by Skellie
Photo by Andrew Eglington.
Effective use of time is the main ingredient in creating a thriving blog or website. In this post, I want to explain some high-impact traffic generating techniques you can use that minimize time and effort without minimizing results.
1. Don’t write guest-posts — exchange them. Generally, a guest-post on another blog means one less post on your own blog. This doesn’t have to be the case. Exchanging guest-posts is an idea introduced to me by Trent from The Simple Dollar. It’s exactly what it sounds like: you write a guest-post for another blogger and, in return, they write a guest-post for you. While you’re out promoting, your blog is still freshly updated. It’s an arrangement that allows you to have it all at once.
Like any exchange, though, it should be equal. If the blog you’re swapping guest-posts with is too small, you’re not going to get much in return for your work. If the blog you’re swapping guest-posts with is too big, they won’t see how writing for your audience will benefit them in proportion to the work they have to do.
The obvious solution is to target blogs that are in (roughly) the same stage of growth as yours. This is not the only solution, however. You might still be able to get exposure on a big blog if you ask for less from the other person. For example, you might ask an A-list blogger to write 100 profound words in exchange for 500 from you. The extra exposure will be worth the extra work, and by making it easy for the other person, they’re more likely to accept the exchange.
2. Promote your site during daily tasks. Unless you’re incredibly dedicated, you probably use the internet for more than just blogging. It’s worth thinking about how you might be able to turn seemingly mundane tasks into promotional activities.
- Put your blog’s URL at the bottom of your emails, so each message you send will promote your blog.
- If you participate actively on forums, add your blog’s URL to your forum signature.
- If you use Google Reader, you could share a post from your own blog with others who’re likely to be interested in it.
- Put a link to your blog on your social networking and social media profiles.
- Set Twitter to publish links to new posts from your blog.
3. Practice in-post networking. This can be as simple as finishing a post with a question to a few other bloggers: what do they think about such and such? You’ll probably want to follow-up with an email to make sure they didn’t miss the trackback. While you shouldn’t expect everyone you call upon to write a post relating to your idea, some might — particularly if your original post was food for thought.
Opinion-based topics are likely to get more uptake, especially if you call upon bloggers who’re likely to have strong thoughts about what you’ve written. If it only takes an extra minute to ask the question at the end of a few select posts, it’s definitely worth doing. Aside from the potential traffic benefits, engaging with other bloggers enriches your niche as a whole.
4. Release a ‘Best of’ eBook. Freebies generate excitement, links and traffic. An eBook of your ten best posts is a great way to introduce your blog to new readers. If you’re not too fussy about production values, you can put an eBook together in 15 minutes. Other eBook options are: publishing a post-series (I did this recently), collating your best posts in the past year, or collating your best posts on a particular topic to create something with a theme.
5. Build a mailing list and use templates. Whether you want others to link to you, vote for your articles or answer a question, emailing others to ask them a favor is time-consuming yet rewarding. Often, time-constraints stop bloggers doing this often. But if we look at what makes emailing a number of people time consuming, we can see that it doesn’t have to be.
First, create a few different mailing lists you can use in different situations — for example, one for social media votes, one for questions, one for sharing your work, and so on. Keep them in a safe place. By saving your mailing lists, you can make sure this is a job you only need to do once.
Secondly, for each group email you need to send, develop one template you can use. Even though you might end up sending the template email to a large number of people, aim to make it sound personal. This can usually be done just by greeting the intended recipient by name and addressing them as an individual rather than a group. Put plainly: you don’t want your template email to read like a template email.
Remember that templates are one person, one use. If you cut and paste the same email to ask for social media votes, for example, the process is going to seem uncomfortably mechanical.
***
Thanks to everyone who put up with my mini blogging vacation. Content will resume its usual rhythm from today 
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34 Comments, Comment or Ping
OldSailor
#1:Exchange of guest posts is nice.
Apr 9th, 2008
Vinh Le
I wonder is it better to turn your best posts into an ebook or just a page on your blog?
Apr 9th, 2008
Mark
Nice tip about exchanging guest posts, Skellie! You are a GENIUS!!
