Like Weeds: Some tips that helped me in growing my blog

I was asked by a friend for some tips on growing your blog. Here's what I told her. Add any advise you have! 



As a starter, you should just focus on getting some attention. A good way to do this is to follow and comment on other people's blogs, and leave your URL so people can check you out if they want. Be genuine in your comments, and never say "Follow me back!" Also, never expect someone to follow you simply because you commented. I set a goal to comment on 5 blogs a day, whether I'm a new or old follower.

Another good way to get some attention is to sponsor other blogs, and have the option to sponsor on your blog. Prices will vary based on blog size. A lot of blogs offer an ad "swap," where you can trade buttons and advertise for each other for free. You generally do ad swaps with blogs that are equal in size to your blog. As your blog grows and people want to sponsor you, this will turn into a way for you to make money. I'll post more on making money with your blog.

Start a Facebook page! Invite your friends to like the page, and use "liking the Facebook Page" as an entry for giveaways. Post all your blog updates and posts onto this page so that followers can get the latest! Also start a Twitter for your blog (or just yourself and use it for both). I also linked the two together, so that when I post something to Facebook, it also goes onto Twitter (on Facebook, there's an option to do this). 

Once you get to 50 followers, you can host your first giveaway! If you have a shop or blog who wants to do the giveaway for you, great! If not, use your own creativity. Giveaway something you made or something of value. I've even seen giveaways for gift cards! Using Rafflecopter is a really good way to make giveaways more organized (versus counting a bunch of comments and choosing one at random). Have giveaways as often as you want to.

Once you reach 100, you can start deciding on your permanent blog name. Hopefully at this point, you've developed a style and a specific audience. Decide on a concise, catchy blog name, and get your own URL! You can use sites like GoDaddy.com. To find out if your blog name is taken, simply search for it. I considered the name "I've Been Framed" when I got to this point, but when I searched ivebeenframed.com, it was taken, and the people who owned it wanted to sell it for $10,000! I decided on The Framed Lady, which was available for $12.99/year, which is a pretty typical price.

When you know what you want your permanent blog name to be, you can also invest in a blog design. I'll tell you now that just because you pay more doesn't mean it's a better design. You can find some great designers who are just starting out and are willing to give you a great deal. My designer found me and asked if I'd be interested in a $20 blog makeover. I jumped on it. You don't need to pay $200. Do some research, or barter with a friend.

At this point, you're doing all of the major things to get attention for your blog.
Have a button
Sponsor/be sponsored
Ad swaps
Facebook page
Twitter
Giveaways
Have a name and a design

Remember that these guidelines are not hard rules - they are just what worked for me. One of the biggest things to remember as a blogger is to be genuine. If you find that your pageviews (and confidence) are low, or that you're writing more for the attention than you are for yourself, consider taking a break from the attention aspect. I did. When you've regained your perspective an motivation, try again. A good thing to notice is that if blogging ever starts to feel like a chore, you're doing something wrong.

Good luck! Email me with any additional questions at tesiahwilk@yahoo.com, or leave your question in the comments.