You’ve created a blog and posted a number of high-quality, informative articles – only to attract a handful of readers. If this situation sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Every successful blogger started the same way, so your low traffic numbers shouldn’t be a source of discouragement.
Fortunately, your low traffic numbers don’t have to be permanent. Blogging is about strategy as much as it is about writing, sharing, and informing – having the right strategy can mean the difference between 10 subscribers and 10,000. We’ve put together 6 reliable strategies you can use to increase your blog’s traffic and grow your audience:
1. Create a “Lead Magnet” to Increase Your Conversions
Have you ever visited a blog and been offered a free guide or eBook in exchange for your contact information? Chances are, you’ve experienced this exact situation at some point during your time on the internet – and for good reason. These offers are collectively known as “lead magnets” because of how effectively they encourage readers to sign-up with their contact information.
There is no set definition of what is and isn’t a lead magnet, but you should use yours to:
- Appeal to your target audience
- Offer advice that helps your audience solve a specific problem (related to your niche)
- Create loyal readers and fans that will continually re-visit your blog
Start by outlining ideas that will appeal to your audience. Once you’ve narrowed your list to the best ideas, create your lead magnet and offer it to your subscribers. It’s a small addition to your blog that can have a significant
2. Use a Thunderclap Campaign to Attract Visitors
Thunderclap is a unique tool which allows organizations and individuals to come together and spread ideas. When you create a Thunderclap campaign, your goal is to attract pledges – once you’ve attracted 100+ supporters, the sharing process can begin.
When your campaign requirements are fulfilled, your content (whether it be a blog, a lead magnet, a video, etc.) will be shared on your supporter’s social media – giving you thousands of potential leads. This is done automatically by Thunderclap, so you don’t have to worry about people backing out at the last minute.
3. Work with Influencers in Your Niche
By working with influencers, you have the potential to reach a very large audience. Influencers can help you by linking to your work, mentioning your blog in a post of their own, or allowing you to guest post on their blog.
In order to work with influencers, you’ll have to reach out to them.
- Make a list of influencers you’d like to work with, and narrow down your list to the ones most likely to help you.
- Subscribe to their newsletter, comment on their blogs, follow them on social media, and overall attempt to establish a relationship with them.
- Send them an email, complimenting their content and hard work.
- Make your request with a professional, friendly pitch email.
Be aware that it can take many weeks to establish a relationship with an influencer. You won’t make it on their blog overnight, but taking the time to get to know them can have a huge
4. Understand Content Upgrades and Use them to Increase Your Conversions
Content upgrades work similarly to lead magnets, except that they are specific to one blog post or another. For example, a post like this could offer a checklist as a content upgrade – a checklist titled “15 Ways to Increase Your Traffic” would be applicable to the content you are reading right now, with some bonus information.
Instead of offering your content upgrades on your landing page like you would your lead magnet, only offer them in the posts that are related to their content. Prompt your reader to click a link to the content, and ask them for their email in return. This tactic can earn you hundreds of leads with very little effort, so it’s an excellent way to begin increasing your traffic.
5. Create Expert Round-Ups to Build Your Authority
When you’ve first started your blog, you aren’t usually considered an authority in your field (yet). Expert round-ups are an excellent tool you can use to build your authority.
Expert round-ups work similarly to working with influencers:
- Come up with a topic experts can weigh in on.
- Contact experts in your field and ask if they’d like to give you information for your round-up.
- Mention their quote and their name in your round-up, with a link to their blog.
This method takes time, as you’ll need to contact a number of influencers before you can complete your round-up. However, round-ups are among the most effective methods for building authority and attracting more visitors.
6. Invest in PPC Ads
Pay-per-click ads are very popular on social media, and for good reason – they’re a very effective method of attracting an audience. You sign up for an ad campaign, and you pay for however many clicks your ad generates.
This method is the simplest strategy on our list, but it requires an initial investment. Fortunately, most PPC ad campaigns are relatively inexpensive – particularly when you’re just starting out. Organic reach is typically preferred by most bloggers, but sometimes paid reach is the best way to get you the traffic numbers you’d like to see.
What are your tips for increasing traffic to your blog? Are there any major strategies we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
