New pair of shoes or the future of your blog?
How would I promote my blog if I had to start all over and had a very limited budget, say $100?
Important clarification: we are not talking about promoting your blog to your existing readership here, however small or big it might be.
Chances are your existing readers are already sold on you and that’s why they keep coming back to begin with.
Getting NEW potential readers to visit your blog and then convert them into the loyal readers and subscribers is what this post on promoting your blog is all about.
How to Promote Your Blog OFF Your Blog?
Below are some of the simplest, yet the most effective ways to promote your blog.
I am a big fan of getting my web traffic for free; most of the traffic generation methods I write about at Traffic Generation Cafe won’t cost you a dime - only your time.
However, it’s always great to have a small budget to invest in your blog; even a small amount like $100 can take you a long way when used wisely.
And I’ll be happy to share with you how I would leverage that money to take my blog promotion strategy the furthest.
1. Guest posting - FREE
Some of you already know this, some of you are even doing it, but let me tell you - this is the most effective way to promote your blog, whatever your niche, content, or readership size. Hands down.
Let me give you an example.
My friend Danny Iny of FirepoleMarketing.com.
Just a few short months ago, no one ever heard of the guy.
All of a sudden, his name started popping up just about everywhere around the blogosphere, including blogs like Copyblogger.com, Problogger.com, DIYThemes.com, Kikolani.com, just to name a few.
Actually, his first guest post showed up on Copyblogger.com in the beginning of 2011 - guest posting strategy with a bang!
Result?
Targeted readership most bloggers only dream of, personal connections with many A-listers, interviews with untouchables like Guy Kawasaki, a successful product launch not too long ago, and a book with contributors like Guy Kawasaki, Brian Clark, Mitch Joel, and many others coming out very soon.
All in LESS THAN A YEAR.
With guest posting being the cornerstone of his marketing strategy.
2. Start a Commenting Tribe - FREE
This was one of the very first things I did when I started Traffic Generation Cafe a year ago - I started my very own commenting tribe.
There were three goals I wanted to achieve with my tribe:
- Connect with other fellow bloggers.
- Provide social proof on my blog. Once other readers see that someone else (my tribe members) has left comments on a post, they are more likely to join in. Very powerful, yet simple technique.
- Bring traffic from other members’ blogs back to mine.
It was a success all around.
My tribe did provide this blog with the push it needed to get off the ground.
If you want to know exactly how I did it, check out this post:
3. Connect with Other Bloggers - FREE
I recently was pleasantly surprised to find an email from Kim Roach of BuzzBlogger.com in my inbox.
In her email, she told me how much she enjoyed my blog, that she was available to help me in any way she could, and mentioned one of her recent blog posts she thought I might be interested in.
It might’ve taken her all but a minute to write up that email, yet the result was the connection with someone she didn’t know before and now me writing about her in this post.
I did something very similar in the beginning of my blogging career when I reached out to Kristi Hines of Kikolani.com. As a result of that, she gave me my very first mention of one of my blog posts on her blog.
Of course, this strategy to promote your blog could very easily misfire, if you are not careful as to how you approach it - no one likes to get spammy emails full of self-promotion.
The following three techniques to promote your blog are interrelated and might not be as successful if used one at a time.
4. Create 1-5 Twitter Accounts - FREE
Yes, Twitter remains one of my main sources of referral traffic.
I use it in a very strategic way though, since I am not a big fan of hanging out on social media, plus I wouldn’t have the time even if I were.
Since I’ve written extensively on how to get traffic from Twitter in the past, I won’t repeat myself here.
Now, the main way I drive traffic from Twitter has nothing to do with the retweets I get and people clicking on those links.
My main way to promote my blog on Twitter is in the secret I’ll explain below.
5. Create a “Promote Yourself” Page - FREE
That’s right: promote YOUR blog by promoting other blogs, etc.
All you need to make this blog promotion strategy successful are the following ingredients:
- A page where your Twitter newcomers can promote their businesses. Take a look at mine here.
- A Twitter direct message automatically sent to all your new followers, inviting them to promote themselves on your blog.
- A way to consistently increase your Twitter followers, so that more people will follow your direct message back to your blog (see below).
I suppose you can use a similar strategy with Facebook.
However, Facebook is not nearly as hands-free and will cost you a lot more effort to implement.
6. Use TweetAdder - $55
This would be one of the tools I’d spend my blog promotion budget on.
In short, TweetAdder will give you the leverage you need to automatically add hundreds of Twitter followers to your account(s).
Between the five Twitter accounts I have, I follow about 2,500 people per day, about 20% of which end up following me back and get my direct message inviting them back to my blog - something I would never be able to accomplish without this tool.
==>Download your copy of TweetAdder
7. Download CommentLuv Premium - $40
Let other people promote your blog for you - that’s exactly what the new CommentLuv Premium is all about and it’s absolutely the best plugin to “incentivize” your readers to share your posts.
==>Download CommentLuv Premium
You can see the plugin at work in my comment section below.
If you’d like to learn more about the features, check out my full review of CommentLuv Premium.
Fair warning: you don’t have much time to think about this one. The plugin will be closed to new customers as of tomorrow, October 6, and you’ll have to wait until the next launch date, in which case it’ll probably stretch your $100 budget due to the price increase.
If you feel that CommentLuv Premium is the right choice for your blog like it is for mine, click here:
PS: I had a CommentLuv Premium giveaway a couple of weeks ago, but the winner never got back with me with his information to claim his free copy of the plugin (go figure!).
So I am announcing the second runner up, who has now become the new official winner of my giveaway:
Jaime from FitWithFlair.com!
Promote Your Blog Marketing Takeaway
Ahhh, the magic number 7…
7 great and mostly free ways to promote your blog - the exact strategy (minus CommentLuv Premium, since it wasn’t available back then) I used to get my blog from a brand new nothing to what it is now in one short year.
