Confessions of a Six Figure Professional Blogger

7 Ways To Blog Your Way To A Thousand Visitors

View Comments | Posted In Traffic by David

This is a guest post by my friend (and BlogMasters student), Mike Crimmins. He is the coffee blogger. He’ll share what worked for him to get a blog about coffee up to 1,000 visitors and beyond.

2480950146_df8bee006f I stayed up late every night, drinking lots of coffee and reading blog post after blog post on how to generate traffic. I was willing to work 24 hours a day on Daily Shot Of Coffee, but I didn’t know what to do to make people to visit it.

I tested a thousand different methods, techniques and tricks.

I tried the social bookmarking sites like Stumbleupon, but never got past ten hits a day. I discovered the hard way, that unless I found a best friend that was a power user or owned a site with a lot of traffic, I was never going to see thousands of visitors.

The blogging experts kept talking about link bait articles, blog posts that are so great that other bloggers just have to link to them, but how was I going to get them to my site to even read those articles?

After a whole lot of trial and error, lots of late nights and  more pots of coffee than I can count, I found seven ways that worked and helped me blog my way to a 1,000 visitors a day.


Get Social

Twitter and Facebook are loaded with coffee drinkers. I didn’t just follow and friend them, I built relationships by interacting with them and not just spamming with my links. However, now when I do post links, they come running to retweet and share my blog posts with their friends.

Find out what’s the coffee shop where the people in your niche hangout. Visit related blogs and see if they’re linking to Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. If they are, go setup accounts there and make yourself a presence. But don’t just limit yourself to those sites, just because they’re what’s hot right now. The people in your niche might not even know what Twitter is. Google for forums in your niche. Ask other bloggers and your readers where they chat online about your topic.

Build Some Back Links

I read on dozens of blogs that I needed to get back links to my site. Those are links into my blog from other sites that would make my blog look more attractive to Google and other search engines, more like a Starbucks Latte instead of a stale, burnt cup of gas station coffee.

However, how was I going to get people to link to my site, if they didn’t even know that it existed? The answer was article marketing. Article marketing is submitting articles to sites like Ezine Articles. They post articles and let authors put links in their articles back to their own blog.

Not only did it make my site look more delicious to Google, but it brought in more readers directly from EzineArticles looking for information about coffee.

The catch is that they want quality, original articles and they do check. My solution is to rewrite select blog posts and SE optimizing them slightly different than the original.

Write A Series Of Articles

I’m not in the top ten for the keyword coffee yet, but I did capture some choice spots in search engines for some medium sized keywords. There’s less competition and with three or four articles on one topic, some back links from EzineArticles and I was able to put my blog on the first page for several frequently searched for keywords.

Comment On Other Blogs

Commenting on other blogs is more than just getting links that point back to your blog. Most blogs have the “nofollow” tag, so when Google checks out the other blog, they won’t even see the link to your site. However, it’s still one of the best ways to get your name out there for readers and even other bloggers to find out about you and your site.

You’re going to have to say more than just “great blog” or “interesting article.” You have to write blog comments that show you’re an authority on the subject. For me, this led to other bloggers coming to comment on my blog and led to some of them linking back to it without even telling me.

Throw A Contest

If you want to seriously caffeinate your traffic quickly, hold a contest. Even with small prizes like a $30 gift basket, I’ve been able to generate a huge bump in traffic.

I see some blogs just requiring a comment to enter the giveaway. I don’t stop there. To make sure that they come back, I’d add that if they follow me on Twitter or sign up to the newsletter, they’ll get more entries. If they tweet it or share it on Facebook, they’ll get bonus entries and it can make the contest go viral.

Write A Lot!

My blog traffic has steadily increased, more than other blogs in my niche, because I’m constantly writing. I’ve been able to become one of the top coffee blogs, because I write daily, while most of the others are updated randomly. The fresh articles keep people coming back because they know that there will be new posts to read. Plus, they give the search engines more to feed on.

Drink Lots Of Coffee

It wasn’t easy and it took a lot of hard work, but the traffic and monetary rewards are making it all worth it.

Mike Crimmins is the caffeinated blogger behind Daily Shot Of Coffee, a blog for the average joe coffee drinker.

Photo credit: tskdesign.

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  • Excellent article. I am always trying to find ways to generate more traffic to my site. I especially like the #6: Post Comments on blogs. I never realized that commenting on (some) blogs is a quick and easy way to get a nice backlink. I hope you read this, because my question is how do you know if a particular blog is nofollow or dofollow? Also when you write multi-series articles do you label them as Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc or do you do something different to tie them together? Thanks in advance for your response.
  • Very helpful post,Mike.I find that commenting on other blogs is extremely useful for a new blog.And yes,coffee do help a lot.
  • Hey Mike, really inspiring story, I just can't break through the 500 barrier (frustrating as hell!) but this has given me the incentive to keep pushing on.

    If I may ask, what technique do you think had the most impact on raising traffic?