Apr 9th, 2008
Simon
Good post Skellie. I was just wondering how and where do you save mailing lists? In an excel file? And templates, are they different designs or just, predefined texts?
Happy thoughts
Apr 9th, 2008
Mary Jaksch I GoodlifeZen
I didn’t get that bit about the email template. If you use a template, how can it be personalised??
As to Twitter, I’ve just started using it. I reckon it may be useful as a promo tool. But I’m wondering: is using Twitter turning me into a Twat?
Apr 9th, 2008
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey
Welcome back, Skellie. You’ve been sorely missed. Great advice, as always.
I will take issue with the guest post idea, though. I’ve found that guest posting is almost always beneficial, whether it’s an exchange or not. Even if it’s a smaller blog, 30 new subscribers is still 30 new subscribers.
And, I’m not above sending folks from my blog to the guest post. There are always plenty of links back to me in the guest post, so I’m confident they’ll return.
Just my $.02.
Apr 9th, 2008
J.D. Meier
What did you learn on your mini blogging vacation that surprised you?
@VINH - I think it’s AND — ebook and page. There’s something about turning Web pages into an ebook. For the reader, it’s an enhanced experience (depending on how well you craft your ebook.) For the community, it’s a “thing” to be shared. For example, on one of my projects, I had 800,000 downloads of my ebook within six-months. Those downloads drove more sharing and buzz. In another project, I didn’t create an ebook and it’s as if the project never happened. This was a key learning for me.
Apr 9th, 2008
Bruce from Brucisms.com
Welcome Back Skellie!
I add one word of caution to the group email. Manage the group wisely. If the group gets too big - it can create problems:
1. It can be time consuming to reciprocate other requests
2. You must make sure that the quality of the other group members is up to your standards.
Definitely need to try the guest post swap and the eBook idea!
Thanks (as usual - great advice)
Bruce
Apr 10th, 2008
Matt
I like the idea of exchanging guest posts, but if I were trying to get my guest post on a larger-scale blog (like Skelliewag, problogger, copyblogger, etc) then I would probably not bother with asking them for a post in return. I imagine it would be hard enough writing high quality post that they would even accept on their blog, let alone tell them they have to write me a post.
On the other hand, if you could actually get an A-List blogger to post something on your smaller blog, it would likely create a lot of buzz. (”Wow, Darren Rowse posted on Matt’s little blog. That means Matt must have a pretty good blog.”)
Apr 10th, 2008
PlanningQueen
Well timed post for me. I am in the process of putting together and e-book on my 10 things posts and I will be able to check yours our for ideas on formatting, presentation etc. Thanks!
Apr 10th, 2008
Tim
I have recently been considering making an eBook of the popular posts on my blog. I haven’t been sure if I should wait until I get more content or go with a good collection of 10-15 solid articles. I write about personal development and productivity.
What do you all recommend?
Apr 10th, 2008
simple mom
Like the e-book idea. I loved your recent e-book, by the way! It was very helpful and practical.
Apr 10th, 2008
Mark Dykeman
Nice to see you back, Skellie!
No. 1 was an interesting idea that I hadn’t considered.
My “Catch The Brainwaves” series has been quite a time-saver because I basically E-mail questions to the interviewee and have them do virtually all of the writing - it’s almost like a guest post! Most of them are usually kind enough to link back.
I’m interested in creating an E-Book, but I have to admit that the idea of having an appealing design has held me back. Maybe it’s less important than I think.
Apr 10th, 2008
Gizmo
Excellent post. I especially like the idea of exchanging posts.
Apr 10th, 2008
Troy Duncan
I like the first 3 ideas about exchanging guest posts, using sig files, and in-post networking.
I plan on implementing all three very soon.
Apr 10th, 2008
Ali from The Office Diet
Welcome back, Skellie! I’m glad to say I’m already doing some of the above suggestions — the reciprocal guest posts one is a great idea, though (I had a spate of guest-post writing a couple of weeks ago and struggled to get decent posts done every day for The Office Diet too).