And I still use every single one of these strategies today.
Here’s a bonus point for those who are willing to invest another $37 into their blogging future: I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Kristi Hines’ “Blog Post Promotion: The Ultimate Guide” ebook. You’ll learn everything you’ll ever need to know about promoting your blog all the way to the top with this one.
Every blog needs a constant stream of new readership. Start working on yours today.
Do you know of any other actionable ways to promote your blog? Would love to hear your opinion in the comment section below.
- » Trackback Spam Be Gone: What I Use to Cut Down on Junk Trackbacks
- » Ask Ana: What Would You Like to Know About Traffic Generation and SEO?
- » How To Determine Your Blog Weak Spots And How To Correct Them
- » Blog Commenting Flops: Do These to Lose Traffic and Links
- » Search Engine Ranking Tip: Perform a Colonoscopy on Your Blog
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This post brought to you by Ana Hoffman
Ana is the founder of Traffic Generation Cafe and wants you to know that her 7 Steps to Complete Search Engine Domination free SEO report = SEO Made Simple. Don't forget to pick up your own copy today - just click on the link above!
Ana has written 253 great posts for Traffic Generation Cafe.
A wife to a great husband, a mother to a beautiful and, no doubt, genius little girl, and a successful internet entrepreneur. I also devoted my life to Jesus Christ many years ago, and He remains my true priority, focus, and hope.
{ 176 comments… read them below or add one }
great list ana, just stumbled onto your site today. def will check out your other postings.
Paul invites you to read: The Hunger Games Trailer: Book to Movie
Welcome, Paul, and thank you.
Ana great post! My clients would love this I’ll definitely be sharing this blog post with them.
Just another great post Ana.
I have a confession to make. I am addicted to your posts. With so little time and so much to learn I know that I should be out commenting on lots of different blogs. There are so many interesting blogs out there, but I keep on coming back to yours and have to say again that I really appreciate the advice you share.
thanks,
Alan
Alan invites you to read: 8 Mindful Ways To Simplify And Enjoy Life More
I can’t say I blame you, Alan - I am brilliant… LOL
Always a pleasure!
Networking and guest posting seem to go together and are probably the most important things when trying to build up a new blog. Too many people get caught up in looking for ways to spend money just to spend money instead of looking at what works. For a blog you shouldn’t have to spend much at all on marketing and most of your most effective ways of promotion should come from network and word-of-mouth.
Mike invites you to read: Newest Stores Added To Coupon Database
Yes, it is a form of networking and there is no need to spend a lot of money on a blog. That’s why I put together this list.
HI Ana,
Every beginning blogger should read this page, great stuff!!
I am still working on the guest posting, but it is a process. Have any suggestions?
I was just going to buy tweet adder, I am glad I waited. Now I can get it from
your link.
I will be passing this on to my followers via onlywire
Thank you for all you do,
Jeff
Jeff Faldalen invites you to read: Steve Jobs life and what it can mean for you
You’re most welcome, Jeff.
As for tips, I’ve had some great posts from contributors on guest posting - use the search function.
Hi Ana
I’m a newbie, be gentle with me! Ha Ha
Really I am new to internet marketing and all the terms are a little alien, but like anything I haven’t immediately understood, I’m sure with time I will get it.
I want to say how much I enjoy your blog. For beginners, like me there is so much to reference. For instance if I do not understand DoFollow, I can go find an article and learn about it. I’m getting it. Albeit slowly.
Great job.
I look forward to interacting with you and your community in the future and building traffic to my blog through what I learn here.
Thank you so much.
Sharon
The Reinvention Diva
Sharon invites you to read: My Big Decision – The BRCA Gene
I was just about to use the TweetAdder through your link and now notice there’s a line drawn through it…is it still a good resource or has something went wrong with it..
..also, in your free SEO report you mentioned a firefox plugin for submitting a master rss feed to over 100 directories, but that addon does not work for current versions of firefox so what do you suggest on that
Thanks for letting me know about my TweetAdder link, Caleb - turned out one of my plugins was disabled for some reason, messing up all my affiliate links. Should be working now.
Yes, some add-ons will no longer work with the newest Firefox; I need to see if I can find a similar tool.
you could always get an older versions of software there is a website I used to get old application from it let me know if you need it. I will be glad to help.
~Salah
Salah Messaoud invites you to read: How To Get Free SEO Report
I love posts like this because they show people you don’t have to spend money in internet marketing to start generating buzz about your site. In fact, sometimes the best customers/visitors/members are the ones that come because they either heard good things about you from someone else or they saw your content somewhere else and wanted to learn more about you.
Tricia Meyer invites you to read: Monetizing the Day Away
Very good point, Tricia.
With the exception of using some tools to increase time efficiency, all my blog traffic was generated using free methods. And yes, most of the times, those are some of my best readers.
Thanks for coming by!
Danny Iny’s example really shows the potential of guest blogging. It is one of the best ways to promote a new blog if you can get a reputed blogger to do a guest post. Similarly, if you’re a new blogger and get to do a guest post on a popular blog, you can get your writing across to new readers who might become fans, like in Danny’s case.
-Jean
Jean invites you to read: The risks of driving on worn tires
Ana,
This is great! I haven’t been here for a couple of weeks and look at look at what you’ve accomplished! I downloaded your book and I can’t wait to read it!
Linda
Linda G. Cox invites you to read: Generation Z
Thank you so much for the tips, Ann.
The DM’s are a little much to handle, me thinks.
Especially from a users POV.
I generally don’t click the links when I get a DM. it’s not that I’m paranoid about them being “infected.” it’s just that 99% are trying to sell me something…. for “free” of course.
