Sunday, July 1, 2007

Increasing Blog Readership, 14 Rules by MondayMorningPower

I found myself first asking advise on the blog forums as to how to increase my readership, then I found myself giving advise on how to increase readership. I quickly realized that this was closely tied to having the right attitude, the focus of my blog. So I figured that I should write a piece on this subject. I hope you find it useful.

There is no short and simple answer. Like all worthwhile endeavors, this takes work. However, if you have “passion” for your blog, the “work” you will have to do will not seem like work at all. If you do not have passion for your blog, well, you can probably complete this statement yourself. These rules are designed to increase readership not increase traffic....there is a difference.

The 14 Rules

  1. Have worthwhile content in your blog; content that will interest others.
  2. Love what you do; your love for it will come through.
  3. Be sure that your blog is visually pleasing. Continuously make visual changes. Never be completely satisfied with its appearance.
  4. Submit your URL to as many search engines as you can (there are blogs that specialize in this.)
  5. Post questions on blog forums; such as “How do I get people to read my blog?
  6. Visit all blogs who respond to your question.
    1. Always leave a comment on these blogs.
    2. Thank them, on their blogs, for responding to your question.
  7. If you like the blog, visit its links.
    1. If you like the link, leave a comment and let them know how you found their blog.
    2. There is no shame in asking for a "link swap" if you truly believe that both your readers and their readers will both benefit.
  8. Visit as many blogs as you can.
  9. If you give a blog more than just a casual glance, LEAVE A COMMENT
    1. Always leave your URL at the end of the comment and invite them to visit your blog.
  10. If someone leaves a comment on your blog with their URL, always visit their blog and leave a sincere comment thanking them for visiting and include something positive about their blog.
  11. When you begin to create links on your blog to other blogs, visit them regularly and leave comments.
  12. Create and give out business cards that contain your URL and a brief description of the content. Don’t be obnoxious about it.
  13. Use your URL in your personal emails, again with a brief description.
  14. Go back to number one and start again, and again, and again……………..
This should, by no means, be considered the entire rule set. I'm sure that most bloggers could come up with creative ways to increase readership that I have not listed. This is only the basics. However, if you follow these rules your audience will grow.

By Mel Kaye
Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved



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33 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 2, 2007 at 4:02 AM

    Very useful post for new bloggers!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yarin HochmanJuly 3, 2007 at 11:24 AM

    Hello, thank you for posting a comment on my blog.
    glade you like it.
    I'd love to change some links with you.
    Your blog's great!

    Make sure to check out the latest and greatest business and tech stories at:
    http://www.boldinvestors.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. DubLiManJuly 4, 2007 at 10:25 AM

    Sharu,

    There are many ways to accomplish an index other than using "Labels" or "Archives." What I did was to: 1) add a separate post for each index that I wanted to create, 2) Add a "Page Element" below my heading, 3) Title it "Category Index", 4) Add the words I wanted to use to identify categories and separate them with a slash, 5) Link each of those words to the index post, 6) Each time I add a new post I would "Customize" that Index post by adding the new post title and linking it to the actual post I just created. It seems to work very well. I tested it it out by having my wife tray to navigate my site and she picked it up very fast.

    ReplyDelete
  4. buzz staffJuly 5, 2007 at 5:48 PM

    Thanks MMP. Just watched 'What the Bleep Do We Know' last night. Must have picked up on a frequency.

    ReplyDelete
  5. DubLiManJuly 5, 2007 at 7:06 PM

    Buzz Staff,

    Thanks for visiting. I just wish I knew what you are talking about.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Max CoutinhoJuly 6, 2007 at 8:52 AM

    Hello! Wow...I think I should thank you for your advice: pretty useful!
    So, accordingly your 14 steps, I should now invite you over to my blog:
    http://maxcouti.blogspot.com
    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  7. DubLiManJuly 6, 2007 at 9:21 AM

    Max,

    You are getting the hang of it. This is the best way to establish readers, not just traffic. This is also the best was to make "Friends" and establish mutual links.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gallardo SantiniJuly 10, 2007 at 1:30 PM

    Hi
    Thx for the advice, i'm shure it will help me on!


    All the best for you.

    Dont forget to visit my
    http://3dthought.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. DubLiManJuly 10, 2007 at 3:37 PM

    Your welcome. And I will visit your site, after all that is one of my rules.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousAugust 4, 2007 at 3:03 AM

    Thanks for the link and the tips I really appreciate it.
    Feel free to visit me anytime at:
    http://americanreality.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousAugust 5, 2007 at 10:43 AM

    Thank you for the comment, and the link to this blog post on advice. I appreciate it!
    Thanks for stopping by and giving the time of day to give my advice and gentle criticisms.
    Adrienne
    http://www.fordsofa.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. MandyAugust 8, 2007 at 6:36 PM

    Such great advice - thanks!!!

    http://www.mrs-mandypoo.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. KarenAugust 12, 2007 at 10:13 PM

    I see your blog isn't just about revving up attitude !

