Blogging about… blogging

~ Elaine Jeremiah

blogging

I’ve been thinking lately about how I might generate more traffic to my blog.  Yes I get a fair few comments on it, but I’d like to be able to reach out to more people.  That way I can get myself and my writing ‘out there’ so to speak, and have a bigger audience.

Having read other people’s blogs, some with a huge number of followers, some with less, I realise that there are various things I could do to increase the number of people following my blog as well as increasing the number of visits to my blog.

The blogs that have the most followers tend to have links to various other sites, which makes their own site kind of like a hub.  These successful bloggers also tend to pick an aspect of writing which they choose to blog about.

Their chosen aspect tends to be related to what their writing is concerned with – I guess that’s obvious, but not all bloggers do the same.  But many do choose to blog about genre writing, so for example romance, if this is what their burgeoning novel is concerned with, or fantasy if they’re writing in that genre, and so on.

Truly successful bloggers will thoroughly engage with their audience.  So they will often ask a question at the end of their blog post inviting their followers to comment in return, to participate.  Sometimes if there’s a promotion going on that the blogger is involved with, say to do with that blogger promoting their latest novel, they will do a giveaway and that in turn increases the popularity of that blog.

So where does this leave me and my blog?  Well I should mention another important aspect of a successful blog – regular updates! I’m not so good with this; life takes over as well as writing (and currently editing) my novel and I don’t get around to it, and by the time I check back to my blog a whole week has passed since I did a new post!

Well I’m not going to beat myself up about that – I do what I can.  But I would like to try to aim for two blog posts a week initially, and then maybe increase over time.  I think it’s so important to engage with other writers and bloggers.  We give each other a confidence boost that way and it enables us to promote our work for free, as well as getting other people’s opinions on it – if we share bits of it as I do.

OK, to recap a good blog is updated regularly, it engages with its audience, it provides links to other interesting sites and it has information that people will find relevant and helpful.

And finally I’d like to share with you a list of a few of the blogs that I enjoy reading and that you may do too:

Jade Reyner

A Writer’s Life For Me

My Random Muse

Write me a book, John

And now for my question, what do you find most helpful about the blogs that you enjoy following the most?  As always your comments are much appreciated!

 

 

 

 

Published by Elaine Jeremiah

I live with my husband and dog in the UK. I'm the author of four novels, my latest being a Jane Austen fan fiction time travel romance, 'Love Without Time'.

20 thoughts on “Blogging about… blogging”

  1. I was reading this wondering if you might mention some successful bloggers. Then you did! And I saw me! 🙂

    But if there was one thing that I would suggest for more traffic it’d be to interact with other bloggers on their blogs. Cause what’s the first thing you do when an unknown blogger comments or Likes something or follows your blog? You click their name and look at theirs. It works.

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    1. You’re quite right there John, thanks for flagging that up. I do enjoy reading and commenting on other bloggers’ sites too, and it’s very important to do as it means you find other blogs to follow as well as people following yours. 🙂

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  2. I do mostly follow writers’ blogs, but as well as writing, I love hearing about what they get up to when they’re not writing! Writing tips are always useful. Umm…humour, funny pictures, cat pictures, funny cat pictures…all good! 😉

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  4. Thank you so much for the link here Elaine – sorry I have only just waded through my emails and found it 🙂 I am having a similar dilemma with the traffic thing and I am trying to work out the best way to focus my blog. One of the things that has been suggested to me is to participate in the challenges so I am going to try the Daily Post Writing 201 Challenge which starts on the 2nd June. The only issue with this is that you have to post every day (except weekends) so I don’t know if you will be able to do that – I don’t know if I will! LOL. If I think of any other ideas then I will let you know. It is about capturing the imagination of your readers I suppose but precisely how you do that, I do not know! 🙂 x

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    1. Hi Jade, no prob I can sympathise with having to wade through emails, I have that same problem!! Glad you appreciate the link. 🙂

      With regards to your blog, from my point of view you seem to have loads of traffic – or maybe that’s just me??!! Anyway, you’re right, it is a difficult thing to achieve and there’s no real straightforward answer – or at least there isn’t one that doesn’t involve a lot of blogging ha ha!

      I’m not sure about the daily blogging challenge – it sounds good but it also sounds like a lot of hard work and I may be a bit too zonked from doing my placement. But it’s definitely something to think about.

      I think you capture the imagination of your readers really well BTW. 🙂

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      1. Awww… thank you Elaine, that’s really kind of you to say. I am having a bit of a ‘blog overhaul’ at the moment and trying to work out which posts are the best in terms of keeping people interested and wanting to read. It is hard work. If you fancy trying that challenge then I can send you the link but I know what you mean about being zonked. I am not sure how long I will last but I am going to give it my best shot! 🙂

        And I always enjoy your blog, so don’t think that you are getting it wrong because you are not. It is tough out there. 🙂

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    2. You’re welcome and it’s true! Yes, do send me the link, I will read up on the info but I don’t promise I’ll take part lol!! And you’re absolutely right – blogging is hard work.

      BTW I’ve pretty much finished editing ‘Reunion of the Heart’. My mum’s offered to proofread it for me, which will save me some money and I know she’ll do a fab job as she’s very talented when it comes to spelling and grammar amongst other things! Only trouble is that she and my dad are going away on holiday the week after next, so it may be a while before she can actually proofread it for me.

      But at least that means I have the extra time while she’s away to go over it with a fine tooth comb and iron out any inconsistencies etc. Thanks again for your beta reading input – it’s much appreciated! 🙂

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      1. You are more than welcome and I hope that it was helpful 🙂 I am glad that you are able to get your Mum to help you out with the proofreading. It is great to be able to save money as and where you can and I for one can’t wait to read the edited version! 🙂 I will find the link and email it to you. 🙂

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  5. Pingback: My blogging journey | Elaine Jeremiah

  6. I saw your post on Catherine Ryan Howard’s blog and decided to hop over here.

    I enjoy going to blogs that humor me. There are quite a few where education is the goal. I learn more about self publishing or the business of writing.

    I would like to blog a bit more. I, too, joined the upcoming Daily Writing Post 201 Challenge. I don’t know if I can blog every day. I’ll do the best that I can. I’m going to set up posting by email so that I can post at work if I have something to say. I hope to at least get two or three posts in a week.

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    1. Hi Danielle. Thanks for your comment. I would ideally like to post a bit more often, but sometimes life gets in the way. Posting by email is a good idea, but I’m not sure how to do that lol. 🙂 Thanks for following this blog BTW. I’m following yours too now. 🙂

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