How to Quickly Get 2,000 New Blog Subscribers for Free

By: | May 14, 2016 | Tags: , , |

Bloggers can get more blog followersHave you ever wondered how to get more blog subscribers?

It’s a common wish of many bloggers.

I know since I collect wishes in my Blogger Collaboration group.

My guest author Eric Schlehlein wrote How to Quickly Get 3,000 New Blog Followers. Consider this a follow-up post.

In response to the article, a reader commented,

Great post
I love how specific it was. I went back and read the one on how to get 3000 followers, and I am going to be completely honest. I don’t want to spend an hour networking when I have only 1-2 hours to spend on blogging. That said, I can see how that would work! I think it was a great tip for those that have time. I love how this post shows how you can use your time wisely by joining link parties, and community pools etc. And still gain followers. Thank you!

I do not have time. I work outside the home as a teacher with papers to grade.

Eric amassed 3,000 blog subscribers in 18 months. I built a community of more than 2,000 subscribers in less than 15 months while working outside the home.

How to get 2,000 blog subscribers quickly

 

How to quickly get 2,000 blog subscribers

I started blogging in my niche, blogging tips, on January 22, 2015.

By the end of April of 2016, my 15th month in my blogging niche, I had reached over 2,000 blog subscribers.

As you can see by looking at the screenshots, on May 10, the number had reached 2,024.

I don’t mean followers, like social media followers. Since I am self-hosted, the number of followers I have on my social media sites are not included in the total.

There is a reason I am especially humbled by this show of support by the blogging community.

When I started blogging, I read that to have a successful blog, you should have 1,000 blog followers within your first year of blogging.

By this logic, it would take me two years to reach 2,000 followers. To have built a community of over 2,000 people in just 15 months is over-the-moon exciting.

This post will explain how I did it, and how you can do it too.

How to Get Over 2,000 Blog Subscribers

Networking
It is not a coincidence that networking is first. If I had to settle on one action that resulted in the 2,024 blog subscribers it would be networking.

I am so confident that networking is the main key to blog growth, I wrote a post about it. I titled it Secrets of Successful Bloggers, but there is only one secret– the key to blog growth is networking.

Consider this response from a reader when I advised that he network:

I’m not very good at the advice you suggested. It’s not easy, I know that.

I realize I am advising you leave your comfort zone, but how are people supposed to become interested in a blog they don’t know about?

He has since unsubscribed from my blog. Apparently he did not feel comfortable with my methods. Networking, in my opinion, is not a method. It is common sense.

If you want people to read your articles, they first have to know that you exist.

Being Regimented

For me, consistently performing my blogging tasks on a schedule goes hand in hand with networking.

Most days after school, I would eat my lunch and network. I tried to meet new people and make them aware of my blogging tips site.

Reblogs

To coin a song from Aladdin, “It’s a Whole New World.”

Since I self-hosted, I am living in a whole new world, a world where I can’t be reblogged.

Before I started self-hosting, having my articles reblogged by a supportive and appreciative blogging community accounted for so much of my subscriber growth, I actually wrote a post about it, Blog Growth Hack: A Cheat Sheet for Getting More Followers.

In the post, I encouraged people to find a reblog buddy and reblog each other. It’s a great way to be exposed to new communities.

Has my inability to be reblogged deterred my subscriber growth? No. People share my links to my articles, and they write short blurbs about my articles.

Chris, the StoryReading Ape, is so tech savvy, he knows how to show my article graphic as well. Others do too.

Facebook Groups

Facebook is consistently at the top of my referral traffic. I have not only received new subscribers who found me on Facebook, but I have made a great many friends.

Facebook groups in your niche are easy to find too. You just go to the search bar on Facebook and type in the name of your blogging niche. Your niche and the word “group” will come up.

You will have to ask to join the groups. Sooner than later, you’ll receive notification you can post your links in the group. Read the group description. Many are solely interested in supporting their members through advice and not by self-promotion. Other groups have strict rules about where you can leave your link.

