|
Author: Kristin Royce Article source: http://www.jpservicez-searcharticles.com/. Used with author's permission.
Welcome to part 2 of "Why Every Artist Needs a Blog", a series showing how a successful blog can help you sell more art.
Now that you have successfully published your artist blog and have tested your dedication to frequent blog posting, it's time to get your blog exposure on the web. Using blog-specific online marketing techniques, you can promote your blog to a target audience and build quality traffic to it - for free.
7 Steps to Build Traffic to your Artist Blog
1. Submit to Blog Directories
- A list of the top 35 blog directories with direct links to submission pages and inclusion requirements is available at The ARTrepreneur. Keep in mind that the process of submitting to directories is always long and tedious, but will absolutely prove its return on the time investment, especially considering that it's free online promotion for your blog.
- Create a record of submission document for your blog to keep track of submission dates, member registration information, etc. Many of the better blog directory sites require a reciprocal link or tracking script to get listed, so work with your technical support person to place a reciprocal link on the page.
2. Ping Blog Services
"Pinging" is a way of letting blog directories and search engines know that you have updated your blog. By sending a ping to each service, you let them know that a new post has been published so they can come check you out.
- Bookmark Ping-O-Matic - a site that lets you ping many blog sites with one click: http://pingomatic.com/
3. Optimize each blog post for search engines
Getting visibility in natural search for a blog post is no different than getting visibility for a web page. The same rules of "writing for search" apply - meaning keyword rich titles, content length, optimized hyperlinks, alt tags, etc. Here are quick tips for optimizing each of your blog posts for higher rankings in natural search results:
- Identify your keyword phrase. Is it something people actually search for? If not - phrase it differently. For example instead of using "The Dorm Diet" for a title, you might consider "Lose the Freshman 15" since freshman 15 is a very popular searched phrase. (source: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/)
- Blog Entries should be at least 300 words long.
- Your targeted keyword phrase should appear 3-5 times in the entry (once in the title, in the summary and throughout the blog)
- Use the keyword phrase in any hyperlinks you have in the blog as well as in any bulleted list.
- Use ALT tags for your images
4. Build Links to Your Blog
A link building campaign is the best way to get quality and relevant traffic to your blog. These methods, although time consuming, are the best ways to get links pointing to your blog.
- Link to your blog from the main page of your site.
- Use your blog as often as possible in the "related links" area of articles published on your site.
- Post legitimate comments on other blogs with related topics and include a link back to your blog with your signature.
- Offer to exchange links with other similarly themed blogs and websites.
5. Promote Bloglet
Bloglet is a free service for people to sign up for an email alert each time their favorite blog publishes a new post. It's perfect for people who have not jumped on the RSS bandwagon just yet, or for those that never will (sorry mom!).
- Set up a Bloglet subscription form on your blog and invite everyone to subscribe: http://www.bloglet.com
6. RSS Feeds
Set your blog to display RSS feeds and submit your blog's RSS feed to the major RSS feed directories online. Go here for a list of the top RSS directories: http://www.rss-specifications.com/rss-submission.htm
- Make sure you have an RSS feed URL that people can subscribe to. Test your feed here: http://feedvalidator.org/
- Use the same submission guidelines listed in step 1 above (Blog Directory Submissions) to have consistent results.
7. Email Signature
- Use your mail program to create an email signature file that will be included in every email you send. Keep it short with your name, email address, blog title and URL. This little trick will work wonders!
- Become an active member of a relevant online community forum and add your blog title and URL to your signature line at the bottom of each message you post.
Building traffic to your artist blog is not a scientific process. It takes time, hard work, and persistence to build a loyal audience and create your niche interactive community on the web. Tracking your success is a key motivational tool that will help get you through some guaranteed trying times that come with building a successful blog. Be sure to benchmark the current state of your traffic, your rankings on the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN) and the visitor commenting activity on your blog before implementing these free online marketing techniques. Kristin Royce is a search engine
optimization and online marketing professional contributing online
marketing and promotional content for artists to The ARTrepreneur E-Zine and newsletter.
