Blogging 101: Gaining Readership.

Getting your blog read by others can be one of the hardest things when you start a new blog. Your numbers are low and you feel discouraged. When I first started Edge of Insanity, I was getting maybe 20 views a day and I felt like a failure. I kept thinking "How is it other new blogs are getting a ton of traffic when I can barely get a view a day?". It can be a scary thing when you don't know how to get readers. Luckily, there are a few things you can start with to getting readers:

• Put your blog URL in your e-mail signature. When you send e-mails, recipients will see your blog URL and will be curious as to what it's about.
• Put your blog URL on your forum signatures. Same thing with the e-mail signature- users will see your blog URL on your forum posts and visit.
• Update Facebook statuses with blog posts. Your friends will eventually make their way to your blog.
• Join blog hops. There are a TON of blog hops available, like the Weekend Blog Share Project (formerly known as the Weekend Blog Walk) where you post engaging topics and leave a link to the actual post.
• Use SEO correctly. How you use keywords and labels effects how search engine users find your website. If you write a post about a hot chocolate recipe that uses white chocolate, don't put "hot chocolate recipe" as the only label. Be sure to list key ingredients (i.e. "white hot chocolate recipe", etc.) so that people looking for a recipe like that can find you.
• Asking questions for your readers at the end of your posts encourages them to write their experiences or ideas. 
• Comment on other blogs. Bloggers follow other bloggers and it's a great way to network! Leave a genuine comment on one of their posts and then leave your blog URL at the end. 
• Install an incentive app/widget on your blog. PunchTab offers loyalty and achievement programs where visitors receive a badge (visits, comments, likes, tweets, +1s, etc.). Visitors will want to visit more often to see which badge they receive each day. 
• Supply your own prize for giveaways. When you're first starting out, finding sponsors for giveaways can be hard. Many companies look at your blog stats because they want a blog that a) fits their niche for SEO reasons and/or b) has a lot of readership for maximum traffic. Supplying your own prize (even if it's just a $5 Amazon ecard) for a giveaway can help you gain readers.
• When you do decide to hold giveaways, ask entrants to subscribe to your blog through Feedburner.

Remember, keeping a blog is hard work and you are always evolving as a blogger. So you will eventually find new ways to find new readers and keep loyal ones!

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