<img src=”https://static1.squarespace.com/static/588d5c3786e6c04b275126a1/t/589689f5725e2590c7bebf6c/1486260738275/” />

One of the questions we hear the most from creatives and small business owners is this:

How do I get more traffic to my website?

Because for many modern entrepreneurs, no online traffic means no business.

Maybe you have a new blog, or an old one that has become stagnant, and you are finding that the clicks just ain’t happening. You can’t assume that if you write it, they will come. It takes work to get new readers, or even established ones, to keep coming back.

If you have a product, service or message you believe in, knowing how to create a steady stream of online traffic is essential so you can do the work you’re meant to do in this world.

The good news here is you’re about to add four actionable and no-cost strategies to your online toolkit that will help you generate the traffic you want and deserve.

Are you properly promoting yourself? You may not be. Are you simply relying on SEO and search engines? Those are great tools, but there’s more to it.

CHECK OUT OUR 7 WAYS TO HELP INCREASE BLOG TRAFFIC…

RAMP UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA, Y’ALL

Social media is HUGE. Creating social media channels may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many bloggers are out there that don’t fully make use of their social pages.

Here is an example of a typical daily social media posting schedule:

• 1-2 Instagram posts

• 1 Facebook post

• 2 Pinterest pins

• 2 Twitter tweets

There are tools, like Buffer or Hoot Suite that will help keep up with your social media by pre-scheduling posts. (Unfortunately, Instagram does not allow pre-scheduling.) These tools are timesavers and provide in-depth analytics that will tell you the best posting times as well as the number of social media shares.

(Side note: if any of your need help, you know I’m your go-to girl for all things social media. Hit me up for a one-on-one Social Media Mastery session, or grab my Instagram Mastery program. Investing in top social secrets and the best tricks of the trade from a bona fide social media manager will help you see results quickly. Let’s work together!).

REPURPOSE OLD BLOG POSTS AND POSITION THEM IN FRONT OF YOUR AUDIENCE

Don’t be afraid to also promote old blog posts on social media. Here’s why: your audience may or may not have read everything you’ve ever written. Plus, if your content is good, it’s likely that your audience may want to read it twice. If you have content that is evergreen, or just posts that are absolutely exceptional (which we know you have!), continue to share that content on social media. You will likely add new readers, and that guarantees more traffic.

SCHEDULE A WEEKLY EMAIL BLAST

Email blasts are a great way to broadcast new content to your readers and subscribers. We schedule our emails early so that our readers can check what’s new while drinking their morning coffee.

If you don’t have an email list, we suggest you create one. NOW. It is so important to keep readers updated and coming back to the site.  We like tools such as MailChimp, , and Ontraport to create our email campaigns. These tools help with templates, scheduling, and sending.

GUEST POSTING

Guest posting is a perfect way to gain new followers. To guest post is to create content that will be promoted on someone else’s website. Put new content on another’s person’s blog? Seems counterintuitive, right? But it works. When you guest post, you will be reaching a new, sometimes bigger, audience. Guest posting allows you to share content with potential readers, and the posts will have links that will direct new readers back to your website.

To start, gather a solid list of blogs similar to your own, and reach out via email. Yes, rejection happens, but, like with all things in life, don’t take it personally. There will be another blog that will accept.

If you want more traffic to your website, send one email to a blogger that has an audience that you’d like to attract. It’ll take just a moment or two, and when you’re done, leave a comment letting us know that you did it.

PUT NEW CONTENT ON ANOTHER PERSON’S BLOG? SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE, RIGHT? BUT IT WORKS.

Tweet it!

COMMENTING ON OTHER BLOGS

Commenting on other blogs can be hit or miss. If you comment on blogs with cookie-cutter responses and only with links to your site, your comment will likely be deleted by a spam filter. Genuine comments, however, present a different story. Commenting with thought is a great way to catch a new reader’s eye, and get them to visit your site. We like to comment on blogs with a similar niche in hopes that a reader will want to hear what we have to say. We do suggest commenting in moderation; sending multiple comments to one site can be tacky if not done properly.

REACHING OUT TO INFLUENCERS

An influencer is a person or site that has a big audience and that has great respect. Influencers are a great way to increase readership and traffic. Create a list of influencers who are similar to your niche and may be interested in sharing your content. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are great places to start when looking for influencers. When identified, reach out to see if they are willing to retweet or repost your site or blog post. And per usual, don’t be offended when someone says no.

ADDING VIDEO

Adding video to compliment a blog post is another great way to increase traffic. Record a 30 second to 1 minute video teasing your blog post and upload to YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook. Longer videos are particularly useful for tutorial and DIY blogs. Your short videos may intrigue new followers that will be interested in your content.

SUBMITTING TO CONTENT DISCOVERY SITES

Websites such as Reddit, StumbleUpon, and Digg have huge communities of people that love the internet and sharing content. Find categories on these sites that are similar to your blog or posts and share with those communities. Some of these sites do have guidelines, so make sure to read the rules before posting. You don’t want your link to end up as spam!

Are you starting to feel more confident in your ability to drive traffic? What are some of the ways you promote your blog posts?

If you have other tips and proven strategies to share about traffic generation, leave a comment below and add your genius to the conversation.

Our community is so rich and wise and I want to thank you, as always, for being a part of it.

P.S. Do you know any creatives or small business owners who could use some more traffic to their website? Send them a personal email with a link to this post. Your thoughtfulness could make the difference in their success!