I have been blogging since 2009. There’s no doubt that blogging has changed a lot since then. While the tools and number of resources to help new bloggers have grown tremendously, there is no question that’s it harder to get your new blog noticed out of the crowd today.
As someone who just started a new lifestyle blog a few months ago, I wanted to share five tips to help you get your new blog noticed faster.
1. Focus on setting up a solid SEO foundation for your blog.
There has been a lot of talk recently about how SEO is dying. I couldn’t disagree more. SEO matters. While it may not drive the same level of traffic that you would have seen in 2006 or 2007, SEO still matters a lot more than you think. It is so important to set your blog’s foundation early on, by writing SEO-friendly titles, having meta-descriptions, and/or using a SEO plugin for your blog.
If you use WordPress (like me), I recommend either Yoast or the All in One SEO pack plugins.
2. Create an editorial calendar with a set number of posts per week/month
The best way to build a following is to publish on a regular schedule. You can do this by getting organized and creating a basic editorial calendar. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It could just be a Google Spreadsheet or an Evernote doc with a list of topics and posts to run each month.
3. Get active on Twitter.
Twitter is still a great place to build a following and get your blog noticed. I have found that abiding by the 60:40 rule works best. Spend 60% of your time replying, sharing and conversing with others. Then, the other 40% sharing your own stuff.
If you are brand new to Twitter, here’s some tips to get you started.
4. Seek out and start commenting on other blogs’ in your niche.
It always surprises me just how few people take the time to seek out other blogs in their niche. I don’t care how specialized your blog topic is, there are going to be other blogs in your niche. Seek them out and start commenting on them (in an authentic way of course). It can be a great way to build relationships with other bloggers (think guest posts and PR coverage) as well as spreading awareness and traffic for your new blog.
5. Start collecting emails at the beginning.
This is a lesson I learned the hard way. I let myself get so caught up in getting more pageviews, unique visitors and social shares, that I forgot all about email. Email is the most authentic and personal way to reach someone. If someone cares enough about your topic to sign up for your email newsletter and/or subscribe to your blog, that speaks volume. Even if you have no plans on starting an email newsletter now, please start building your email list anyway. You will thank me later.
If you want tips for how to do this effectively, I recommend checking out the Social Triggers blog. Derek has some great tips for how to turn readers into email subscribers.
What tips do you have for new bloggers? Please share in the comment section below.
