Past Blog Talk Tuesdays topics include:
- How to Start a Blog, Blog Focus, Self Hosting and More
- Blogger Safety
- Company Outreach: Receiving Free Products, Hosting Giveaways, Posting Product Reviews and More
- Connecting with Other Bloggers
- Rising Above Negativity
- Balancing Blogging and Real Life
Today’s topic addresses the most common questions I receive related to blogging. How do I get more readers? How do I grow my blog? Let’s dig in!
Blogging and Blog Readership
- What do you think is the most important factor in having a successful blog?
Without a doubt, quality content. But what does that mean? To me, quality content is content that is thoughtful, engaging and entertaining. It all goes back to my number one tip for bloggers: Create a blog you would want to read.
This is all about being yourself and writing content that you find exciting and fun.
I’ll be the first to admit that my blog doesn’t cover mind-blowing topics. My blog is light-hearted and my goal with my content is to make you smile, while creating a space where we can share ideas and experiences and simply have fun.
I want PBF to be a positive place on the internet and try to write content that reflects this. I love writing about the things I feature on this blog and figure that the people who read my blog likely have similar interests to me and might share similar experiences.
If readers don’t like my content, there are a billion other blogs out there with amazing content about anything and everything in the world, so they would probably be a fantastic reader for a different blog out there. You shouldn’t waste your time trying to write in a way that’s not true to yourself just as you shouldn’t waste your time reading a blog that makes you unhappy or irritates you – including my blog! I’ve spent too much time reading blogs that never made me feel good inside and I have no idea why.
I don’t want to change my blog or my writing because that would be inauthentic and readers can always tell when you’re not being true to yourself. Trying to write in a way that makes everyone happy and keeps everyone entertained is impossible.
I simply make sure I am writing a blog I think I would personally want to read if I were an objective blog reader.
- Why do some bloggers get all hot and bothered about sharing their readership statistics?
I used to never understand this either and then one day it hit me. Asking a blogger how many page views they have or how many people read their blog is almost like asking a person what their salary is, especially if the person makes a majority of their income off their blog.
I would never in a million years ask a friend of mine how much money they make and I think many bloggers feel that this question is a little inappropriate since you may be able to figure out how much money they make from these statistics and a person’s salary, whether they’re a blogger or not, is something that many people prefer to keep private.
As for me, I share this information with Ryan and my family and even discussed it openly with two of my roommates (Hi Tina and Courtney!) at the Healthy Living Summit. We were very candid and comfortable with each other and shared our personal statistics because sometimes it’s nice to know as a blogger where you stand for your personal growth and developmental goals since you can’t look up statistics related to blogging on the internet like you can with any other job out there.
- Do you think quality photographs are really important to have a successful blog?
I’m probably in the minority when I say I don’t think amazing photographs are imperative to have a successful blog, though I think this also depends on the genre of your blog. Beautiful pictures seem much more important if you have a blog dedicated solely to recipes and food. I think that gorgeous photos definitely help, but I read many blogs that have pixelated pictures or no pictures at all and I read them for the content.
Of course I think a blog looks more professional when the pictures are clear and vibrant. Quality pictures make a great first impression and make me take the blogger more seriously when I first visit.
My pictures are far from professional. I like to use pictures to help tell a story, but I use my words to really get the point across. Photography isn’t a genuine interest of mine, so while I appreciate pretty pictures, they aren’t what keep me coming back to a blog. I’m all about the content!
As long as photos are sharp and clear, I think that hours and hours of photo-editing are unnecessary for many blog genres out there… but that’s just my opinion!
- How do you increase blog readership?
Buckle up! This is a long one.
I believe every single blogger out there wants people to read their blog. It seems like so many bloggers feel like they can’t say, “Yeah, I want you to read my blog!” but clearly they do, otherwise why would they write a public blog when they could just have a private journal?
Do I want people to read my blog? Of course! But growing my blog and increasing my blog readership is not my main motivation when blogging. My main motivation is simply fulfilling my passion for writing. It’s what I love. It energizes and excites me and serves as a release. Blogging is my “me” time. But blog readers keep me going. You inspire me and give me ideas. You are the fuel that keeps PBF running.
I created this blog as an outlet to write about things I enjoy rather than pharmaceuticals like I did in my full-time job. I wanted a place where I could share food and fitness ideas with my family and friends. When other people started reading it, I was so excited and my blog began to shift into a space on the internet that felt more like an open place where I could connect with other people who shared my similar interests.
