Reach over 600 followers without social media

I started this artblog as a showroom for my artwork. At first I thought the blog could reach my local “artfans” only, and I was satisfied by that.

But then I noticed that others outside my little local area visited my blog and liked my artwork. I got a little more “greedy” for visitors and views. That was the only stats numbers that increased.

I had few followers, but lots of visitors. I didn’t really participated in the blogging sphere at all. I answered the few comments that visitors and followers made, but not much more than that.

Then I discovered the reader. Wow, I can read other blogs! I scrolled the reader flow and read som posts now and then, but didn’t dare to follow any blog really.

One day I got the idea of actually visit my followers blogs more often and read their posts. One of the blogs were DonCharisma.

I had no idea who it was or why he followed my blog. Any way, I started to participate by leave little comments in blog posts. It was exciting to get answers, even if it sometimes just was a smile or a thanks.
One day DonCharisma posted something about OM Jason A good blog is hard to find. 
When I visit that blog and started to read several posts I suddenly understood what blogging was about.

Now my real blog journey began. I wanted an active blog too. I started by change my language settings to English. That action got me pass the restricted area code that European countries has, which means that your reader only show blogpost from your own country. No one from another country can find you through the reader.

Advice 1: set your language settings to English if you want to reach the whole world with your blog. (If you’re living in a country with restricted area codes in the wp settings)

After I open my blog to the whole world I changed my way of writing and showing art a bit, but not much. Just another language really. We’re all alike around the world. We just live further apart geographical.

Advice 2: Make good blog posts from your heart. You don’t have to be an artist or a writer. You just have to have something or nothing to say.

I got lots of likes compared to before when nearly only Swedish visitors could find my blog. That was fun.
Then the comments started to increase and I tried to answer them all. That was really fun to read all reactions of my art and words.

Wow, what nice people it is out there in the wp community I thought. And still do 🙂

Story behind the drawing: Icecream bar? | Annas Art – FärgaregårdsAnna
Advice 3: Always try to answer comments, even if you just have time for a thanks or a smile. But you don’t have to answer them all if you don’t want to. If you want people to return and make new comments, then you should try to answer the comments.
Answering comments can start nice conversations with your followers and visitors.

I have from the beginning almost pressed liked on every comment that people left in my posts. That’s a nice way to say – hey, thanks for your comment, I think.

As often as I can I visit the blogs that belongs to those who leave comments and likes on my blog. As a return appreciation and by curiousity of other bloggers blogs.

This doing makes new followers if you’re active as a visitor or a follower. When you like posts and comments and leave comments, then other bloggers see you and get curious of who you are and what your blog looks like.

Advice 4: be active on other blogs by liking posts and comments and leave comments your self.

I Like You [animation]

http://www.webworksllc.com/I_Like_You.cfm

You get lots done with this. You visit followers blogs, read interesting stuff, get new ideas and collect chances for catching new followers and visitors to your own blog. You also get the chance to find new blogs to follow.

Searching for new blogs to follow is also a way of getting more visitors and followers. I did that a lot in the beginning, when I didn’t have that much activity on my own blog. I found blogs through the reader by searching for artblogs for an example. That way of finding new interesting blogs and maybe new followers gave result. For every two blogs you followed you got one new follower. That messed up my blogs I follow list. So I don’t do like this very often any more.

Advice 5: If you don’t want to clean up you blogs I follow list often, let the followers come without you following double amount of blogs. That may take longer time to reach follower goals, but you don’t have to spend admin time on cleaning lists.

Of all this advices I have only one advice left to give you, I think.

Blog because it is fun. Not for the stats, not for the goals you set up, not for the competition with others. Just have fun and surf away on the big wave you choose to ride on. Have fun!

You will meet fantastic people everywhere in the world. You will get all sorts of reports and reactions. You will get lots of ideas and inspiration. And to connect with the headline in this post.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA TO INCREASE YOUR BLOG ACTIVITY. WP is just fine on its own, at least for me it works.

My blog increase with about 100 followers per month. That’s very much more than I ever thought was possible.

Good luck with your blogging! See ya!

More posts about blogging:
blogging | Annas Art – FärgaregårdsAnna

Anna

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