I’ve not tried an e-book yet but it’s something I’m considering: I’d love to see you post a bit more on how best to structure, produce and distribute a high-quality “best of” type e-book that would draw in regular readers.
Hope you enjoyed your mini blog-vacation!
Best,
Ali
Apr 10th, 2008
QuietRebelWriter
Yay! Skellie’s back!
Great post. I’m particularly intrigued by the “Best of” Ebook. A terrific idea that I’m going to incorporate.
Welcome back!
Apr 10th, 2008
skellie
@ Simon: I just save the email addresses in a text file. Probably not the best solution, but it works well enough :).
@ Mary: My point is that it should seem personalized. Using a template is wise and often inevitable, but if you take the time to greet the recipient by name or perhaps add a sentence unique to them, you’ll get much higher uptake. I don’t think people feel very compelled to act on emails that seem like they were emailed to a mass audience.
@ Bob Younce: Thanks Bob. I am definitely a big fan of guest-posting, but you might find that guest-posting on a blog much much smaller than yours will yield fewer benefits than if you’d written the post on your own blog where it could receive social media votes and links from a wider audience. That’s where I’m coming from about the point on making sure it’s an equal exchange.
@ J.D. Mier: That if you take a little break your subscribers won’t leave you. In fact, today the subscriber count on both my blogs is the highest it’s ever been. I guess people like me better when I’m gone ;).
I also learned that it’s nice to have a break sometimes. Which was actually more profound for me than it sounds :).
@ Matt: I think even a one-sentence guest-post from an A-list blogger could be a point of interest for the blog. It’s something out of the ordinary, sort of like when a celebrity visits your business! But you do make a good point. The more popular the blogger is, the harder it will be to get an exchange. The method is probably at its strongest when both blogs are roughly the same size.
@ Tim: Go for it! There’s really no better time than now.
Thanks to everyone else for your comments and kind words. I read each of your comments, even if I don’t always have time to respond. I appreciate it!
Apr 10th, 2008
camelia
Very helpful post, i still new in blog world, but i learn from you!
Apr 12th, 2008
Internet Junkie
I like the ideas of guest-posting and e-book; I already use the signatures and I try to stick my blog’s rss everywhere I can (Squidoo lenses, Facebook profile…)
Apr 15th, 2008
Melody Campbell, The Small Business Guru
Skellie!
I love your best of ebook idea. And I love YOUR ebook. I can’t wait to refer this to my podcast listeners and the business players that I coach.
Apr 15th, 2008
Rob O.
Matt, by sheer coincidence, this actually happened to me yesterday! I’d done one other stint as a guest blogger a few months ago, but this time none other than Darren himself accepted & published an article of mine.
Sure, I’m eager to see what this does for my stats, but more than anything else, I’m just truly honored. And it has me already thinking about other guest blogging opportunities…
By the way, Skellie, I also had some nice, glossy business cards printed up with our site name, URL, & email address. We spread those cards around liberally!
And one other little sneaky trick… Around November each year, we always print custom return address labels for use on our Christmas cards. And we also created a custom (non-Holiday-themed) return address label that we use throughout the rest of the year. Both label designs feature our URL at the bottom!
Apr 16th, 2008
Ralph
Skellie, thank you for this great article, because i want to start my own blog in this summer, hope so
Your article will help me to think about my blog-strategy again and improve perhaps.
I will print out this article and read with one coffee. thanks again.
Ralph
Apr 20th, 2008
Trish
welcome back and these are great tips. I have learnt a lot from you - I need to learn how to use twitter I think.
Apr 24th, 2008
Travel Business
Very handy tips. I like the idea of exchanging guest posts. Always a benefit for both!
-David
May 2nd, 2008
charu
Thanks for this great article.. It will be helpful for me to generate traffic even on my website and blog.. I’ll try to follow these steps and ways and hope it will be of good help.
May 11th, 2008
moserw
Great post once again. Shall always be thankful to Tibi Puiu from the Lost Art Of Blogging for introducing me to this blog. Really useful information shared. Going to implement them!!!
May 11th, 2008
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