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How To Make Your Blog Popular

Updated on February 15, 2009

Blogging is fairly mainstream these days, isn’t it? I mean, your Gran probably even knows what it is, and that’s a far cry from just a few years ago. If you’re thinking of starting a blog, or if you already have one and just want to increase your audience size, these tips are for you. 

1. Have a point 

This is the most important thing you can do. Too many people start blogs and try to turn it into an online diary. It’s like this – if you have a fantastically interesting life, you can become fantastically popular doing this. If you’re a regular Joe, however, you’re going to need a bigger boat. That said, you can be dull and have a regular following, it just won’t be very big. Which isn’t why you’re reading this – you want popularity. So have a point!! Make it interesting. Have something to say, and say it with passion. Look at that guy crying about Britney Spears on YouTube. He didn’t really have a lot to say, but he said it so dramatically, most of the world saw it. So if you’re not going to have a point worth sharing, at least make it worth laughing at - you just might end up with your own reality show, like him!

2. Customize Your Blog Design 

People are naturally attracted to eye-catching things. Have a cool looking blog and you’ve already come a long way without trying. I don’t care how nice your content is – if you’re blog is totally boring, I’m not going to want to visit. You don’t have to shell out wads of cash, there are plenty of people who make custom templates for reasonable prices. For more info, see my BlogBunnie site.

3. Blog-Hop

If you want an audience, you need to go get one, baby. Find blogs related to the things you want to blog about and then make friends. Don’t fake it – that becomes very obvious very quickly. Which is why I suggest you find blogs you LIKE, then it won’t be a chore commenting on them. Visit, chat, shoot the breeze. Leaving comments on other blogs will also get you visitors from those blogs, provided you’ve said something interesting and make them want to come see what else you have to say.

One of my custom blog designs.

4. Talk to your readers!

This is a major mistake bloggers make. If someone takes the time to read your blog and leave comments, you can spare 5 seconds and at least say thank you. If I leave comments on your blog and you don’t at least acknowledge my existence, I leg it to another blog. But then, I’m a huffy little Princess and I enjoy attention. All the same, make your readers feel like they matter to you – and really, they should matter to you, fans are very important! – and they will be more inclined to come back, and more inclined to tell their friends about you. All you have to do is leave a comment on your own blog in the comments section thanking them. 

5. Link Love

Trade links with people, this way their readers will see you on other blogrolls and come check you out. You can email people and ask them if they’d like to trade – be nice! I’ve yet to have someone turn me down, but that doesn’t mean people don’t. The best way to ensure a yes, is to be approaching someone with similar content. Meaning, if you have a sex blog, don’t expect a link trade with a Priest or nun.

6. Blog frequently

Don’t just blog once a week and expect people to check in every day. That’s not fair to them, and it will just make people think you can’t be bothered. Even if you have nothing worth saying, blog at least every other day if at all possible. You can always find something clever on YouTube to entertain your readers while you attend to whatever else you have going on. These are the main things that will get your blog noticed. Social bookmarking and indexing, etc – yeah they work to a degree, but don’t even come close to what these other tips will get you. Make the effort. If you build it, they will come!

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