Creating a new blog can be very frustrating throughout the first month if nobody reads it. Blog writers need not be discouraged and instead, work on building their audience. Since I started Blooming Marketing, I am a Google Analytics freak for the reason that I really want to know if I have readers. The first thing I do when I wake up is to read my emails and to verify my stats on Google Analytics. My morale goes up and down, having some very surprising or disappointing days. I’ve decided to share my experience with my readers on the ideas I had to have readers and to increase my statistics.  

Attract people to a new blog

1. Assist to events and make yourself stand out from the crowd
   The other day, I went to a networking event and I didn’t talk about my blog. The day after the luncheon, a business man found my blog and subscribed to it, using the following keyword: Marie-Eve Mayrand Calgary. I was delighted since I didn’t talk about my blog that day and now, I have a new follower from that specific event. I guess I made a good impression!
2. QR Code
   QR Codes are innovative and people, by curiosity, like to scan them. It makes you different from others and if it points to an interesting landing page on your blog, the chances are that you might increase your number of subscribers. I created my name tag with my QR code on it for networking events and so far, I had lot of success with it. 
3. Links
   One of my clients, a start-up company, got its first sales for the reason that another website, not related to her industry, was pointing to her company. On top of bringing new visitors, it increases the ranking of your website. Don’t hesitate to ask your friends to share your link and give them in exchange some exposure on your blog. There are also many directories for blogs. Perform a little research for interesting blog directories and add your blog to most interesting ones. So far, blog directories haven’t been very successful for me but I am still hopping it will (or I am just in a period of denial).
4. Create innovative strategies
   Recently, I was very close to reach 100 unique visitors in less than 3 weeks after the launch of my blog. That particular day, I decided to ask my friends, via Facebook, to help me achieve my goal. The day after, I checked my statistics and I had 30 visits that day (some were friends but most of them were people I don’t know)! I was so happy since I surpassed my objectives: 115 unique visits in less than 3 weeks.
5. Talk about your contributors
   In my recent post about QR Codes, I mentioned the name of the person who helped me with my QR Code, his name is Matt. In exchange, Matt and his company thanked me on Twitter. I got some attention from the public and increased my stats again. My advice here: don’t forget to recognize and mention the name of people who helped you; the chances are that they will talk about you as well.
6. Monitor your audience’s behavior
   Some topics grab more attention from your audience; my post about networking and online marketing seems to attract more comments from my audience and people stayed longer on these pages.  Now that I am aware of which subjects attract my audience, I’ll make sure to talk about these topics more often to fill that “market”.
7. Interact with people that make comments
   Interaction seems to be the key so when people write comments to your posts, answer them. Try to interact as much as possible with your followers by asking questions at the end of your posts.
8. Remind people of your recent posts
   When I have a new post, I send a reminder to my friends and my followers on my social media accounts about my blog.
9. Use social media to increase your traffic
   Social media platforms are great! I added my blog URL to my Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. Until now, Facebook brought me 20% of my visitors and Twitter brought me 7.5%.
10. Do some experiments
    For my work, I did a “Day in French in Calgary” and I used Twitter and Facebook to promote the day. Because it was innovative, it gave me lots of exposure on my different social media accounts. That day, my stats on my blog went up like crazy. Do some experiments that are innovative, creative and different from other companies.
11. SEO…!!!
    If you use WordPress for your blog, there are tons of SEO plugins. DON’T WAIT AND USE THEM! Someone found my blog by searching these particular keywords: Marketing Fundraising Calgary Company. My post about Fundraising Event: A Success Story has been found that way.  
12. Be a keynote speaker in your field
    I won’t repeat it enough: give yourself as much EXPOSURE as you can.
13. Use Google Analytics
    Don’t forget to measure your traffic sources (how visitors find your blog). When you know which source is driving more traffic, use that information to build your strategies.  
14. RSS/Subscription Feed burner (that was the hardest part for me!!!)
    Thanks to Jeff Nelson from Anduro and my spouse for helping me here!!! On one hand, WordPress is so easy to use; on the other hand, there are some options that need a little bit more research and technical knowledge. Installing RSS and Subscribers options wasn’t easy and it took me many days to figure out how to do it. Feedburner is great since people can subscribes to my blog and receive my new posts.  

Once I was Alone, but I am not alone anymore!
These are the strategies I used to gain readers/subscribers to my blog. I might have forgotten ways to gain subscribers but these 14 advices can certainly help you expand your audience. Up to now, after less than 1 month and a half, I had 272 visits and 138 absolutely unique visitors. I think my statistics are great since I am not well-known in Calgary.
 

Don’t forget that it is also important to measure your conversion rate.
Getting visitors is great but having them subscribe to the blog is even better. Calls for action will help to guide traffic into leads. I haven’t done much yet to gain subscribers and it’s why I only have a dozen. I have to work on that aspect now.

How many visitors should your blog/website get?
This is the real question, isn’t it? There is a link that will help you figure it out, depending of the size of your business.  According to this website - How Many Visitors Should You Get -, the number of visitors for a website depends on the following variables: size of company, industry, type of product, etc.

I should be happy about my current results but I still wish to bloom my blog even more. Of course, it is just the beginning of it and thanks to all for reading Blooming!

What are your own strategies to increase your audience? Do you use different tactics?