add your blog feed to your profile Only post relevant content in groups Using YouTube to drive traffic: Create teaser videos Include a strong call to action Maximize SEO Interact with other users Using Pinterest to drive traffic Create a pinboard for your blog posts Interact with other users Re-pin content you like Add a description to each pin Using Instagram to drive traffic Use the editing capabilities to make images unique Share videos Use hashtags Use photo series Create themed images Hosts contests to engage other users Using Tumblr to drive traffic Create memes Re-blog other users’ posts Encourage people to re-blog yours Get users to recommend your blog as an explore page Tag with relevant keywords Guest Blogging, Forums, and Comments Guest Blogging Write a post for another blog Expand your audience Improve SEO of your blog Find a blog on the same or similar topic as your own with lots of traffic Contact the owner with a pitch Allow others to write for your blog Best practices include: Get to know the blog & its audience Write something important & meaningful Link to your own blog Subscribe & respond to comments Keep a regular schedule Maintain a presence on online forums Discuss common interests Not necessarily a great place for promotion Put your link in your profile and signature Find forums that will potentially give you more readers Make sure it has a large active membership Monitor traffic Blog commenting gives you an opportunity to broadcast your blog Make sure it’s related Follow Dos and Don’ts DO leave helpful, interesting or insightful comments DON'T put a link to your blog in the comment DO subscribe to comments and check back to respond DON’T say anything promotional in your comment DO read and comment on blogs daily DON’T leave a comment if you have nothing valid to say DO subscribe to blogs you like and make early posts DO use an image on your profile Set up Systems for Email Updates Set up a blog feed to let readers know via email when you make a post Ways to set up an RSS feed include: Some platforms like WordPress or Blogger automatically give you an RSS feed You can use FeedBurner to create one You can add a subscribe button to your blog, or use a widget You can use an email newsletter to encourage traffic Send subscribers a message with a taste of what to expect Create an email list with services such as Aweber or MailChimp The service will create a sign-up form for you Put this form on your blog, site, and other places Basic SEO for Your Blog SEO includes things you do both on and off your blog SEO revolved around keywords that are search terms people look for when using search engines like Google The best keywords are Relevant High Search Volume Low Competition It’s difficult to get the balance right, so focus on relevance and search volume first Brainstorm what you’d type into Google to find a blog like your own You can perform keyword research with software Some free tools include Google Keyword Planner Tool SEMRUSh Keyword Tool Keywords should be natural Don’t ‘Stuff’ your content with them as you will get penalized Create categories and tags, but not too many and make them relevant Use SEO plugins to automate tasks More Creative Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Blog Publish a podcast Discuss various topics, have guests and interview people Put supplementary content on your blog Press releases Write a one-page release about your latest post Submit to media outlets Use Commentluv Connect bloggers and their comments Helps gain exposure QR codes Scanning a code directs the device directly to your blog You can use these online and off Contests and giveaways Give people a reason to visit and interact Publish the best submissions Reach out to key influencers Identify influential people and get them to talk about your blog Offer an incentive Promote Offline Tell people about your blog wherever you go Put your blog on your promotional materials Analyze Your Blog’s Performance Check analytics to see if your efforts are paying off Programs can give you data on performance Google Analytics is free and offers comprehensive reports Referral Sources tells you how much traffic you’re getting and where it’s coming from You can also see which keywords are performing best See who is visiting your blog, what they’re doing there and other information Decide which metrics are the most important to you and focus on them Common Mistakes to Avoid with Your Blog Not reading other blogs Copying content Too much design Too much promotion Not sticking to a schedule Text only Boring titles Too many keywords Not mobile ready Not 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