The Franchise King®
Joel Libava invites you to read: Weekend Franchise Research
I see your point, Joel, and that’s precisely why my DM is very well thought through and definitely has a high click-through rate.
Funny, Ana.
I just got it on one of my Twitter accounts.
I’ll take a gander.
The Franchise King®
Joel Libava invites you to read: Weekend Franchise Research
Great advice if you don’t have the money to promote your blog big but in fact, you don’t need to spend a dime in your blog. The key to a succesful blog with many readers is to:
A: Write quality content. If you do this your readers will come back everyday !
B: Select good and high traffic keywords with small competition. Get your blog on spot 1 on Google for your keywords and the traffic will come very soon
That’s true, Rasmus; writing great content is the cornerstone for any successful blog. However, that won’t help you to promote your blog per se - all the things I mentioned in my post will.
I blog a lot within the travel community and I have to say, I really haven’t seen some of these tips out there before. I know about the guest posting strategy and have used that on some of my sites, but I love the idea of referring Twitter traffic to a specific page on my site… intriguing and will be trying these out, thanks!
You are very welcome, Shannon!
Sorry if I missed this in the comments. One particular method that you believe stands above the rest or that you particularly favor?
Thomas invites you to read: BlogGlue Review – Customer Service
Guest posting is hands down the best way to build up your readership, Thomas.
The other methods are mere peanuts compared to it.
Great tips Ana. I love the way you use twitter. I am one of those still behind when it comes to traffic generation from social media and am just beginning to learn.
Here is my question, you mentioned you have 5 accounts, is there any specif reason for that? Or do you mean 5 accounts fro 5 different blogs you have or is it more like 5 accounts targeting 5 different group of followers?…
Thanks in advance.
Satrap invites you to read: 53 Ways To Make Money Online
Check out this post, Satrap; it’ll explain why 5 accounts and how I chose to set them up: https://trafficgenerationcafe.online/how-to-get-twitter-followers-targeted-traffic-from-twitter/
Hey Ana,
Thanks for the link. I just red it and loved it. Lots of things to take in, so I have bookmarked it to get back to it. Thanks.
Satrap invites you to read: Ways To Make Money Online
Ana - I just love your site! I think I read something about your promote page previously and I am finally moving forward with that.
I wanted to mention another option for adding Twitter folks - TweetBig. It’s not quite as easy to use as TweetAdder but it is very helpful.
I need to find out more about the WPSubscriber plugin. I’m ready to work on building out my list … but so very very clueless (have you written on that by chance? LOL)
Katrina Moody invites you to read: Special Needs Twitter Tweeps to Know – Autism Moms
Thanks for recommending TweetBig, Katrina.
Of course I’ve written on how to build an email list: https://trafficgenerationcafe.online/build-email-list/
Hey Ana,
. Guest posting definitely sounds like a great way, and I’ll have to write an article to send a blog. Well, you got me thinking! Thanks for a great post!
I have heard so much about using different twitter programs, but in all my searching for the right one, there was never one that many people agreed on. If one person liked it, someone else was saying how horrid it was! I guess that it’s just a preference thing…I’ll have to check out TweetAdder, that is one that I have heard a couple good things about. I love the thought behind this post, but I especially liked the free tips
~Pianolessongirl,
Dakota
Dakota invites you to read: No Posts Were Found!
That’s always the case, Dakota. People barely ever agree on something, but I have a feeling you’ll love TweetAdder.
Some very cool ideas here, and I love how you’ve now “captured” me and enticed me to head over and read your other post about driving traffic with a commenting tribe.
Warren invites you to read: Bookmarking to Build Links
Thanks for decreasing my bounce rate, Warren! LOL
haha, you’re welcome!
PS. You are getting way too many comments! Took me almost a minute to find my own!
Keep it up!
Warren invites you to read: Back Online and Ready to Blog
Anna,
These are great tips and I have to admit some of them are new to me. I’ve heard of guest posting before. I wrote a 500 word article sent it to the blog owner and he never got back with me so I end up putting the article on my own site.
Since I get most of my traffic through SEO I’m going to try some of the strategies that you mentioned.
Thanks
Skye
Guest posting is not an easy thing to be successful with, Skye - takes a lot of rejections and resubmission before you hopefully get it right.
However, this technique is too good to give it up too easily; so keep going!
Hey Ana,
Excellent tips! I have actually had the most success promoting my blog with Blog Commenting Tribes. Which I might add, I learned from and got introduced to, by you. So thanks again.
Using SEO and blog commenting tribes has taken my blog from nothing, to, PR 4 and under 200,000 alexa global. So believe me it works.
Also, I have created relationships with some great bloggers, Ana included. I have not used twitter very much, but I can see how powerful it can be. And I am going to create my Promote Your Blog page right now. That’s a great idea Ana.
Thanks for sharing your infinite wisdom with us Ana. Long live the queen of traffic generation!
Ian Belanger invites you to read: Motivational Desktop Background | Win One Here
Hello Ian
Congrats on those great stats!
I’ve also had the privilege of meeting incredible bloggers like you for instance, Ian. Thanks for all the kind words.
Have a good weekend!
You are very welcome Ana and thank you for your kind words. You have really been a big help to me and I greatly appreciate it.
So, Thank you again and you have a great weekend also.
PS I sent you an email yesterday. Did you receive it?
Ian Belanger invites you to read: Steve Jobs Passes A Sad Day For Techies Worldwide
Promoting can be done for cheap or even free if you have the time or are willing to learn and do so. Some people just have a bit more time than others. Even for 100 or less it is still cheap. I don’t know about 5 Twitter accounts though, I can barely keep track of 1.
Ray invites you to read: Firefox 7 Released
Yes, learning is key. You can’t multitask? Now there’s a thing for you! LOL!
