After starting a blog, the natural next question is how to build a following. Today, we’re going to share the secrets with you that can help you triple your blog’s pageviews in under six months! These things meant the difference between hobby blogs and lucrative careers for each of us!
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A little bit of backstory. January 1st, 2013 I re-branded my personal blog and switched from blogger to self hosted, WordPress (latest deals on my favorite host here). Re-branding was awesome but it took me about 2 months to get my page views back up to what they were before the change. It was mid-march before I was once again averaging 350 page views each day.
- March 2013 (and before the switch) I was getting about 11,000 views a month.
- In December of 2013 I got over 110,000 views just for the month.
- The last 3 months of 2013 I got an average of 93,000 views each month.
I’m not sharing these numbers to brag, I just wanted to give you some context for what can be done in a year. And yes, I know we’re talking about years ago, but after this year of growth, I continued to grow my blog into a business that has supported our family for years.
The natural next question, is HOW. How does this happen?
I will start by saying, it’s not easy. You can’t get there by doing what you’ve always done. I changed a lot about my blog, my writing style and the time I was putting into my blog in 2013. The change certainly paid off for me, but it might not be your priority this year, or something you’re willing to invest that much time and effort into.
The last thing I want to do in the post is discourage you. I want to encourage you that this is possible. You can reach numbers that you never thought possible! But it is going to take lots of hard work. Blogging and social media marketing are not get-rich-quick jobs. They require long hours, but luckily this is a FUN job that you can do from home. As long as you know what you are getting yourself into.
Here are my top tips for doubling, tripling and/or greatly increasing your blog’s page views over the next year.
1 – Focus on one thing:
It was very tempting to start monetizing as soon as I re-branded but I decided to focus soley on getting my page views up before I started spending lots of time seeking sponsored posts or creating adspace (learn how to increase your blog’s ad income here).
This worked best for me, because it allowed me to throw all of my efforts into getting my views high enough, that when I started to make money, it would be a significant amount, instead of just a little here or there. I got a few opportunities to earn before I was “officially” focusing on monetization, and I certainly took them! I just didn’t go seeking out new opportunities as much.
2 – Writing Style:
This is huge and required the most changes for me, and I would venture to guess, this is where the majority of bloggers need to focus their efforts before anywhere else. I’ve actually written a full post on how to turn your average posts into stellar ones, and you can read my 5 tips for writing style and improvement there.
This made a HUGE difference in my blog, so I definitely encourage you to take the time to figure out how you can improve in this area. Your writing is what keeps people coming back more than anything else. You could have revolutionary ideas, but if you method of communicating those thoughts is not clear, they will never be heard.
3. Images –
Another key part to blogging is the visual. Having beautiful eye-catching images is essential! The better your images the more clicks you will be getting from Pinterest and even search engines and other social sites, all of which translates into more traffic for you!
You can also go back and re-make better images for old posts and then re-pin them! I’ve done this myself and it has brought in lots of new traffic on older posts that had been neglected for months or even years!
4. Engaging Posts –
Engage your audience with your writing. Find creative ways to involve them in the conversation, instead of just monologuing. This will help you create a core group of followers that are invested in your writing and your story, even as your blog grows and expands.
One way that you can do this by asking on Facebook for their input and quotes for posts before you write them. Or, asking creating questions at the end of your posts to invite a dialogue and by writing with your readers in mind!
5. Write for Searches and Pins
Let me preface this section by saying, you can’t exclusively write for searching and pins and I would never advocate abandoning the topics you are passionate about writing, but you can add to those topics. This was a hard transition for me, but it ended up being very helpful.
Like many bloggers, I enjoy writing inspirational posts and encouragement. Unfortunately, these usually aren’t the type of posts that go viral or bring in lots of page views. What I finally realized was, that if I started to write posts specifically catered to Pinterest (e.g. more tutorials and “how-to” types of posts) and started to see an increase in traffic as a result, that would just mean there are more people around to read when I write more inspirational posts about parenting, marriage or faith. I have not stopped writing what I love. I have just added to it, and that has made all the difference! See also: How to write a viral post.
Writing for search engines is a little bit different, but equally (if not more) important than writing for Pinterest. Honestly, I ignored SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for the first few years of my business and I really regretted it! I’ve been actively studying SEO for a few years now, and it has given me huge returns for my business. If I could go back, I would have learned more about SEO sooner. A great place to start is this ($30) course from Hashtag Jeff. I’ve seen him speak in person and been a member of his course for a year now. Highly recommend if you are looking to improve in this area.
6. Figure out what will do well & write it –
Or ask some one else to do it for you! You may not always guess right about what will go viral, or do great on Pinterest or search engines, but after a few tries you will start to get a better idea. Spend time brainstorming how you can help people improve their lives and write on those topics! Even if it’s something as simple as organizing a playroom or how to survive on one income. You’re an expert at your life, and your tips, so share them!
7. Grow Your Social Media –
Yes, I know that’s a huge statement to put in just one point, but I stand by it! Social media will be a huge source of traffic for you, and honestly brands are still looking at social numbers and factor that in when they are hiring bloggers.
While purchasing followers will only hurt you in the long run, using social media intentionally and frequently will always benefit your brand. I also use MiloTree as an easy way to help me convert my traffic into followers on the social media platforms of my choice.
8. Find a Blogging Group –
Band together with some other bloggers and commit to helping each other grow! Partnering with other bloggers is a great way to learn more about the business, grow your audiences together and build strategies. I run a free group for bloggers and influencers you can join here to help you start finding some blogging friends and helping each other out!
9. Be Willing to Change – This is one of the most important points. My blog more than doubled in size that year, but I have continued to change, tweak and improve things every year since which has helped me continue to see the growth I’ve been looking for with my brand.
Let yourself grow, and be willing to take an honest look at your blog and what needs to be changed in order for you to go to the next level this year.
Lastly, PLEASE do not get discouraged if your blog did not double in size last year. I’m not saying any of this to try to compete with another blogger or to come across as better than others. There is enough room for all of us to succeed and reach our blogging goals together, and I wanted to share tips from my experience so they could help you along the way as well!
So, if it is your dream to grow your blog, and you have the time and energy to pour into this year, then go for it! Don’t expect your blog to grow by doing the same things that you’ve always done. Find those little ways that you can improve and start doing them one by one and watch your blog expand!
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Shakti Lima says
Well written article as the competition is increasing every day in the blogging world it becomes vital to be at the top of the game.
This article gives some practical points which can increase the page view and help in getting the ranking maintained and improve.
Thanks