How to drive traffic to a new blog for beginners: 18 experts share!
If you are a newbie blogger and wondering how to drive traffic to your new blog, then this expert roundup can answer a lot of your questions.
It happens to the best of bloggers.
You are focused on creating valuable content for your audience.
You publish a few times a week and are serious about making money with blogging
But, after doing everything you can, the traffic does not seem to increase.
That’s when bloggers start wondering if it is worth blogging. Am I wasting time? Does blogging work? Should I quit and go back to my day job?
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The thing is – blogging works BUT it takes time and the right strategy. If you are focused on the right things and follow tips that bring in traffic, blogging will work.
To make it easier, we have 18 bloggers who will share tips and tricks to drive traffic to a brand new blog (or a blog that is struggling to get traffic.)
We asked these established bloggers one single question –
How to drive more traffic to a new blog?
Here are just a few things you can learn from this roundup:
- Pinterest is the go-to channel to drive tonnes of traffic quickly
- Focusing on one social media channel at a time and growing traffic strategically
- Using apps like BuzzSumo to write content your audience is looking for etc
Megan Johnson
My number one tip or more so advice to beginner bloggers is not to give up when you don’t see instant results!
Pinterest is a HUGE traffic driver and when used correctly it will drive loads of traffic for free to your website!
Remember that Pinterest is a search engine, SEO plays a huge role in the reach of your pins, profile, and boards! Keep that in mind when you are typing descriptions for Pinterest.
Pinterest likes long tail keyword sentences. Use the right ones and you are golden!
Note – You can grab her Pinterest strategies and tactics, here.
Pinterest likes long tail keyword sentences. Use the right ones and you are golden!
Melissa MegginsonIf you’re a brand new blogger and want to start earning real traffic to your blog, you need to invest in your community.
Find Facebook Groups related to your blog topic, look for Tailwind Tribes with likeminded Pinners who will share your Pins, and check to see if there are any local MeetUp groups you can join in your own community.
Don’t think about others as your competition – it’s just an opportunity to grow together!”
Note – If you are NOT using Tailwind already, do it right now. You can use my link (here) and get the first month for free. Try it out and then shift to a plus plan if you like it.
Lena GottGiving one single piece of advice to a new blogger about increasing traffic is quite difficult. There are so many things that go into creating content that gets read. If I had to give ONE tip, though, it would be that you need to focus on SEO from the beginning.
With social media available to use, getting traffic seems easy because it can sometimes show up quickly through perfectly timed share or by using catchy titles. But long term traffic isn’t flashy.
It’s methodical and comes from well thought out content. When your content is written for search engines and properly search engine optimized, your traffic will snowball over time. A good place to start (that’s free!) is Moz’s Beginner Guide to SEO.
Note: Grab her free Video Series: SEO Lessons from 15 Million Page Viewsand Blog Traffic Bonus Guide to get started with increasing your blog traffic this month!
Focus on SEO
My number one tip to increase traffic to a new blog is utilising Pinterest.
Focus on creating really clickable pins and learning the importance of compelling headlines and how Pinterest works.
Pinterest is one of the fastest ways to get traffic to a new blog, and although it takes some time for that to be stable – it’s an easy win for many niches.
Note – You can grab her Pinteresting Strategies, here.
Focus on creating really clickable pins and learning the importance of compelling headlines and how Pinterest works.
McKinzie Bean
Moms Make Cents
As a new blogger, there is A LOT to learn.
Focus on getting really good at one or two things first. I recommend starting with Pinterest because it typically is the fastest way to get traffic for new bloggers.
Learn about Pinterest SEO, make at least 2-3 high-quality pins per post, and pin consistently. Creating a strong Pinterest strategy will help you successfully launch as a blogger.
Once you have that nailed down start focusing on other traffic strategies like SEO, and other social platforms.
Note – She tells you exactly how to pin for profit here.
My #1 tip to increase traffic to a new blog is to focus on content quality rather than content quantity.
I think a lot of new bloggers fall into the trap of, “Oh, I need to publish at least three new blog posts a week,” when what they should really be focusing on is, “I’m going to create the best piece of content on the web about dog food / real estate investing / Korean skincare.”
You will gain far more readers, far more quickly, by producing a smaller number of “WOW” content pieces than a greater number of pieces that simply mimic the content already on the web.
Create top-notch content, and people will want to read and share your stuff.
Create top-notch content, and people will want to read and share your stuff.
