This post is by our regular Wednesday contributor, Erin.
Do you have any plans to grow your blog this year? If you’ve been working on blogging for a few months (or even years), then you know how challenging it can be to gain readers.
What do we have to gain by blogging? A lot! Many bloggers create full-blown businesses from their blogs, and others use it as a lucrative side hustle.
Even if you’re not in it for the money, amazing communities can form from blogs, which means opportunities for friendship and collaboration.
When I started blogging in 2013, I didn’t think it would lead to full-time virtual work, but it has. Blogs are worthwhile platforms to have, especially if you’re looking to be an authority in your niche.
Before we begin, I’m assuming you already have a blog and some experience with blogging. These tips are not for people brand new to the blogosphere!
If you’re ready to take your blog to the next level this year, then these 5 tips will definitely help your blog grow.
1) Know Your “Why”
It’s easy to know exactly why you want to blog when you first start out, but over time, you might lose touch with the original reason you started. Or you might decide to take your blog in a different direction.
Trust me when I say that blogging is a long journey, and you’ll feel lost at times. It really comes in handy to remember the passion you started out with.
That’s where knowing your “why” behind blogging comes in.
Your reasons for blogging might be to inspire others, educate/help others, or to document your personal journey.
Without realizing it, your “why” can change over time. You might have started out documenting your journey, only to find that others look up to you for advice. Your blog can easily morph into more of an educational resource for others.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but you should stay in tune with your “why”, so review it at least a few times a year!
2) Craft a Strong About Page that Defines You and Your Blog
You might think it’s silly to give a little biography about yourself on your blog, but your “about me” page is something you should focus on. Readers want to know the person behind the words and experiences on the blog.
Whenever I come across a new blog, I immediately go to the “about page” to see where the author is at in their journey. If I see one or two paragraphs, it’s likely not going to be enough to forge a connection.
You want that connection with readers, and having a descriptive “about” page is a great way to foster it.
Feel free to have an “about me” section and “about the blog” section, too. It’s perfectly fine to mix both in. Your goal is to give potential readers as much information as possible so they know what to expect to read on your blog.
This has the additional benefit of forcing you to clarify who your audience is. Not everyone is going to like your work, or find what you’re writing relatable. It’s best to weed those people out from the start.
One goal of blogging is to build a community, and that’s only going to happen by having readers who believe in what you’re saying.
Lastly, this helps when branding your blog. Knowing your audience and what you stand for will help you to create a mission statement, and a tagline. These should be so specific people have no question about what they’ll find on your blog.
3) Create a Newsletter
No matter if you’re a bigger blog or a smaller one, you should always have a newsletter for your blog. MailChimp offers a free newsletter service, and it’s easy to use.
Why is a newsletter important? If you’re seriously considering taking your blog to the next level, an email list is insanely valuable. The average person is more likely to check their email than their RSS feed, and email brings you closer to readers than a blog post does.
If you’ve been contemplating selling any products related to your blog (like coaching services, ebooks, or spreadsheets), then having an email list will also make it easier to sell those products.
Aside from that, email allows for the chance to ask your readers questions. A great way to grow your blog is to simply ask your readers for their feedback. Find out what they want to read more of, what struggles they have, or what questions they have. Plus, it will give you blog post ideas!
To tie this in with the last point, I’ve read many articles on newsletters and getting subscribers, and many bloggers recommend having an opt-in on your “about” page. After all, if you’re successful in forging a connection with your reader, you should offer them a more intimate way to connect.
4) Always Provide Value to Readers
Blogging shouldn’t always be specifically about you. People take time out of their day to read the words you write, for one reason or another. Make sure you’re providing value in some way.
This can still be done by sharing personal stories – in fact, those often make the best blog posts.
It’s perfectly fine if you want to be an anonymous blogger simply documenting your thoughts and experiences. But if you want to be a thought leader or expert in your niche, you’re going to want an audience.
Remember that value can come in all sorts of forms: you can educate people, inspire them, or entertain them.
Another great way to think about providing value is asking yourself if you want to read your own posts. If not, then don’t hit publish. You should only be writing and publishing things you’re proud to put out to the world.
5) Have a Consistent Schedule
Consistency is key when blogging. If you’ve been following a publishing schedule, loyal readers will notice when you miss a day. You want to do everything you can to keep people coming back, and having a steady stream of posts helps!
