GROWING YOUR BLOG

I am in no way an expert on blogging. I enjoy love it and the connections I have made, and hope to grow my business through blogging. We all start somewhere and trust me, I am still very much a "starter blog". I am still managing all of the pieces and working hard to get my blog's name out there (even if it happens to be my own name). I think in this industry, there are good bloggers and great bloggers. Being a great blogger is about putting in time and effort, but most of all, being yourself. Choose methods that maintain who you are without compromising your integrity or the intention of your blog.

Reach Out

I would have never made some of the connections I have if I hadn't made the first move. If I read a blog post that inspires me (especially if I use their content - properly cited) I send the blogger an email or a tweet letting them know that I enjoyed reading their post. I find inspiration all of the time when reading blogs and I want the blogger to know I appreciate them. It's important that we connect with other bloggers when we get started. You never know where it could lead. 

Embrace Social Media 

When I first started blogging seriously I couldn't quite understand the relationship between blog and social media. What does Twitter have to do with my blog? Or Facebook? Or Instagram? Answer: everything. Readers like to read content whenever they see it. For the most part, a reader will read your blog when they see a tweet or Facebook post that interests them. If I see a catchy post title or a beautiful photo along with "New blog post is up!", I am most likely going to click right then and there. Its very rarely we don't click a pin we like on Pinterest, right? So Pin those posts as well! The more exposure on social media, the more readers. 

Write What You Know

It can be a struggle to figure out what you want to post everyday or whatever your post schedule may be. The most inspiring place I pull from is my life. I write what I know. If you are a mother of two looking to help other mothers balance out their life, offer tips. If you are a lover of food, write about your favorite dishes at restaurants. If you are the next Rachel Zoe, write about fashion. Writing what you know is the best and easiest way to create quality content. Heck, even crazy cat ladies get love in the blogosphere. 

Join Groups and Blog Societies

There are several groups you can join that will allow for more exposure and readership. I joined one recently for southern bloggers and the results have been astonishing. You can link your posts and allow for the other members to comment, click, pin, like and tweet. You will most likely have to request to join, but I haven't met a group yet that didn't allow me in. I have also read some great new blogs I had no idea were out there! 

Comment

I know this advice is rather common, but I honestly didn't pay much attention until recently. I read several blogs a day and would rarely comment, and then I wondered why I wasn't making very many connections. I LOVE to read the comments of my readers. I find it to be fulfilling in that I can see that they have actually read and enjoyed my post. I also love to reply to your comments and most bloggers do too. If you feel compelled to start a conversation, start with a comment. Again, you never know where it could lead.

I hope you find some of these tips to be useful! If you need any further advice, please feel free to comment below.