Diary of an ExSloth

Tales of Food, Fitness & Healthy Living

5 ways to grow your blog without breaking the bank

by 70 Comments

This post contains affiliate links however, all opinions are my own.

Hey Friends! How’s it goin?

I’ve been getting a bit more traffic to the blog recently and at first I thought it was because I’d started posting more often – 3 times a week vs. once a week. But, after thinking about it, I realised there were a lot of small things I did here an there that – together – made a big difference. So today, I wanted to share a few of them with you.

5 Tips to Grow your blog without breaking the bank via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

 

1. Join communities

The first big increase in my blog stats came when I joined online communities for bloggers. Health and fitness groups like SweatPink and Girls Gone Sporty were my first introduction to the online blogging community. Then came the SITS Girls’ #SITSBlogging twitter chat (formerly #SITSShareFest) and content sharing communities like this one.

Spend some time looking at what’s available and then try to join a couple that fit you. And remember, these groups aren’t about forcing your content down everyone’s throats. Meet people, make connections and little by little your presence in the blog world will grow.

2. Pin. Pin. Pin. (and other social media)

I held off on joining Pinterest for a really long time because I was sure it would just snowball into one big distraction. But I’m so glad I eventually took the plunge. Pinterest is consistently in my top 5 referral sources and I would have missed out on tons of traffic if I hadn’t joined. These days I schedule my pins using a service called Tailwind App, but it isn’t absolutely necessary to schedule pins. It just makes it easier (more on that in #5).

Quick tip: The images in your posts are a huge deal for Pinterest so take time to create good great ones. PicMonkey and Canva are two popular (and free) online tools for good blog graphics if you don’t have access to more sophisticated software, like Photoshop, or are pressed for time.

3. Comment on and share other blogs

I’m a pretty reserved person in new situations, including online. So when I first started blogging and reading other blogs, I barely commented. HUGE mistake.

Commenting on other blogs not only gets a link back to your site (sometimes), it also helps build invaluable connections with other bloggers. I’ve made a lot of blogging friends just from consistently reading and commenting on their posts and then sharing them. They, in turn, comment on my posts and share them, sending new visitors my way. The blogging community is just that – a community – so don’t forget to do your part.

4. Participatie in Link-Ups

Participating in link-ups is a great way to get your content out there, but it can also be time consuming if you try to link up to too many. Link-up etiquette usually requires a link back to the blog in your post and you NEED to socialize. Scan through the other links and find some that interest you and then comment and/or share. Doing a ‘link and run’ may be tempting but it isn’t worth it, trust me. You’ll see much more engagement from other bloggers if you play nice.

5. Schedule

This isn’t a direct way to increase traffic but it’s definitely a factor. Pre-scheduling reduces the stress of trying to stay on top of everything at once and frees up time for other blogging related activities. 

I don’t know about you, but I do most of my online reading in the middle of the night which isn’t always the ideal time to share. Being able to schedule social media posts for a time when they’ll be more relevant is great. Scheduling my blog posts has also been a life saver since I started posting multiple times a week because it makes it much easier to stay organized and produce quality content consistently, which is arguably the most important part of blogging.

BONUS: Attend the Blog Well Summit 

blog well summit
I’ve always wanted to go to a blogging conference because it’s a great way to learn more, meet other bloggers, connect with brands and get your name out there. BUT, most are pretty expensive. So when I found out about the Blog Well Summit I was pretty stoked.

The Blog Well Summit is a virtual conference series for health and wellness bloggers that gives you all the perks of a regular blogging conference, without the travelling and expenses. The first Blog Well Summit is happening on October 17-19, 2014 and covers Blog Design, Development & Branding. You can find out more and sign up to join the mailing list here. Attendance is free and the sessions sure to be insanely informative so I highly suggest you checkout the Blog Well Summit!

Looking for more posts about blogging? Try these:

What about you?

What free or less costly tips do you have for growing a blog? Have you heard of the Blog Well Summit? Are you planning to attend?

Share in the comments below!
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This post was included in the following linkups: Friday Favorites, #FFavorites, Fitness Friday, Friday Five, Weekly Wrap Up, FYI Friday

Comments

  11. Tricia's Mostly Healthy Life says

    These are great tips! I have found that working ahead reduces the stress of posting right away just to be sure content is up. I cannot say that I have been the best at it but when I do it, it works.

    I need to become more involved in Pinterest. I find it difficult to stay on top with a full time job and blogging, marketing and regular life stuff. I think I may ditch Facebook for Pinterest.

    Reply

  12. Natalie says

    Great tips! I’ve been trying out several of these recently as well (including the Blog Love group, which is totally awesome!!), and I can definitely see an increase in comments, blog readership, and social media following. I still need to figure out the best way to use Pinterest–I have a tendency to just pin randomly whenever I feel like it!
    Natalie recently posted…A Short History of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel

    Reply

  15. Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says

    Great ideas! When I first started blogging, I was too shy to bring too much attention to my blog! I wanted everything to look perfect before I started getting the word out there. Then, I realized I would never get everything as perfect as I wanted it! I’ve started commenting a lot more, and it makes the experience so much more fun!

    I’ve been loving reading your posts since I found your blog last month!
    Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine recently posted…Double Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Muffins {Gluten Free, Sugar Free}

    Reply

  18. Ashley @ A Lady Goes West says

    Hi Giselle, I found your blog via the SPA group. I completely agree with all of your advice, and had actually never used Canva before, so thanks for that tip. I mostly rely on PicMonkey. The other advice I would add is to find out if there are blogging groups in your city or town. I’ve just started meeting some fellow San Francisco bloggers and it’s been a great way to make connections IRL. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
    Ashley @ A Lady Goes West recently posted…Friday Favorites: A bunch of fun stuff

    Reply

  22. Ricki @ The Questionable Homesteader says

    I’m just getting started with the communities, and will absolutely be taking your suggestion of looking for more to join. Although, I might want to take it slow with the joining, I don’t want to sign up for more than I can manage.
    In the past I’ve found that a large portion of my viewers have come from Link Parties and commenting on other blogs. I made a rule several months ago that if something is worth commenting on, it’s worth sharing.
    Consistency for me is a big thing. I found that I had more traffic when I was posting regularly than not.

    Thanks for the great tips.
    Ricki @ The Questionable Homesteader recently posted…Stuffed Enchilada Shells

    Reply

  25. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

    Love this. These are all so valuable. Love these groups to join. That’s my next step and I love your suggestions! Thanks for the Pinterest sites I’ve been trying to find a good resource to get my pictures more pinable. Hope you have a great day thanks again for sharing your tips!
    Sam @ PancakeWarriors recently posted…Stuffed Peppers, Two Ways!

    Reply

  29. Joanne T Ferguson says

    G’day! Great tips and thanks for sharing at our #SayGdayParty
    Please make sure to revisit if you haven’t already to Say G’day to the hosts and another person at the party!
    Cheers! Joanne @ What’s On The List Pinned

    Reply

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