I then started to view my blog as a platform for other opportunities like freelance writing which was my main goal and dream job. It was then that I began to actively attempt to put my blog out there.
Don’t sit back and expect things to happen.
I am being 100 percent honest when I say that I didn’t just sit behind the computer and blog and cross my fingers, hoping that my blog would grow organically. I put a lot of time and effort into putting it out there.
When people say “Go comment on other blogs!” as their main advice for increasing blog readership, I find this a bit insincere. I want to comment on blogs that compel me to comment, not just as a means to get my name out there. Yes, commenting on other blogs is a great way to get people to click on your name in the comments section of a blog and visit your blog, but brainstorm other outlets that you can pursue that could expose your blog to more people.
Look into local media outlets.
For example, when I lived in Orlando, I reached out to a bunch of local papers, blogs and magazines and inquired about freelance opportunities while also sharing information about my blog. Starting locally was great because I naturally had something in common with the people I was reaching out to about PBF.
(No, Newsweek was never contacted. I know my audience. 
)
As a very new blogger, local outlets were surprisingly receptive to me and my blog. I was featured in Brink Magazine (page 14), a local Orlando publication, and on the Pulse of Central Florida blog within 13 months of starting my blog.
Utilize social media.
I’ve said it before, but hop on the Twitter and Facebook bandwagon. I didn’t join Twitter until I had been blogging for seven months… and now Twitter is the number one referrer of people to my blog. It’s legit. My friend Dru is a small business owner and told me I had to get on it. I felt totally awkward about tweeting and tweeting to other people at first, but like everything else, the more you use it the more natural it becomes.
Starting a Facebook page was also a good idea because I’ve found that while Twitter is utilized by many bloggers, nearly everyone is on Facebook, whether they’re a blogger or not.
Facebook is a great way to connect with readers in a more conversational way. I personally do not import my blog feed into my Facebook page because as a blog reader I visit the person’s blog already and subscribe and don’t need the feed thrown in my face on Facebook too, but I know some people swear by this as a means to attract more readers… and many readers like it, too! It’s just not my cup of tea. Do whatever works for you!
Reach out.
I also reached out to websites that I personally frequented to inform them about my blog. Since I visited their site often, I felt a personal connection to the site and felt much more comfortable approaching them about my blog. I didn’t send them a generic “check out my blog” email, but took care to write a personal email detailing why my blog might be of interest to their site and their readers.
Connect with other bloggers.
This is a big one that I never realized was all that important. (In case you missed it, I did a previous Blog Talk Tuesdays post about connecting with other bloggers.) When you reach out to other bloggers and make genuine connections to bloggers, they are likely to expose their readers to your blog. Guest posting on another blog is a great way to do this, though I never really had anyone ask me to guest post on their blog until I had been blogging for close to a year and a half.
As a blogger, know that success doesn’t come in a bottle and someone else’s blogging success doesn’t take away from your success. Link to other bloggers! Help them spread the word about their blog. Bloggers remember this. I started out reading one blog and slowly added more and more blogs to my daily reading list, but guess what? I still read the same blogs I did in the beginning and would only stop reading those if the quality of their content changed or they took their blog in a different direction that didn’t interest me.
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This was the best post in your series so far. I really appreciate that you shared your hesitance to use social media as well. I thought I was the only one!
I started my blog back in the spring, but I have just recently started really using it and becoming excited about it. I post it on my facebook, but haven’t seem to get a lot of readers. I continue to post because I enjoy it and I hope to continue to increase my readership!!
Great tips, as usual. 🙂
Love your thoughts on commenting on other blogs. I have probably over 100 blogs in my reader but only comment on like 10 a day. Why? Because I only comment on posts that really resonate with me or when I have something to say. I’m kind of in the mommy blogger niche and there are a lot of people out there who spend there time commenting “Hi, new follower please follow me back” on tons of blogs. I would rather spend my time sharing my story through my own posts.
Just so you know, PBF always seems authentic and entertaining! Keep writing, I’ll always be here reading!
I am absolutely loving these Blog Talks, Julie. They truly are so helpful and informative.
I never, ever would have thought to reach out to websites that I visit, but what a fantastic idea! I’d also love to freelance, but free time is minimal right now between working full time and getting my master’s—but it’s still something that’s in the back of my mind for when I’m done with grad school!
Wow. Soild spot in BRINK! You kinda downplayed that and got lost into the rest of the blog, but thats way hip! Congrats, and ps..very very hip post.
