by Cori-Leigh | Blogging |
If you’ve started your blog congratulations! Beginning anything new is the hardest part.
Once you have launched your blog you’ll need to do certain things to help it grow.
I’m frequently asked by new bloggers how to get readers and increase blog traffic.
Many bloggers think eventually their ideal readers eventually find them.
They mistakenly believe that one day high volumes traffic will magically appear.
This isn’t true.
To generate blog readers and loyal followers you’ll need to build your own tribe.
Doing this allows you to expand your reach to a larger audience.
In this post, I provide some helpful suggestions for attracting more readers and followers.
Ultimately generating more blog traffic.
Learn from influential bloggers
Experienced fellow bloggers can teach about how to effectively grow our blogs.
There are many writers and bloggers to learn from!
Those who have already paved a way to success for us.
Learn from them.
Show up where they are and express interest in what they do.
Join their course(s), read their books and blogs, leave comments and promote their work.
These bloggers will help you tremendously on your road to blogging success.
If you follow experienced bloggers lead you’ll grow a blog guaranteed to last.
One that will eventually grow to become a hopping blog on the web!
You’ll avoid making unnecessary mistakes that will save you lots of time and frustrations.
Community Connections
Utilize Social Media – The truth is not everyone visits, reads or subscribes to blogs.
Some people only use social media for online interactions.
It’s a great way to expand your reach.
Facebook groups are fantastic ways to connect with other bloggers in your niche.
You’ll make some blogging friends and help each other to succeed.
Blogging is about community and connections.
Share the works of other bloggers.
People will see your post and if it is of interest to them they’ll share and read it.
Get in the habit of describing a bit about each post.
Ask a question to encourage comments.
Build an email list
It isn’t enough to just write and set up a blog.
You need to build an email list right away.
Doing this will help you grow an audience of loyal followers.
Everyone loves getting something for free!
Offering a free eBook, newsletter, email course or something you can think of to offer your readers for free.
Doing this works amazing to grow your list.
Guest posting drives traffic to your blog
There is power in guest posting! For a long time after I started my blog,
I didn’t write anywhere else.
Once I began guest posting I noticed a difference in my blog traffic.
You’ll expand your reach to the audience of the blog owner you write for.
It helps you get known to readers and other blogger/writers.
Those who may not otherwise discover you.
Submitting guests posts in your niche enables you to reach a larger readership.
Comment on other blogs
When you read blog posts of interest to you and comment on those posts… you will also get noticed.
Engaging with other writers and bloggers helps you get noticed too!
You’ll generate more blog traffic by connecting with others.
We can’t succeed alone!
Here’s why;
-
- They will remember you the more you show up.
- You’ll develop the habit of connecting with other bloggers and writers.
- Other doors of opportunity will open as you connect with other bloggers.
- You show the founder of the blog you are interested in what they talk about and they’ll remember you.
- Commenting on other blogs directs some of their audience to your blog.
- Do this regularly and it may lead to a guest posting opportunity.
Your turn
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below…
What is something you’ve done that has increased your blog traffic?
by Cori-Leigh | Blogging |
Many bloggers ask me how they can learn to write blog posts at a faster pace! If you’re a new blogger it will take time and practice. Do this enough you’ll be posting content consistently to your blog like a pro!
Writing your blog content shouldn’t be a stressful and anxiety-producing activity. If it is – you’ll continue to struggle with improving your writing speed. A large number of beginner bloggers think they have to frantically rush the post-creation process.
I used to take too long to write and publish my blog posts. They never seemed good enough. Fear crept in and held me back from publishing what I wrote. As a result, I made creating blog content a difficult and unenjoyable challenge. Finally I worked on releasing my writing and blogging fears.
With practice and attention to releasing my writer doubts and fears, I eventually improved! It took time to turn what had become stressful into fun again by making a few changes. There are a number of ways that you can learn how to write your blog posts much quicker!
Show up to write daily.
Keep showing up to write and watch your blog post creation speed improve! The path to succeeding in writing your blog post quicker requires you to show up and write! If you don’t you’ll struggle to write and publish anything at all. The more you write daily the faster your writing routine develops.
Once you do this enough it will feel strange to not write every day. Doing this helps you to form habits to ultimately increase your blog post creation process.
