How to Get More Hits to Your Blog and Facebook Page

From the hobby blogger to the business new to online media, everyone wants to attract interested readers and a loyal audience. A Facebook page can add to the experience by keeping your followers engaged in between blog updates. With the sheer volume of other blogs and Facebook pages all shouting for attention it may seem impossible for you to be heard over the din. But using some old fashioned common sense, along with some Internet know-how, can steadily build your followers.

Be Engaging

There are a lot of sites and blogs vying for your reader's attention, and you can't write similar content as other bloggers and expect to get traffic. You have to engage your reader with great, informative content on your blog, and interesting conversation encouraging updates on your Facebook page. The more interactive and interesting you appear, the more people will want to read your content.

Write Like A Human

Don't stuff every post with SEO keywords until it reads stilted and awkward. Write conversationally. If you're a business avoid the "corporate speak," and use simple and easy-to-understand language to explain things and start conversations. No one wants to read a blog that does nothing but try and win favor with the search engines, nor do they want to "Fan" or "Friend" a Facebook page with nothing but stiff, cold status updates.

Post Regularly

Search engines love blogs that update regularly, and often reward this consistency with higher placement in the search results. Readers like this routine as well, and while you don't need to update every single day to see an increase in traffic, setting a regular updating schedule -- such as every Monday, Wednesday and Friday -- helps keep you in front of your readers. Regular status updates on your Facebook page, from a few a day to a few a week, perform the same function, and keep you from suffering the "out of sight, out of mind" fate.

Add Links To Your Email Signature

Most email programs allow you to create a signature that attaches to the bottom of every email you send. Placing the links to your blog and Facebook page in this area acts as a form of free advertising, and invites every email recipient to check them out. Adding relevant links to your blog posts, such as a link to another blog about social networking as you discuss your experiences with Twitter, also makes you attractive to search engines. As an added bonus, the blog you link to may link back, encouraging new traffic.

Get In Front Of People

A great way to lure people to your blog and Facebook page is to simply get in front of them. Be active in the community, and offer helpful advice in areas you're knowledgeable about. Write guest posts on other blogs to "introduce yourself" to their regular audience, who may check out your blog if they like your post. Purchase Facebook ads to target the market your blog and page appeals to, and add a link in the ad itself to encourage click-through.

References

• Social Media Examiner; 21 Creative Ways to Increase Your Facebook Fanbase; Mari Smith; April 2010
• ProBlogger; 5 Ways to Increase Your Blog Traffic; Darron Rowse; March 2007
• ProBlogger; 10 Ways To Improve Blog Traffic in 30 Minutes or Less; Courtney Tuttle; April 2008
• SEO Moz; 21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic; Randfish; August 2006