    Thanks again, excellent post.
  • I don't drink a lot of coffee, but appreciate the other steps. So far, the most effective means of generating traffic has been interacting with other bloggers. I am not making a lot of money, but I am gradually getting noticed as I write about making money online. I think the contest is a good idea and will have to try that.
  • I still don't understand the not drinking coffee part, but it sounds like you're on the right track.
  • I love Coffee!!
    I set up different Blogs over the past few years. I tried to get people to come to my Blog. Then this past November I stopped writing for everyone else and wrote for me. I was shocked when I got my 1,000 hit after 35 days.
    I still don't know what I did right:-)
    Gerardine Baugh

    http://gerardinebaugh.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/%e2%80%9cthe-best-laid-schemes-o-mice-an-men-go-often-askew%e2%80%9d/
  • Congrats on the 1,000 hits! I think writing about what you like is so much easier than writing about other topics, even if they might be more profitable and I think other people can see the difference in the writing.
  • Great article here Mike...

    I am in the process of rewrite my Social Media/Blog strategy for 2010. Had a set back the last couple of months due to death in my family. But getting my motivation and inspiration back on track again.

    So I really liked your simple but very effective approach here. I have to be honest that several of your points here I have just not been good enough on. So that is something I will change next year.

    Of course as a European I like strong coffee that will knock your socks off.. Though I also enjoy my beer once in while not sure where that in the picture here.. :)

    I'll give the article here a tweet/retweet...

    Cheers.. Are
  • I understand that something like that can really slow you down, they kind of put a reality check into everything.

    I try to hit all of the points as hard as I can as often as I can, especially the commenting and social media every day.

    I've heard that you guys over there love your coffee really strong. I'm working my way up there, but I don't think I could drink that strong of coffee all of the time.
  • Hey there Mike, I've tried all your technique that you mention for generating traffic. And most of them works, especially blog commenting because it can create awareness to the others blog about your blog presence.

    About your idea in building relationship with others, I totally agreed with you. If we know how to maximize the usage of social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter and so on), then traffic will comes to you more than you are expected.

    To your success.
    - Aqif
  • I love to compare the Twitter users with huge followings of random people, compared to my results. I may only have like 1100, but from comparing what stats I can see, it looks like my results are almost always better.
  • Thank you so much for this! As a new blogger I have taken much inspiration from this post and have just set up my blog's first competition. This is what good blogging is all about; useful, clear and interesting.

    Thanks Again!
  • That's how I like my writing, I don't try to sound like some expert in an ivory tower, I'm a lot more practical.
  • This is a great article. Thanks for the tips, as they are useful to me as an aspiring blogger ;) The rest of your blog is great reading too, there's a lot I could learn here as I read along.
  • Thanks!
  • I'm like jimi jones, not a coffee drinker but always burning the midnight oil trying to get things going. Slowly but surely. Wish I'd realised earlier how useful a blog is. I was just writing for myself.
  • It's amazing powerful a blog can be when it's pointed in the right direction. But at the same point, I think I'm writing just for myself as I am my audience. That's why I choose coffee instead of niches which are traditionally more profitable.
  • I agree with all the stuff said above. But do not drink much coffee. It is not good for your health, guys.
  • For some people one cup is too much. For others it's two pots a day that keeps them going. I'm pretty much and advocate for moderation of anything.
  • Coffee rules, I hated it till I had my 1st kid then I had to start drinking it. Now I am hooked drink more then I should but I don't care. I actually wanted to try and set the world record for most coffee consumed in a short period of time but couldn't find it.

    Maybe you know if not I just going to 2 pots in 5 minutes youtube it and claim it but anyway back to you post some great tips and advice here. Will have to check out your site coffee is close to my heart. Let me know if you know of the consumption record.
  • LOL! Good luck with the two pots in five minutes! I don't know what the record is, but I'm asking around and if I hear an answer, I'll leave another comment.
  • Good article. I'm thinking to start a blog myself and these tips really inspired me.
  • Now is definitely the time to do it. And if I can do it, I'm pretty sure anyone can once they find what they really want to blog about.
  • Okey, basically I am hitting 2/7 at the moment - backlinks and commenting on people's blogs.

    I also use facebook now and then, don't yet have twitter, I am on few forums, but I think I should definitely concentrate more on social side for now as it takes time to get recognized by search engines in a volume suitable to make my blog/site profitable enough.
  • I know that there's a lot of internet marketers on Twitter, so I definitely wouldn't pass up on that, but I definitely understand that it's a lot of hardwork.
  • Interesting ideas, some that ive started to implement myself on my own blog. I like the idea of being social, as its important to build relationships not just to bring links to your site but to maybe get asked to guest post on other blogs etc.

    Ive heard alot that contests can easily get you visitors, but most of those might not stick around and probably just turn up hoping to win something.

    Id love to know what type of coffee you would recommend, I live in the UK so I don't know of any good places to order great coffee from. I tend to just buy mine from the local supermarkets.
  • Yeah with the guest posts for all of the ones that I've done except for one, I approached the blog owner and offered a blog post. It's been a great way to get new reader and network.

    As far as contests, I'm still trying to find that happy medium. Too many requirements and I feel like I'm not getting enough entries. Not enough and I feel it's a waste of a contest.

