How to really get your blog noticed

So you decided to start a blog. You have spent time designing it and creating posts; but now you want more. You feel you are putting in so much work and now you want your blog to be exposed to a larger audience. You want to attract greater opportunities and most of all you want it to be noticed. With hundreds of new blogs being started everyday, how do you make your blog stand out?

 

Here are some tips to help your blog stand out from the crowd.

 

 

  • Be you

First things first, and this might be obvious, but you need to ‘be you‘. Readers connect with real people and they will come back to hear your story, so it’s important to show them who you really are. There’s only one of you, so that’s your USP, tap into it, that will be the reason people will come back to your blog time and time again.

 

  • Write good content

Make sure you write quality posts.  Again this should be obvious, but all your posts should serve a purpose; share your family life, preserve your memories, solve a readers problem or provide a service. Whatever it is, it should do something. Writing about a trip to the supermarket, for example, would tick none of these boxes (unless there was an angle). Before you hit publish think, is there a point to this post? Creating content that is helpful will ensure people keep coming back for your content.

 

  • Realise the power of good visuals

Visuals are so important to a blog. I will be honest, I can click on a blog and click straight back off it if I don’t like the aesthetics. I’m so disappointed if I like the content, but I find the blog is visually unappealing. Does that make me shallow? Probably, but there are so many competing blogs, that to capture my attention for a return visit or possibly a mention on my blog, the blog really has to be the full package.  Good visuals include both graphics for post titles and photography.  Avoid dark, small images they really aren’t appealing.

 

  • Build links outside blogging

A popular post and one that would be noticed, could be an interview with an industry expert, this is not necessarily a blogger.

 

  • Create the post with your social media networks in mind

Make sure that it has a pinnable image (vertical, text on) if it is a post for Pinterest (i.e useful to others).  Attention grabbing headline, that can be shortened for Twitter.  Think about how you will market the post when you are creating it.  I wish I had done this from the start.  Now I have lots of potentially pinnable posts with no pinnable image, and not enough time to update them all.

 

  • Collaborate with other bloggers

Working with other bloggers is beneficial in so many ways. I wrote a post about collaborations recently, so check that one out.  They are a great way to become involved in the community side of blogging, they can increase your traffic and ultimately increase your following.

 

  • Round up post

This must be done in a genuine way, but if you admire bloggers in a certain field, then why not write a post about your top 5 fashion bloggers (for example) and give them a shout out. They will be flattered (who wouldn’t be?!) and they may even share your post.  More importantly though, you will then be on their radar.

 

  • Get your SEO right

Some people will find your blog through Google searching.  But only if you get your SEO right. Investigate which keywords people in your niche are searching for and tailor your posts to include these keywords.

 

  • Choose the right blog theme

This point partly ties in with the visuals comment above, but it is more than just aesthetics; you need a theme that is attractive yes, but functional too. There are free themes, but for a small amount of money (mine was $50) you can purchase a theme that you can customise to a greater extent than with the free options. I have a free WP theme on my portfolio site and I think it looks great. Remember, if people come to your blog and have a tough time navigating, they won’t go away talking about you for the right reasons.

 

  • Make your blog clear and easy to read

I personally feel that text should be black and the background the text is on should be a light colour.  You can always have colour at the sides, as I have. You need your blog to look professional and not give people a headache when they are trying to read a post. Just because you like orange and purple doesn’t mean your posts have to be written in those colours. Read other blogs and see which ones you enjoy reading more from a visual point of view, this might give you some ideas of what would work for your blog.

 

  • Participate in the community

Blogging can take up lots of your time and it can be easy to focus on solely your own blog. However, no one is going to notice you if you do that. You need to comment on other people’s posts and have conversations on social media. Why not retweet people’s content, share on your Facebook page, but make sure it is meaningful and genuine. I have made lots of connections and amazing friends through social media and commenting.  One of my best friends, Amy, came to my attention because she started to leave lovely, meaningful comments on my blog.  She stuck in my mind, I visited her blog and we struck up a friendship.

