How To Entice New Visitors To Your Blog

5 Aug
Smiling can imply a sense of humour and a stat...

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Have a regular feature.

I tell a joke a day.  Sometimes they’re funny.  People come across one joke and they’re hooked, poor fools.

Join in.

I participate in Six Word Saturday and 101 Tasks in 1001 Days.  People come along to read those posts, and sometimes stay.

Make ’em laugh when they get here.

I tell a joke a day; did I mention that?  I also poke fun at my family, myself and my readers.  Some people come back for more.  (I know; I don’t get it, either.)

Use an interesting title calculated to attract.

Funny is good, but hasn’t helped me much in the title department, if I’m honest.  That’s why I’m using one today calculated to appeal to all those bloggers who, like me, are desperate to be noticed.  I would definitely read a post with this title.  I’m guessing that’s why you’re here, too.

Use popular tags.

Since I started adding tags such as postaday2011, joke and humour, I’ve been getting more new readers.  Well, people taking one look at my blog and never coming back again but, hey, the numbers are up.

Use the same tags in more than one language.

For example:

  • English: Humour
  • American: Humor

Just because your readers can’t spell, doesn’t mean you should exclude them.

Link to other blogs.

Nancy at Spirit Lights The Way is generous with her link backs but that’s no good to me because she’s already a captive reader.   I read blogs new to me and link back to them, so they will come over and see me and link back to me and I’ll link back to them and some of my readers read them and link back to me saying they’re linking to them and them’ll tell their readers and link back to me and their readers’ll link to them and to me and it all gets pretty incestuous and the posts are interbreeding and don’t make much sense any more but that’s okay I can live with that because the main thing is the stats go up.

Specifically, link to popular blogs.

If you’re lucky, that nogoodnik whose popularity you don’t understand but might as well use will return the visit and like what they see enough to mention you in a post.  If they don’t, who needs ’em anyway?  Note: Don’t get tears on the keyboard; it makes it difficult to type.

Post regularly.

Join postaday2011 or postaweek2011, or tell your readers you’re going to post on the third Tuesday of the month when the moon is in Uranus and you need to rant about your partner.  So long as your readers know when to expect you, they’ll stay.

To be on the safe side, I post on average three times a day.  My readers are too exhausted to visit other blogs.

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I hope you found this little guide useful and will tell all your friends about me.  If you hated it, don’t leave a comment, just tell all your friends about me.

Bon chance! (French)

Good luck!  (American)

Wotcha!  (English)

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53 Responses to “How To Entice New Visitors To Your Blog”

  1. SidevieW August 5, 2011 at 15:55 #

    Aha – GREAT title, good jokes, a family to amuse…………

    Like

  2. vivenne blake August 5, 2011 at 15:56 #

    A bit Narcissistic! “My readers are too exhausted to visit other blogs.” You can say that again (no, don’t bother).

    I’ve recently tried adding tags (mainly so I can find things again) but haven’t noticed any increase in traffic. And I don’t seem to have the interesting search topics that you get. Unfair. Stamps foot and goes downstairs to watch telly!

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 16:23 #

      Only a bit? 🙂

      You have to start writing about weird things if you want weird people to find you.

      Like

  3. gigihawaii August 5, 2011 at 16:02 #

    I love your blog, but prefer the personal stories you write — stories about your hubby, your sons, your home — more so than the jokes and cartoons. Straight from the heart, that’s what I like, and that’s you, Tilly.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 16:24 #

      Thank you Gigi. I hope you’re feeling a bit better now?

      Like

  4. Cindy August 5, 2011 at 16:05 #

    So that’s why you post so often and eat up all my monthly bandwidth?

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 16:25 #

      I forgot that South Africans aren’t all on broadband! I do apologise, Cindy 🙂

      Like

  5. Kateshrewsday August 5, 2011 at 17:00 #

    Fab stuff from a core blogger 🙂 loved that stuff about linking, must try that…

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 19:25 #

      You should. I try to link as much as possible, but to blogs I like, not for hits; and in a natural way.

      Like

  6. Hanna August 5, 2011 at 17:39 #

    I shall look back to this post from time to time :P. This is certainly a revelation..

    Like

  7. totsymae1011 August 5, 2011 at 17:48 #

    That one about the links had my head spinning. LoL!

    Those are good tips. You really, really, really love blogging to do it 3 times a day. Well, I’m taking the weekend off.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 19:26 #

      I really, really, really do! Enjoy your break 🙂

      Like

  8. melsar93 August 5, 2011 at 18:18 #

    You left off – Leave comments on other peoples blogs and compliment them shamelessly so they click back to see who you are.

    This is a really great post and I only wish I could write this well and be as funny as you, said Mike from The Mike/Mitch Project.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 19:26 #

      What a lovely compliment. I must go over to your blog and return the favour.

      You’re right – it does work! 🙂

      Like

  9. Pseu August 5, 2011 at 18:30 #

    Tilly’s Top Tips: terrific.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 19:27 #

      I almost called it that! (without the last word, of course; I should at least pretend to be modest)

      This psychic connection we have is weird.

      Like

  10. Christina Does It All August 5, 2011 at 18:37 #

    great tips! 🙂

    Like

  11. gobetweenflames August 5, 2011 at 18:54 #

    This is a great post for someone who has just started blogging. I post about 3 times a week. I am not sure if I should use the postaweek or postaday tag?

    To be honest (yes prepare yourself – you opened the door) I enjoy your fun posts about yourself and your activities but I like only some of the jokes.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 19:32 #

      Go here to sign up: http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/how-to-sign-up-postaday-postaweek/ It’s a statement of intent, not a commitment. You can get the widget there as well. Then just include the tag each time you post.