    As far as the coffee in the UK, I'm really not sure. I know there's an awesome coffee roaster called Has Bean, but I'm not sure if it's just a local shop or something more. Try googling Coffee Forum UK. I've spent some time there and the people are really helpful.
  • Hey Mike. Thanks for the recommendation about the coffee forum, i will check it out. Ive never heard of Has Bean but I will also look into them more. Ive never really found a coffee im 100% happy with, but I guess thats the whole idea of trying new things.
  • Just a note: You don't have to wait to be asked to guest post. Many times, just writing it and submitting it does the trick and serves as an intro to the other blogger.
  • I have an excellent article for you David... will do!
  • oh, great point. I just thought it might of came across abit rude. Thanks for the response David :)
  • Six months ago when I started my blog, by the end of the year I wanted to achieve 1,000 visitors in a day.

    I'm almost there. But I needed a little push to get there.

    Very nice article. This should help me get over the top.
  • That was basically my goal. It's definitely a lot of work to get to that many visitors a day, but it's a nice feeling to finally reach it.

    I hope the tips help, I know it isn't easy.
  • Very nice article, Mike.

    I don't drink coffee but sure as heck burn the midnight oil trying to build a decent following. Realizing that none of the strategies will open the floodgates overnight is what most new bloggers have to realize. People get impatient instead of just toughing this thing out.

    I am happy for your success thus far. :-)

    Cheers!
  • I don't really understand this not coffee drinking thing! But I agree totally. I just wish that someone told me that when I was starting out that I had to be patient and it would come.
  • LOL - It's funny, I love the smell of coffee, just have not tried any since I went into the Army. Come to think of it, that crap probably wasn't real coffee anyhow. No wonder I haven't tried any since. ;-)
  • My dad was the complete opposite. He hated coffee but drank so much in the army that he started to like it. Along the way he switched to real coffee, because I think I heard him say what they had back then was more like sludge.
  • I'm brewing coffee right now. You should be proud of me. ;-)
  • I appreciate this blog and your daily updates David. Looking forward to meeting/chatting with you one day (would be a pleasure and an honor)
  • Glad to have you back on my side!
  • A good rundown on what has to be done. I've just launched my own blog so it's good to be reminded of these things. Doing what you love makes it all so much easier, doesn't it? You'll have no trouble working your face off ála garyvee if you're following your passion.
  • It makes it so much easier to be blogging about something I love. I had dozens of blogs before Daily Shot Of Coffee, but none really had any success like this one because it felt like work. Now it's like I can't believe I'm earning money by tasting and reviewing coffee.
  • Awesome tips, Mike! Thanks for sharing! I'll have to check out your site for sure.
  • Thanks and thanks for checking out my site! I saw you faned it on Facebook. Thanks!
  • I love you blog Mike and you make such valid points here in your article that I try my best to express to mompreneurs and work at home moms who thing they can blog about random shots (like the coffee analogy?) of nothingness.

    Although I've created my second blog at ProMomBlogger, I am doing 3 things I love (researching, designing, and helping).

    You Rock!
  • I think you have a great blog, I just took some time to check it out even if I'm not a mom.

    I think you're right on about the random "shots." I see way too many blogs like that, even in the coffee niche. One second I'm reading an article on coffee, the next home loans. I don't think I'd ever click on a link from a random blog to home loans.

    Hopefully you can get through to them because I've seen a lot of those "random" mommy blogs with great potential
  • Thank you so much. I'd love to interview you if possible. Is that possible? I really think that you represent what I try to teach so many of my readers. I think that although mom bloggers are gaining a lot of visibility, they are so all over the place that when I ask them how they measure and connect with their readers... they have no clue.

    Your blog represents exactly what I try to showcase and that is, doing what you love and harnessing that passion into "blogging for profit". The traffic will come!
    Can we chat offline?
  • That sounds great. Do you want to send me a message thru the contact form on my site?
  • headed over there right now
  • Batman
    Great advice!!! Thanks for allowing this guest post, David. Did he post it at his own site as well?
  • Just posted it here, there are lots of bloggers that read Daily Shot Of Coffee, but the majority are just regular joe coffee drinkers.
  • Batman
    Coolness. So, a valid followup question has to be.... Was the last tip only necessary for you, because of your niche, or can anyone take this advice? I'm up to a pot a day :)
  • I like the drink lots of coffee point. I certainly do that a lot. Maybe thats why I am not making enough money blogging, I spend it all on coffee.

    Engaging others, getting social is the sure thing. But it takes time. Too many people think that if they get 5000 Twitter followers in a month and Tweet their blogs, they will be millionaires the next month.

    Some cases making a living from blogging can take months even years.
  • I totally agree, except for about the coffee part.

    I've seen bloggers with 30,000 followers, yet the traffic stats say that my blog is getting more traffic from twitter. I think it's because I don't just follow everyone and their momma, without creating those real relationships.

    I think unless a person already has a pre-established following, like a famous author, there's no way that they'll see a significant income from their blog over night.
  • You mean you're not following my momma. LOL, Absolutely well said.
  • Thank you.
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