Follow the rules. You don’t want to inadvertently anger someone and risk getting kicked out.

Reading

The more I read, the more Facebook groups I hear about. I join all groups I believe will work well for me. For example, I wouldn’t want a group that entails too great a time commitment.

Over the 15 months, the more groups I joined, the more I came into contact with new people, and the more followers I received.

Caring about SEO

Sticking to an editorial calendar goes along with being regimented. Consistent publishing helps your SEO.

I know it helped mine since people wrote that they found me in search engines.

Since I started following my secret SEO tip, my organic traffic has increased twenty times!

Giveaways

According to blogger Smitha Arons, giveaways result in gaining many new subscribers. She was right.

Lysa Wilds and I held one, and it did. Rafflecopter is a helpful tool to use with giveaways.

Meet and Greets

People are going there looking to meet others. I once attended a Meet and Greet. I introduced myself to everyone who left a link. They all followed me to my blog and subscribed.

Free Incentives

People subscribed to my blog to join our four subcommunities and be able to pin to our blog’s Pinterest board. (Note: If you have subscribed to this blog and would like to pin to our blog Community Pinterest board, please let  me know in the comments section.)

Miscellaneous Factors but Everything Adds Up

The following contributed to my blog growth, but not as much as the above eight tips. The following helped, but resulted in fewer subscribers.

New subscribers explained they found my blog because I…

How to get blog followers

What Conclusions Can We Draw About How to Get Blog Subscribers?

I have read that blogging advice is much the same from blog to blog. Things become trite because they are true.

I conducted an interview in which I asked successful bloggers how they decided which blogs to follow [How to Get New Blog Followers: Experts Reveal Their Secrets ]. If you read the interview, you will see the experts express belief in the Bandwagon Effect– if it is a highly trafficked blog, it must have quality, and they subscribe.

I disagree. You don’t have to be blogging guru Ryan Biddulph to be appealing to potential subscribers. My blog is not as highly trafficked as Ryan Biddulph’s, and over 2,000 people chose to subscribe to my blog in a little over a year of blogging in my niche.

I have presented a case study of how I managed to grow my subscriber list ahead of a schedule I read I should expect.

This week is a time of reflection since I published my 400th post. I hope you found my reflection on what contributed to my receiving 2,024 subscribers in 15 months valuable enough that you can repeat my methods.

Bloggers, please share so others still struggling to grow their subscriber list can do so.

What methods do you feel contributed to growing your subscriber list? If you had to pinpoint one factor that could help new bloggers, what would it be? I look forward to your views in the comments section.

Related Posts

How to Easily Get People to Subscribe to Your Blog by Networking

How to Quickly Find 3,000 New Blog Followers

  1. Gary Jefferies

    Oh my life will you quit showing me where my approach is pants ?

    Well, it’s not really pants, more jeans now….but each time I get going up pops another gem….blogger collaboration group? What is this..must click it now and see what’s what…or maybe I already have and early onset dementure has erased all memory of it in favour of the baked bean jigsaw puzzle ?

    I need more hours on Saturday mornings methinks…this is becoming, as Spock would say, fascinating…. Growing a following is something I must take onboard as a serious reason to broaden my reading audience….must have another author CEO board meeting and have a chat with myself about action plans and avoidance strategies ?

    Brilliant stuff again my blogging friend of immense proportions…..thank you for tolerating us inadequate underlings ?

    • Melinda Mitchell

      Hi Gary, no I’m not stalking you!
      I love reading your comments, they always make me laugh!

      • Gary Jefferies

        Must just be spooky coincidence then ?

        Let me know when you’ve sussed out how how this all converges into that epiphany moment where everything suddenly makes tremendous sense!

        • Melinda Mitchell

          To tell you the truth, Janice is always far above my head! That girl knows more about blogging, than I’ll ever have opportunity to forget!!
          But, I just keep plugging along, grasping at straws, whilst ignoring the whole bales of hay she puts out for the herd. ahem, I mean readers.

