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Post by zonemom on Nov 13, 2014 15:02:42 GMT
Hi all, let's talk about all the awesome strategies you're using to build traffic. What is working for you? Where do you focus most of your energy?
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Post by Tameka on Nov 13, 2014 15:23:59 GMT
Link parties, giveaways, Google Plus communities, Facebook blogger groups, and tweet, tweet, tweet.
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Post by Kimi Who on Nov 13, 2014 15:39:55 GMT
I like giveaways... if you can afford them that is. I've tried working with a few bigger bloggers and sure, I got exposure. I got clicks. I got likes and follows. But I made the mistake of teaming up with bloggers who have completely different readership. I'm not a fashion blogger and it doesn't make sense to work with someone who only does fashion blogging. That isn't to say the reader couldn't like my content too... it's just I've noticed it doesn't work very well. What IS working well, is teaming up with bloggers similar to myself! Otherwise, I've found that organic growth has been best - writing content, posting in forums like this one and social media usage. Number one thing that's working? Commenting on other blogs!
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Post by zonemom on Nov 13, 2014 16:59:40 GMT
I have to admit that I'm completely lazy about commenting on other blogs. I try to remember to join SITS on Saturdays, but it's so hit or miss for me. I also haven't been able to track how effective that is for generating traffic.
I focus most of my energy on social syndication and SEO. In terms of social, I get the bulk of my referral traffic from Pinterest and Twitter (I want to give up on Twitter so badly, but it remains a traffic generator). I also get about 45% of my incoming traffic from organic search, so I keep putting my energy there.
If you haven't already gotten Google Analytics set up on your blog, it's a great way to track where people are coming from so you can most effectively direct your energies. It will also let you see what people search for to get to your site--that information has helped me determine where to place more adsense emphasis.
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Post by lainaturner on Nov 13, 2014 19:13:39 GMT
I try to be diligent on commenting as it is very helpful. I agree Anitra I would love to give up on Twitter but its a great traffic source:)
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Post by runwithnoregrets on Nov 13, 2014 19:20:25 GMT
Link ups have definitely helped me, but I feel like my posts don't stand out on their own without the help of a linkup . Can anyone recommend Google+ communities and Facebook Groups that have been helpful for traffic? I do know that hashtags help with building traffic. I would kill to get one of my blog posts to RT on Twitter!
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Post by glamistahome on Nov 13, 2014 19:27:36 GMT
Link ups have definitely helped me, but I feel like my posts don't stand out on their own without the help of a linkup . Can anyone recommend Google+ communities and Facebook Groups that have been helpful for traffic? I do know that hashtags help with building traffic. I would kill to get one of my blog posts to RT on Twitter! I love link ups as well and noticed that smaller linkup parties work better for me. Also, there is a number of link ups that focus on a particular topic so with a more targeted link party you might have more luck attracting readers. G+ is a little different to Facebook, which is great because on G+ people are focusing around the things they like instead of people they know. You might want to follow some Fitness Groups and organize your circles. You can always add and rename circles, switch people around your circles, meaning move from one to another and push your content to the particular circle. For example, you might have some people who you put into a food circle and other into fitness, if you have a post that is interesting to just one group you can push it to the appropriate circle without pressing the content on others who might be less interested.
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Post by glamistahome on Nov 13, 2014 19:31:25 GMT
I have to admit that I'm completely lazy about commenting on other blogs. I try to remember to join SITS on Saturdays, but it's so hit or miss for me. I also haven't been able to track how effective that is for generating traffic. I focus most of my energy on social syndication and SEO. In terms of social, I get the bulk of my referral traffic from Pinterest and Twitter (I want to give up on Twitter so badly, but it remains a traffic generator). I also get about 45% of my incoming traffic from organic search, so I keep putting my energy there. If you haven't already gotten Google Analytics set up on your blog, it's a great way to track where people are coming from so you can most effectively direct your energies. It will also let you see what people search for to get to your site--that information has helped me determine where to place more adsense emphasis. Yes, Google Analytics is a great way to track traffic you can append UTM tracking to your link for a particular source and it will show how much activity you get from there.
I have to agree the SITS link party is a very much hit and miss for me too. Great thing is that I meet new bloggers and comment on other blogs, but I haven't seen much activity coming my way.
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Post by glamistahome on Nov 13, 2014 19:33:34 GMT
I like giveaways... if you can afford them that is. I've tried working with a few bigger bloggers and sure, I got exposure. I got clicks. I got likes and follows. But I made the mistake of teaming up with bloggers who have completely different readership. I'm not a fashion blogger and it doesn't make sense to work with someone who only does fashion blogging. That isn't to say the reader couldn't like my content too... it's just I've noticed it doesn't work very well. What IS working well, is teaming up with bloggers similar to myself! Otherwise, I've found that organic growth has been best - writing content, posting in forums like this one and social media usage. Number one thing that's working? Commenting on other blogs! I agree it has to be bloggers who are blogging about a similar subject. I have been doing some giveaway and noticed that the subscriber rate increases, obviously it's a free giveaway, but it also creates a nice buzz around my blog and I get some social media mentions that way as well.
