Using Social Networks to Get More TRAFFIC for your Blog

If your intention is just to let your family and friends read your blog, then you probably wouldn’t be reading this. Yes, we can read your mind. Great minds, think alike after all. Seriously though, if you’re a blogger who wants his or her voice heard, don’t expect people to just flock to your blog without any work. Joining social networks is essential to get more traffic for your blog.

Here are some networks you definitely should join:

1. Pinoy Wordpress- “if you’re a Filipino and own a Wordpress blog… SALI NA!” is the battlecry of this site.  There are less than 1,000 members right now but its sure to grow.
   
2. StumbleUpon – if your post gets picked up by the uber stumblers, your server will crash from the deluge of people stumbling onto your site. It is important to tag correctly and not to just stumble a handful of sites (like yours and your friends). As your stumbles get stumbled, your status also moves up as a stumbler and will get more notice.
3. Reddit – post your articles and get rewarded for quality content.
4. Digg – don’t digg your own posts or you’ll get banned. If people dig it, more will come.
5. ShoutWire – post worthy articles and watch the traffic come.
6. MyBlogLog- a community of bloggers where you need to work to create a network. The time invested is a lot more but is less of a crapshoot than digg, reddit, and stumbleupon.
7. Blogcatalog- similar to mybloglog, only lots better. Suggest you join both.
8. Entrecard- you sign up to get a virtual business card which you can then drop on other people’s blogs (who also have EC). In turn, they will also drop their cards on your blog. All this dropping equals EC credits which you can then use to advertise on participating blogs.
9. OnlyWire – a great all in one service that allows you to add 15 different social networks into 1 ID. What a great time saver!

IMPORTANT WARNING:

REMEMBER, social networks were designed so that users can share blogs or specific posts they like with each other. If you spam a network with your own posts, or often post unrelated content, your blog will end up getting blacklisted. So DON’T think short-term, make a quick buck without having to work for it type of thing which is what most people will do. Think long term gains and really establishing your blog for residual earnings well into the future. Contribute not only your own posts but also other blogs related to your niche that are meaningful for the whole world.