I started sharing my blog on my personal Facebook page from the get go. The things is, I recently (prior to starting the blog) did a mass cut of FB friends. Now my friends list is very small and limited to real friends. But Facebook gets me the most traffic..
Double edged sword, right?
Question Julie. I found this post really helpful, and just wanted to clarify something!
When you said:
“For example, when I lived in Orlando, I reached out to a bunch of local papers, blogs and magazines and inquired about freelance opportunities while also sharing information about my blog.”
Did you mean that you ask the paper/blog/mag to do an article on your blog? Or do you just include the info about your blog and write a freelance article?
Thanks!
well, my primary goal was freelance writing, so i mainly reached out about that but i spoke about my blog as well and did this mainly to show them that i write regularly and enjoy writing about certain subjects that i discuss on my blog quite often.
I love “blog talk Tuesdays”! Thank you for all the info.
I don’t have huge readership from other bloggers but more from non bloggers that don’t leave comments. I used to worry that more comments=more success but when I had a lady at work tell me she made one of my recipes and loved my blog it gave me warm fuzzies! I’ve since realized that I don’t need tons of comments to feel successful, especially since it’s all just fun for me;)
Thanks for this series, Julie! I really love hearing your open and honest perspective on blogging. I’m still in the phase of just blogging for me and my closest friends, and don’t have the bandwidth to actively grow it. but I absolutely loved your ideas, maybe sometime in the future. the idea of reaching out locally, I haven’t heard that advice before and it’s very smart and creative!
Body did you hit the nail on the head with this sentance: “But growing my blog and increasing my blog readership is not my main motivation when blogging.”
If you start a blog JUST to grow your readership and that is the most important thing you are missing an important piece, passion in what you are doing and talking about. That IMO needs to be figured out first and then it will be exciting to get your blog out there and readership will increase with time and exposure :).
Speaking of meeting local bloggers, I was hoping to meet you at El Bogedon when we last met but didn’t get a chance to…I would still love to meet for lunch between where we both are or possibly if you are totally missing body pump you can come to a class and get your pump on :D. BTW, I totally went to a 5:30am class today inspired by how you get up early nearly EVERY day to do your workout! I just have too much stuff to do, and I don’t want to give up my gym time 🙂 Thank you for that!!
i am so jealous of your bodypump attendance! i miss it so much. i really hope to make it to one of the upcoming central florida blogger meet ups soon. i was sad i missed the last one and would love to meet you as well!
You had a lot on your plate with moving and all…I’m sure it will happen soon enough. You missed some GOOOOD food, I have to take hubby there, he would love it!
Love this post & Blog Talk Tuesdays in general. As always the tips were super helpful and I completely agree about putting yourself out there…if you don’t, how can you expect others to magically cone across you. I’m actually having tshirts made with my blog link & logo to wear to the gym- where better to wear them : wandering eyes & people interested in what I blog about!
*Boy…messed up the first word of my comment lol!!
I don’t know why but Blog Talk Tuesdays are my favorite…I’m so glad it fell on my birthday, it’s like a little treat to me 🙂
I am always looking for ways to get my blog “out there” without seeming “pushy” if you know what I mean. I just want people to read it if they like it, not for the stats! I have minuscule statistics right now, however, for those that do comment I feel such a connection with! I love getting comments (usually it’s just one or two) and taking time to write back!
It’s all about building the relationships for me and Julie, you have been so instrumental in my blog growth thus far! I love the positivity you display on your blog. It’s always a refreshing place to come…say, in between paying bills, and homework websites, Peanut Butter Fingers is my “release” 🙂
thanks so much, claire. your comment means a lot to me!
Julie, this is such great and useful advice, thank you so much for sharing. I can relate so much to what you said. I started my blog because I wanted to share deals and tips with all my friends. I feel like I want to increase readership not for me, but because I feel like everyone can use a great deal or tips in the kitchen. The hardest part is getting it “out there” Now I will def be contacting local papers and sites so help get my name out there. Thanks again!
Hey Julie, these are fantastic tips and definitely will be utilized.
As a side note, Sadie is looking super adorable as vizslas do. Yeah, I’m a little jealous!
I especially agree about pictures. I never choose to visit blogs just because of the pictures on them–I go to read what they have to say!
I appreciate all these blog talks! I really learn a lot and I go back and look at them over and over! Haha, so much to learn. I got my own domain this week thanks to your first blog talk post! I’m so excited because I used to be on blogger where I couldn’t respond to comments, and now I can! That’s why i started a blog – to connect to people about things we have in common! Sometimes I’ll get hung up on stats, but I always remind myself why I blog: because it’s FUN!