          • Janice Wald

            LOL. The herd! =)
            I am Gary’s stalker. I follow him around the room and stalk him at blog parties.

          • Gary Jefferies

            Agreed…must be part mad to want 10,000 emails…I struggle with about 100 a day. Mind you projecting forwards I need to start filtering better…and do some stumbling, well proper upon stumbling as opposed to just stumbling about trying to work out an action plan that will take me to where I need to go. Still, I’ve had hits from Google plus now and Twittee….sadly it might have been me testing it though ?

            @Janice Wald…this has run out of replies ? Stalking indeed….that’s most funny….you tend to lag a week and catch up on Fridays with my posts….must be that email Avalanche….just how do you sift through it and stay sane?? Oh…scratch the last bit….?

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Gary,
      I love Mr. Spock and the Star Trek series with Shatner and him. Fun playing TV trivia with you. At any rate, I am glad you found the tips valuable. I really didn’t understand the pants part, but I understood you liked the post. Thank you. I am glad. Your blogging friend of immense proportions– what kind words. Again, your compliments bring a big smile to my face.
      As far as the Blogger Collaboration group– https://mostlyblogging.com/blogger-collaboration-group/ we make wishes come true there– we help each other with our blogging tasks. I am glad you checked it out. As you noted, bloggers are so busy, we can all benefit from help.

      • Gary Jefferies

        I’m chuckling here…I have to posts with colloquialisms that obviously don’t translate over there…pants is another term for rubbish…not that the post was…I did like that, more that it was pointing out my approach is rubbish…or pants now you know what it means….the jeans part was more poetic license…jeans overlay pants and thus infers it’s less rubbish…savvy? (I’m on pirate films now…Jack Sparrow).

        How did you find the newest Star Trek film? I thought the junior approach was very well done wrt the original characters.

        Yes…I dipped into the collaboration group and have made a hook up through it already…I need a PA lol

        • Janice Wald

          Hi Gary,
          So sorry, but…
          While you are translating for me… What’s a PA?
          Thanks for explaining about the pants. I had NO idea! LOL.
          Jack Sparrow? I love Johnny Depp. I saw and loved Pirate’s 1. #2? Forgettable. I haven’t seen another. Star Trek? there was a new one? Who new?
          Leonard Nimoy just died in real life. Must have been a different cast. Thanks for telling me about it.
          Janice

          • Gary Jefferies

            Yes…Johnny Depp..it figures really…he plays The Hatter too and somehow that’s a fitting word association to end up with ….er….you ?

            PA short for Personal Assistant.

            Star Trek The a Future Begins…2009 film going back to an all new original cast in an alternate time line….Leonard Nimoy was in it. Coming through a portal from the original series timeline. It’s actually very good and I thought the cast nailed the characters rather well. I think they are making the sequel to that too. Forget the other Star Trek movies….this is an entirely different beast and worth a watch if you like the original series ?

    • Julie Syl Kalungi

      The Fact that you say your blogging is “jeans” teheheee means you know what you are about Gary…have you got another stalker? Teheheee

      Anyhooo Janice, Massive congrats on the milestone. Indeed once you hit that sweet 1k its said you are cruising to residual income…so are you raking it in yet? 🙂 🙂

      Super well thought out post as excepted and nothing gets more subscribers than statistics and a insightful caring shares 🙂

      • Janice Wald

        Hi Julie,
        Much appreciated. Thank you so much. I would like to include your insights in a post I am writing about Pinterest. I will Email you.
        Janice

      • Janice Wald

        Hi again Julie,
        Funny how we all know Gary. Regarding the residual income, I am trying to think of an Ebook title. My book is blogging and social media tips to grow your blog. I am open to suggestions. Thanks again for writing.
        Janice

      • Gary Jefferies

        Another stalker Julie?? OMG….I was unaware I had one, never mind another ?

        I must monitor this most carefully…me being an introvert and all…can’t be doing with too great a presence…especially in these old jeans…that would require a whole new outfit and maybe a hair cut…..terrible times indeed if one requires a haircut….