Great tips for promoting your site. Some of these I use and a few are new to me (the “promote yourself” page is one I am definitely adding to my sites). I am actually using the comment tribe on a new blog and it’s starting off slow but picking up some pace now. Thanks!
Tiffany invites you to read: Recommended Reading – The Barefoot Executive Book by Carrie Wilkerson
You are very welcome, Tiffany, and glad to hear you are already implementing some of these techniques.
Great Post Ana, and very true about the power of Guest posting and blog commenting.
I might also add that it can disappear ten times quicker than it takes to build it up… that is something I am discovering as my blogging direction changes….
don’t forget about me now..
Alex invites you to read: How to Increase Your CTR and Make More Money Blogging - Guaranteed!
Isn’t it amazing how much work we put into our blogs and how easy it is to be left behind the minute you slack or change direction?
I definitely know what you mean, Alex…
Great tips Ana! There are many free and effective ways in promoting a blog. We don’t have to spend so much money for the promotion we just have to be active in connecting with people online through guest posting and participation in social media like twitter.
Noel Addison invites you to read: Selling Ice Cubes to Eskimos
Yes. That’s the best thing to do. Not only is it great for business, but you also get to meet great people.
All tips are free , you even saved the 100$
lol . This are nice tips and should be followed consistently.
Thanks
Love the idea of “comment tribes” — really helps formalize something I tend to do anyway. I also need to give a lot more thought and energy to Twitter — thanks for the good ideas on how to start doing that.
Dave invites you to read: Choosing a Basement Waterproofing Contractor
You are welcome, Dave.
Some of the best ideas are the simplest ones.
Those are great tips Ana. Sometimes, the hardest part, however, is to find that group of people who agree to comment on your blog while you comment on theirs. Truth be said, some don’t even reply to requests when they think that they are more important than you
Do you have any suggestion?
Find those that don’t think they’re more important? LOL! Seriously, just keep going and find those who will do it.
Great batch of tips, Ana… some were new to me, and I’d like to suggest my client adopt some of them. I was also not familiar with how you do “tribe” commenting… although have heard the term tribe in the past, but not applied to blogging or posting. Perhaps you could expand on that sometime.
And, one of these days, I’ll get my OWN gig going instead of doing it for everyone else. I don’t mind, but I’d like to find my own little space out there.
Have a wonderful evening!
I did write an in-depth post on how to start a commenting tribe, Christine - the link is in this post.
Yes, doing it for yourself always beats building a business for someone else!
Ms. Ana,
How are you. One thing that helped me tremendously is a cool little service that works with the YARP plugin, it’s called blog glue. It’s great for connections, traffic, and backlinks. Might check it out.
Cheers Lady!
Chad
Chad Nicely invites you to read: Have Fun With This Contest! WIN BIG TIME!
Checked out the tool, Chad - looks interesting but for the fact that I would display other bloggers’ links in my related posts and lead my readers off my blog.
I’d rather choose who I send traffic to in posts.
What kinds of results are you seeing from this?
Thanks you very, very much, Ana…
Your website is great…Your tips seem to be right on the money…I am a newbie…I will be following you closely, hoping to benefit from your words of wisdom and obviously hard work and dedication…
Check out my blog and let me know what you think:
http://wahm-shelley.blogspot.com/
Shelley invites you to read: Motivation: Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired ?!?!?
Glad you joined the commenting league, Shelley, and it was a pleasure to chat with you via email.
Thanks Ana,
That’s a great idea to have a ‘Promote Yourself’ page, I already did have a special Link Exchange page, only to have a link with the title:
‘Promote - Your - Blog’
Will probably be a little more attractive
and might generate a little more attention.
HP van Duuren invites you to read: Blogging For Your Business
Hope so - sounds like a great idea as well!
Anna your information is always great. I appreciate you bringing CommentLuv to our attention and have purchased as can see how this can help the blogging community as well as myself.
You share of yourself and the help is greatly appreciated.
You are very welcome, Mike.
Hi Ana,
This is a great testament to how anyone with little money can create a successful and profitable blog.
proverb:
There are always shortcuts - you just have to find them.
(Here you have them for the blog world)
I couldn’t agree more, Lennart. But we mustn’t focus so much on finding shortcuts that we end up making mistakes that take us the long way around.
Thanks Anna. Excellent tips. I would love to do some guest posting, but am scratching my head to figure out where to query. Most of the blogs within the personal growth or spirituality niches seem to be writing their own posts. But I am always looking for places. And I love to connect with other bloggers - to me, blogging is like a social media network all of its own. Thank-you for the great tips and value you always provide.
Nicole Rushin invites you to read: The Rebel Archetype and this Practice of Writing
Nicole, even those who write their own posts sometimes don’t have the time or inspiration to write all the time. Drop them a line and tell them you’re available, should that happen.
Great Post ^^
I still don’t see why twitter is so popular in the US and not in France
Jean-Luc invites you to read: Comment Etre Heureux
I thought it is popular world-wide. LOL!
Another great post, Ana.
I have never heard of the term Commenting tribe.
The first thing that came to mind, was those traffic exchange set ups(Hey, I know it is not the same).
The “Promote yourself page” concept is quite interesting. I went and checked yours out, and it seems to be very popular.
Daniel invites you to read: Google Keywords
It is popular, Daniel. Not to worry, we all learn all the time. LOL!
Actually, this is one of the great idea to me without any doubt. how to promote your blog idea will be very useful to me and i would like to say thanks for given up here
Kavya Hari invites you to read: Amazing News For Webmasters!
Hey Ana,
Thanks for the tips. I hope you don’t mind that I “borrowed” tip #5.
-Joe
Joe invites you to read: Twitter Workflow Frequently Asked Questions
I should add that I also own TweetAdder. I haven’t had much luck with it though. Using it, my account was suspended twice!