I find the part about asking about blog statistics very interesting. I would never in a million years think that asking someone how many hits they get is the same as asking someone how much they make a year. Call me naive or maybe just not that interested in crunching the numbers … but as a non blogger myself … I look at it more along the lines of asking a runner what their best run is or what their best race statistic is. I suppose it takes one person to ruin it for everyone though .. and I’m sure one person took the information and crunched all the numbers and then perhaps made someone (a blogger???) feel uncomfortable with the information assumptions they made? Anyways … I think I once posed the question to you randomly … so I’m sorry about that! 🙂 Who knew huh? I wasn’t trying to figure out your salary I promise :-p But seriously …. I think there are some people out there (hopefully anyways!!!) that aren’t quite as nosy as crunching your numbers and just want to cheer you on with a “yay Julie … you get THAT many hits …. that is awesome!” 🙂
hey kara! ii am never offended when people ask me that question because i think most people think of it like you do. i know my friends and family certainly do and i definitely did before i was a blogger myself.
Yay! Glad to know that I’m not totally insane 🙂 After reading your post … I’m sitting here thinking to myself … “Hmmmmmmm I must be really dense because how would I calculate something like salary off a number of blog hits, etc” …. haha. Ah the life of a non-blogger I suppose 🙂 Love your blog as always. Thanks Julie!
Thanks! Love the tips! 🙂
such great tips! 🙂 and i love the sadie commentary! she always adds some spice with her cute face and comments!
Thank you so much for talking about this Julie! Your blog talks are so wonderful because they help new bloggers learn the ropes from the inside!
I knew Twitter was a powerful tool but I never knew how important it was, that it is your main way of attracting new readers! What’s crazy is that when I thought of how I discovered your blog I realized it was through Twitter, when I was reading Fitnessistas! I try to Twitter but still have much to improve on, I’m much more of a FB user. And twitter makes me a little sad because I @reply a lot of people and they usually don’t respond back.
@reply to me… i’ll write back 🙂
just tweeted to you! 🙂
you are so sweet! i really appreciate that! 😀
Hehe, those pics of Sadie really crack me up. Speaking of which, thanks to you, I saw a vizsla at our farmers market this Sunday and his owner was super impressed that I knew what breed he was 🙂 They’re super cute!!!
this is an awesome post, I always look forward to blog talk tuesdays..bc your content is amaze and it’s almost wednesday. SCORE
I am a new blogger and I am definitely finding all of your tips useful. I have been “working” on my blog for nearly a year. I would almost always feel like this wasn’t the time or I’d get nervous about being so personal but finally I just did it. One of my friends actually emailed me a link to one of your circuit workouts and I have been following ever since. My question is, if I were to link something to you(or anyone) like the workout in my writing, what are the requirements/etiquette of asking permission? Or is it just kind of free for all if the info is out there? Thanks!
you definitely don’t need to ask permission to link to something! simply linking is a very kind and appreciated gesture!
Thanks for the advice! I think that commenting does help but it ties into your last point, which is connecting with other bloggers is very important! So, I think commenting on the blogs you like is an important step to connecting! I am new here but am excited to go and check out your other blogs on this series!
How long had you been blogging before you started to reach out to local media outlets, frequented websites and other bloggers?
My blog is just a baby, only four weeks old 🙂 Should I work out some of the kinks (formatting, phography, and writing skills) before I disperse it into the community?
As always, your tips are fantastic!
Thank you so so much for writing these posts!
I love your attitude to blogging 🙂
Thanks so much! I just started a menopause blog and I’m writing about some touchy subjects. Thanks for encouraging me to be myself!
Barbara
Sadie pics never hurt too…
: )
Hi Julie,
I just started reading your blog about a month ago and I just want to say your Blog Talk Tuesday posts have actually been what has pushed me to start my own blog. Thanks for all the great blogging advice!
Julie,
Thanks for the tips–super helpful. Please excuse my “.wordpress.com” URL, haven’t made the switch to purchasing a domain yet. As a writer myself, do you think blogging got you into free-lancing? Do you think having your name attached to something so public encouraged or discouraged freelance opportunities?
Thanks again!
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Just wanted to say thank you for this posting. I have been following your blog for months now because I really enjoy reading all of your posts and looking at your healthy recipes. I have been wanting to start a health blog for a year or so and finally did last week. This post helped me learn the basics of the new, crazy world I seem to have just entered …
Hi Julie,
I have been a long time reader and love the advice you are giving for n00b bloggers, such as myself.
