So you want more people to see what you write on your blog?
Cool.
Two sentence answer to this is –
Write good stuff, bring it in front of people using social media, paid traffic. Do it every time you write something new. Rinse and repeat.
But there is more to each of these.
Read on below.
Share what you have written.
This will be primarily through Twitter, Facebook and StumbleUpon.
If you do not have an account on Twitter – then start one and share there. Here are some Twitter basics for those just starting.
If it is relevant to the audience at Reddit and HackerNews – share there as well.
You can also email your friends – if you have written an important post (for them, not for you).
Interlink.
Link to other post/s that you have written.
The post you link to should be relevant to current post.
See how I have linked to Twitter for beginners post above.
You can also write a follow up post to an earlier post that you wrote. Once you do it – add the link to current post to your earlier post.
If you do it – chances are readers will click through to read it – given that they are impressed by the post they are reading.
Write interesting headlines.
This is what people will see when they see your content in social media.
If you write boring headlines – chances are people will not click through – and you will miss on a chance to get readers to read what you have written.
Write well.
Assuming that user has clicked to read your article.
Now make sure that they find something of value.
To do it – you need to write well.
You should write in a way that is suited to online reading – short sentences, short paragraphs (3-4 lines), gives user a chance to scan by using sub headings.
Also get your grammar and facts right.
Search Bar.
It may help you land more visitors.
It is useful if you have a large website.
For anything less than 1000 posts avoid it.
Commenting.
This is also a way of being discovered by other bloggers in the community.
Pete Cashmore of Mashable and Brian Clark of Copyblogger famously made their respective blog – visible in the community – by blog commenting.
Many people suggest commenting as a way of link building.
I’d say – do it to be seen. For linkbuilding – I will share ideas in another post.
Give people a way to share.
Add a Sharebar – (install Sharebar plugin if you use WordPress) if people have started sharing your content.
If people are not sharing your content still – avoid it.
Because zero shares listed next to your post will do no good to your post.
Show social proof.
If you have a sizable number of twitter followers – 500-1000 or more – then showcase your twitter follower count – (You can download the code for your twitter account by logging into your account – and going to this page on Twitter’s corporate website.
Here is AllOutDigital’s Twitter button using same code.
Same for RSS subscribers – avoid sharing a number less than 1000 for RSS. You can also showcase your FB fans using Facebook social plugin.
If people see that others are sharing your content – then they will most likely do it.
And let me say again – write well. If you – write really well and provide value to readers, all other steps above will work better.
(Updated on 12/25/2012 with inputs from editor)