How to Gain Readership

I was checking out a fairly new blogger, who commented:

Does anybody have a fail-safe way to meaningfully increase traffic? I've been blogging for a few months now, and it kind of sucks that only a few people actually read my blog. Readership is growing but tooooo slow for my ADHD tastes ...

Friend, we've all been there. Initially, you feel as though you're rolling pebbles down a mountain. They start rolling, then stop. Some seem to gain momentum, then slow down. Occasionally, they hit another pebble, and you think you've got something started.

No. That second pebble just teeters for a few mini-seconds, then settles back in place.

It's a slow process. You can speed it up by taking topics from your latest posts, and doing a Google on those terms. When you get a blog hit, follow the link, and make a comment. Be sure to include a link to your post.

Over time, you'll see traffic pick up. Yeah, I know, it seems to take forever! But, there' s a snowball effect - once one person picks you up, they often recommend a friend check it out.

Another way to build traffic is to promote other bloggers. Then, make sure you send the link to them - who doesn't like to hear that their blog is wonderful? Warning - don't do this with everyone. Be selective. But, try to promote other bloggers without a huge readership. Instapundit doesn't need another blogger mentioning his wonderfulness. But, somewhat lesser-known bloggers, like Eternity Road (Haven't you read it? You're missing a real treat!) and Boobs, Injuries, and Dr. Pepper (Quirky AND funny - don't neglect the archives, they'll make you bawl), and Betsy's Page (she's only small by Instapundit standards - she sees more traffic in a day than I see in 3), will often take the time to respond to a meaningful link.