I love the theoretical/deep thinking/branding stuff, but I LOVE the practical stuff. If you’re really set on learning how to grow your blog and turn it into whatever you want it to become, be ready to work hard and work often! Not to scare you away, because it’s completely worth it and fun (it’s your passion!). But it’s definitely work!
Half of the hard work is just trying to figure out what will actually grow your blog. In this post I’ll be sharing some of my favorite tips, tricks, and go-to’s that I’ve really seen results from!
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. These are products that I know, trust, and love!
In the last post (How To Grow Your Blog: Know Your Readers) (opens in a new tab), I talked about using Google Analytics to really zone in on who your readers are, where they’re coming from, and what they’re coming for. That’s probably my biggest tip for growth, so be sure to head over to that post and spend some time analyzing that! Once you’ve done that, come back to this post to learn the practical side of how to grow your blog!
1.) Find a blogging community.
OMG, guys. This ones life-changing EPIC. You absolutely need to find a community of bloggers, whether it’s in real life or virtually. When I joined Food Blogger Pro, (opens in a new tab) it totally changed my life and my blog exploded in growth! Not only are there tons of videos to teach you anything and everything food blogging (including amazing food photography videos!), but the community on there is amazing. I’ve made so many blog friends through Food Blogger Pro (opens in a new tab) and highly highly recommend it for anyone that’s wanting to grow their food blog (or really any blog)! Be sure to take advantage of this 10% off code when you join! (opens in a new tab)
2.) Facebook groups.
This is sort of part 2 of the community thing and can majorly help you grow your blog! These groups are designed to not only create community in your niche, but are also great for promoting each other’s content. Here are some of my favorite groups (but there are a TON of others):
- Blog Engagement/Promotion Group (opens in a new tab)
- Food Blogger Social Promotion (opens in a new tab)
- SHARE My Post! (opens in a new tab)
I found these just by searching “food blog groups” on Facebook. There are tons of groups out there!
3.) Grow Pinterest.
Obvs. This could actually be a super duper long post in and of itself. Maybe I’ll go into it a little more in another post one day (let me know if you’d be down for that in the comments below!!!), but for now, here are the highlights:
- Create a business account
- Make sure your pins are rich pins
- Schedule tons of pins. Tailwind (opens in a new tab) is my ABSOLUTE fave (I’ve tried out several different ones) and highly recommend it. Sign up for Tailwind HERE! (opens in a new tab)
- Pin 50/50 to grow your pinterest account. 50% other people’s content, 50% your content.
- Have amazing, attractive photos.
- Write descriptions on your pins and use words that people might search for.
- Create LOTS of boards (check out my Pinterest account for examples)! (opens in a new tab)
- Join Group Boards (each group board has different ways to join because you have to be invited, so just read the description at the top of each board). If you’re a food blogger, you can check out some of the group boards that I’ve joined! (opens in a new tab)
4.) Improve SEO.
Plain and simple: Use the Yoast SEO plugin! (opens in a new tab) Well, if you have WordPress. Otherwise, this is a great article (opens in a new tab) about how to write blog posts that do well with SEO! Food Blogger Pro (opens in a new tab) has a great course on SEO, as well.
5.) Start sending consistent emails.
I use ActiveCampaign (opens in a new tab) to send out an email every time a new blog post comes out. Nothing fancy, just the first paragraph of the post and a photo! That will probably change soon, as I’m always looking for ways to improve, but even if you do the bare minimum it’s still a great idea. The other tips in this How To Grow Your Blog post help you attract new readers, but sending out a consistent email to those new readers will help them stay engaged and keep them returning to your site!
Be sure to offer a free product to really get people to subscribe!
Next up, we’re talking about where we go from here with How To Grow Your Blog: Be Futuristic! (opens in a new tab)