My top tip for gaining traffic with a new blog is to create the type of content that gets shared. As SEO takes a while to kick in, social media can work much faster if you do two things right:
1. Create the type of content that gets shared, which you can do by using tools like BuzzSumo
2. Get that content in front of the right people
Use BuzzSumo to find content topics that will get shared
Want to start a blog
If you are thinking about starting a blog and make money blogging, this tutorial will help you start a blog today. I have written a series on how to start a money making blog that will help you
- Decide the name of your blog
- Understand different parts of the website and your choices
- Compare price options when getting your blog (you have to spend money to get a legit blog, and I paid $70 for a year!)
- Step by Step on how to set up your blog in under 15 minutes
- Get a FREE domain name (that usually costs $15 a year)
Instead of thinking how to make money with a blog for beginners, how much money can you make blogging or will you make money blogging, start your own blog and give yourself a time frame to work it out (at least a year!).
You can start a blog with as little as $3.95 a month or Rs. 276 a month (if you are in India) or go with the free options. However, I do not recommend using free options. You can read about other options here and here.
You can use this step by step tutorial to get your WordPress blog up and running. If you have difficulty in understanding the basics (like domain name, wordpress.org or .com, hosting etc), you can read this article on website basics.
If you do not want to invest in a website designer (which I did not, and created this website on my own), buy a theme builder like Elementor. It is super easy and is almost drag and drop.
But, my number one tip, particularly if you’re just getting started is this: Build content promotion into the content planning stage.
Here’s how this all works:
When you plan your content, you need to be thinking how you can involve influencers in the creation of your content.
Could you invite an influencer to write the article as a guest post? Or are there influencers who could write a quote that would add value & credibility to the article?
If it makes sense in the context of the content, get an influencer involved in the creation in some way.
Here’s why this works:
There are a bunch of influencers in your niche right now. They have access to your target audience.
The quickest way to clamber your way to the top of your niche, is when those already at the top help you.
And when someone contributes to your content, they’re invested in it’s success. This means they’re more likely to link to it and share it.
Especially when they are featured alongside their peers (a little like this post).
Build content promotion into the content planning stage.
Michelle Schroeder-GardnerMy number one tip to increase traffic to a new blog is to include social media sharing buttons on your blog, along with filling it out for your reader.
So many bloggers don’t have any way for their readers to share their content. And, if they do, the social sharing links aren’t preset, which means that there may be no Pinterest image, no title included in the preset tweet, and so on. You want to make it as easy as possible for your readers to share your content!
Grab her tips on making money blogging, here
Include social media sharing buttons on your blog, along with filling it out for your reader.
My number one tip to get more traffic to a new blog is to focus on the quality of the content.
As a new blogger you’re up against a lot of competition when it comes to traffic. The best way to stand out, get more social shares, and eventually, more search traffic is to make sure that you’re writing really helpful content that your target reader is looking for.
Focus on the quality of the content.
Holly JohnsonMy #1 tip is to drive traffic to a new blog and get more eyes it to comment on other blogs when you are first starting out.
That’s one of the first thing we did to begin building relationships with other bloggers, but commenting also helped us get eyeballs on our website before we had a substantial following
Comment on other blogs where you’re starting out.
SaraIf you want to drive traffic to a new blog fast, make sure you learn how to use Pinterest from day one.
Pinterest was my main source of traffic in my first year of blogging and as much as its algorithm changes every few months, there are a few basic tips that will help you to set up your account the right way:
1. If you blog about different topics, make sure you create a topic-specific board for each of your blog categories. For example, on my blog, I have 3 main categories and I have 3 boards that contain all my pins for those categories (Money, Food, Travel).
2. When you pin a pin for the first time, make sure you pin it to your blog’s most relevant board first (For example, if I write a new article on “How to save money” I will pin it to my “Money” board first.)
3. Group boards are still good! So keep applying to good group boards that are very specific and have great relevant content in them. Avoid group boards with over 50-100 contributors as it’s harder for the owner to make sure everyone stays on topic.It can take 4 to 6 weeks to see any improvement with your Pinterest traffic when you implement any changes, so stick with it and you’ll see results!
Make relevant boards for each category and pin to the most relevant board first.
My number one tip for increasing traffic to a new blog is to focus on a single platform at a time. This is a mistake I see brand new bloggers make all the time.
They will be on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc, all at once when they are first starting out. This is a recipe for burning out!
Start small – find one platform that you like, and learn everything you can about how it works. What types of posts perform well, what the audiences on that platform are drawn to, how to algorithm works, etc. Once you have built a following on one platform, then you can consider spreading to another.
Focus on a single platform at a time.
Daniella
I Like to Dabble
My number one tip for increasing traffic to a new blog is social media, especially Pinterest. Of course optimising content for SEO will help with traffic down the line, but not right away. That’s where Pinterest comes in, it’s also a search engine but your stuff is more visible sooner on the platform.