        E-book titles….must think

        My Blog Ain’t Big Enough….which is true…in my case….despite all Janice’s cool advice….which possibly makes sense to folk with larger brains than mine ?

  2. Jen

    Hi Janice,

    Thanks for including my comment. I learned (or relearned since I haven’t had enough coffee to be writing this…I do have a Keurig and I don’t use it. *gasp! I do need to dig that out.) that you are a teacher! I love teachers, I think you guys have so much hard work to do! I really appreciate it, especially as a homeschooler, I can’t imagine trying to teach 60+ students that all learn differently at the same time. Whew!
    I found you through the Bloggers Pit Stop, which was posted in a Facebook Thread. (no clue which one, sorry) I am so glad I did!
    Another great thing is because you are providing great useful content, you end up getting shared by your readers. For example, a fellow blogger was looking for great link parties, so I shared your main page since you have 4? linking parties? I got to help someone (ya me!) and you got a link and viewed by others (ya you!)
    Congrats on 15 months, I went from WordPress myself to self-hosted in January. It certainly is a whole new world, but I wouldn’t trade the ups,downs or sideways for anything. Off to drink more coffee, and try to knock off some networking before work.
    Thank you again for the link and I loved this article 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Jen,
      Thanks for telling me where you found me. I am glad you did too. We both like blogging and coffee =).
      As far as my article inspiring you to network– Eric’s article inspired me to network. He wrote his guest post for me last summer, and I have been inspired to network ever since. That’s what he said in his article– be regimented. I try for six days a week, if my numbers fall, all seven!
      Janice

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Jen,
      I owe you a thanks. Allyson Green said she found me through you. Thanks for putting a good word out about my blog!
      Janice

  3. Kevin

    Thank you for this interesting post. I agree with you that commenting on other people’s posts can assist in growing one’s readership. However it is, I believe important to point out that follower numbers do not necessarily equate to active readers/commenters. Many people subscribe to a site then rarely (if ever) comment or like posts. Also there are those who click the “like” button on a post without actually having read it. I know this as some of my longer posts have been “liked” almost as soon as they are published, meaning the person liking them has not had time to even read the articles in question. A thousand people who actively engage with a blog are worth more than several thousand who are passive subscribers, (by “actively engage) I mean those who “like” after actually having read a post and comment even if only rarely). Kevin

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Kevin,
      I replied to your comments on Chris’s site, but I am pasting my reply here, so my readers can also read my response:
      I agree with you. However, in my article, I tried to stress you should network with like-minded bloggers. That was my point about the Facebook groups. By searching your blogging niche, you can find like-minded bloggers who will want to engage on your blog.
      Janice

      • Kevin

        Hi Janice. Thank you for responding to my comment. You make a good point about searching for like minded bloggers, however, as someone who works full time, I find it isn’t easy to find time to write poetry (I am a poet) and keep up with other people’s blogs. Also there is the little matter of keeping up with off-line friends (what an odd expression that is)! Best wishes. Kevin

        • Janice Wald

          Hi Kevin,
          Best wishes to you. Off-line friends, a new term? LOL.
          Thanks for writing me back.
          Janice

  4. smiling notes

    Hi Janice, these are some really great tips especially since I’m considering moving to a self-hosted site now. It has been close to a year that I have been blogging and I know it won’t be an easy task. But I have your blog to look back on for all your helpful advice 🙂
    One more thing, I had left a comment on one of your older blog posts yesterday – ‘How to Easily Increase Your Page Views with an Email List.’ I’m not sure whether you saw it. It would be really awesome if you could take a look at it whenever you get a chance. I hope I’m not asking too much.
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    -Shamira

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Shamira,
      I am happy with A Small Orange. If you plan on using them as your host, let me know, and I’ll give you my affiliate link. I think it’s in my right sidebar.
      I apologize for not responding to you sooner. There were ethical considerations. I have now responded on the Email post. Thank you for following up with me and for the kind words about my article.
      Here is the link to the Email post for convenience:
      https://mostlyblogging.com/how-to-easily-increase-your-page-views/comment-page-1/#comment-17620
      Janice

      • smiling notes

        I will certainly consider using Small Orange and if I do, I will definitely use your affiliate link. Thank you so much for the info. I’m trying to soak in as much info as possible before I take the final jump. I’m a technology challenged person but thankfully the hubby is not 🙂 Taking a look at your response on the other post now! 🙂 You are the best!