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Post by simpleholisticgirl on Nov 13, 2014 23:53:23 GMT
Is there a particular rhyme or reason to giveaways? Meaning how long should the giveaway be (you want to allow enough time to promote it of course). Do people have the ebay auction attitude, meaning do you find people may wait until the very last minute to enter hoping they are the only ones or do you find that they enter right away? I'm in the middle of doing my very first one now and not seeing much activity. I also am searching for giveaway link ups to post it.
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Post by mendedwheels on Nov 14, 2014 0:02:17 GMT
The biggest force I have found for generating traffic is this:
The perfect post At the perfect time Pinned on Pinterest at the PERFECT time.
Right now, everyone is scrambling with Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff. Ok, good. I, however, am using their busy season to update my old posts for Pinterest with new graphics and new edits. BUT, this year while I am working through holiday stuff, I will be taking photos etc. to make sure that NEXT YEAR my content is stellar and ready to go in advance.
A great example of this is a pin I put up in the spring for tools to stop shedding. Everyone who owns a pet is dealing with shedding is the spring, I had great photos, great material, and gave myself authority on the topic by saying I am a retired dog groomer...and I am. It's been pinned hundreds of times...it's still getting pinned in November.
Depending on your blog niche, I would say look ahead 2-3 months, in fact, if you're posting 4-5 times a week, cut it back to 3 and spread them out until you're posting 2-3 months AHEAD, then you are prepared for holidsays, marathons, and cycles in YOUR niche!
<3
Jill Mended Wheels
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Post by Jenn @ The Art of Better on Nov 14, 2014 0:26:03 GMT
Number one thing that's working? Commenting on other blogs! YES! That has been huge for me too. I find that supporting other bloggers via comments or retweets has gone such a long way.
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Post by glamistahome on Nov 14, 2014 1:09:19 GMT
Is there a particular rhyme or reason to giveaways? Meaning how long should the giveaway be (you want to allow enough time to promote it of course). Do people have the ebay auction attitude, meaning do you find people may wait until the very last minute to enter hoping they are the only ones or do you find that they enter right away? I'm in the middle of doing my very first one now and not seeing much activity. I also am searching for giveaway link ups to post it. I've ran a few giveaways, it really all depends how you set it up. I wouldn't run a giveaway for more than a week to 10 days, because people get bored and will stop participating. You have to push the giveaway the first day then in the middle of the time frame and then again towards the end.
Also, ask for social shares to increase the funnel.
Take a picture of what the user can potentially receive when you randomly pick a winner. Spread the news on all your social media platforms, ask for tags and social media mentions, make a specific type of following mandatory. (blog or social media)
A recent giveaway I hosted asked users to subscribe and share either on Twitter or IG for additional entries. So people will share your giveaway several times to get more entries, great for you, because news spreads about you.
There is a group on FB where you can share your giveaway, it's called blog giveaway-list yours here. Just keep in mind some people who participate in groups like that are professional blog hoppers, they look for giveaways and don't really care that much about what you blog about.
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Post by girlonthemove on Nov 14, 2014 1:44:24 GMT
Is there a particular rhyme or reason to giveaways? Meaning how long should the giveaway be (you want to allow enough time to promote it of course). Do people have the ebay auction attitude, meaning do you find people may wait until the very last minute to enter hoping they are the only ones or do you find that they enter right away? I'm in the middle of doing my very first one now and not seeing much activity. I also am searching for giveaway link ups to post it. At my last estimation I would say there are probably close to, if not more, than 100 link ups that are exclusively for giveaways. If you really want to promote your giveaway you can link up with those, but know that some of the people who enter are not necessarily going to become your loyal followers
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Post by runwithnoregrets on Nov 14, 2014 11:22:16 GMT
Link ups have definitely helped me, but I feel like my posts don't stand out on their own without the help of a linkup . Can anyone recommend Google+ communities and Facebook Groups that have been helpful for traffic? I do know that hashtags help with building traffic. I would kill to get one of my blog posts to RT on Twitter! I love link ups as well and noticed that smaller linkup parties work better for me. Also, there is a number of link ups that focus on a particular topic so with a more targeted link party you might have more luck attracting readers. G+ is a little different to Facebook, which is great because on G+ people are focusing around the things they like instead of people they know. You might want to follow some Fitness Groups and organize your circles. You can always add and rename circles, switch people around your circles, meaning move from one to another and push your content to the particular circle. For example, you might have some people who you put into a food circle and other into fitness, if you have a post that is interesting to just one group you can push it to the appropriate circle without pressing the content on others who might be less interested.
Wow, I never realized that publishing your posts to certain circles is how you get more traffic to your blog! I always post mine to the public. I will definitely work on this moving forward! Thanks so much!
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