I've started a blog... now what?

[MontyVeda]

Not cycling related I'm afraid...

I'm sure plenty of you have a blog... how does one go about getting the damn thing read?


it's a local interest thing so I'm hoping it'll get read locally. Hopefully people searching for 'centros miller lancaster' or 'canal corridor lancaster' or similar should find it in the SERPs... but now I've typed it this thread will probably rank higher than my lowly blog, so I'd better post a link:

http://its-our-car-park.blogspot.co.uk/

I'm not relying on search engine traffic but would like to 'get it out there'... so any advice on getting my blog read would be appreciated.

ps. I've posted a comment here and there on blogs with links from my username, and followed a Lancaster news blog with my profile which also links to the blog... anything else?

 

[ASC1951]

I'm sure plenty of you have a blog... how does one go about getting the damn thing read?

You have to have something interesting to say and you have to post new stuff regularly.

Most amater blogs are vanity projects, occasionally read by a few friends, and deservedly ignored by everyone else. Don't forget to keep asking yourself whether the time could be spent doing something effective.

Subject to that, try building traffic by including a link to it in your sig; and consider a Facebook page and Twitter feed.

 

[Archie_tect]

Monty, the link doesn't work.... [comes up with error 503...whatever that is, possibly my computer though ]

 

[Dayvo]

From what I've heard, you need to (subconsciously) have an extremely dull life and a huge desire to tell the world about 'your day.'

 

[Archie_tect]

....in the most mind numbingly boring details.....It's 7:18 pm and I have just scratched an itch on the left side of my forehead

...that's odd, so have I.

 

[vernon]

I've just scratched my left rib cage to relieve the itching from what turned out to be a mild case of shingles. I have a whole series of images and anecdotes from the past nine days that I am considering converting into a blog to share with the Internet based community.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Fairly regular posts, cross-linking with other blogs - there will be like minded bloggers and services around (and tell them you've added them - they might return the compliment).

I used to blog until around the middle of last year (lost my voice...) and I still remain co-editor of a local blog we set up on the old council housing estate where I live. (http://crossfields.blogspot.co.uk/) It gets around 300 views a day and a very large percentage of visitors, particularly in the beginning, come via links with other blogs. It's one of those things where cooperation with other bloggers and giving clear credits really pays dividends.

 

[MontyVeda]

nothing interesting to say... but i am trying to get the local green party's backs up somewhat!

The link does work for me Archie, so maybe your interweb was running slow at that moment.

I do lead a very dull life (which is apparent by the amount of time i spend on Cycle Chat), but that blog is the most fascinating thing I've done since... er... Saturday.

I don't 'do' facebook but did text most people i know who do and asked them to 'like' it. Twitter, sod that... i do twitter marketing as part of my job and it's next to useless unless you've got oodles of discount codes to give away, but thanks for the thought.

[edit]... actually twitter probably is a good idea... i only really want handful of people to read it locally... namely those I'm having a pop at, and I'm sure some of them i'll be able to tweet directly to, cheers![/edit]

There doesn't seem to be (m)any lancaster-centric blogs so maybe i should find blogs about proposed redevelopment in other towns


Another option which I'm sure Admin would wholeheartedly approve of is spamming forums like "read all out the new centros miller plan for the Lancaster Canal Corridor as seen in the Lancaster Guardian" but the quality of links from places like this is questionable... and as predicted, I can find this thread in 'my' SERP results, but not my blog

Am I risking being done for liable by accusing my local Green MP of stealing crayons and having a tantrum?

 

[Archie_tect]

Thanks Monty... link worked straightaway at home, so must be my work connection.

 

[Aperitif]

I would probably start by backing up your blog with a leaflet handout - Postcard/A6 - A4 torn into 4 bits etc - giving passers-by/ residents (sorry - I haven't read in depth your blog) in the affected areas a 'heads-up' to the way that they too can join in with your voice. Invite comment. Relate the potential effects to major things (activities/ events / shops in the immediate area? Publish something outrageous and controversial that people can read on paper and then follow through by logging onto your blog.
The obvious targets - your 'enemies' will keep an eye on who is joining / subscribing to your thread. In time, there may be other issues that people suggest and a common sense 'snowball' will develop. You can only plug away and do your best, if you think it helps. If you don't try, you'll only end up asking yourself "what if..." Good luck.