Do you want to promote your blog and get quality traffic? 
Then stop chasing after the next traffic blueprint and stay focus.
All that you’ll ever need to succeed online as a blogger and content marketer is within you. I’ve come to realize that. Just believe it!
But you must make up your mind to give it all it takes.
It all boils down to positioning your blog so that the target audience can find it, share your content and tell others through word of mouth marketing.
If I tell you right now that you can build a successful blog by simply writing articles every day, then I’m the dumbest liar around.
Of course, there is a place for ‘quality’ content, but getting targeted traffic (loyal readers) requires much more than that.
The beauty of blogging is that if you’ve passion for the subject you’ve chosen, you can easily scale through.
Every task would seem like your birthday celebration – because you’re in love with your job. So, the first rule of blog marketing is PASSION. Okay, this post is pretty long. Here are the top 10 blog marketing strategies that work:
1. Develop a (USP) Unique selling Proposition
What really is USP?
Well, I don’t like the definition in those marketing encyclopedia. It’s downright confusing and I want to make it simple for you.
As a website owner, your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is what differentiates your content, title, theme, product, writing style etc. from other people in your niche.
If you look around the blogosphere, you’ll find a lot of bloggers who write about content marketing 85% of the time. That’s what this blog is about, too.
But I’ve carved a USP for myself in the area of persuasive writing and SEO. Sure, I still cover other topics, but my focus is on attraction marketing – whereby potential customers and readers come to me, instead of me going to them.
The harsh truth is that if you don’t develop a Unique Selling Proposition early, you’d struggle to retain your readers.
And if you can’t successfully engage the person on your blog right now, why bother sending more traffic to the same website that sucks?
Ask yourself this question, “Why should people visit my blog instead of my friend’s blog?” If you can’t find a simple answer to this question, you’re still lagging behind in blog marketing.
2. Use 3-step marketing rule
Have you ever heard the phrase “3-step marketing rule?”
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is your first time to read about it. Because I didn’t read it from any blog. The concept is pretty simple and I formulated it to help you reposition your life.
No matter what you’re doing right now to get targeted traffic and readers to your blog, make sure you lead them through a 3-step marketing process.
Here’s how it works?
Your content has to catch people’s attention (title). Then you’ll build interest in the body of the article, video or whatever content type you’re using.
Once the attraction is there and interest has been established, it’d be easy to get anybody to do whatever you want them to do. Simple!
So, even if you use classified ads to send free traffic to your website, don’t just ask people to click a link.
That’s not the right way to persuade people and establish relationship with them. Instead, use questions to engage the right people. Tell a short, emotional story.
Guest blogging is one popular way to use the 3-step marketing rule. Research the popular posts at the blog you intend to write for.
Then follow the same trend and write what people had already liked and commented on.
Then call to action and you’ll get real-time traffic to your blog. You may argue that the 3-step marketing rule doesn’t apply for driving traffic – which I agree.
But did you know that even if you succeed in sending people to your blog, if they don’t like you or believe in you to an extent, they might as well close the browser and run away?
The 3-step marketing rule CAPTIVATES people. They’ll automatically create an impression that you’re a real person who cares about them. Use it. It works!
3. Enrich your content funnel
When people read your blog posts, they want to take something valuable home.
If your content didn’t help readers, the next time you publish a post – no one would read or share it. That’s why you must enrich your funnel.
Mind the words you choose to write your posts with.
Remember, people are tired of seeing such words such as “traffic, SEO, marketing, blogging, facebook etc.”
These words were once powerful but over the years, they’ve lost their true values.
So, when you use words that have become clichés to write your content, PLEASE ensure that the content is epic.
Your readers can’t settle for ‘good enough’ content, because they can easily visit other blogs and read ‘awesome’ content for free.
If you want to build a profitable blog that would eventually pay your bills and announce you as the foremost expert to your world, epic content should be your focus.
You may not publish blog posts every day. One post per week is fine – but you MUST create the best piece ever. It doesn’t have to be heavenly, but it should be practicable and interesting.
Dazzle your readers and new visitors with exclusive content. If you’re to write about ‘traffic generation’ for instance, make every subheading unique and explain the concept of generating traffic using your own voice.
