How do I get more traffic?

[ziggy1962]

Hi,

I just started blogging in the middle of January, so I'm not real sure how it all works, but I only have 2 followers so far.  How do you get more followers?

http://ziggysblogs.blogspot.com

[Jane @ Kidzarama]

The main way that most bloggers find readers is by reading other blogs.
Leave genuine comments on blog posts that interest you, and you'll usually find that the blogger will reciprocate.

Plus, get to know people in your 'target audience' by frequenting forums where they can be found and generally being helpful and friendly!
~ For example, writers of 'momblogs' should try joining parenting forums, where you can often add your link in your signature.

Hope this helps,
Jane 

[Candid Carrie]

Another great way is to comment on other's blogs.  They will usually click back to see who's blog it came from.  Also maybe you only have two followers that you know about right now.  Do you have a sitemeter that can track your traffic? You could have lurkers.

[michellew]

Comment, comment, comment! not only does it get the author of the blog that you are commenting on interested in who you are, but everyone who reads the comments of that blog, sees who you are as well. Post here often. Make sure you have your blog link in your sig EVERYWHERE. Join social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Places that will put you on their blogroll list like MOMDOT and Mom Bloggers Club. Did I mention post here often. I get almost 30% of my blog traffic from visitors to this site!!!! That is huge!

[Candid Carrie]

Very good points.  And may I add ...

Don't JUST comment, don't say I agree, or nice idea, or clever picture story.  Use your writing voice when you comment.  Be someone they want to click back on and see who said that witty statement. 

Also, if you don't know where to comment ... pick a blog that you really really like.  That's important.  Now you can either go down their comments and say something like "I clicked over via "name blog here" and comment on their blog or you can do the same thing down their blog roll.  But if you click through via comments you know they are already the kind of people that leave comments. 

Make sense? 

And hang out over here and comment.

[Audrey]

It's interesting. My daughter began blogging by commenting on 20 blogs every single day. Most of those 20 people started reading her blog and she built up from there.

[Candid Carrie]

Let me toss this out to the mix ... I've been blogging for three years and there are less comments floating around than every before. People have other options when it comes to reading an individuals blog and right now I am referring to google reader and email subscriptions. 

Does anyone else experience lower comments? Or is it just me (laughing out loud at myself)?

[CynthiaK]

In response to the comment from Candid Carrie, I, too, am finding that fewer and fewer people are commenting these days.  I think that with so many great blogs to choose from, and so much reading to get through, people are losing interest or simply lacking in time when it comes to commenting. 

I, for one, love the dialogue that comes with comments on my blog.  I have met some fantastic mom bloggers that way!

CynthiaK
http://crumbsintheminivan.blogspot.com

[Candid Carrie]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, as much as I love the comments and the banter between the comments I rely on statcounter.com to indicate if some one actually clicked on my blog to read what I have written.