LOVE LOVE this advice. I also love how we’ve got the same passion- writing and are both from Florida (I’m in Tampa). I’ve got a few things to say-
1. I love your blog! I just started to read it. I put you on my blog roll on my bloggin page.
2. I felt the same way about Twitter. I jumped on the bandwagon today.
3. Commenting on other blogs- I hope to not sound insincere. I don’t want other bloggers to think I am using them.
4. I loved your advice about contacting local media. Thats a great idea. I’ll have to look into Tampa area food magazines etc.
5. I am a newbie food blogger. Since you are a seasoned blogger I’m sure you know about it the upcoming Tampa conference. In case you don’t- well TECHmunch is coming to Tampa. I can email you the details if you’d like
6. A food blogger was so impressed by how close the food bloggers were in Tampa that she opened up a group. If you ever want to join our meetings let me know. I know Ocala is a drive away but if your ever in town we’d love to meet up if were having a meeting that day.
Sorry such a long comment. Oh and if you do come to Tampa, stop by to Parkesdale Farms. Its a local farmers market in Plant City. They are famously known for their strawberry shortcakes. They are usually featured at the Strawberry Festival. 🙂
oops mistake on #6- I meant to say a food blogger was so impressed by bloggers in Orlando, not Tampa. :-/
I’d just like to say thank you. I am new to blogging. I started blogging about a year ago just for fun, but have recently become more serious about it. I never realized how overwhelming it can be at times. Honestly, it is not easy to find straightforward advice on growing your blog. At least that’s what I’ve found. So appreciate your posts about this and I look forward to reading more.
Also, what are your thoughts on having a personal FB page as well as a FB page for your blog? Is it necessary/beneficial to have two separate pages? And what about twitter, I have a personal twitter account and I’ve been debatingbchangingnmybtwitter name to my blog name. Any advice on this would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Thank you for this post. I’m new to the blogging world and I appreciate the tips. I really enjoy reading your blog and love the fact that you are an animal lover. Your pictures are so clear on your blog. Can I ask what kind of camera you use?
I haven’t started a Facebook page yet, but plan to do so in the future. I’m still a little insecure about my blog so I’ve just told a few friends about it so far. Hopefully I get more comfortable with blogging as I keep writing.
Again, thank you and keep up the good work!!!!
yes! here’s all the info about my cameras/photos: https://www.pbfingers.com/2012/02/07/blog-talk-tuesdays-part-ix/
Oh my gosh I’m so grateful for all these blog talk tuesday posts! I just started a blog and it’s really great to be able to go back and read all these posts from friendly PBF. Thanks for this series, Julie!
Thank you so much for posting all of these wonderful tips! I studied writing in college and it seems as if there are NO writing jobs in my city. After reading your blog (and a few others I’ve fallen in love with) I decided to commit and make my own. Your advice has been amazing! Writing on a blog really helps me not only ensure practice with writing, but it’s serving as a diary for my personal progress. I can’t believe I’ve never tried this before. Thank you thank you thank you!!
Thanks for the advice – I have been doing by blog since May and I seem to be stuck on the same number of viewers – it was good to read other comments that it is not just happening to me!
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. I just recently started my own blog and I am very impressed by your blog and how you’ve grown your readership. I decided to start one when everyone I tweet with kept asking me to send links to the things I tweet about. Then I started thinking how I really need a home for all my content. Appreciate this advice a lot. I will use you as my inspiration!
Hi Julie–Thanks for all the tips on blogging. I’m very new to the whole blogging scene. Its fun and hard work at the same time!!
LOVE this post 🙂 I’m a new blogger so I’m always ready to receive advice on how to expand and grow. PBF is one of the 3 blogs I read almost every day! Thanks for the help 🙂
Thank you Julie for openly giving such wonderful advice! I just recently started my blog and I got a twitter account, but I hesitate every time I think of “tweeting.” Do you have any advice on how to start tweeting? I feel like I just don’t know what to say.
Thank you!
Hi Julie!
Thanks for your input on blogging. I lam a trainer in Orlando and started a blog last year all about fitness/health/food. I am on FB and Twitter and just started Instagram. I have a couple people signed up to my blog, but want to start getting things going! I subscribed to your blog a couple months ago and enjoy your posts. I see you are starting those early mornings at the gym. They are Oh.So.Fun. 😉 It’s crazy the amount of things you can get done before most people are even awake!