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There are literally millions of fantastic ways to improve a blog. Narrowing that list down to 9 or even 90 for that matter is an impossible feat. So instead, allow me to share some of my favorite blog techniques that can keep working for you again and again.

  1. Comment at related blogs. This technique is not only the social norm when blogging, but it draws more interest to your blog than you might imagine. As you comment on a post or even on another person’s comment — whatever it may be — be sure to leave your blog’s URL in the right field if possible. Comment wisely (and appropriately, don’t spam) and I bet you’ll be surprised at how many visitors navigate their way to your blog. Of course, the owner of the blog will also probably check in, so have your affairs in order and be ready to make a good impression!
  2. Write a weekly “best of” post. This sure fire tip is something I don’t do on DerekBeau.com, but want to start doing very soon. It works again and again to draw important visitors to your blog and help increase readership and the amount of subscribers. The theory is simple: not just for greed, but as an actual service, do a weekly post covering the best blog posts of the week across the ’sphere for your niche. Link directly to the posts and summarize each with your own two cents. It takes less time than a detailed blog post, your readers will love it, plus the blogs you link to will often show trackback links to your blog, attracting plenty of attention.
  3. Try the very latest gadgets. There are so many tools or widgets designed for bloggers to help get the word out and bring in the traffic by the droves. Of course, many of them don’t work or create more problems than they’re worth. But every once in awhile, something comes along that takes the blogosphere by storm. For example, a little while ago, BlogRush was introduced and now it’s practically everywhere, helping cross-connect readers and bloggers to like-themed content. I tested BlogRush initially and then took it down due to their growing pains, but have been considering giving it another try. Keep your eyes peeled for similar phenomenon as they take hold and be ready to implement them if they look like they might work for you.
  4. Improve your blog’s identity. While it might be a no-brainer, so many bloggers just stick with the most basic design themes available for their platform. Now, sometimes simpler is indeed better, but there’s a definite difference between that and being downright generic. Starting with a plain Jane template is just fine, but look for little improvements you can make. For example, hire someone to create a memorable and fitting logo that can replace nondescript straight text headers. No need to get completely carried away, but the little touches do make a big difference!
  5. Get to know your readers. Personally, that is. Blogging is so much more than just preaching to the choir from a lofty platform. Chat with your visitors and get to know them. Don’t hide behind an anonymous persona, but instead, just be yourself. Create an accurate “About Me” page pointing out your real life interests. In return, readers will be more likely to share also — you’ll learn a lot from them and your network will continue to expand professionally. Make friends… it’s what blogging should be all about.
  6. Develop continuing themes for your blog. Have a certain theme scheduled on an ongoing basis for each day of the week — think of it sort of as an ongoing series of posts, but just spread out by 7 days. Schedule your more lighthearted topics for Fridays and the weekend and get down to business during the traditional work days. Not only does this idea help create sort of a blog within a blog atmosphere, but it also gives readers something to look forward to. As a bonus, it also allows subscribers with limited time to choose what they really like best about your blog and stay current with just that aspect.
  7. Keep on linking on. I think sometimes it’s easy to get in a rut of not taking the time to add relevant hyperlinks to blog posts (I’m guilty of this laziness), even when attribution is due. The world of blogging is all about sharing, so be sure to do your part and pay if forward. While one view says that more outward pointing links just lead visitors away from your blog, another take leads us to believe that a reader perceives posts that are adequately linked out as being more valuable and more authoritative — therefore giving it more in depth attention. The power of links should never be underestimated.
  8. Write reader friendly content. This was explained in detail in my last post, but it deserves another mention. If your content is hard to read, not interesting, not entertaining, or not valuable in one way or another, people aren’t going to share it. The ultimate goal of content creation is for it to be shared by others and spread virally. You can increase your chances of this by creating content that has wide appeal and is scannable. Instructional posts or list posts like this one here work great and can be applied to virtually any niche.
  9. Always seek out new readers. There are tons of places to gain new links, visitors, readers, and subscribers one by one. All you have to do is take the time to find and take advantage of them. Spam has become a big issue on the internet over the years, and it has put a lot of fear into the minds of people wanting to promote their websites — they don’t want to be viewed as common spammers. Instead of worrying about that, concentrate on creating an awesome resource that people can’t help but enjoy. No one will condemn you for “spamming” your links if you are promoting a great resources in a respectful way.

In the end, just remember that blogging is absolutely tons of fun. However, taking it to the next level requires a bit more time and thought. Keep on having fun as you continue to learn the ropes and build your blog!