I’m creating a second Twitter account and am trying it again. I’m intending to less aggressively unfollow people. Hopefully it will keep me under the radar.
Joe invites you to read: 4 Ways to Add Disney Magic to Your Website
Oh no! Did they give you a reason for the suspension?
I hope the less aggressive unfollowing helps.
They’re there for the taking, Joe!
I have to agree most people in that guest posting is probably THE best way at the moment to promote your blog. With the limited guest posting I have done, not only have I seen it help boost traffic, but I have also seen it help increase the number of followers I have on twitter.
Absolutely. It is an amazing strategy to get traffic and authority.
Great post, Ana! I have tried a couple of methods myself in my new blog. I should try other strategies I am yet to try.
Cheolsu invites you to read: Facebook Restricted list
Hey. Now the “Promote Yourself” page is a really cool idea.
I like that.
When I checked it out, Ana, it had over 1500 comments/contributions.
That is by far the most commented page I have ever seen on a blog.
That was smart.
Mark
Mark invites you to read: Why I Build Only Dofollow Links
Thanks, Mark. It is very effective too.
Thanks for all the FREE tips and 2 tools suggestion under $100 budget. I use CommentLuv on mine and love to consider CommentLuv Premium - it’s super smart to get +1, tweet, or like backlinks - trade-off getting 10 post selected.
How would you spend the left-over $5? Would you get a fiverr gig? Which one will you get if you only have $5 left?
Kent invites you to read: My focus in 2011
Thanks Kent.
Perhaps I’d use the $5 for coffee and a muffin. That’s an investment in the business too as it keeps me going. LOL!
Great tips here as always and I would also recommend Kristi’s book if you are looking to guest post. There is a lot of detail on how to write a guest post that would go down very will with the audience of that site.
I have also found that the LinkedIn send button and a Facebook send button are powerful traffic drivers, they allow you to add your content to the relevant LI and FB groups. It’s always good to share useful things with the right people
Sarah Arrow invites you to read: The 5 life stages of a blogger
Yes, Kristi is a pro!
Hi Ana,
Great article, I think guest post in your niche is great way to attract targeted readers on your blog. Social Networking sites are so vital today that nobody wants to miss it at all even though many people don’t know how to utilize it..
but you’ve mentioned these topics many a times.
Sam invites you to read: Goa Carnival 2012
I have indeed, but only because they remain so important.
Thanks for stopping by.
It all sounds so uncomplicated when you explain it, Ana
I got spoiled by the Community blog infrastructure back in 2005. The site owner was sharing AdSense revenue and took care of all the marketing.
When I left, I was burned out from chasing pennies, so I never tried to get readers.
Cheers,
Mitch
Mitchell Allen invites you to read: Flashback: The Efficiency Expert
I know there are a few blogs that still do that, Mitch - not a bad idea.
Now that you have a blog that’s readership oriented, I am sure that’s all changed, right?
Let me put it this way, Ana: as long as I can do it tastefully, like you do here, change is gonna come (sorry, Sam Cooke!)
I’m going to be adding landing pages and nav links …
Still a ways off from returning to AdSense. If I do, it will be on another blog.
Cheers,
Mitch
Mitchell Allen invites you to read: Crank Out One Million Products
You are so kind, Mitch…
AdSense? I’ve never used it before; not sure if I’d ever give it a shot on this blog.
Wow Ana!
I’d have to say that this is the most complete and practical list for getting free traffic that I’ve ever seen!
I didn’t know most of those and I can see how they would bring in lots of visitors if done correctly.
I’m going to start implementing these as soon as possible…
2. Start a Commenting Tribe
3. Connect with Other Bloggers
5. Create a “Promote Yourself” Page
Thanks so much for educating me, Ana! I’ll be back to learn more from you.
Todd
Todd Pettee invites you to read: Simple Start Guide: A Beginner’s Guide To Building A Brand Online
Thank you, Todd.
Those three are highly effective and my favorites, too.
Thousand thanks Ana, for showing us how you achieved your roaring success in short time! Will try to find my commenting tribe of my niche.
Hi Ana,
So you met Kim Eh! I did an interview with her a couple of months back and worked closely with her on a few projects. She is really cool!
I will be putting the interview together and putting it up on my site very soon.
I love your idea about a “Promote Yourself” page using twitter followers. I have seen many direct messages just promoting products and affiliate products. (Yes I did this myself!) I only just connected with them and they are trying to sell sell sell!
As for guest posting. I tried on problogger but as they have very established writers and do not want a lot of repeated content it can be hard to push to become a guest poster on these highly trafficked blogs. I did get accepted on smartbloggerz.com as a guest post and also Ileane from basicblogtips.com told me she would let guest post on there.
So the doors are slowly opening!
Craig
Craig Sowerby invites you to read: Auto BackLinks From Your Own Blog
Yes, Kim is great - glad she found the time to get interviewed by you!
Guest posting can be challenging, but definitely gets easier with time. I think it all comes down to the quality of your posts and then to who you know - as always; either way, it’s doable, just takes some effort.
I love your idea of a blog promotion page! I did a few spotlights posts of other blogs when I started out and those brought in some traffic as well.
Richard invites you to read: Adfly Methods: Make Money with Your Links
Promoting others definitely pays off!
Hey Ana,
This is an amazing resource for beginning and struggling bloggers trying to carve out their niche on a shoestring budget. I love the idea of a Promote You page. I can’t believe how many comments you have on that one page!
Thanks as always for telling it like it is!
Bob
Dr. Bob Clarke invites you to read: Top Blog Commenter Awards: Why I Stopped Them and What You Can Do Instead
Just goes to show that giving to the community before asking for anything in return does work, Bob!
This is the kind of post I can really appreciate Ana, honest advice based on experience that will help other bloggers. I have to look into making a commenting tribe, that sounds pretty interesting.
I might give TweetAdder a try. If I do I’ll use your link. I’ve already decided to purchase WPSubscribers Plugin which I found in your toolbox.
Brian D. Hawkins invites you to read: I’m Luvin The New Dashboard Luvvers Widget
It’s all about what works and ditching the “what works in theory”, Brian.
Both plugins you mentioned are great choices to have DIRECT effect on the results.
Great idea on Commenting Tribe, it is a very very simple way of give and take relationship. Cool!! For a newbie like me, I am hoping that by these awesome tips, I can gain more exposure for my blog
Thanks Ana
Herbert invites you to read: 5 Ways Facebook Complicates Our Dating and Social Lives
No matter how new you are, Herbert, building your own commenting tribe works and can do wonders to your blog!
Thanks Ana for the encouragement, hopefully I will
Herbert invites you to read: 5 Ways Facebook Complicates Our Dating and Social Lives
Ana,
just picked up CommentLuv Premium. This is a great article, and I’ll be putting a bunch of these tips to work.
Thanks so much,
dan
Dan DeLuca invites you to read: What Causes Panic Attacks
You are very welcome, Dan, and enjoy the CL Premium!
Hi Ana,
Another great post full of practical ideas - thanks. I have just installed CommentLuv (at the $40 price!) so thanks for that.
I definitely need to get into guest blogging as my next priority.
Cheers
Suellen
Suellen invites you to read: How Facebook Exposed My Life
Glad you picked it up, Suellen!
Thanks Ana
I’m finding myself at a hump in the road with regards to traffic and have decided to focus the time up to christmas looking at different strategies for improving my promotion.
Your post couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanks for the great tips.
jackie invites you to read: You’re Not Marketing To Psychics!
Absolutely, Jackie.
Of course, the trick is always in the doing and not just looking, right? LOL
LOL…absolutely, ya got me there! Freudian slip perhaps
jackie invites you to read: I Don’t Click Because You’re Boring
Hmmm… “commenting tribe”… I must try that!
Dave Lucas invites you to read: Make Money Blogging + Blog Advertising Auction!
Love this post. Not sure what it all means. I have a blog I started almost 2 years ago with 30 followers. Really, I don’t think I’m that boring, but I don’t know anything about promotion at all. I will be saving the link to this post!
LOL! Mary, I am sure you’re not boring. Try some of these tips and add your bubbly personality to your posts. As long as you’re consistent, you will see the results. It takes time, but one day you will just start to notice the momentum picking up.
Ana, what a fantastic post. For me, guest posting seems to be the most effective strategy so far. Not only does it help with getting the word out there, it also adds credibility to my work. Although, I haven’t been able to form any significant connections through it - yet. I keep pluggin away.
Could you do a post on how to most effectively promote your blog in 25 minutes or less, and repeating it every day? That would be worth its weight in gold.
Marya | Writing Happiness invites you to read: People do Not Follow Blogs; They Follow Other People
That’s quite a challenge, Marya - 25 minutes or less! LOL
Guest posting is definitely one of the best strategies, but it’s also time-consuming considering it takes (me anyway) hours to craft a post. So that would be out.
I suppose I could think of a few things that can/should be done within that time frame on a daily basis… It’s an idea!
Glad to be your first of many mentions Ana! Great tips on how to promote your blog - promotion is so much easier when it comes to blogging content vs. static websites!
Kristi Hines invites you to read: 5 Tips for Preparing for Blog World Expo (Or Any Other Conference)
Indeed, Kristi, and of course, I learned a lot about promotion from you and your book!
Ana:
I have to say, following your tips, immensely helped propel my blog. Because of you, I went from PR0 to PR3 in 6 months. And why? I took a chance and reached out to you visa email. Making that connection was the single most important step I took in my blogging. Followed up with guest posting for you. My first major burst of traffic came from your blog and your posts and emails and tips got me on the map.
Thanks my mad russian,
Lisa
Lisa invites you to read: 3 Tips To Spot Fake Reviews: Before You Buy
Hey Lisa
I remember that, of course. It’s great to know that our connection helped you so much.
Thanks for stopping by!
Great post, Ana.
I just have to invest for a month to come up with the money to purchase Tweet Adder - guess that’s pretty cool.
I love the tribe thingy but when I tried it on Facebook, it didn’t seem to work.
About the CommentLuv Plugin, I have the money but it’s Paypal again and they don’t accept us.
Regards,
Chukwuka.
Chukwuka Okwukwe Chukwuka invites you to read: Fear Of Death | Why I Ditched CNN, BBC and FOX News
As far as using a tribe is concerned, Chukwuka, I think starting your own is definitely the way to go. All those tribes on FB are just self-promotion tools - everyone talks and no one listens.
I’ll email you about CL Premium; have something up my sleeve.
Anna I like 1 3 and 7 of your blog post. TweetAdder rings my alarm bells. Just like most of the other so called automation software tools. In the Internet marketing niche.
Paul Profitt invites you to read: How To Be A Marketing Consultant
I do know what you mean about automation, Paul - used improperly can definitely cause more damage than good.
However, as a business owner, you’ll have at some point start prioritizing your tasks to stay on top of your business. You’ll have to decide what gets done and what doesn’t.
Things like automation and outsourcing can definitely give you the upper hand in helping your business do a whole lot better.
Take a look at this post: https://trafficgenerationcafe.online/building-machine-or-another-job/; let me know what you think.
Hi Ana
I read the article by Todd Chism. and I agree with him. Believe me I do not view Affiliate Marketing. As a lifelong Job. But as a business.
The point that I am trying to make to you regarding TweetAdder is. That, you can build a very large list of Twitter Followers very quickly.
But in my opinion. You are always just one step away from getting your account closed for good. Don’t get me wrong. There are some great automated services out there.
