Buzz it!
Guest post by Daniel Packer
Like many of you, I want to drive traffic to my site. I want to gain more subscribers, and eventually, I’d like to make money! We all have different experiences with blogging, and we all know what works for us and what drives traffic. For some, that means guest posting a lot, and for others it means getting lucky that someone big notices you and retweets your link.
I had an experience I’d like to share with you because it completely changed the way I think about blogging. I did my fair share of guest blogging, but only got a few visitors each time. I wasn’t growing enough and was getting discouraged. One day, it all changed. I was getting more visitors, more quality visitors, and I knew that my growth wasn’t going to level off any time soon.
What was the big change?
I joined a group of other bloggers who write about the same topic and have the same goals. Our goal is to improve our Alexa Ranking, but what has happened has been far more substantial. We drive traffic to each other’s sites. We interact outside the blogging world and everyone contributes what they can. I automated the process to retrieve rankings and post them every day. Another person set up a carnival that highlights other people in the group, and another person set up a link to highlight our favorite posts. Soon we’ll have a whole website devoted to this group.
The main thing I’ve learned is to be selfless.
Don’t worry about your rankings. If you do, you’ll never go anywhere. Interact with people. Do you love when people retweet your posts and comment on your blog? Get out there and comment on their blogs! Do you have a favorite group of blogs that you read every day? Propose a group that will help you interact better. You can share your tips that will benefit everyone and learn the best way to get advertising.
I go to a happy hour with other bloggers in the D.C. area once a month and guess what? My first advertising money came from a referral from someone I met the very first time! I wasn’t expecting it, but I learned a lot, had a great time sharing my experiences, and blogging suddenly took on a whole new meaning.
Whether your blog is stagnating, you’re just starting out, or you are comfortable with your place, get out there and interact with others. You will help others grow and they will undoubtedly return the favor!
Daniel comes from Sweating the Big Stuff, where he blogs about personal finance and is part of the Yakezie group, which advocates a mentality of selflessly promoting others for the greater good. To read more, subscribe to his RSS feed or follow him on twitter
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That is definitely the direction that our little project is going right now. Even though we already have a collection of writers none of them are traditional bloggers so we definitely need an outside network to drive traffic our way. thank you for the tip.
Hi Jermaine! Glad to see you here!
I guess that’s the point – networking needs to happen both online and off. That’s how I see it and that brings the greatest results.
I don’t think there is a such thing as a “traditional blogger” since the art is still fairly new. I believe anyone who can write well can blog.
Yes, the point is to involve in community. We can’t just set up a profile/blog just like that. we must communicate and engage with others
Oh girl, you have no idea how in tune we are on this. Big communities are great, but I really think we need to have some smaller more personal options. Not unlike your happy hour group.
I have a project in the works that has to do with this very topic. So stay tuned, you and your readers are going to play a very important role in its inception and future success!
My latest post: What Do Blog Readers Want? Fast Food Content Or A Home Cooked Meal?
There you go again, getting me all excited and urious about what you have in store… :)
Nice post, Daniel.
Regardless what you’re striving to achieve with your blog, I think it’s crucial that bloggers actually enjoy what they’re writing about — if you don’t then chances are you’re not going to be commenting, bookmarking, and tweeting.
For me, the key sits around the neck of passion — if a blogger doesn’t have it, just how are they supposed to entertain readers that are?
Connection, whether from comments or friendship, comes packaged with passion.
Christopher // CrackerjackBlogging.com´s last blog ..What Bloggers Can Learn From Storytellers – Part 2
Thanks for allowing me to guest post! I love to share my experiences with your readers and I hope some will learn from my lesson and get active!
Daniel´s last blog ..Interview Series: Monevator
Daniel, you are welcomed to Guest Post any time. I truly enjoyed your post. It really got me thinking about a new way to network. Thanks again! Have a great night!
Hi Daniel,
I have had a stack load of help from other bloggers from building relationships by interacting on their sites and leaving (hopefully) useful comments.
My Alexa rankings have moved over 1.5m places over the last couple of months.
You’re right chasing rankings doesn’t get you anywhere, but building relationships makes a massive difference.
Great post! I have joined a similar type of community recently and it has been awesome!
Kevin M.´s last blog ..4 attitudes that destroy our spiritual passion
This is sooooo true! When I first started blogging in 2006, I stayed in my own little world waiting for people to come visit and comment. I started seeing results when I got out of my box and started engaging other bloggers and posting USEFUL comments on other blogs.
Fabulous post! Thanks for this Daniel and Kiesha!
Lisa Irby´s last blog ..How I Recovered From My Computer Injury
Hi, Lisa! It’s an honor to see you here! And a bit ironic – it appears you were posting this comment right around the time I was scheduling today’s post that talks about your site, which is to be a teaser for tomorrow’s post that features your interview. Wow!
Anyway,
Thanks for stopping by, I’m so glad you found this article to be useful. Daniel has done a marvelous job! He’s got me thinking about who I can round up and form a group with. He’s really got the wheels turning in my brain.