We all know that numbers matter. Those who say otherwise don’t understand the human psyche.
Raven wrote a great post about this not long ago, saying lots of things that many of us think but don’t say, for the risk of sounding bitter. (I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who could get away with it – there’s enough sarcasm in my head to make a whole website. )
The truth is, there are “secrets” to driving up your numbers in a relatively short time. You’ve likely observed this yourself in blogland if you’ve been here for a bit. I’m going to lay some of these out here for you and then tell you why I’m choosing not to follow them.
1. Create mass-market appeal posts.
You and I both know that DIYs, fashion/outfit posts, and photography posts are what get the most pins, shares, and widest general interest. There are certainly others, too, but a common thread throughout is the presence of lots of quality pictures. This kind of thing takes some time and commitment to really do it right, but you never know when you’ll hit the jackpot with a post like Aimee of Fancy Little Things did with this DIY.
2. Participate in link parties.
There are so many great linkups already going on and more being created all the time. Linkups are not only fun, but can be great for traffic and widening your network. You could probably do one every day for a year and not run out, not that I would recommend it if you value your sanity. (Though it could be an interesting gimmick.) Here are a couple of linkup directories to check out: (I used to have a great list of directories, but unfortunately lost my linkup bookmarks not long ago, so if you guys have some please post them in the comments!)
3. Participate in social media follow fests.
There are various avenues for people wanting to help each other inflate their numbers, from the more old-school “let’s follow each other!” forum posts on community sites to the Twitter #FFs and actual social media linkups on blogs. These can be great ways to see a jump in your numbers, and except for those few black-hearted people that unfollow as soon as they’ve gotten theirs, your social media numbers will mostly stay up. A few of these people might actually pay attention to what you say, but even if they don’t, it looks like you’re awfully popular, and who doesn’t want that!
Here are a few weekly linkups you should check out:
4. Hold or participate in a giveaway.
Giveaways can be a bit tricky. If you’re part of a big group giveaway you have a better chance of more people seeing your stuff. At the same time, you will potentially get a smaller jump in followers depending on how the entries are handled because the entries are spread around so many blogs. Let’s face it, not many people take the time to fill e.v.e.r.y. entry. It’s a good idea to experiment with different giveaway scenarios and see what works best for you.
A surefire way to entice people to enter your giveaway is to offer credit to a business or store pretty much everyone loves – like Forever21, Target, Starbucks, etc. You’ll also do much better if you use Rafflecopter! This has quickly become the most widely used method for giveaway entries and something that most people are familiar with. It’s also incredibly easy to use!
Here’s a nice list of sites to link up your giveaway and a site that is particularly great if your prize is from a well-known brand – if you host giveaways you’re missing out by not adding them somewhere!
Why You Shouldn’t Worry About It Too Much.
It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers and lose focus. Blogging is a journey and most of us change things up as we go through phases of life and that’s ok. When you say “yes” to one thing you are by default saying “no” to something else. The most important thing is to just have fun. Live intentionally. Blog intentionally. Your future self will thank you.
aimee steckowski
thanks for the rad shout-outs!!!