A successful blog relies mainly on the traffic. No matter how good your content is, it all comes down to one thing - traffic. New bloggers often spend most of their time finding content and designing the overall look of the website. This is the reason why many blogs go nowhere. No matter how beautiful your blog looks, without traffic you're wasting time.
So how do you increase traffic to your blog?
1. Know your Objectives
Set your goals before you proceed. Try to understand your market, you need to know who you want to write for. Starting a blog without any objective will take you nowhere. Once you know this you can easily prioritize the process. Plan everything!
2. Offer Quality posts
Quality posts doesn't really mean using proper grammar, its when you offer real solutions to people. Nobody is free enough to waste time reading junk. You know what I mean by junk? Something that doesn't really help people - useless.
3. Comment on other blogs
By leaving comments on other blogs you not only market your blog but also show authority in your field. Most of the blogs moderate comments, that means only quality comments are welcomed. This way you attract more readers.
4. Optimize your Blog
This could be the toughest part as a newbie blogger, but its one of the most important one. Without optimizing your blog for search engines you aren't doing anything.
5. Use Forums
Forum posting is often looked upon as the best source of backlinks. Just stay active and add your blog signatures - as simple as that.
6. Write Guest Posts
This is a great way to get exposure and let people know you exist. It also increases your blog traffic.
7. Write List Posts
Majority of the Internet users look for list articles. Try to tap them by offering quality list posts.
8. Share ideas to increase traffic
Share your ideas and build trust amongst readers. People are often looking for working formulas. Hiding your secret formulas doesn't work.
9. Write Link bait posts
Write articles people will link to.
10. Technorati
Technorati is one of the best blog directories. A better rank there means guaranteed traffic.
11. Join blogger clubs
Participate in groups by helping other bloggers for a help in return. Bloggers.com could help you with this.
12. Ping Your Blog
Ping your blog with every new article.
13. Join BlogCarnival.com for more traffic
A great source to increase traffic.
14. Use Social Media to boost traffic
Create a Facebook page and promote your blog there. Use #hashtags on twitter with a link to your post.
15. Use Alt Tags for Images
Use keyword rich alt tags for images.
16. Google News
Make sure your website is listed on Google News.
17. Blog Directories
Blog directories send good amount of traffic to your website. Submit to all of them.
18. Use Bookmarking sites
Submit your post links on StumbleUpon, Digg and Reddit.
19. Make use of Squidoo
Squidoo ranks higher in majority of the search engines. You also get a precious backlink.
20. Work hard, don't give up
Making a living from your blog is easily said then done. It takes tremendous amount of hard work to survive in this competitive field. You may not see the results the moment you start. But once you see, no looking back.