Then slowly start building up your FB following for more traffic and engagement.
Lastly, Twitter is great for networking for guest posts and collabs, so working on your Twitter following helps as well.
Traciefobes.com
Something that can help in the longer term is to get good backlinks and mentions on large publications. A lot of times, a simple mention can lead to greater traffic.
One of the simple ways to get those links and mentions is by using HARO (Help a Reporter Out).
Publications reach out for answers to questions for articles they are writing. If they use your idea, you will often get a link which can send people to your site – and help build your authority with Google (which can lead to better organic ranking as time goes on).
Get those links and mentions by using HARO (Help a Reporter Out).
Brittany and Kelan Kline
The Savvy Couple
Our number one tip for increasing traffic to a new blog is only focusing on one social media platform at a time.
When you are first starting out it can be tempting to try to learn all the social media platforms at once.
You are much better off focusing your attention on a single platform and becoming a master at it. We tell all new bloggers to focus on learning Pinterest as it is currently the best social media platform to drive free organic traffic.
Focus your attention on a single platform and becoming a master at it.
MaxMy number one tip to increase traffic to a new blog is to use Pinterest and make clickable pins. I have found that putting little teasers on your pin really helps the “click-through rate”.
For example, if I have a list post about saving money that I’m promoting on Pinterest I would say something like, “10 Saving Tips You May Have Never Considered…especially #7” on my Pin. That makes the reader more interested, “like, what’s number 7?” and then they click to see.
Those types of pins have done very well for me.
Use teasers on your Pins
As new blogger you need to first make your presence known.
The best way is through social media, find niched FB groups and joining related group boards on Pinterest in the first step.
I understand that social media traffic might not be reliable for long term goals but for a new blog, it’s surefire way to be seen by your audience.
Another thing that really kickstarted my blog was telling my family and friends about my new blog and asking them to pass on the word. This really helped to get some traffic especially from Facebook.
Tell your family and friends about my new blog and ask them to pass on the word.
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Top Tips to drive traffic to a new blog
- Use Pinterest
- Make use of teasers
- Pin to relevant boards first
- Create epic content
- Use tools like BuzzSumo to find what’s trending
- Comment on other bloggers post
- Use social media share buttons and fill it up for readers
- Focus on SEO right from the start
Final thoughts
Well that was it! 🙂
This is the opinion of many top bloggers on how to drive more traffic to your new blog.
I would love to know what you think about the answers – Do you agree with them? Do you not agree? Have we missed out a major source of traffic?
Let me know your opinions in comments!
Blogging resources that I love and recommend
BLOGGING –
- Ready Set Blog for traffic – It is an EXTREMELY underpriced course on how to make money with a blog for beginners. It tells you how to set up your blog, use Pinterest and implement SEO strategies. Using her tips, I have been able to rank on page 1 of Google. You can readmy first income report here.
- TSA – They are a bunch of resources by the owner of theSheApproach. Her books are amazing and filled with great information. You can get affordable (and, many of them are free as well) on affiliate marketing, boosting traffic, and Pinterest strategies.
SEO
- Easy backlinks for SEO and Easy on-page SEO. Excellent resources!
- Stupid Simple SEO – It is the best investment I have made in the blog land. Take Mike’s course, apply it on your blog and you can see the results pouring it.
- Pinteresting Strategies – This is an affordable course that tells you how to use (and, how NOT to use) Pinterest to drive traffic. Using this, I have been able to get a 200% increase in traffic within 2 months.
- PinterestNinja – Well-known bloggers stand by this course, and I am going to be investing in it myself sometime soon. Check it out here
Affiliate Marketing
- Affiliate marketing for bloggers – The ONLY resource I have used, which taught me everything required. I also understood a lot of things that I were doing wrong and could have been dinged by Google. Thank god!
How to increase traffic to a new blog
Samuel
Friday 13th of December 2019
Thank you so much for sharing such an informative article here up on the website. Please keep the quality articles coming, I really enjoy reading them. Regards Samuel
Keila Acree
Thursday 12th of December 2019
Good post. I learn something more challenging on completely different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to learn content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to make use of some with the content material on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll provide you with a link in your internet blog. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa
Wednesday 24th of July 2019
Great tips for beginners!
Carly Schultz
Wednesday 24th of July 2019
Great tips! I am a new blogger and cant wait to use these!
Amy H
Wednesday 24th of July 2019
Wow this is so thorough and full of information! Thanks so much for putting together such an informative post! I’m definitely pinning it!