Every pro blogger I know became an influential blogger by showing up daily to write. Each one is committed to writing and publishing content to their blogs.
Let go of the perfect post mindset.
Perfectionism will rob you of time and cause frustration. Blogging fears cause the focus to be on perfectionism. When we change our blogging mindset we release the fears that limit our blogging success. This includes areas we get stuck in creating our blog posts quicker and more consistently.
Your post won’t be perfect because nothing is perfect. The reality is our blog posts don’t need to be perfect. In fact the best posts you’ll ever write will be on the other side of fear and perfection. This is where writing freedom is found. When you are aware of this then you’ll speed up your writing flow.
Create a list of blog post ideas.
Not knowing what to write about will absorb your time and slow you down. Daily activities we do provide countless blog post ideas! Creating a list of blog post ideas that helps you always know what to write about for your next post.
In the backend of my WordPress blog here I have a list of blog post ideas. These are ideas I jot down into my phone, tablet or notebook. I add collected ideas to my post list. You’ll never run out of what to write for your next post! When life gets busy you can be blog post prepared!
Reduce unnecessary distractions.
Eliminating or reducing distractions will help to keep you writing at a steady pace. While it may be impossible to remove all distractions there are some that you can change. The internet is a busy and often distracting place for many writers and bloggers.
Pay attention to how much time you spend on social media platforms and other online activities I achieved incredible results when I began being more intentional about where and how I spend my time online. This is also true for everything we do daily.
It’s important to be aware of your writing distractions. Know what they are so you can focus on what to do about them. Doing this also helps you save time so you can accomplish more! When you minimize distractions you’ll increase the speed of your writing flow. Reducing distractions also works free the mind and allows you to focus your thoughts on writing quicker.
Practice free writing.
When writing our blog posts we often get in our own way. Get out of your own way to allow your thoughts freely flow! Many bloggers and writers restrict their writing flow. I enjoy free writing it allows me to write without restriction.
Doing this removes the pressure of your own expectations. Allowing you to unlock your mind for your thoughts to flow freely. Doing this allows you to ease into a writing flow. Allowing for your words to pour out of you. This helps to get your writing process moving.
Write what you know.
It takes time and practice to freely unleash your unique writing voice. Another way that you can write and publish your posts quickly is to write about what you know. You won’t be an expert on every topic.
There is no need to try to be someone you are not. If you aren’t sure of what you’re writing about this will dramatically slow you down. You’ll spend more time researching topics you’re not experience in writing about.
Instead, be you bringing your unique and genuine self into your writing. Writing about what you already know based on life experience and knowledge in your niche area helps! You will write higher-quality posts too!
Create a quick blog post outline.
Blog post outlines or templates help you to save time and create your blog posts quicker. Write down the main points that you want to cover in your blog post. Creating an outline is nice, as it allows you to spend more time writing and less time thinking about what you want to write about.
Even a blog post you wrote previously can function as a great blog post outline. You can use your post outline as a template for future posts. Filling in the areas is easier and before I know it I have the beginning foundations to a great post!
I start with the following;
- Have a basic general idea as to what I will write about in my post.
- Basic title to tweak later.
- Subheadings to fill in with content. These headings can be worked with more later.
- Short conclusion – doesn’t necessarily have to be written yet but I at least have the subheading.
- Encourage my readers to join the conversation by asking a few questions consistent with the post topic.
Resist the urge to edit too early.
While writing resist the urge to critique and edit. Editing your written work is a separate process. Let go of perfectionism in the blog post writing process. Resist the urge to edit while in the flow of writing your post. Doing this prevents your mind from the distraction of focusing on mistakes. Allowing for free writing and an easy quick flow of thought.
While I’m writing I never interrupt the writing process to edit. This creates a mental distraction as you’ll look at what you wrote with a critical eye. Doing this blocks writing flow.
Keep writing until you have more than the amount of content you need. Take out what you don’t need. If you are a beginner focus on writing shorter posts starting out. This will make the process easier.
Writing and publishing your blog posts at a quicker pace;
Is the result of time spent being aware of where you get stuck. Often it is just a few changes consistently implemented that produce results more rapidly.
You can also try writing shorter posts which can help starting out. With practice and consistency you’ll soon be writing and publishing your blog posts faster!
Let us know in the comments what helps you to write your posts quicker?
by Cori-Leigh | Blogging |
Create a blog with your readers and site visitors in mind. Doing this is essential to your blogging success. Your readers appreciate and notice when you take the time to show you care. Your blog needs to be a place they love to visit often.
I’ve seen many blogs that show just the opposite. A large number of blogs lack qualities that attract readers to return. These bloggers are left to wonder why their blogs are not getting much traffic or loyal readers.
We can’t expect to create blogs that are an instant success. They take time to grow.
For your readers to enjoy coming to your blog there are a few things you need to do.
Create a blog that your readers will love and want to return to often.
Make it about them not you.
Create a blog that’s easy to navigate.
Readers visiting love a website that is easy to navigate.
Make it easy for your reader to find everything you offer.
I visit many websites that are cluttered with unnecessary features.
It isn’t necessary to have too much content on the homepage.
If their first impression offers too much at a glance they’ll leave.
They won’t go on a content hunt for what they want.
Most of your readers will not make it to the bottom of the homepage.
Keeping your homepage to a shorter scroll helps them go right to your content.
Keep the design simple and effective.
Many blogs these days are over designed.
This is problematic for not only your reader but you too.
Your blog readers and followers should see your content stand out!
I visit many blogs that are heavy in design but not content.
Or it’s filled with a ton of posts and other content but there is no organization.
Leaving the visitor to get lost in all the content.
A simple and attractive blog design is inviting.
It’s filled with content rich flow and encourages the reader to come back.
In contrast, a blog that is over designed is a cluttered blog.
This is not a pleasant user experience.
Focus on produces more content and less design.
Creating a place that your readers can enjoy.
You will have a better time managing a simple but effective blog.
Doing this allows you time to focus on creating more rich content!
Be a consistent blogger.
Readers love it when they can rely on your consistent habits of posting and connecting.
They trust you more when you produce content often. Consistent bloggers show up often.
Develop a consistent blog posting routine that you can keep up with regularly.
Stick to a posting habit you can manage rather than posting 1 week but not the next.
Or posting every other day for a few weeks and then not post for a month.
Write from a place of love for your reader.
When you care about someone you show them you care.
You show not just tell. Love is demonstrative.
If you don’t show your reader you care they won’t stay.
Rather they’ll find a blogger who demonstrates they matter.
Make it about your reader.
When you blog for yourself that is how you write.
If you are blogging for your readers it is about them not you.
Readers love posts laced with stories from you.
It helps them see you understand the problem their having.
Make it personal and effective.
Show them you genuinely care for them.
Create quality content.
Give attention to the quality of your posts.
Readers will search for something they need.
A problem they need to solve and are seeking solutions.
The quality of your content will keep them coming back for more.
If you write with your reader in mind they will notice that.
Some of these visitors to your blog will become loyal readers.
Solve a problem.
Do you want to make your website irresistible to your reader? Solve a problem and provide solutions for your readers. They won’t be able to resist coming back.
- Produce valuable content that helps in significant ways.
- Give to your reader generously more than you get.
- Expect nothing in return and just keep providing help.
Connect your blog to social media
Your readers will love to connect with you often.
It’s important for them to meet the person behind the message.
You can do this by responding to their post comments.
It’s beneficial to connect your blog to a few social media networks.
I love Facebook and Twitter as a means of engaging often with my readers.
Conclusion
Ensure a pleasant experience when readers visit your blog and they’ll keep coming back. Your blog will be a place that you and your readers connect often. Give of yourself generously to your readers. Do this and you’ll establish a trust with them.
Let’s hear from you – What is one thing you do to help your readers enjoy coming back to your blog?
by Cori-Leigh | Writing |
Defeating writer’s block isn’t easy unless you know what helps. For a long time, I struggled with this often. I’d face that blank computer screen or page but the words seemed frozen inside my mind failing to come out.
Eventually, I learned to integrate these following steps when challenged with writer’s block. In this post, I offer 5 remedies that work to help free your mind to write.
Let’s get started!
1. Journal Writing
Years ago I developed a daily habit of journal writing. This practice changed my life both personally and as a writer. Through keeping a daily journal I discovered my love for writing.
Journaling is a great way to keep writing even when you don’t want to.
You’ll clear your mind which will help you put your thoughts into perspective.
It’s encouraging to go back and read what you’ve previously written.
You will develop a consistent writing routine.
To explore the subject of journaling further you might enjoy this post written by Bryan Hutchinson
Journaling Can Be a Life-Changing Tool ( You Just Need to Know How to Take Advantage of it)
2. Write from your experiences
When writing from your own life experiences you’re writing what you know. You’ll write with a passion and a purpose. Your writing will be richer when you write about what matters to you. When you’re not interested in what you write about then it will be difficult to write about it all the time.
My friend Anne Peterson always says “Write the scary stuff. The things that you are most afraid write.”
Anne was recently interviewed about self-publishing and writing. You can view the video interview here.
3. Write something every day
Making a point of writing every day is crucial to developing a consistency and sharpening your writing skills. You’ll develop a writing habit that will help you grow as a writer. Doing this makes the act of writing more enjoyable. You’ll progress over time into becoming good at what you do. Writing consistently is important to your growth as a writer.
Tips to help you write each day…
-
- Free write: This is one of my favorite things to do. I just start writing about whatever is on my mind.
-
- Read a blog post someone else wrote and comment on it.
-
- As referenced in point 1: Write a journal entry.
-
- Join a writing community where you can engage with other writers and bloggers. You’ll feel more encouraged by others. Frank McKinley founded the Tribe Builder’s Network. A Facebook group I highly recommend for all writers and bloggers seeking to get the attention your writing deserves!
-
- Time Blocking; Set aside a time to write. One you can commit to. Decide how long you’ll write for and stick to that plan. Like exercise even starting small and working up. More important than the time spent is the consistent action of writing for a period of time. This will develop discipline and consistency.
-
- Word count: Decide on a word count. Commit to writing a certain amount of words each day.
-
- Write something every day even if you don’t want to.
-
- Inspiration and motivation may not always be there but press on… write anyway.
4. Read
Are you a reader? Reading is helpful for when you can’t find the words.
- If you can’t find the right words to write then reading will feed them to you.
- Vocabulary and spelling will improve.
- Sentence structure and grammar skills will sharpen.
6. Let go of perfectionism
One of the problems writers and bloggers face is with perfectionism. We want our writing to read well and be interesting to others. Something I’ve discovered many of us face. The truth is we’ll never write perfectly.
Yes, it is important to create good quality content. It isn’t important to be perfect. It is impossible to please everybody. What you write about won’t benefit everyone. Sometimes you won’t publish your best work. That’s okay. Often what I’ve thought was not my best work got the most attention!
The main thing is that you keep writing and publishing your work. If you are consistent in writing and shipping it out you’ll grow over time. Your writing will get better and better. I’ve never met a successful writer or blogger who likes everything they wrote. Most important thing is to keep writing!
Further reading;
How to Kiss Writer’s Block Goodbye Forever – In Just 10 Minutes by Frank McKinley
Writer’s Block: 9 Things You Can Try to Cure Writer’s Block When The Words Won’t Come by Anne Peterson
Join the conversation.
What helps you work through those times when you’re challenged with writer’s block?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
by Cori-Leigh | Blogging |
Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a successful blogger? Popular bloggers have learned there is power in generosity. They stand out in the crowd as the rare gems that know how to succeed. We can learn a lot from them. They do what unsuccessful bloggers don’t.
Many bloggers start out excited and enthusiastic. Not long later they become discouraged and frustrated. Why? They just don’t understand what steps to take. Becoming a popular blogger is not as difficult as you may think.
How do you blog like a top dog and achieve blogging success? In this post, I share how you can begin blogging like a pro!
1. Be generous
Being a giver navigates people toward you! Give of yourself generously without expectation. This is a sure way of achieving success as a blogger!
When you love what you do it shows through in how you present yourself to others. You can show love to your readers by giving them what they need.
Solve their problems.
Show your readers you care about them by being a giver.
Enthusiastic people shine brightly and stand out in the crowd.
People will want to know you. It just happens.
Being enthusiastic and generous helps you live life from a place of love, not fear. Do this and you’ll experience blogging freedom and futuristic success.
These are magnetic qualities not all bloggers have. You will shine brighter in the crowd of many others in your niche.
2. Connect with other bloggers in your niche.
Getting known for what you blog about requires you to show up. Go to the places where other bloggers are and connect with them. Show interest in what they write about and regularly read their blog posts. Thoughtfully participate in the comment section of their posts.
Share their content in your social media places. Do this consistently and they will remember you.
3. Expand your reach to a larger audience.
The main point here is to get your work out there! Lots of it! We cannot succeed in isolation and can’t grow our blogs alone. Participating, connecting, and helping others helps you grow your blog.
In order to reach a larger number of people, you’ll need to expand our reach. To do this you will need to write and ship your content out into the world.
Guest posting on other blogs helps you to reach a new blog audience.
Write and publish to Medium and other online platforms.
Joining online communities is a great way to start putting yourself out there.
Facebook groups will help connect you with a larger audience.
Showing up consistently to these online networks establishes valuable connections.
You’ll make some great friends too!
4. Consistently write and publish quality content.
Having a blog posting routine is important. Your readers will rely on your regular publication of new content.
Spread your content around the web by guest posting on other blogs.
My blogger friend Ryan Biddulph is constantly writing and publishing new content. Ryan submits so much of it as guest posts to other blogs. His work is seen all over the internet!
As a result, he is well known by many bloggers and reaches a large audience. Ryan freely gives what he writes generously to others. He is also the published author of approximately 126 ebooks.
He is an example of a blogger who became successful through being generous. His generosity built his blogging business.
Follow Ryan’s lead and you’ll be a happy and successful blogger!
What you write has your name on it. The more you write, publish and ship… you are seen by a larger number of people and often.
5. Utilize social media effectively.
Social Media is a great tool for getting known for what you do. The problem is many people don’t know how to use it properly.
Social Media is all about interactions and connections with others. Facebook live has become very popular! Mainly because people love connecting with the person behind the message.
Your readers want to know they matter to you. If they are following your Facebook page that means they like what you offer there. It is important to maintain consistent engagement with them.
6. Learn what you can from successful bloggers.
Successful bloggers are teachable. They had to learn the tools of the blogging trade just like you. You don’t have to start alone.
There are so many successful bloggers to learn from. Engage with people you are learning from as much as you can. Eventually, they will get to know you no matter how successful they are.
Take an online course(s) about blogging and writing.
You will learn so much from your blogging teacher/guide. By signing up for their course you will also become one of their students which means they will get to know you.
I believe it is important to get the right information starting out. Courses can help so much! I recommend the following courses for consideration;
11 Fundamentals of Successful Blogging Audio Course by Ryan Biddulph
The Intentional Blogging Course by Jeff Goins
Bryan Hutchinson offers several courses for writers
To view his course selection Click Here
Find blog mentors/Teachers.
In 2013 when I knew nothing about blogging I found my first blog mentor Greg Narayan. He is the founder of Dear Blogger. If it were not for Greg, his blog and his help I would not be blogging as I am today.
7. Enjoy the process of growing as a blogger.
I remember when I started my first blog. I wasn’t enjoying the experience after a few months. Mainly because I wanted results quicker than they would come. Until I surrendered my expectations and fears of failure.
Blogging is meant to be fun not frustrating. It can become difficult to enjoy when we get stuck on results. When we are too perfectionistic about everything we do it gets complicated. None of us are perfect. Your blog won’t be either.
Yes, there is much to learn about how to become a successful blogger. You’ll learn the tools of the trade step by step.
8. Patience and perseverance.
If you are a new blogger starting out know you aren’t alone. Every blogger had a beginning. It takes time to successfully grow a blog. You’ll become known for what you blog about over time.
You’ll need to persevere. Give your blog time to grow. All successful bloggers will tell you that it takes about 2 years or more. During that time you will see results. It just doesn’t happen all at once.
If you put into practice some of the suggestions here and learn from other bloggers… you’ll be soon blogging like a top dog in your niche!
Join the conversation
What have you done that’s worked for you to grow as a blogger?
Is there anything you could add to this list?
