How to make my blog popular

When I had a blog account in tripod, I made a conscious effort to get my blog noticed. I was able to get a lot of visitors by doing these...


1) Submit your blog to blog directories and blog communities. I used these services:

Blogarama
Globe of Blogs
BlogWise
Blog Catalog
Blog Search Engine
Blog Hub
Blog Rankings
BlogStreet Profile
Technorati

There are a lot more out there, such as blogshares and blog explosion. There are also specialized blog directories catering to certain demographics, such as blog directories for christians, liberals, or basketball fans. Try googling for those.

2) This may seem a bit crass, but try getting the word out by posting comments in other people's blogs (like what I am doing right now ). Don't forget to include a link to your blog. To make sure your comment isn't just spamming, make sure it's relevant to that blogger's post, and make sure you are contributing something. Don't reply with a simple "yes, i agree".

3) Add your blog URL to your email and forum signatures. Any account you have, make sure you tie it in to your blog.

4) Try to contact other bloggers you visit regularly and ask them to give reciprocal links. Link to them, and ask them to link to you.

5) Have you told your friends IRL about your blog? Blog about your boyfriend/girlfriend and beer mates once in a while, and I'm sure they'll come back from time to time.

6) Make posts that people would want to read. Use provocative titles ("Is God Dead?"), or post about important topics ("Global Warming is causing the violent hurricanes in the US!"). You can even try going to major blog discussion sites (like blogcritics) and try to gently "spam" your posts.

There are probably other ways to promote your blog. My tips are based on my experience, and I've succeeded in getting about over a hundred visitors per day. For a no-name blogger, that is quite an achievement. A tip: Be sure to handle criticism. As your site popularity grows, you will inevitably get a few bad apples. Also, make sure to thank everyone who comments on your posts, whether you agree with them or not. And if they have a blog, visit theirs and look for any post you like and comment on it. It's called reciprocal commenting, and people appreciate that.