Don’t try to copy any expert – because you’ll FAIL. Do your own thing when it comes to blogging – that’s why you’re the one with your wordpress login details…
4. Focus on people first
Yes, I do search engine optimization (SEO) all the time – both for my niche blogs and my clients’.
But the truth is that focusing on Google would only bring you discouragement.
I wonder where bloggers got this concept that targeting a particular keyword is all they need to rank their content pages in Google top 10.
By the time you give full attention to the people you’re serving, Google search engine would automatically create a favorable climate for you.
Google search engine is just a piece of script that crawls the web, looking for fresh and relevant content that breeds engagement.
When this piece of script (search engine) finds a new blog post, it’ll then use several factors to determine its value. The content will be indexed (added to Google’s search database).
If you want to drive organic traffic without getting penalized like your friends, pick your keyword but ONLY give 10% attention to it. Give 90% to those who would read the content. Find out what their challenges are. And provide answer to them.
The keywords you researched should guide you when writing the content. For instance, if someone searched for “get rid of acne overnight,” you can see how desperate this person is.
Your role as a content marketer isn’t to stuff that keyword and choke Google spider to death, but to align your content in the language of ‘urgency’ or ‘quick’ according to the keyword above.
One more thing: Google spider can’t comment, subscribe to your list or buy the product you’re selling. So why waste time trying to please a piece of script?
I’m sure you know what to do from henceforth – write for the people and Google would get the engagement signal and send you avalanche of targeted traffic.
5. Use ready-made data
A vital blog marketing strategy you can use today is ready-made data.
Most bloggers are marketing blindly with the hope that one day; their content would go viral and bring them thousands of visitors.
But that’s not ethical and serious entrepreneurs don’t throw the ball and pray it doesn’t fall down. The force of gravity definitely must bring it down.
Ready-made data from Google keyword tools can be very useful. Keywords and key phrases reveal what your target audience has in mind. Man is a product of his own words…
You may not meet with any of your blog readers and fans till you die, but if you can get the data they’ve been using over time to search for information, then you’re going to grow your blog.
Google Analytics is my favorite data mining tool.
You should use it. But more importantly, study the trends. Find out the demographic (age, location, taste etc) of your visitors. Find out what content is sending people away from your blog – and stop writing such types of content.
Few weeks ago, I checked my Google analytics account and discovered that “guest blogging posts” tends to drive my readers away, whereas, SEO, email marketing, website marketing and traffic generation are my readers’ favorites.
With these ready-made data, I can write better content for my loyal readers and attract potential clients to my content marketing services. Go after ready-made data and you’ll grow your blog’s traffic and income exponentially.
6. Follow new traffic trends
When you wake up every morning, do you worry about traffic and income?
If yes, then it means that you’ve been doing the wrong stuffs. I’m sorry to say that.
If you focus on the right trends, there is nothing that can hinder your success.
You don’t even need to be a renowned expert blogger to build an active community. The first thing you must recognize is that PEOPLE wants to have a sense of belonging.
Many people are scared, tired and confused on what to do next. They’ve subscribed to 5 – 10 A-list blogs with the hope of growing their own business – but it’s just not happening.
Your readers want to help you get more targeted traffic, but you’ve to show them that you’re not a hit-and-run blogger.
Content marketing is all about bringing people, establishing a strong connection with them and constantly spoon-feeding them with epic content.
When you care for your readers so much, you’ll eventually safeguard them against the competitors. They can’t easily unsubscribe from your email list or subscribe to someone else’s.
You’re the only person they know and as such, they’ll have no other option than to tell their friends, fans and loved ones about you and your blog.
The new traffic trend is ENGAGEMENT. Stop throwing your readers away like a rotten orange.
They came to your blog because they were “at least” convinced that you have the right content for them. Don’t rub your family’s name in the mud.
Did you see how customers from around the world are attached to Apple and their products? Because Apple Innovates. Apple gadgets solve problems. You should do likewise, too.
It’s one of my best blog marketing strategies you SHOULD obey if you want to grow beyond where you’re right now.
7. Persuade new users
It could be that someone referred a new reader to your blog.
You may not know how they arrived but the most important thing is to earn their trust. Most of your blog readers have thousands of twitter followers and facebook friends.
