1. Never Follow, Tweet, Stumble or Comment on Anyone Else’s Blog.
Because we all loved those types of snobs in high school didn’t we? The people who never had the time of day for anyone else? Think back to your last reunion – did they look like happy campers? Nope – and neither will you as a blogger if you follow their lead. That’s because one of the BEST things about blogging is the community.
2. Post Whenever you Feel Like It. Once a Quarter is Good. Once a Year is Better.
I actually have a blog like that. My purely for me blog that I’ve purposefully made no commitment or set time to post to. Guess what? It’s my least read, least followed and lowest-ranked blog. Coincidence? I think not.
3. Who Needs Incoming Links? If You Write it, They Will Come.
No need to promote yourself. The web will just magically bring you tons of readers. So don’t worry about creating hubpages or other platforms for incoming links. Definitely don’t worry about bookmarking your stuff. This is guaranteed to get you in the lower 50% of websites on Alexa ratings.
4. Copy Someone Else’s Style.
After all, it’s obviously working for them. And everybody loves to see someone who is being fake, phony, and insincere. Those are exactly the types of people we are most drawn to – both in real life and online.
5. Lie to Your Readers. Don’t Worry About Ethical Integrity.
They don’t actually care what you write so don’t worry about being honest, truthful or upfront with them. Definitely never disclose anything or be transparent. And don’t be afraid to post press releases as though they were your actual words. That’s a great way to kill your sense of community and authenticity!
Angela’s Note - it almost hurt to write these words. My official disclaimer on this post is that you shouldn’t actually be doing any of that. Please carefully examine whether there are areas where these tendencies are creeping into your blogs. Obviously my examples above are extreme – but the tendencies, the tiniest hints of them, can be dangerous. There are other, great ways to help increase your blog traffic by feeding your community!
Loading ...
Excellent article with a great message! I am always looking for ways to enhance blog traffic (and not kill it!) and you had some great tips.
Great list of items to consider! I’m a very new blogger and some of these things I haven’t even thought of yet.
But this gives me a good heads up to be on the lookout for these!
Thanks so much -
Great list and great things to remember – especially from a designers point of view – it is very hard to draw a line for a client between copying and inspiration. thanks for the tips!
Great post! So how do you manage to fit everything in (i.e. writting, networking, reading blogs/commenting)? Developing my own schedule, but love to hear how others manage it all with the rest of their life!
Tamara
http://www.theunexperiencedmom.com
By request – the opposite side of view – tips for increasing blog traffic http://angengland.com/ideas-for-increasing-your-blogs-traffic/
Angela <
Love these tips – it’s so easy to see something you love and want to do it too. You have to find your own style
I enjoyed reading this post! You made me smile with your style!
I liked the tongue-in-cheek seriousness of this article.
Love this article definitely worth passing on
It was fun to write! I’m glad you guys appreciated the humor, but also the message, of the piece.
Angela
A great article. But you forgot one. Be sure to completely abandon your blog the second you figure out that you are not going to become an internet sensation over night.
I like the comments about instant success. I think it is even harder to keep going when your numbers drop. That happened to us, just a little, when Facebook made its big changes a few months ago. Lots of people who switched to status update mode stopped seeing our links. I am trying to think of this as a marathon rather than a sprint. If we continue to post good content of work/life balance and how women can redefine success and boundaries, hopefully our audience will continue to grow. But you do have to follow the opposite of these tips — good post! -H
That was great to read. Fun, but true! I have to recheck that list and make sure I’m not doing any of that! LOL
Great list, Angela! I tend to like reverse lists. Knowing what we shouldn’t be doing is a good step towards blogging the right way.
#2 is my quick-check when I happen upon a site. Before I dig further I want to know how serious a blogger is. If they haven’t posted in 2 weeks (or longer) or it looks like they may post every 2 months, I’m not interested. Your content can be great, but without some dedication to updating, you’re not going on the ‘bloggers to watch’ list!
I love this! Sometimes I worry that I’m posting TOO much but I just love it so if I find something I want to share I find myself blogging about it…my husband doesn’t want to hear about it, but maybe someone else reading will, right?
I had a few favorite blogs when I first discovered blogs, and then I realized one of them posted once or twice a week and the content was never all that great. She has other things going which might be great for her but not me; I want to read a blog that’s updated every day or every other day at the least. I try my absolute best not to skip a day no matter how bad I feel or how much drama I have going on, even if I only have one post. I feel I owe it to my subscribers at the least. One person gave me the advice that I should treat my readers as if my blog is their only source of info of my kind they’re getting. It’s probably not, but I owe it to them to look at it like that so that I’m always giving them the best content and the best of me that I can. Now if my house could only get as much of my attention I’d be set. I wish my blog would make me enough money to afford a maid!