    Have slowly figured out what you've been writing. Am personally glad that blogsphere is still run by real people and not by search engines as I was first led to believe when I read all the internet marketing stuff.

    Am also pleased that ezines also prefer that we write stuff that makes sense rather than throwing in "keywords" all over to get found by google.

    Blogging's more fun now that I've taken the money component out ! Plus, google has found me anyway !!

    Oh, and you may want to consider submitting some of your articles to ezines cos apparently that increases linkbacks and helps google find you. www.ezinearticles.com free, www.searchwarp.com also free. Paid for www.articlemarketer.com, but there's a free version too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. DubLiManAugust 12, 2007 at 10:22 PM

    I have purposely used the word "readership" not "traffic." What good is traffic; it's reade4rs we want.

    Thanks for the information, I will look into these sites.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousSeptember 20, 2007 at 1:31 PM

    Thanks for the great advice!

    www.stylesavestheworld.com
    be glam. live green.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousOctober 2, 2007 at 2:50 PM

    Perfect! This is exactly what I needed as I develop my new blog. I really like your idea for this blog. The power that is held in attitude is really surprising.

    Thanks for helping us use that power in a positive direction!

    My blog is dedicated to giving leaders the tools they need to face their giants, whatever form they take! www.smoothstoneresources.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. DubLiManOctober 2, 2007 at 3:20 PM

    Michael,
    I am pleased that you found me and are using my rules. I am a prime example of the success it can bring. Just remember to stick to it.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The Cool CommentatorOctober 8, 2007 at 9:39 AM

    Hi, thanks for the comment and advice! ive only had the blog for about a week so it is a work in progress, especially as im a novice! I plan to put many more vids and inspiring pics up when I write about them! Your blog has some good advice, I may use it in the future!

    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  19. JulianaNovember 29, 2007 at 10:56 PM

    Hi Mel,

    I just read your 14 rules. Wow..i will try to remember all of them :)
    Thanks to share in here.

    ReplyDelete
  20. DubLiManNovember 29, 2007 at 11:15 PM

    Juliana,
    For the most part these rules are common sense mixed with a little etiquette.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Misty DawnSDecember 2, 2007 at 10:41 AM

    This is a great list. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  22. DubLiManDecember 2, 2007 at 11:38 AM

    Misty,
    You are very welcome.

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousDecember 3, 2007 at 1:20 AM

    Thank for posting this information. This is very useful, especially for a beginner like me.

    ReplyDelete
  24. DubLiManDecember 3, 2007 at 7:52 AM

    nyumix,
    I am glad that you find it useful. I have really gotten into helping new bloggers find their way.

    ReplyDelete
  25. cupcakelife.comDecember 4, 2007 at 9:42 AM

    This is very helpful because the language is easy for new bloggers. I am still trying to figure out what some of the terms mean. It is also kind of 'blogging etiquette'. I need to figure out how to get more visitors. Seems to be something wrong with bloggingfusion.com. Know any other good directories?
    www.cupcakelife.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. DubLiManDecember 4, 2007 at 11:39 AM

    Hi Twinkel,
    My 14 rules is a beginner set for the new blogger. I just posted a 75 rule set form another site, with all appropriate link-backs" that gets down & dirty. Honestly, I do not know of any good directories in the same realm as BlogFusion. They all, together, may rise traffic by a few percentage points. I personally like the concept of my "traveling Directory." the link is on my sidebar.

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousDecember 21, 2007 at 12:54 PM

    Thanks for sharing this... it is definitely some good stuff

    ReplyDelete
  28. AeviDecember 21, 2007 at 12:54 PM

    I like the 14 rules thing... its is always advisable to make your blog as your signature u get more readers :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. DubLiManDecember 21, 2007 at 2:43 PM

    abhinav,
    These rules will work for you if followed.

    For me, I started blogging May of this year. As of today my Technorati Authority is 523. depending on the day, I have 50-200 hits a day. I am pleased but not satisfied.

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2008 at 2:28 PM

    I know this post pretty old now, but I just stumbled upon it. As a new blogger myself, this was a pretty useful list. Thanks for sharing.

    Following your rules, here a link to my blog ;)
    Velvetron Blog

    ReplyDelete
  31. AnonymousApril 10, 2008 at 9:27 AM

    Thanks for the tips. The Wine Dogs are looking forward to trying it.

    vawinedogs.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. DubLiManApril 10, 2008 at 10:53 AM

    Munchkin,
    It works, you just have to stick with it.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Jeanine (Wayfaring Girl)November 18, 2010 at 7:43 PM

    Fantastic post. I see that I am a couple years later in reading it but will take the time to drop you a quick note anyway. I love your blog! There is a lot of useful information and it keeps my interest! Love it!

    GodBless!
    Jeanine
    http://jeaninegiuffrida.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete