How to Boost Traffic to Your Blog
I had the pleasure of leading a “Think Tank Mastermind” yesterday at the Disney #NicheParent14 conference, and I’ve met some really interesting people whose entire business is their blog.
Some of these attendees have been blogging for 9-10 years, and have built up such a large following that virtually all of their posts now are “Sponsored Posts” – sponsored by big brands willing to put forth real money and merchandise.
The #NicheParent14 conference is all about connecting bloggers with brands, and giving bloggers more tools and education on how to build their platform, create content consistently, and boost the traffic to their sites.
This isn’t really what my blog is about, so I’m in a bit of a new world here, and my mom (who’s in tow with me – and has been providing great comic relief with her (non) love of Disney)) and I have been fascinated by this whole industry.
This morning’s keynote is Kim Garst, the founder of BOOM! Social, who I first heard speak in NYC at the National Association of Professional Women SPARK! conference in 2013. Other speakers that day included Martha Stewart and Arianna Huffington, so Kim was in pretty good company on that stage.
This morning, she’s sharing her best tips to grow a successful blog – great common sense stuff that can help anyone with a blog, whether it’s your whole business or just a part, or even if it’s just a hobby. Here are some of the highlights:
1. Create “How-to” posts with details, so that someone searching for a solution to a problem will find your post in their search results and find real value in what you have to offer.
2. Show, don’t tell. Kim points out that posts with photos get 94% more views, so don’t squander an opportunity to get engagement on your blog by neglecting to include a visual.
3. Answer questions asked by your readers/clients/followers. We are all asked questions every day, so answer those questions in your blog! This is something I have been inconsistent with myself, and I was just telling my mom on the way to Orlando yesterday that I’m going to get back to doing that more. It’s a great way to provide value and be of service to your community while creating great evergreen content to build your blog – a win/win!
4. Link out to other relevant posts on your site to keep your readers engaged by providing further value.
5. Consistently share your evergreen content. Evergreen content is content that is still relevant over time. The vast majority of my content is evergreen, so I’m taking this one to heart!
What do you think of these tips? Do you have any of your own you can share? Which of these 5 tips will you implement on your own blog? Remember, when you say it out loud to others, you’re far more likely to follow through, so leave a comment below and then Take Action!
Xx,
Stacy