 

  • Submit your posts to submission sites 

There are many sites that allow you to post your content with links to your blog. For example Stumbleupon and Reddit. Using these effectively can really drive traffic to your blog and increase it’s profile. If people like what they see when they visit, they will come again.

 

  • Guest post

By guest posting on another platform you are opening yourself up to a wider audience, which will hopefully pop over to your blog to read more.  Guest posting on an experienced bloggers blog can be a great way for newer bloggers to gain exposure.

 

  • Being featured

Some linky party hosts pick their favourite post each week and give them a shout out the following week. This can be great exposure and get all the people joining in to be exposed to your post.  It also gives you a lovely backlink. You can also be featured on various other platforms, some bloggers showcase new bloggers or you may be featured on another site, for example Tots100 fresh five.

 

  • Post consistently

This doesn’t mean everyday, but set yourself a schedule that works for you and stick to it. If people like you, they want to know they will be able to read new content regularly. Otherwise harsh as it is, if they check back on your blog and nothing is there they may well forget about you and move on.  Google also likes regularly updated content.

 

  • Go self hosted

This may not be for everyone, but then if you are reading this post you want to be noticed. To earn money, and to signal to people that you are serious, your blog needs to be self hosted (if on WordPress).  As soon as I went self hosted, PRs started to approach me.

 

Getting your blog noticed by other bloggers, readers and brands does take time and quite a lot of effort.  Not everyone can write a post that goes viral.  Most of us have to build our networks and use the points I have highlighted here to raise our profile. What’s helped your blog get noticed?

 

If you want to join my mailing list and get access to my epic Blogger’s Resource vault of cheatsheets and downloads as a welcome gift, you can do that here.

 

 

Do you need more traffic? Better and more frequent opportunities? Here are my tips on how to really get your blog noticed

Comments 76

  2. Yes, yes and yes! Agree with everything here. It seems bloomin’ yonks ago that I first discovered your blog huni! So blessed to have you as my friend.

    Totally recommend people go self hosted f they’re serious about blogging, I think that was the turning point for me in terms of opportunities and thinking actually I can make a living from this.

    Wonderful! Xxx

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  5. Great tips Aby, this has prompted me to write up my Funfest session on working with brands. I think it must be really hard especially for newer bloggers.

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  6. Great tips. I think blog design and layout has to be one of the top things for me. I have read a few blogs which have ‘hard to read’ fonts and weird layouts and it puts me off reading them again. I think writing from the heart is great also, it’s great to see how others live x

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  7. I definitely agree with going self hosted, I wish I had done it ages ago!.
    Love your blogging tips I find them very helpful,
    thanks for sharing more awesomeness 🙂 x

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  8. Thanks (as always) Aby and I also think it is about being patient as things don’t usually grow overnight, but they will get there if you are consistent and do lots of the things you mentioned – well that’s what I am finding anyway 🙂 x

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  9. What a fab post Aby. I loved reading this. Really interesting points and I agree with it all. I’m really focusing on the “be you” part and the community aspect. Thanks for sharing.

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  11. Superb advice as always hun. I think I do about 11/12 of these! I know where I need to improve for sure. Hence why you are Numero 11 in Tots! 😉 xxxx

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  15. Thank you for sharing your valuable lessons. I’m pluggin away at trying to get my blog noticed and it is a bit daunting to figure out what to do first. I’m really going to think about my visuals. I went for a really simple free theme (mainly due to not understanding WordPress enough to go for something more complicated). I’m starting to feel its limitations and that there will be a better one to discover.

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  16. Thanks for a really insightful post. My blog is about a month old and I am really enjoying it…why didn’t I do one before?? I’ll take your top tips on board and hopefully can build a fun, vibrant platform for people to visit. x

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  17. Loads of wonderful ideas there Aby! I know need to go back and read your time management piece so I can get it all done 😉 xxxxxxx

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  18. Great post Aby and all of these points are so relevant for growing a blog and getting it noticed. SEO has really worked for me as has sharing my posts to social sharing sites like StumbleUpon.

