Summer Camp... Following/Traffic

Welcome to Session 2 of Summer Camp!  In this session Cassie and I are going to talk about Following and Traffic.  Who doesn't want more traffic to there little piece of the blogoshpere?  And how many times have you asked someone else "how do you get so much traffic to your blog?"  Well, we are no experts, but hopefully we can share a little bit of our journey and what has worked for us.

I started blogging about a month after I discovered blogs.  I knew blogs were out there, I just had no idea that there was this sort of community for designers, and DIYers.  I read a few then thought... I can totally do this!  I have only been blogging for a little over a year {consistently} and I am fortunate to have a large following and quite a bit of new traffic daily.  Alright enough lecture, here are some rules and tips to follow when you want to be followed {Silly I know!}

Blog Following

There are may ways to follow a blog.   A reader can follow via Google Friends Connect {if you use blogger}, Linky Followers, via email, or in a reader.  Recently GFC made it so only blogger blog could have this option for being followed.  This is how I follow most of my blogs.  I use my dashboard for my blog as my reader.  All the blogs I follow in one place.  Eventually I will make the switch to Linky Followers, but not everyone has that installed yet.  I would highly recommend installing Linky Followers in your side bar as an option to follow.  You never know what google's new idea is going to be next!

I do like to have all of the blogs I follow in one place, but my favorite ones I have emailed to me so I don't miss a post!  There are also several serviced that burn your feed and send it via email.  Again I use the google service Feedburner, but there are several other options if you have a self host blog on Wordpress.  With this service you can schedule an email to go out whenever a new post is posted on your blog.  I have no idea if there is a better time of the day to have the post emailed.  I choose my strictly to allow me time to get a post up in the am if I didn't write one the day before and schedule it.  I like to have new stuff to read in the am with my coffee, so I like my blog to be apart of that for my readers.  I would highly recommend installing a "follow by email" option into your side bar if you don't have one already!
I use Google reader to follow all of my blogs.  I find it the easiest way to have them all in one place, and if I read one but don't have time to comment if i want to, I can mark as unread and get back to it later. When I click to follow a blog, it automatically adds to my reader, or I can go into the reader, hit "subscribe" and type in the name of the blog I want to follow.  If you have not yet tried Google reader, I strongly recommend it!  And I agree with what Tiffany said- you want to give your readers as many options as possible to follow you.
Thank you Cassie!  Since I have read your added commentary I have been using Google reader to see all of the blogs I follow!  I am loving it!  

Facebook, Twitter, Intagram, Pinterest, OH MY!

Are you on Facebook, twitter, pinterest, instagram, houzz?  Well so is everyone else!  A few weeks ago I had a alert on my phone that told me someone commented on my instagam post.  I was like WHAT??  People can follow me on instagram?  Great just one more thing I have to ask people to follow me on!  And just one more thing for me to have to check everyday!
Well I my personal option, don't be greedy.  Don't ask people to follow you all over the place.  I like to follow the blog and maybe their twitter page.  I follow some other bloggers via pinterest, but that is about it.  As your blog being the main link to all of these, I don't think it is wrong to link or suggest a reader check out your other pages in a post, but asking them to follow you via XYZ is just not ok!
AGREE!!!  I will sometimes mention that I pinned something to one of my boards and provide a link to it, and I have my media icons on my page, but if someone wants to follow you there, they will find you if you provide those links now and again or the buttons.  It's a huge turn off to me when someone is constantly asking me to follow them here and there (though I am guilty of giving them options in giveaways for more chances if they follow me on fb or something)

And with all of this said, please do not ever asked to be followed.  If your readers like you they will follow up via the social media of their liking.  I know it is hard to not throw it out the little "Hey if you like my project, blog, idea, follow me!  Then please also follow me on..." but try to refrain!
Amen, sista! 

Creating More Traffic
So how do you create more traffic without asking people to come follow you?  Here are a few ways to create a little buzz about your blog, and direct people to your page!

Link up!

There are so many link parties being hosted out there, you could spend an hour or two linking up all of them!  When I am proud of a project, I link it up to the parties I like.  This give others a way to find you and your projects, recipes, ect.
Here are some rules to follow when you link up:
- Each party has different rules, so ready them and follow them!
- If it doesn't specify in the rules, link back to the party via your post or somewhere on your blog.  I have a party page that lists the parties I typically link to, but I also like to add it to the bottom of my post.
- Visit the blogs that are posted in front of you.  If you like what your see, let then know you found them via the party in a comment.
If you are going to party at a party, visit at least a couple links for sure.  The reason you link is to share.  And if you expect people to look at your link you need to be polite and check out a couple as well.  You can't show up to the party, drink all the wine, and leave without saying a word.
Did someone say wine?

Comments, Comments, Comments
The best way to put a face to your words, is to comment on other peoples blogs.  The more you are out there having a voice and "marketing" yourself {i.e. your blog} more people will stop by to see what you are up to.  I will always check out a commenters blog.  The blog may not be for me, but at least I will have given them the page view.  But be sure to keep you comments sincere and genuine!  As we discussed in our Comments Session, only comment if you mean it!

Put Yourself Out There
Do you ever wonder how bloggers get featured on site like Design Sponge and Apartment Therapy... most likely they submitted their post to them for review.  There is a little tab on both sites to submit your work for a feature.  Don't be discouraged if they don't feature it, but you have at least put yourself out there, and they may recognize your work next time you submit something.  Another great place to be featured is Censational Girls Best of the Blogshere posts.  Kate and her team do a great job of rounding up the best of the best out there!  I have submitted a few projects and been featured once... so it does pay off!

Be My Guest
Doing guest posts is another great way to gain traffic.  I have never once turned down a guest post because it is a great way to market yourself, meet new people, and gain a new audience.  I also have a guest on my blog every Friday.  I have had people ask me if they could guest for me, and I don't mind them asking at all!  So if someone does have a regular feature like this, don't be shy!  Ask if you could be considered for a guest spot!
Good call Cassie!  I also never turn down a guest post invitation!  I also have a regular guest post Fridays. At first I asked other bloggers, some with a lot more traffic than mine to guest post.  That alone helped me reach their readers by sending them to my blog to see their posts.  Now as the series is older I have people contacting me to be featured.  And I love it!  Don't be afraid to ask!

Here is your recap:
Install all the ways to be followed on your sidebar
Let your readers know you are on all of the media sites, but don't begged to be followed
Link up to a party
Comment on other blogs you like
Submit your work to the bigger blogs and asked to be featured

It will take some time, and there is no right or wrong answer to "how do I get more followers/traffic to my blog," but hopefully this will get you started.  Just keep on posting and keep on commenting, I promise SOMEONE is reading your blog!

Class dismissed!