As an experiment, I launched a personal blog, A Southerner in San Francisco, in mid August. Until early this week, the blog had only two ‘members,’ or subscribers–one of whom was my sister.
And then, by the end of the week, the blog had 104 subscribers and page views were way up. What happened?
I wrote a blog post, “Steve Jobs’ impact on my 92-year-old mother,” after the former Apple CEO’s passing. I posted the blog last Saturday. On the following Tuesday, my blog was highlighted on Google Blogger.com’s Blogs of Note. Suddenly, my inbox was filling with appreciative comments from people whose lives had also been touched by Jobs, or who simply related to the story of how Apple products had enabled me to share memories (via video and the iPad) with my mother, who has Alzheimer’s.
So if you want to increase your blog’s traffic, be topical. Think about what people are buzzing about at the moment, and see if you have something to say. When I took over writing the iPhoneGuide blog, I focused on newsy blog posts; traffic increased 25 percent.
And whenever possible, offer a personal story that’s relevant to the hot topic. Be authentic. You’re more likely to touch a nerve and keep readers coming back.
