I’ve had my blog for almost 5 years and I’m embarrassed to say that newer blogs have been doing MUCH better than mine. Why is that? Well for starters I never really networked to my fullest ability to make my blog into something great. I have always had the content but never the following. So there would be times, I wouldn’t write because I was feeling lost and discouraged because there wasn’t much of a following to actually read what I had written.

Over the past two months I have decided that if I wanted to really get things going I had to start putting things into action. To grow my blog here is what I did:

Step 1. Join a network of bloggers online via Facebook

This has been the BEST thing I have ever done-why I didn’t think to do it earlier on in life, is news to me, but regardless, I’ve joined 4 groups and it’s been great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s time consuming, but worth it.

Step 2. Get to know other blogs

Getting to know other blogs that I enjoyed reading has been tough. With the help of these groups I have quickly found a bunch of blogs that I love. I now have them saved and I also subscribed to them. When I get new updates, I read and more importantly comment.

Step 3. Step up your social media game

Following more people on Twitter and Instagram is a great way to get more people knowledgeable about your blog. I can get pretty dormant because I don’t like a lot of clutter on my news feeds, but following more people to get more follows, is a good thing. I also finally signed up for Bloglovin’-not only do I use it on my computer but also on my phone, it’s a great place to catch up on all that reading.

Step 4.  Set a schedule

Deciding when to blog and when to comment can be tricky. I recently started reading a blogging help book, the author recommended taking 30 minutes a day to comment on other peoples blogs. You should have at least 5 that you follow religiously. I also decided that I wanted to write for my own blog 2-3 time a week. That means writing on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays so that my posts can go live 3 times a week.  Also you need to use your time wisely. If I have a spare 5 minutes in the car, I’ll go online and see whats new, read and comment, and also check out my social media accounts.

Step 5. Guest post

With the help of online blogging groups, finding someone to guest post for is pretty easy. Most people will welcome a change to their site (I know I do)!

So far sticking to this list has REALLY helped. My unique visitors has gone up substantial and the amount of people commenting and interested is making me even more motivated. What other tips do you have to grow you blog? Tell us in the comments below!

Cheers!

xoxo Lindsay

35 Comments on 5 Steps to Grow Your Blog

  1. Marissa
    February 27, 2015 at 9:35 am (2 years ago)

    I agree with you about the newsfeed being cluttered, but I’ve discovered it isn’t that bad. Thank you for sharing. I just started by blog and I’m trying to do all these things.

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  4. Lindsay
    February 27, 2015 at 10:24 am (2 years ago)

    Some good advice. I have blogs I read daily that pop up into my Feedly list. The Authentic Bloggers group on Facebook is FABULOUS! Loving that!

    I know I definitely have to step up my social media game. I guess the truth is, I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself but at the same time, it’s really nice to see readership, you know? It’s the little things that make us happy…. I’ve only been blogging for a bit and I’ve never, ever cared about how many people view it. But, having said that, I’ve moved from Blogger to my own domain just under 5 weeks ago and in terms of views, (hard to say for sure exactly how many views, since I only put Google Analytics on it 2 weeks ago and before that I was relying on the Jetpack Stats) but I’m guessing about 900-1,000 views in one month. I know some bloggers far exceed that daily. It seems paltry but I guess comparing to a couple of month ago, it definitely has grown.

    I guess I just have to keep doing what I’m doing, have patience and things can only get better from here. 🙂

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    • Lindsay Carreiro
      February 27, 2015 at 11:14 am (2 years ago)

      What I’ve had to up is my unique visitors number-that’s what counts more in terms of working with companies. It’s hard!

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  5. sue
    February 27, 2015 at 10:35 am (2 years ago)

    I so agree with everything you have posted here as it mirrors totally what I am in the process of doing. Good luck 🙂

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  6. Jaclyn Kent
    February 27, 2015 at 12:10 pm (2 years ago)

    #1 has made all the difference for me!! So glad to have found some amazing blog groups!

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  7. Chrissy Z. @ The Brave Wanderer
    February 27, 2015 at 1:08 pm (2 years ago)

    Those are some great tips, Lindsay! I have been blogging for a while as well. And when I started The Brave Wanderer nearly 1 year ago, I remembered how hard it is to start on square one all over again.
    Happy Friday, friend xxx

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    • Lindsay Carreiro
      February 27, 2015 at 5:03 pm (2 years ago)

      Thanks for reading!! Sticking to the tips has really been helping my blog out, I’m very thankful for everyone who is reading it!

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  9. Kat
    February 27, 2015 at 3:52 pm (2 years ago)

    All great tips! I need to find people to trade guest blog posts with next. It’s hard to find people that are a right fit, follow through, and give you quality content to trade though. :/

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  10. Erin
    February 27, 2015 at 4:51 pm (2 years ago)

    I love the Facebook groups for bloggers! I feel like that has been the #1 thing that has helped me grow my blog, especially when it was brand new!

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  11. ashley
    February 27, 2015 at 11:27 pm (2 years ago)

    great list! I love my blogging facebook groups i am in!

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  12. Cindy
    February 28, 2015 at 4:18 pm (2 years ago)

    i would love to know what the names of your FaceBook groups are I am super new to this

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    • Lindsay Carreiro
      February 28, 2015 at 4:29 pm (2 years ago)

      I am a part of Blogging Babes, Boston Bloggers, Authentic Bloggers, and The Blogger Life. I would recommend checking them out! Thanks for reading!

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  13. Ashley Gabrielle (@AshleyGAguirre)
    February 28, 2015 at 6:30 pm (2 years ago)

    Yes! All great tips and all important. Networking and connecting with other bloggers is really key. You also always have to be thinking about your next step. I am always wondering how I can take my blog to the next level.

    Ashley
    ashleygabrielle.com

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  14. Tricia Leigh Artim
    March 3, 2015 at 10:24 am (2 years ago)

    Thank you so much for posting this!! I am a new(er) blogger and I am constantly trying to learn how to grow my blog!! I have recently done several things on this list, and they are totally helping, but it is a slow process! I am glad to see that other bloggers are recommending the same advice! Thank you!!! Great post!

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  15. Brenda @DailyMayo
    March 5, 2015 at 9:30 pm (2 years ago)

    I’m in the same boat as you. I blogged for a long time without doing much networking. It makes all the difference!

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  16. Ally Fiesta (@AllyFiesta)
    March 6, 2015 at 10:31 am (2 years ago)

    I am transitioning my blog from a music blog to a lifestyle blog since there is not a real community behind music blogs besides artists trying to get on yr blog! These are great tips. I LOVE instagram and twitter. I am just now learning about pinterest via blogher. 🙂 I’ve found I get more traffic than Facebook – which used to be my traffic.

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  17. meganbean1131
    March 18, 2015 at 10:01 am (2 years ago)

    Love bloglovin! and I totally agree with everything here. I just started and I’m slooowwwly getting there, but it certainly does help. Great post

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  18. nikkifrankhamilton
    March 22, 2015 at 5:57 pm (2 years ago)

    I have been really working on this. It does take time, but it has been so fun finding other blogs and seeing how individual we all are. Thanks for your tips, always looking for ways to grow.

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