It’s okay if your publishing schedule changes – life happens, and you may find you can’t dedicate as much time to blogging as you originally thought.
But let your readers know. You don’t want them to think you’ve suddenly gone missing!
To help you keep a consistent schedule, try downloading DC’s editorial calendar. One of the worst things to happen to bloggers is writer’s block. You can work against it by sitting down at the beginning of the month, and brainstorming topic ideas.
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If there’s one “broad” tip I can give to newer bloggers, it’s to simply keep going. Blogging can be very challenging, but it’s also extremely rewarding. The community and friends you make are well worth the effort.
What strategy helped you grow your blog the most? How long did it take you to get readers? Any words of wisdom for newer bloggers?
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This is all great advice, Erin! I realized a few months after starting Frugalwoods that we had a atrocious “about” page that we’d slapped up on day 1 and forgotten about. I quickly revised it into a much longer description of who we are and what the blog’s about and people responded well to it. I’d initially thought that something really short would be ideal, but as you mentioned, a longer, in-depth narrative really gives readers a sense of who you are. Great point on the email list too–that’s been a wonderful new avenue for us as well!
i really need to figure some of these things out. I have zero interest in doing a newsletter but I definitely need to spurce a few things up with my blog. Above all else, i need more time!
Thank you for the mini lesson Erin. These are all great tips and ones that I need to work on a little more. I haven’t started organizing my email list and I know that it is time. Thank you so much for the tips.
Thanks for these — I’m not likely to do a newsletter, but I really ought to make a better “about” page. I also need to redesign my site (and add some ads to it). I don’t plan to replace my full time income, but I’d like to acquire some freelance work this year via my blog so I do need to step things up some :)
This is great advice, Erin!! Thank you for sharing! I have actually been thinking about updating my “About” page and this inspired me to move forward with that (it’s currently about two paragraphs lol). I have a lot of goals for my blog this year and I know to get consistent readers, I need to draw them in.
Thank you!!
Blogging for me has definitely changed as time passes. I am thinking of merging my currently blog into my business site but I have not made a final decision yet. You really nailed it when you said, blogging is not only about you but also about providing value to readers. I know that I regularly go back to certain blogs because they found a way to connect with me as a reader through interesting points of view coupled with a personal emphasis.
Great tips Erin! I think figuring out your why and working to provide value to you readers is huge. I really started working heavily on my newsletter over the past year and it has paid off in spades – largely because I get to have different interactions with readers who’re looking for help or wanting questions answered.
You have to build good relationships. That has what has worked best for me, at least I think it has. It can be very time consuming, but it’s work I love so it’s easy. This year I’m utilizing images more to bring traffic to my site. Wish me luck!
Great points. I have updated my about page but probably need to do that again. I also think a start here page is nice for older blogs. It gives new readers a way to get a sense of the blog without having to wade through 300 posts.
Thanks Erin, this is great. After a year of blogging once per week I definitely feel the need to increase my post frequency. The other thing I see I need now is an ‘About’ page. Not sure how I missed that so thanks for the suggestion :)
A newsletter is one of the things I really need to start working on. I have never sent one out, but I need to!
Thanks for the tips! You inspired me to revise my About page this morning.
Great tips, Erin. Blogging is a lot of fun but also a lot of work, which many people don’t realize. The tasks aren’t hard but it is time consuming. I was, sadly, one of those people who started blogging without a real clear plan, although I did have specific purpose. I also had a little bit of the build it and they will come mentality, which did NOT happen. Building relationships and providing value have been key to The Heavy Purse’s growth.
Mrs. Frugalwoods I love your about page! I think a lot of us have a tendency to put a little paragraph when we’re first starting out, mostly because some of us are a little shy and don’t quite know where we’re going with our blogs. It’s worth it to check-in every 6 months to see if anything needs to be updated!
Erin, you really get to the root of things. I’ve struggled with #1 a lot over these few short months. I love these tips. Thanks, Erin! :)
PlungedinDebt Don’t we all!? =) Try taking things one month at a time. If you need to focus on, say, re-doing categories and tags, make that a goal for February. In March, go back and optimize posts for SEO. Once you’ve been blogging for a while it feels like going up a mountain to fix things, but hopefully breaking it down helps.