The ARTrepreneur offers articles helping artists focus on proven techniques to accomplish any goal. Read More: http://www.theartrepreneur.com
Copyright © 2005 Arctic Mouse, Inc. All rights reserved.
You are a Genius - Unlocking the Power of the Mind
Hi, Jim Rohn here. This month we focus on accelerating our learning processes. How exciting! First, understand we possess the ability to improve and accelerate ...
Oh, My Goodness! Where Has the Time Gone?
OK. You are ready for the day. You have your TO DO list and you are ready to tackle ALL of the things you MUST do today. But then, the phone rings...
Oh, God. What Do I Do Now?
Uh, oh. I'm in trouble now. I found God. Now what do I do with Him?
Is That Free Stuff Like An iPod Or Desktop Computer Really Free?
You may have heard of or visited web sites like www.freestuf.com and seen offers for free top-brand electronics like Apple's iPod, or Microsoft's Xbox360. While...
Depression: 14 Universal Laws for Recovery
Just sort of feeling blue, kinda out of it, gets confused with being depressed. We all get the blues from time to time, and they pass.
How Do You Paint New Age
Many things have been written about New Age, I have several article descriptions on my Web Site, but how to you paint it, what does it look like and how do you ...
Do Good Deeds & Get Rewarded? A Universal Mystery Uncovered
Do you believe in the idea of "abundance" or do you see the whole notion as just a load of "airy-fairy" nonsense spouted by "new age" goody goodies?
Lead People...Manage Things
Master The Five Key Facets of High Performance Leadership Many people in leadership positions struggle with understanding what makes a great leader. While billi...
Home Refinancing Rates - When is It Worth It to Refi?
Here are some tips to help you know when to refinance.
Your New Clothing Company - Apparel Sourcing
Ever wanted to start your own clothing company?
Learn How to Do A Successful Gall Bladder Flush
To do a Gall Bladder Flush you will need the following ingredients:
Lip Augmentation - The Raw Facts
Are you someone who loves to look their best? Are you confused by all the so called miracle lip plumping products that continually flood the market and tempt us...
The Absolute Best Way to Strengthen Your Core for the Golf Swing
The core is the key to powerful swings and long drives. Learn how to develop club head speed and distance on every shot.
The Most Critical Strategy to Your Survival, and Prosperity, Online
The most important thing to your on line business is repeat business. In this article, I show why it's becoming more important every day and what you can do not...
The Separation of Church and State? Evolution, Intelegent Design and the Bible - Part 1
The Bible tells us of a time that men shall turn to science so called and be deceived by it. Lets look at each of the items one at a time.
8 Secret Tips To Generate A Massive Income Using Articles
Many of us think that articles are only for traffic and such. But, do you know that there are many ways on how you can use your articles? There are numerous way...
10 Simple and Practical Tips on How to Dazzle Customers
A list of simple things you can do to ensure you stand out from the crowd and make customers remember you
Why Consistency Is The Key To Raising Well-behaved Kids
Managing children's behaviour is easy if you have well-behaved kids. But what approach do you use if your children are less than perfect or they just have a dif...
Success Secret - How To Find Million Dollar Opportunities
They're really are powerful million dollar opportunites everywhere. Ok, let me explain.
What to Ask Your Web Designer
Great tips on what to look for when selecting your webdesigner.
Financial Planning for Beginners
Financial planning at an early age may seem complicated, however it can be easier than you might think. At the age of 25 most of us are just beginning our marri...
Wacky Test Marketing: Part 3
Once again I used my wacky test marketing strategy to announce a new project and once again it worked.
One Way to Improve Your Music Journalist Relationship
Flash-y websites might look fresh and exciting, but if they make it difficult for a music journalist to get information from your website, then your site has fa...
Should You Get A Blog?
A blog is a type of website. It allows the website owner to easily write messages that get posted to the site automatically, often in a journal or diary-like st...
|
Print this page