      It’s funny, because some people only come for the jokes. If I keep doing the mix I should please most of the people some of the time 🙂

      Like

      • gobetweenflames August 5, 2011 at 20:21 #

        Thanks for the link it looks like I will stick with the postaweek tag, it’s not so demanding. I know you can’t please all the people all the time. I like it when you write freely.

        Like

        • Tilly Bud August 6, 2011 at 09:04 #

          The problem is, I have to wait for something to happen. We live dull lives and not much does 😦

          Like

  12. Kay's Musings August 5, 2011 at 19:54 #

    This is very interesting, Tilly Bud. I have found it a lot easier to get readers on Blogspot. I’ve been using WordPress as my mirroring Back-Up for about a month. To be honest, I’m not actively looking for visitors to my WordPress site, but it’s just interesting to see the traffic I get in both places in order to compare.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 5, 2011 at 19:56 #

      I think it’s because you are so well-established on Blogspot.

      Like

    • gobetweenflames August 5, 2011 at 20:25 #

      @Kay I started on Blogspot before I was on WordPress and there was no traffic to my blog. I think Wordpess has more traffic just a pity that keeping track of responses to your comments is quite difficult. I wish you could also get a email norification if someone replied to your comment.

      Like

      • vivienne Blake August 5, 2011 at 20:35 #

        you can if you tick the box asking for notification of follow-up posts/comments. WordPress is a much more comfortable place to be than Blogspot, which is positively anti anyone who wants to comment!

        Like

  13. nrhatch August 5, 2011 at 20:51 #

    I’m going to link back to this! 😀

    Great tips, TillyB . . . designed to tantalize.

    Like

  14. Piglet in Portugal August 5, 2011 at 21:24 #

    Hi T,
    Great post.
    I have another suggestion – Some bloggers keep changing their blog name so when their email alert arrives notifying me of a new post I don’t recognise their “new name”. When I’m busy I only visit my regular buddies.

    Like

    • Piglet in Portugal August 5, 2011 at 21:30 #

      Whoops forgot to post the suggestion LOL 🙂
      1. Can they notify their subscribers of the name change so if they are on your blogroll you can update it.
      2. Update their gravatar profile

      Like

    • Tilly Bud August 6, 2011 at 09:11 #

      That’s a good point.

      Like

  15. LeeAnn August 5, 2011 at 23:21 #

    Having a fact-filled, strait-laced, serious blog, I find this “how to” to be quite a challenge.
    If my readership continues to un-flourish, I may have to resort to kitten pictures.
    Yes, I’m threatening to play the cute kitty card. So help me, don’t test me on this.
    Ruthless is my middle name. It was fun trying to convince the people of the DMV of that.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 6, 2011 at 09:14 #

      A Ruthless kitty-lover…you don’t meet many of those around the blogosphere 🙂

      Welcome! You’ll fit right in.

      Like

  16. sarsm August 5, 2011 at 23:42 #

    I see your title works ;-).

    I love your humor, I mean humour and that includes your jokes. As you know.

    But I love reading what your up to too (and of course, your 101 stuff).

    Thanks for the link.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 6, 2011 at 09:14 #

      I wonder if I should do some polling on it?

      Like

      • sarsm August 6, 2011 at 09:30 #

        I’m suspecting a poll is necessary!

        Like

  17. Fi (Wonderfully Wired Mum) August 6, 2011 at 01:52 #

    I love everything about you dear Tilly xx

    Like

  18. barb19 August 6, 2011 at 07:36 #

    Great tips Tilly – and I especially like the one “Use the same tags in more than one language”. From now on, I shall tag in British/USA spellings for the benefit of our American cousins!

    Like

    • Tilly Bud August 6, 2011 at 09:20 #

      It really does work! Just check the recommended tag box when you write a post: it’s always in American. Then add a tag with the same word in English.

      Like

  19. johnnathanielfernando August 6, 2011 at 08:30 #

    haha very nice and informative as usual!well like you said, i come back because you entertain me. i wish i could write as often as you could but my time is just too limited and i don’t have much talent for daily humor.still, i appreciate blog like yous, and that’s why i worship you!

    Like

  20. Priya August 7, 2011 at 14:29 #

    Well, I am hooked because I like your humour. Humor? Whatever works. I am not good at it myself, so I like to get it from wherever I can find it.

    Happy days to you.

    Like

  21. eof737 August 9, 2011 at 17:30 #

    Always entertaining, always witty… I bet you keep them begging for more. 🙂
    Checking back in to catch up after a lull on the comments front but hectic on the home front. 🙂

    Like

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. How To Entice New Visitors To Your Blog (via The Laughing Housewife) « Hanna Wilbur's - August 5, 2011

    […] Have a regular feature. I tell a joke a day.  Sometimes they're funny.  People come across one joke and they're hooked, poor fools. Join in. I participate in Six Word Saturday and 101 Tasks in 1001 Days.  People come along to read those posts, and sometimes stay. Make 'em laugh when they get here. I tell a joke a day; did I mention that?  I also poke fun at my … Read More […]

    Like

  2. 7 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic « Spirit Lights The Way - August 5, 2011

    […] A Waggish Waste of Time? * Down The Blog Hole * I Can Name That Theme in 3 Notes * How To Entice New Visitors To Your Blog (The Laughing […]

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I welcome your comments but be warned: I'm menopausal and as likely to snarl as smile. Wine or Maltesers are an acceptable bribe; or a compliment about my youthful looks and cheery disposition will do in a pinch.