Debtfreemartini Glad they helped! I think email lists are something smaller blogs don’t bother with (I know it’s something I need to work on), but they can be a great way to reach out to people who aren’t bloggers.
cthesingledollar I hear you on redesigning and monetizing. I’ve been putting off a redesign for a few months now! Good luck with everything!
Sarah Brooks Awesome! About pages can really either draw readers in, or get them clicking away. You want to be able to provide enough information for them to determine if they’re going to get any value out of your blog. The more personal, the better!
Kassandra @ More Than Just Money I’ve been contemplating merging business and my personal blog as well. It’s a tough decision as it requires being 100% certain of who you’re trying to reach and what value you’re trying to provide. Agreed that personal emphasis is a must!
FrugalRules Thanks John! Awesome to hear that the newsletter has worked out for you. I don’t think a lot of people truly understand just how valuable they can be. It’s an amazing way to get more personal with readers who might not want to comment publicly.
Beachbudget Totally agree! And the bloggers in our community make it fairly easy. =) Great tip on using images – I’ve read that they’re pretty much essential these days to draw attention. PF has a tendency of being “boring” and images can certainly help. Besides that, you can always optimize them. Good luck! (But I know you won’t need it!)
Eyesonthedollar Yes!! Thanks for bringing that up, Kim. It can be overwhelming to know what to look at on a more established site. Having your posts listed by category or chronological order really helps.
Thomas at ineedmoneyASAP Thomas, I wouldn’t say posting once a week is necessarily bad. It’s all about what works for you and your readers. I would say if you’re posting once or twice a week, to make those posts really pack a punch. They should be longer and more detailed, since readers are waiting a while in-between updates. Not everyone has to post more than 3x a week!
About pages are definitely essential – glad I could help!
SenseofCents You should! You have such a large readership I’m sure it would be beneficial, especially if you want to write an ebook in the future!
Anne E Awesome, glad to hear it!
ShannonRyan That’s surprising to hear, as I always thought your blog was organized and concise. =) We live and we learn, especially with blogging!
kay ~ lifestylevoices.com I hope it helped! I think it’s something we all struggle with from time to time, whether we actually realize it or not.
I think I grew my blog mostly by engaging in the community across other blogs. I have wanted to create a newsletter for my blog, especially since my subscriber list has grown over the last few months. It’s a blogging goal of mine for 2015, hopefully I will find the time.
You hit it on all cylinders with this one Erin. These are great points. Value and consistency are the two big ones in my book. People have to see a reason to come back. But you are also right on with the “Why.” If a blogger can’t answer that question for themselves they may as well shut it down.
blonde_finance I did the same, Shannon. I think a newsletter would be a great addition to your brand! You have so much value to give to people. =)
Brian @ Luke1428 Thanks, Brian! There are so many blogs out there right now that people really need to be on their game when it comes to publishing content.
Good tips there Erin! Another one I’d add to this, which you appear to do quite well is networking and building relationships with your audience and other bloggers as well :)
I struggled with building an audience in my first blog but will be back one of these days, a lesson I’d say is to become great at writing and understand what your audience is struggling with then provide these types of articles
I’m going to frame this post and hang it up for 2015!
Great and helpful tips, Erin! I really have been wanting to start a newsletter for the blog. I need to check into that more.
mycareercrusade That’s going to be in part 2! Agreed on the last part – you definitely need to know what problem you’re trying to solve for your audience. Forums and “competing” blogs are a great source of information when it comes to that.
Mark@BareBudgetGuy Thanks Mark! What a compliment. =)
Laurie TheFrugalFarmer The process really isn’t that bad! Look into either MailChimp or Aweber. They both have great templates to choose from so it takes minimal customizing, and there are a lot of helpful tutorials out there that will guide you through getting it set up.
This is definitely one of my goals for the year Erin, as is specifically starting a newsletter – so thank you very much for these great points!
Jason@Islands of Investing You’re welcome Jason, good luck on achieving your blogging goals!
All good tips here. Connecting with others in the community through blog comments and forums was how I gained my first readers. You can’t just blog and expect others to find you or to care- you need to reach out. It definitely takes a lot of time and effort to maintain a blog, but it’s a fun hobby! The few times that I’ve made money from it have been the icing on the cake.
TheWriteBudget Completely agree – I don’t think my readership would have grown as fast if I hadn’t participated in the community! Being able to make money blogging is definitely nice, especially when you can cover expenses.
I definitely needed this. I always feel stuck when it comes to my blog, but these tips should help me get started!