We all want to grow our blogs, reach more people, and spread our message. Sometimes, with all the blogs going around, it may feel like your own can get lost in the shuffle, and that not many eyes will see it.

Then, of course, this is where a bit of marketing comes in.

I’m not talking about paid ads or things like that. I’m talking about little way you can grow your blog’s exposure without spending money or a lot of time.

Now, these things aren’t going to grow your following as much as other methods that require a little cash, but I have experienced that they do help other people discover you.

01. Blog Buttons

Most blogs have these, and a page that lists all the buttons they’ve swapped, plus their own on display. Sometime these lists can get quite long. But I know (for myself at least), that I like to occasionally scroll through the button page on blogs to see if any catch my eye.

And that’s why a well-designed blog button is really important. You want yours to stand out and look at least somewhat professional. If you can design one yourself, that’s great! But sometime it’s a lot easier to get someone else to do it. Don’t worry! You can still find free options for this too. Like Syd + Em Studios or Stellae Design, who I think both do a really nice job with their designs.

02. Tags

This can be a little bit limited; sometimes you get tagged and sometime you don’t. But some bloggers leave an open invitation for anyone to snag the tag they did on their blog. It’s a good idea to take advantage of that, since most tag rules include a requirement to link back to the person that tagged you (or who you got the tag from). So, when you do the tag on your own blog, people will see it and possibly do it on theirs as well, linking back to your website.

You can also create your own tag. This is a lot of fun to do! I did my own, which you can check out here. Get creative! It can be about books or writing, or even characters. Then include in your tag rules to link back to the creator of the tag, you. 🙂

03. Collaborations

Doing a collaboration post with another blogger friend can be helpful and fun. And you’re not only benefiting yourself, but the blogger you work with. Most people do Q&A/interview type collab posts, but get creative in what you and your friend come up with. 😉

04. That little ‘like’ button…

If you have a WordPress blog, probably 99% percent of the blogs you come across will have a little ‘like’ button at the end of their post. Clicking this little thing on the blogs you follow is one way to show your presence in the blogosphere. But you can also ‘like’ posts on blogs you don’t follow and have just discovered. The owner of the website sees this ‘like’, and might even check out your site. Liking comments is also helpful and sometimes easier, since you have a more variety of people in the comments section.

05. Comment!

I get it. Sometimes we follow so many blogs that it’s just not feasible to comment on each post. But trying your best to comment often (even if it’s just something like “Awesome post!”), will show your presence in the blogosphere, and other people who follow that blog will see your comment and profile.

06. Post consistently

Making sure you post content consistently will help grow your following, maybe more than you know. Posting with a set schedule keeps people coming back, and you’ll be more likely to get new subscribers. Most people like to see that the websites they come across are, well, alive , with an active posting schedule.

This doesn’t mean you have to post 2+ times a week. Even if you can only manage one post a month, keep that schedule. Your readers will knows that you’re still coming back, even if it’s a long time between posts.

07. Various social media platforms

This one is going to take a bit more time than the others. But engaging more on your social media platforms, will increase traffic to your site. The more time you spend on those platforms, the more traffic and visibility your profile will get, which results in more eyes coming across your blog. But proper time-management with this one is key.

Another great way to monitor what methods are working best and where you get most of your visitors from, is the plugin Jetpack. Included in being able to manage your blog mostly from one plugin, you have access to some statistics for your site. You’ll see how many visitors you get each day, where they’re coming from, and what pages/posts are most popular. It should be free for WordPress.org site, though I’m not sure about WordPress.com sites.

These things probably seem pretty basic, but I’ve noticed a difference in my website’s traffic since actively doing these steps (except the collabs. Haven’t done that yet. 😉 ). Of course, paid marketing options are most likely going to be more effective, but these simple ways will still make a bit of an impact.

Write on,

What methods do you use to market your site? Do you like to use some of the ones I mentioned? Chat with me in the comments!