Print Article: How to market your blog and increase your readership by Rose DesRochers

Author: Rose DesRochers

Most bloggers want their blogs to attract as many new visitors as possible. The most common question asked by new bloggers is "how do I market my blog and increase my readership?" There are many ways you can market your blog. These are just some of the methods that I use.

Here are 15 ways to market your blog:

Make sure that you have submitted your blog to the main search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN/Live.
Submit your site to blog directories. Blog directories are an effective way to build your link popularity.
Participate in social networking sites such as Mybloglog.
Make it easy for your readers to bookmark your blog on social networking sites such as del.icio.us, digg, reditt, and stumbleupon. If you are using Wordpress, wp-notable is a great plugin to use. The WP-Notable social bookmarking wordpress plugin allows you to include icons and links to where visitors can submit your blog posts to the different social networking sites.
Offer to guest blog on other blogs.
Offer content that people will want to link to and provide an easy way for them to link to that content. If you are using Wordpress you can use the Link to Me Textbox or the Wordpress Link Building Plugin: Blog This Post.
Ping the main blog search engines each time that you update your blog. WordPress makes this easy for you by providing a way to configure Wordpress to automatically ping the major search engines and directories when you post an entry.
Join discussion forums in your niche. But don't just join, participate in those forums.
Write a review on Amazon, and provide a link back to your blog.
Network with other bloggers. Read and leave comments on their blog.
Host a contest that creates a buzz in the blogosphere.
Answers questions from other bloggers. Volunteer your time at a blogging forum, or Blogger Help Group. You may just be recognized by Google's Blogger staff as an expert.
Spend time creating links and trackbacks.
Syndicate your content to other sites. Include an RSS feed icon that will enable visitors to subscribe to your RSS feed with their feed readers.
Get a link back from an "A list blogger."

If you consistently add quality content to your blog, and network with other bloggers the traffic will come and so will the repeat visitors.

Rose DesRochers is the founder of Blogger Talk Blog Community, a friendly fast growing blogging portal, offering bloggers support, advice, tools, tips and information about blogs and blogging. She is is the founder of Today’s Woman Writing Community, a supportive online writing community for men and women over 18. Visit her blog at Rose DesRochers- World Outside my Window.

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