Wriging

What, no link to your blog?

Ah yes, a link. Here it is.

http://www.simpleinfluences.com

My first thought is you only have eight posts so far - give it a chance as these things take time, patience, and a determination *not* to get depressed by a lack of readers. I still fondly remember the first comment I got from someone who wasn't my flatemate. Even now I get all giddy with girlish glee when someone new comments. When they come back a second time, well, I break out the champagne :D

Other than that, Thyme has been writing a great series of posts lately on the 9rules blog which explain the things we could ALL be doing better. Her post on commenting echoes the second thought I had: give the comments you do get some love. Respond to them, engage them in conversation, and make them feel wanted. There are few things sadder than seeing a comment left stranded all on its own at the bottom of a post.

And that does leave the traditional of commenting on other peoples sites. It's not spam if you leave a genuine comment, i.e., something other than "your site is great, now come look at mine". If you've commented on my site you are guaranteed at least one visit from me. (What you do once I'm there to keep me is a mystery I'm still trying to fathom). Contribute to discussions going on and people will come visit.

Related to that is the linking to other blogs - also a good way of getting people to come have a look-see. But again, don't just link for linkings sake and make sure you add value to the link or you run the risk of just sending your visitors straight from your site to somewhere else. NOT what you had in mind at all!

Oh, and think about adding a search function ;)

Patience, commenting, patience, linking, patience, great content, patience... Yup, I think that's about it. I don't think there is a magic formula to getting readers. If there is, could someone tell me please?

Gaining readership will definitely take time, but I would like to stress that the person who told you to comment on others' sites was right on. (See more about commenting below.) I, too, joined Blog Explosion and Blog Advance, but they have done very little for me. The methods below have worked well, however.

In addition to commenting on others' sites, you can join Thursday Thirteen, Wordless Wednesday, or other carnivals/memes. Darren at ProBlogger sometimes has "assignments" that generate a lot of traffic for those who complete them. Then participate by visiting the others' entries and commenting on them.

Also, you have no links to other blogs on your sidebar! When I see a blog with no links, I either think that they're too big and special to have to link to others, or I think that they're being snobbish and don't bother to read others' blogs. Sorry, but it's the truth. Linking to other blogs has several advantages. It helps others know about your blog based on your reading tastes. It helps to build community. And it may encourage reciprocal linking--or at least occasional reading--from those you link to.

Now, for some tips on commenting:
Only comment when you do have something to say, which will make it a genuine comment and not spam. But if you're visiting blogs of interest to you, then you'll think of something you want to say in the comments. Anyway, if the blog's topics aren't of interest to you, are they likely to find your blog interesting and become a loyal reader? Probably not. So don't force it. Everyone has different tastes, which is why there are so many different blogs out there.

Visit those who have commented on your site, and then comment on theirs. Not only will you remind them that you're still around, but you may discover some wonderful sites yourself. Pretty much all of my favorite bloggers are ones I discovered either through their comments on my site or their comments on others' sites.

On a related note, find a site with content that's similar to yours and with readers you'd love to have as yours, too? Most commenters leave links to their sites in their comments. Visit those commenters and leave messages on their blog entries. Many of them will reciprocate, and if they liked the original blog, maybe they'll like yours, too. Again, though, leave comments only when you genuinely have something to say. Think of it as adding to the discussion.

Respond to your commenters in order to encourage them to comment more! If they feel ignored, they may not comment at all. Either respond onsite or via e-mail--or both.

You want comments on your site, right? Keep in mind that others want comments, too, so just because you leave a comment it doesn't mean you're spamming. In fact, most bloggers I know (including me) live for comments. With that in mind, think of commenting as helping another blogger to have a good day. Sometimes it's about the attitude.

moenkpoi, thanks for the note on adding links to the sidebar. As a new blogger, I realize I'm missing that, as well.

Foxhole, from one noob to another (re)noob, hang in there! Keep posting things you're passionate about, and people will come!

I'm most certainly working on a links page but haven't got round to playing with WordPress yet.

But wow, that's a lot of advice there. I should try work myself through it. Thanks folks!

I haven't been blogging for too long, but those are definitely some of the things that I've done. I can't say that I have some huge audience, it doesn't come over night. Just keep providing good content, and be patient.

Definitely participate in other blogs that you read. Someone will notice you, even if it's a click because you commented twice to a comment. Just give it time. Hey, I haven't been blogging that long either.

http://avuee.wordpress.com

Write what you feel, not what you think will get you attention.

I also wanted to say there is no 'about' section. What's the blog about - the direction, i.e. what can I expect to read. Also nothing about the person that's writing the blog? Yeah - I'm nosey like that. I want to read more about who's writing the blog.

Also, I have to second commenting regularly on other blogs - the ones that interest you (and that return the favor and comment on yours - otherwise, you're wasting you time with that), and joining some forums (although I must say I never got lots of traffic from this).

Maintaining a consistent, or at least semi-consistent, topic is a major part of building an audience. This way a reader knows what to expect when they return.

Since you're covering mostly movie reviews, as you write more you might find readers return to you as new movies hit the theaters. That's a great position to be in.

I tend to cover a range of topics and the advice I would give for anybody doing that is make sure your posts are in relevant categories and those categories are easily reached.

I never understood the whole blogging thing....I mean I can understand doing it for like when your kids get older or to keep like a diary but I certainly wouldnt want the entire world reading about my life....maybe i'm just more personal than that....

stefani: Although a lot of bloggers do, you don't have to write about your life's personal details to have a blog. You can write about anything you want.