And because a lot of them have not been active at blogging, they’ve been addicted to those social media networks and now, they’ve fairly built engagement with people.
All they need from you is a little nudge and that’s it – they can tweet your latest post to their fans and that could bring in a reasonable amount of targeted traffic to your blog.
With content marketing, everything is possible online. That’s why you must develop your writing skills in order to persuade new users especially.
When they visit your blog, show them the first content they should read. Be their guide until they begin to like you.
It’s actually easy to establish a connection with new users if you’re passionate about your blog. Because passion can’t be suppressed.
It’ll always hone itself. Use persuasive writing to build interest in the minds of new users – and they’d become formidable evangelists for you.
8. Take advantage of traffic spikes
Please understand that ‘traffic’ stands for people online. We’re not talking about robots and scripts that fill forms and leave funny comments e.g “awesome dude.”
You need to always take advantage of traffic spikes. But you must be prepared before it happens.
Because you can’t control where your blog or name is mentioned – both off and online. If you keep producing great content, someone would eventually take note of this and mention you at a high-traffic blog.
In 2012, my blog was mentioned at a popular press release website and within 12 hours, I got well over 3200 real visitors here.
Did I take advantage of this traffic spike? Yes I did, but I wasn’t impressed because the design of my blog at the time looked crappy and ugly.
I only had an optin box on the sidebar and got 31 subscribers. If such amounts of traffic should come to my blog today, I know that I’ll convert 1000+ to my list.
In order to take advantage of this “accidental traffic spike,” add a subscription box at a vantage position on your blog and get a professional blog design.
You’ll be amazed at the speed by which your loyal readers and income would grow – because people are attracted to “beautiful designs.”
9. Focus on the “social”
When it comes to social media marketing, here’s what I found out: If you focus on the ‘social,’ the media tends to take care of itself.
In other words, care for people. Listen to your target audience and read their lips. What makes them happy and what pisses them off.
So many bloggers are using forums and discussion boards to build links, and promote hyped-up affiliate products.
But it’s not supposed to be so. Forums are useful, and should be used for market research and study.
In every niche, you can find the forum that suits you. All you’ve to do is become an active user – don’t be addicted to it. Being active is quite different from getting addicted!
Spend at least 1 hour weekly to read new threads and hot discussions. Learn from experts who know their onion. Get the right questions from beginners to internet marketing or whatever your niche may be.
Use the insights to build a strong rapport with them. Plug the questions people ask unto Google keywords tool or your favorite keyword tool and you’d be surprised by the results.
That’s how I research keywords for my niches blogs, which makes it easy for me to dominate search engines within 30 days.
I research keywords using questions that have been asked several times by my ideal customers.
Twitter, facebook, LinkedIn and other social media networks are best used for communication, sharing and expression of your love to help people.
Twitter is not a salespage – so stop bugging people with buy now button and links. Focus on the “social” aspect of it and the “media” would automatically fall on your laps.
10. Get offline and promote your blog
The final blog marketing strategy that works is when you go offline.
There are still millions of potential customers and friends you’ll never reach on facebook and twitter, let alone your own blog.
There is so much noise online. While other people are busy wasting time pitching guest post topics and expecting a “YES,” you can easily get offline and become famous. How?
Attend seminars and conferences. Brand a T-Shirt with your blog URL and wear it when you’re out shopping or socializing with friends and family.
Get a business card and imprint your blog’s URL on it. MAKE IT BOLD.
Instead of asking people to follow you on Twitter of Pin your photo on their Pinterest Board, quietly ask them to visit your blog and join your email list so that they can receive exclusive content.
Whatever your niche might be; social media, make money, SEO, jewelry, nutribullet juicer, education, entertainment, building a list is vital.
It’s wiser and it’d grow your blog’s traffic and income.
Blog marketing hack
You can grow your blog’s traffic, increase your sales and enjoy writing if you choose to.
It may not be easy at first, but as you continue – you’ll begin to see the possibilities and opportunities. If I made it, you too can.
What other blog marketing strategy do you use to drive targeted traffic and sales?
I’d really appreciate your valuable comment below. Thank you for reading my 2730+ words post. See you at the top!
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