Number One, or pre-number one, is to have good content. That goes without saying though, so I'm going to give you this list assuming your content is already something people want to read. This doesn't mean you need to be the next Emily Dickinson or Cosmopolitan Magazine, but you need your content to be decently well-written (or pretty photographs, if that's your thing) and not cluttered with ads. I know we all want to make as much money as possible through blogging, but clicking on a site and seeing ad ad ad ad ad ad ad makes me want to click away immediately. Generating traffic is more important than income in the short term, as income will come through more traffic.
1. Don't say you've subscribed to someone or watch their videos/read their blog if you don't mean it. Seriously, that is my number one pet peeve. Sure, finding like-sized bloggers and YouTubers is a great way to expand your audience, but you need to be willing to read and watch what they are doing if you expect them to do the same for you. Recently I had someone tell me they loved my YouTube video, subscribed to my channel and wanted me to sub back to theirs. Only later did I find out that this person hadn't even subscribed to me. Creating a blog or a YouTube is about creating a community, not about everyone's eyes on you.
2. Take it seriously. If you want to be a blogger or YouTuber casually, then this step isn't necessary for you. But if you intend to use it as a career or a stepping stone to a career, taking it seriously is a must. Set it as a priority and plan your posts and videos well in advance.
3. Set up a small advertising budget. It doesn't need to be huge, but a small one is necessary. Advertise with bloggers who have a bigger following than you do to attract more views. Passionfruit ads is a great way to discover bloggers to partner with. The two women who have helped me most are Sprinkle of Glitter (whom you may know from the Gleam Team YouTube phenomena) and The Freckled Fox. The latter, Emily, is extremely personable and friendly and really great to work with. I credit her for helping me get a lot of my YouTube subscribers, which was the encouragement I really needed when I was a little bit afraid of vlogging. I'm going to be advertising with them all summer (and with Emily through to September), and I think they are fabulous, and affordable, sites for discoverablility (is that a word?). That is, if your niche is similar to theirs. Also, Angie from My So Called Chaos is a great lady to work with as well. Her blog isn't as high traffic as the two mentioned above, but she does work hard for you and will deliver some good quality traffic--i.e. readers actually interested in what you have to say.
4. Host giveaways and/or participate in group giveaways. Although it may create what some people call "dead" or "inactive" subs, it also gives people a chance to discover you. You may get a bunch of inactive followers, but you will most certainly get some people that are genuinely interested in your blog or YouTube.
5. Get involved in online communities about your topic. Don't just post about your blog or YouTube, but truly get involved in the community.
6. Advertise on Reddit, but do it strategically. Don't post on forums that explicitly say links to blogs or YouTubes are not allowed. Remember that if you do post on Reddit, self-promotion is often looked down upon so you may deal with some "haters" or "backlash." But as long as you're following the rules, you'll get some increased traffic.
7. Be consistent. Upload new content often. If you're going to be away, YouTube and Blogger make it very easy to schedule content so that it goes up whenever you want it to.
8. Be sure to thank people for their support and do it genuinely. They are the reason your blog or YouTube channel is growing!
9. Write about what you truly love. If you aren't, it will show and blogging and YouTubing will start to feel like work.
10. Be patient. Very rarely do blogs and/or channels take off overnight.
11. Have fun! If you aren't enjoying what you're doing, then it becomes work and work is lame.
12. Set goals, both for the long term and short term. Do you want your blog to attract 500,000 visitors a month and 700,000 YouTube subscribers? Cool, that can be a long term goal...but focus on attainable milestones along the way like 100 YouTube subscribers within the week or month (depending on how fast your channel is growing).
Next order of business...
This giveaway is generously supported by several blogs. Please take the time to check them all out:
Lulabel Loves
Mrs. Laura Beth
Luke Orchard/Lifestootall
This Rosie Life
My So-Called Chaos
Chaotic Goddess Swaps
Lipstick and Lullabies
Anna in Wonderland
Three Boy Circus
She is Fierce
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Rebecca Graber has lived in the safety of her close-knit conservative Amish community her entire life. She has been dating Zeke Stolzfus, the Bishop's son, since her first singing and anticipates the day when the two will marry. Rebecca's life changes overnight when Zeke, the boy she loves and trusts, forcibly takes her virginity. Taught to "turn the other cheek" like Jesus would have done, Rebecca's religion requires her to forgive Zeke and put the rape in the past. Family relationships and community ties are put to the test in the wake of Rebecca's trauma. Feeling abandoned by her religion's minimization of the assault, she embarks on a journey where she discovers the answers in the most unlikely of places. This powerful novel examines what forgiveness truly means.
About the Prize:
One first prize winner will receive:
a paperback copy of Children of the Most High
Two Second Prize Winners will receive:
An eBook copy of Children of the Most High
How to Enter/Rules:
Please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter Giveaway
THIS GIVEAWAY IS OPEN INTERNATIONALLY.
This giveaway will run from June 6 to June 30 at 11:59PM EST.
Prize winners have 72 hours to claim their prize before an alternate winner is chosen.
ALL ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED TO ENSURE TASKS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED
If you win an eCopy, please do not alternatively ask for a paperback copy. This is not possible. If you cannot read an eCopy for some reason, or cannot give it away to a friend/family member, please do not enter the contest.
Winner has 72 hours to claim prize before a new winner is chosen.
What tips and suggestions do you have?
Great information! I'm still on the fence on advertising. I sell advertising on my page, but I see a lot of folks talking about how they don't see any increases. What I know from my real-life job is that it takes lots and lots of advertising to make an impact. You can't just run one ad for one month and expect to see anything from it.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think it also depends on where you are advertising and who you are advertising with. Some high traffic blogs will just dump a whole bunch of ads on the side and you don't really see anything impact. Emily from Freckled Fox and Angie from My So-Called Chaos will actively engage with you so therefore you do see an increase (even though Angie is not as high traffic as Emily, she still works hard for her sponsors). Louise doesn't do as much for her advertisers, because, to be fair, she is very busy with YouTube and that career-wise. However her site is SO incredibly high traffic (like 1 million views a month or something ridiculous) that any ad will generate some traffic and you will see an increase. When I had a little package with her I didn't see much, but a Medium ad drove more traffic.
DeleteThis are great tips that I am going to try because I am always looking for ways to improve my blog audience.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked them!
DeleteSuch a beautiful post, I can't wait to read your box I am actually saving the red for my birthday lol.
ReplyDelete