Like Aweber and Twaitter. I rate Tube Mogul even though they closed my account, for no reason.
I use to use the paid version of Tube Toolbox. But I had to cancel my
subscription in the end. Because of You Tube constant rule changes. That made the software almost useless.
Paul Profitt invites you to read: What Ever Happened To Article Marketing?
That certainly makes sense, Paul.
We always run a risk when using any automated tool. However, the benefit for me so far outweighed the risk as far as TweetAdder is concerned. I’ve used it successfully for over a year now and don’t believe I would ever get the traffic that I get from Twitter without TweetAdder.
Hi Ana
I’ve made up my mind. I gonna wait until the new year. And if I haven’t heard anything bad about TweetAdder.I will buy it.
How do you compare TweetAdder to Twiends? I know I tested Twiends about 3-4 months ago and wound up getting about 2k users for $30 investment or so, not sure if TweetAdder is any better as far as quality of followers though. Is there a better pattern of users being added?
Justin Germino invites you to read: Amazon Kindle Fire: Ipad Competitor or Copycat?
I’ve never tried Twiends, Justin.
However, with TweetAdder you choose your potential pool of people to follow. You can search profiles or tweets by keywords, names, location, etc. - pretty handy.
Hi Ana,
I love your advice. I actually talked to Adrienne a few days ago about creating my own “promote your blog” page in order to connect with more people on Twitter (and get more traffic). She told me that she received the tip from you.
I have also bought TweetAdder, and I simply love the software. I bought commentluv premium as well. I haven’t had the time to experiment with it yet, but hopefully it’s worth the money
I would have made a huge effort to start writing high quality guest posts. I have almost never done that, even though I’ve seen so many examples of highly successful bloggers that did almost nothing but write guest posts to get massive traffic.
- Jens
Jens P. Berget invites you to read: 5 Game-Changing Marketing Lessons to Learn From Charities
I have to say Jens, I started a promote yourself page after Ana did and it is my most visited and commented page. It is also one of the site links for my blog in Google.
Lisa invites you to read: Poll: How Can LinkedIn Help Your Business
That’s awesome Lisa, I hope that I’m going to be just as succeesful with my “promote yourself page”
Jens P. Berget invites you to read: 5 Game-Changing Marketing Lessons to Learn From Charities
Woohoo I won!! (Can you please correct the name of my blog to FitwithFlair.com?)
Love your tips, so glad I decided to renew my efforts in reading them!
I am in the process of building my list of where I want to guest blog as well as who I want to invite over to blog on my site. How do you think inviting guest bloggers over works in building readership?
Jaime invites you to read: Endorsed Affiliate: Ovaleye
Congrats, Jaime!
Sorry about the misspelling (now corrected) and make sure to check out the email I sent you - I need some info from you to send you the plugin.
Having good guest authors on your own blog definitely encourages strong bonding, Jaime; I highly recommend it.
I agree. Number one is definitely guest posting.
There are so many benefits to doing it.
P.S. If anyone wants to guest post on my blog just fire me an email.
Guest posting is great when done right, Chris; that’s for sure.
I am getting a bit frustrated though to see so many low-quality guest post submissions coming my way; it takes me more time to get through them and give the writers’ my feedback, then for me to just write my own…
Yah that can be a major pain. I have had pretty good luck so far somehow.
Do you do any screening up front, or you do accept all requests for guest posts?
I usually check out their site to see the quality of the content on their site. I figure if they can’t write good content for their own site, they won’t be able to write good content for mine.
That’s a great idea, Chris - I need to start a better screening process before I let bloggers submit their posts; sounds a lot more efficient than reading a bunch of useless posts…
Hi Ana,
Excellent post and superb tips, as always. I’ve used most of these methods (plus Facebook, though it does take much more time than Twitter). Oh, and I also use YouTube, which I think is a great free method.
However, I hadn’t thought of the “Promote Your Blog” post and it’s a fantastic idea, confirmed by the fact that you have 1,536 comments on that post to date. OMG! That’s phenomenal.
Thanks so much for being open and sharing! You rock.
Deb Augur invites you to read: How to Setup Your New Facebook Timeline Cover Picture
You are very welcome, Deb.
I used to use YouTube a lot more and did find it to be a great traffic generator. You just reminded me that I need to get back to it.
And to think that I can say, “I knew her when!”
I don’t recall exactly how I happened across Ana’s site, but it seems to me that it might have been via StumbleUpon. I was immediately struck by her marketing style… energetic without being pushy… and became a follower of all things Hoffman.
I watched her implement many of the techniques she outlines in this post, and watched her site skyrocket in popularity. They say that imitation is the greatest flattery, so I imitated a couple of her techniques myself. To say that TGC has developed rapidly would be a gross understatement… its rise has approached meteoric. Her techniques are sound and proven, and well worth implementing for the blogger that is looking for ways to grow his community.
Doc Sheldon invites you to read: Critical Thinking Too is on the Way
Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon…
You have a way to put a smile on my face and make me feel warm and fuzzy like no one else - THANK YOU!
You certainly did see my blog through thick and thin and the fact that you are still here is the biggest compliment I can get.
Granted, my perspective was a little limited, from the outside looking in…
but I sure didn’t see evidence of any of that “thin”.
Doc Sheldon invites you to read: Over 700 E-mails Harvested in Less than 5 Minutes!
These are some great tips, especially for those that are starting out and don’t have a lot of money. Using the first couple of tips can help build readership, and help start making money to invest in the paid services.
Definitely, Lionel, but even the seasoned bloggers shouldn’t ignore those steps.
I’m working on a mommy blogger comment luv/PR list which I’m 100% stealing from the great list you put together. It’s something that I’ll use and am hoping that it’ll become good link bait in the mommy blog world. Will let you know how it turns out in terms of being a free blog promotion tool
Alexis invites you to read: Mommy Loves You Best. Not You, the Other One.
