Ten Ways to Get Traffic To Your Blog

As a blogger, I struggle with finding the "best" way to get traffic to my blog. Bloggers all seem to ask the question, "how can I get traffic to my blog" on a regular basis, some of us--on a daily basis. I cannot guarantee one proven method of getting high traffic to your blog, but I will say that I have been using several different methods of getting traffic to my blog. The one thing they all have in common, is that they all take time, patience, and hard work.

How can I get traffic to my blog?

Think of it this way. What do your favorite stores do? They ADVERTISE, and they keep advertising! Advertisement is huge for bloggers also, especially baby bloggers (blogs that are less than one year old.) If you don't advertise your blog, no one will know it is there. Bloggers should advertise on a daily basis. This doesn't mean you have to spend hours on advertising, but make sure you are advertising "somewhere" daily.

How can I advertise my blog?

1. Word of Mouth
Word of Mouth is one of the best ways to advertise. Tell your family and friends about your blog. Tell them the purpose of the blog and ask them to spread the word about your blog.

2. Business Cards
Create a few business cards that advertise your blog and pass them out to family and friends. Be sure to include your blog name, blog address, Facebook Fan page, Twitter name, and email address. Pass them out to family and friends and leave them places where someone may see them.

3. Facebook
Facebook is one of my favorite places to advertise. As I add blog posts to my fan page, all posts are possibly seen by all fans, creating traffic. To get more Facebook Followers, make sure you have a Facebook button somewhere on your page that can be easily seen by those that may want to "Like" your fan page. You can also link up to Facebook Hops. Ask fans to "share" your deals that you post which could create more traffic. Try not to add "every" post to your fan page, if you post several a day. You don't want to lose fans because you are cluttering up their pages. You can visit The Frugal Free Gal Facebook Fan Page if you are interested.

3. Twitter
Twitter is another great place to advertise. Once you get a great number of followers, your posts will be fed onto their twitter pages. I like Twitter because I like to "re-tweet" older posts. Because some Twitterers can only log on at certain times during the day, sometimes its good to tweet a post morning, noon, and evening. This gives them a great chance of seeing your post, creating traffic. If you are looking for ways to get more Twitter followers, make sure there is a Twitter button on your page featuring your Twitter page. You can also link your Twitter page to Twitter Hops. You can find me on Twitter.

4. Blog Hops and Link Ups
Blog Hops are great ways to advertise your blogs. When you link your blog to someones blog hop, there is a great chance that you will receive visitors and followers when they click on your link. If they like what they see, there is a great chance that they will be a long term follower. I currently have a weekly hop every Friday. You can also view my weekly master blog hop list in the right sidebar. Read more about how blog hops work.

5. Create a Blog Button with a Text Box
Creating a blog button with a text box gives readers a chance to "grab your button" and place it on their blog. When someone stumbles upon that blog, they may see your button. If interested, they will click on it, creating traffic. Read how to make your own blog button.

6. Create an Email Signature
Emails are a great way to advertise. Log into your email account and find where you can create a signature. Your signature should include your blog name, blog address, Facebook Fan page and Twitter name (if you have one.)

7. Advertise in Forums
Join a few of your favorite forums. Get to know people in the forums. Leave your link in a few of your posts. Try not to "spam" the forums too much, but every now and then it is ok to leave your link. My top three forums that I like to advertise in are The Blog Frog, Twitter Moms, and Cafe Mom. Make sure you read community rules before posting in some of these forums to make sure that leaving your link is allowed.

8. Visit Blogs and Leave Comments
A comment is like gold for any blogger. When we receive comments, it makes our day. Most likely when you leave a comment with your link, the blogger is a little curious and will sometimes click your link to see where the comment is coming from. By leaving your blog link, it also gives other readers a chance to see it, possibly creating traffic if they are interested in clicking on it.

9. Submit Your Blog
There are places that allow you to submit your blog for others to see. The two that I have used that have matched my niche are Picket Fence Blogs and Top Mommy Blogs. Both of these sites let you grab a button that create "votes" for your blog when someone clicks on it. There are several different categories that you can choose from that best fit your niche.

10. Allow For Readers to Subscribe To Your Blog
There are a few blogs that I am subscribed to. I receive these blog feeds in my email account daily. Occasionally I will be interested and click on the blog feed if I have some time. Having the subscriber option is great for readers that want to see what you post on a daily basis.

The Frugal Free Gal wants to hear from YOU!

How do you advertise your blog? What are your favorite ways of getting traffic to your blog? Have any of the ideas above worked very well for you/not so well? Please let us know by leaving a comment (and your blog link!!!)

*Image source: iClipart