Some things I've learned about blogging Part 2

This is a continuation of things I've learned about blogging. The more I think about it, the more things that come to me.

Building readership takes time. Some bloggers become really popular overnight. That's the exception not the norm. Most bloggers that have a following have been blogging for over 2 years. They've grown and their audience has grown with them. That also goes back to keeping true to the theme of your blog. If I have a following on my blog, and then I go way off track, I'll lose some of my readers. Once you lose a reader, you don't always get the chance to get them back.

You have to promote your blog. Make it easy for people to find you. Join communities, forums and exchange links and posts. Put your link in your email as your signature. Don't spam people however. If you go to a forum or community that you've never been to and just start putting your url everywhere, it will turn people off.

Some blogs are just no good. We've all seen them. Posts that make absolutely no sense, misspellings and poor grammar. Yet, they seem to be popular. Do not follow their lead. They may be popular because people are making fun of them. As tempting as it sounds it's not quality traffic and it's not likely to last. Keep doing what you're doing and your readership will increase.

Encourage your friends and family to read your blog. None of my friends read my blog. It's like pulling teeth to get them to visit occasionally. Fahgetabout them reading it regularly. They don't know what their missing. Only about 5% of my family is on the internet. Sad but true. I keep trying to get them on the internet, but they just won't budge. If you can get your family to read your blog, that can give you a boost in traffic. An added bonus is that they will send your site to their friends and their friends' friends.

I'll probably think of more things to write. I'm always learning something new about my blog and blogging in general. What things have your learned during your blogging career?