Definitely, Alexis!
You know ever since I put that list together, I find myself going back to it for my own commenting as well - so glad I put it together!
Great Article Ana! I love Kim Roach’s blog and I’ve learned a ton from her. I was excited for you when I read her latest post and saw her linking to you
Congrats!
Joshua Zamora invites you to read: How To Quickly get your Backlinks Indexed in 3 Easy Steps
Thanks, Joshua - I actually had no idea she linked to me; now I need to go check out her blog.
Thanks for letting me know!
Great post and the value you give to the online community is awesome. I am training some of my team members to start their blog and begin using many of your suggestions. I know that in the past I offered people to guest post on my site. Now that I have focused in on each site to a specific niche, this will help increase readers and interaction with others.
I am going to dedicate one hour a day reading other people’s blogs on my specific niche and begin the commenting process. Comment Luv premium is powerful as the plugin eliminated about 15 of the plugins I had before.
One other idea is to show new people ( there are tens of thousands coming online each and every day ) how easy it is to build and brand themselves with a blog. The best thing for them is they get powerful tools to save themselves time.
Danielle Parsons invites you to read: Start a home business for $1.00!
Wow, thank you Danielle!
Well done of dumping those unnecessary plugins. I think you have a solid strategy.
All the best!
PS - You don’t mention Squidoo and the like….. doesn’t it rank in the top tips? F
Fiona Cooper invites you to read: Food Rules – book review
I find that those tools are better for link building, Fiona, vs blog promotion.
Not too many people read them these days and they take a long time to put together.
ok…ok..ok lady, you’ve got me totally giving in and I’m going to check out CommentLuv Premium in a sec. These are all wonderful tips. I started a commenting group too a year ago when I started my blog and i still visit those ladies to this day and some have become great friends. Again these are all wonderful ideas and I seriously gotta get my butt up and accept those quest posting requests. thanks for this.
vanita invites you to read: Who’s the Queen of Twitter Tools?
That’s one of the things I love about blogging, Vanita.
Thanks Ana, I’m going to make sure I do all of these over the next week or so. Haven’t been around for most of the summer and just getting back on the blogging bandwaggon while trying to write a couple of books too….. so much to do and so little time! :-0 Fiona
Fiona Cooper invites you to read: Lost Boys and Child protection gone mad
Remember consistency is key, Fiona. Thanks for stopping by!
Hmmmm, yeah Ana, but my family is so inconsistent and I’m fitting blogging in around them, so for the summer camping, playing in streams and building things out of cardboard boxes and silver foil is more important…. note to self - build up a bank of posts and tweets for next year
Fiona Cooper invites you to read: Two meals in one
Lol! That’s family… But they are more important than anything else, so enjoy the time with them to the fullest!
Ana,
Very effective list here. I have been using Tweet Adder for quite some time (only 1 account for SSS, though, since I use the other accounts for some of my other sites) and got CL premium PDQ.
All the tips here are wonderful and it really reminds me to get up off my butt and guest post, which is something I keep meaning to do, but never seem to get around to.
Steve invites you to read: 11 Article Marketing Lessons YOU can Learn from an Account with 2,338,985 Views
Don’t we all, Steve? LOL
Guest posting is something we can all do more of, that’s for sure.
Just discovered your blog and post thanx to Kim Roach who I follow on FB… needless to say, I am now a fan and subscriber! Great post and intend to come back for more… you really share some awesome insights for Traffic Generation which has always been my biggest hurdle… Looking forward to any advice you can give! And using it!
Thanx
Linda =}
Linda invites you to read: Facebook Fan Page SSL Requirement Changes and Some Options
Welcome, Linda and thanks for the kind words.
Nice article, I am using first two strategies right now for my blog promotion, will love to try tweetadder…sounds cool
Sanjeev invites you to read: How to Create a Professional Facebook Page in 5 min
It’s the most hands-free tool I use in my business, Sanjeev, that yields the best results.
Thanks for tips, I like the “Create a Promote Yourself Page” Idea, as your offering something for your followers, which will benefit them, at the same time promoting your site…NICE
Wasim Ismail invites you to read: Weekly Business Sales Quote by Bill Gates
I think this was one of the best blog promotion ideas I’ve had since I started this blog, Wasim.
Still works like a charm!
Hi Ana,
I’ve been using a few of these ideas, although haven’t done a guest post anywhere yet. I’m still trying to figure out where I would be a “welcome guest” with the type of posts I write. Out of the ones you mention, the commenting forum I participate in has brought the most traffic. I’m hoping comment luv premium will be a boost, too. Interestingly, traffic from Google has increased, though from keywords that are different from my primary keywords. FB and Twitter continue to provide traffic as well. I feel like I’m experiencing a steady and healthy growth in traffic, thanks to the ideas you provide, both here and in other posts. Have a great day, Ana, and say hi to that sweet daughter and your hubby for me.
Lou
Lou Barba invites you to read: Better Early Than Never…Late Is Good, Too
Nice to see you here, Lou.
Your hard work will be rewarded if you are patient.
I will send them regards, thank you!
Hi Ana, You know Danny has been a customer of our blog engage service for many moths now and I’m trying to convince him to upgrade to one of our business packages prior to launching his e-book. I think the features articles and marketing power the business level of our service offers will be a huge benefit to his e-book launch. These are all great idea’s thanks for the suggestions.
That’s awesome, Brian.
This is a great post, all of these methods work great. I will be checking out a couple including the team strategy. There is more to promoting your blog than just trying to get to the top page of Google. Which can be helped by @building links, and with your @link building strategy. You need to create some dedicated followers and only good content can do that and this definitely qualifies. Thanks!
That’s true indeed, Sarah. Thank you for stopping by.