Need Advice on New Blog

[Reena Virdee]

Hi. I'm new to the club and have started blogging just this year. My blog is called http://reenasramble.com/  which is about all different topics from parenting my 2 boys to entertainment and current hot issues.  I don't get too much traffic and I wonder if it is because it is about various topics and not one niche.  Anyone have advice?  Also I'd love to meet some other blogger moms here.  Thanks!

[Billie Hays]

Hello Reena! I am new to blogging as well. My blog is less than two weeks old so I am still trying to direct traffic to my blog and I'm still trying to figure all this stuff out. I am not sure how to get more traffic other than advertising your own site through social media like Facebook, Twitter, emailing your friends and commenting on other people's blogs with links to your site. I have read to try to keep your blog about one topic or theme, because you don't want people to get lost in the different topics on your site. I visited your blog and I think it looks great! Maybe you just need to promote it more to get it to take off? I wish you luck in the blogging world. 

I am now following you! You can find me on my blog here: http://whimsicalwittyreviews.blogspot.com/

[Reena Virdee]

Thanks for the opinion. I wish you luck as well and found your product reviews interesting. I will start following you too. Not sure how to promote my blog since it is multi themed so let's see.

[Shawna Boyer]

Hello Reena!  I have been blogging for about 2 years now and it does take time to build up traffic.  It also takes a lot of work.  Are you active in Social Media??? Twitter, Pinterest, etc.  Do you have your post automatically connected to Twitter and/or Facebook?   There are so many different things to do.  I also found that participating in Giveaways and Blog Hops help bring traffice. 

Good Luck and keep at it!

Shawna B.

[Reena Virdee]

Thanks guys for the advice.  I had never heard of blog hops so I'll look into that and Triberr.  I don't think I can do giveaways since I use Wordpress and not my own paid site.  I had heard you can't do ads and things on Wordpress.  Do you guys know anything about that?

[Shawna Boyer]

I have not heard that you can not do ads on Wordpress. I have ads on my Wordpress site, however it is a hosted site so I do not know if the rules change if it is hosted or not. You do not have to have your own paid site to do a giveaway Also,  I usually do my giveaways through 7 on A Shoe String.  Here is a link (example) to one where you would put out $10 for 2 links: Blogger Sign-Up. 

[Reena Virdee]

By 'Hosted site' do you mean that you go are part of the rest of Wordpress or you pay for it separately? Sorry I'm new to all this.

[Shawna Boyer]

I pay separately.  I have a Wordpress.org site that is hosted through Host Gator, which for me is about $9.95 per month.  I use the Studio Press Themes, which you cannot use on Wordpress.com The WordPress.com is the free site.  I know it is a lot of information, but before you know it you will be a pro:)  Hope that helps.

[Reena Virdee]

Ahh! I think it is on the Wordpress.com free site that I think you aren't allowed to do ads.  I still don't have many followers and read on another bloggers comment that they couldn't get any sponsors since they don't have many followers.  This is all pretty complicated.  :)

[Kimi Clark]

Hi Reena,

Yes you're correct, you are not allowed to post ads or anything to make money of any kind on the Wordpress.com free site. If you are blogging to earn money you need to have your site hosted through Host Gator, Godaddy, etc. Wordpress also owns all of your content so your whole blog could be taken down at any time, I definitely would recommend changing now before you get too far along. Hope this helps, all the best to you! :)

[Angie]

First step is to change from the .com to a self hosted Wordpress blog if your goal is to monetize and I assume it is since you're looking at traffic.

I will tell you that a more focused blog tends to be more successful but if you work hard and stand out from the rest, you could make one with many topics successful.  What is your goal with your blog?

To get more traffic, you'll want to be very active on all your social channels, do guest blogging, blog consistently, always having a call to action.

[Reena Virdee]

Starting blogging for myself but now hoping it could be more. Still have little traffic so probably not worth it to self host.

[Angie]

I would disagree.  There are so many opportunities to make good money as a blogger if you have and use the right tools.  Those small investments can mean a huge difference!