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  21. I’ve been self-hosted from the start but it was just about the only sensible I thing. When I think how much time I wasted the first 19 months barely building relationships and avoiding Twitter because it terrified me etc! Thank goodness that’s all changed. Good tips as usual. Saw it come up in my Twitter feed FYI.

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  22. Absolutely spot. on tips here darling!! The blogging world is enormous so getting your blog noticed is absolute key. Finding your own voice is the main thing, I think. I would also add, do as much PR as you possibly can – contact your local press, guest post for others, give comments etc. It all really does help. Wonderful post my lovely, thanks for sharing xxx

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  23. Couldn’t help myself, had to leave a comment and share! LOVE this Aby, it’s like a check list and there are a few things I know I could be so much better at and really should start being (mainly when it comes to the visual side of things). Another awesome post! xx

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  29. Great blog club post again Aby. I think I need to go over all of these points time and time again to get them to stick! Sadly the day job just gets in the way! 😉 #thelist

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  30. Your ‘how to blog’ posts are always so helpful, practical and to the point! I love reading them so please keep them coming!

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  32. Great post – thank you- there are definitely some things for me to work on in here- why are there not more hours in the day??? #TheList

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  34. Thanks for these great tips Aby! I’d hadn’t thought of Reddit – will have to investigate. Like anything, it does take time to build a blog and its reputation. Very useful points – as ever. #thelist

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  36. These are great tips. Sometimes I simply don’t have enough time to do everything and it can feel overwhelming…so one thing at a time and it can really make a difference.

    Angela from dayisnbed xx

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  37. Great tips. It’s so important to take part in the community. Social media, commenting and just having conversations with other bloggers can lead to great things. Networking is very important #TheList

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  38. Great tips! I found that going self-hosted has really helped to increase search engine traffic. I also like StumbleUpon but haven’t looked into Reddit yet which I need to do. It’s so hard to keep on top of everything! #TheList x

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  39. I literally don’t know where I would be without your tips! Thank you so much for writing such inspiring posts. Love Mummy B xxx

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  41. Great post, there are so many blogs now, it is really hard to get noticed, I will keep working away at mine and trying my best. x

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  43. I love this. So many brilliant tips Aby! I really need to work on my SEO, that’s my biggest downfall and I too regret not making pinnable images from the start.
    All new bloggers and old need to read this! x

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  45. Good tips. I don’t think I have nailed how to get stumbleupon to work for helping blog yet, and I have not braved reddit, which I hear scary things about! Have just submitted first couple of guest posts though. #TheList

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  46. Fab post, I’m glad I’m already doing a lot on your list but I’ve still got a long way to go. I really need to start using stumbleupon & reddit. Love the new look blog by the way x #TheList

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  47. Fab fab fab ideas as always! You really write such useful posts, but I must say I do ‘yay’ for each I already do 🙂 #thelist

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  48. Loving the new theme hun!

    Great tips, thanks for sharing. I’m working super hard at the moment to build up my blog. It’s hard work but I know it’ll be worth it. There were some things here I hand’t even thought of so thank you. xx #BrilliantBlogPosts

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  50. Thank you Aby for the above tips. I need to make a list of to-do list from this list. There are so many things to still need to brush up on.

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  51. Great post, thanks for sharing your tips! I’ve been stabbing around in the dark but starting to think I might want to take it more seriously, so this was a v useful read x

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  52. Great tips, this is definitely something I am working on, I need to get better at Social Media. Do you post everything to StumbleUpon? What categories do you use?

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  55. Thank you. I’m brand new to blogging and really don’t know what I’m doing! So this was so helpful. I’m on WordPress at the moment but figure I’ll have to go it alone. My first post only got a couple of hits and it was my ‘background’ story. Kind of like bearing my soul. I’m often tempted to ditch it as perhaps no one likes my soul (being melodramatic!) but I know I need to give it time. Thanks again

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