        • Janice Wald

          Hi Shamira,
          How kind you are. What kind words.
          I think the people subscribing to your other blog signals intent. To cover yourself, let them know about it so it doesn’t look like you are trying to do something unethical.
          Good luck with the move to self-hosted.
          Janice

  5. Anonymous

    Thank you Janice once more for this wealth of information. Your blog posts are filled with useful tips which are helping me tremendously, and for that I am thankful also.

    One factor that I would share to help new bloggers is that they should try and leave a feedback/comment on blog posts that sparks their interest.

    Keep up the good work. I shall now share this information so that it can assist others as well.

    Have a great weekend!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Dehan,
      Thank you so much for the compliments on my article and sharing it with your readers. No problem about the “anonymous” commenter, but I do appreciate you writing back =). Nice to see you!
      Janice

  6. Carolann

    Thanks for sharing this wealth of information. Networking is really key I agree. I think overall, having good content that folks want to read and share is the best way to build your following for sure. It’s highly competitive out there and resources like yours really empowers a blogger. Awesome stuff Janice as always!

    • Janice Wald

      What nice words, Carolann! Thank you! I never thought of this post as a resource, but maybe it is. Thanks for the idea to put it on my Blogging Resources Pinterest board =). Seriously, thank you for writing and for the kind words!
      Janice

  7. Mel

    I’m so glad I found this through the SITS twitter party. I’ve been blogging part time at just above a hobby level for the last 3 years, but I’m planning to try to step up my game over the summer and grow my community. Thanks for the great tips!

      • Janice Wald

        Hi Juana,
        Thanks for writing. Great to see you.
        Go to Twitter at 7:00 am Pacific time, 10:00 am Eastern time on Saturday morning; tweet your link with the hashtag #SITSSharefest and/or #SITSBlogging.
        A party!
        Janice

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Mel,
      I am so glad you wrote. One of my readers didn’t know about the SITS party, and now I could tell her. I appreciate you clicking my link over at SITS. We help bloggers who want to step up their game, so you came to the right place.
      Janice

  8. Frank Parker

    My question is not “How?” it’s “why?” You blog about blogging and bloggers love you for that. Wonderful! But what, exactly, is the point (apart from wasting time)?

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Frank,
      Thanks for writing. Nice to meet you.
      Thanks for saying my readers love me for my blogging tips. That made me feel wonderful, but I don’t understand the rest of your comment.
      What is the point of what? Blogging?
      We don’t waste time, we disseminate information to nonbloggers, about 99% of the population.
      Janice

  9. LuAnn Braley

    Gosh, Janice, would you write a klunker every once in a while? I spend waaaaaaay too much time reading through your posts and following links to other posts, reading them and following more links to still more posts! *lol* (J/K) Thank you for all you do for others!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi LuAnn,
      You made me laugh– Would I write a klunker once in a while? =) too funny. Thank you so much for the compliment. Seriously, I am beaming.
      I am glad you are enjoying the other articles I backlink to as well.
      It is always my pleasure to help. Thanks for writing, and again for the kind words!
      Janice

  10. Debby Carroll

    Janice, I have gotten so much great advice from following your blog! Now if only I would take it. But, truly, this is a great piece. Very inspirational. You always make me want to take charge of building my audience. I’ve just started a new job but it has flexibility to it so I might just have to take some of your good advice. Thanks!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Debby,
      Thanks for coming by and writing me. I have a new Pinterest board calling Inspiration. After reading your comment, I decided to pin the graphic to the board.
      Flexibility at work definitely helps. We get a lunch break, right? I read blogs and network. I would probably do more than that, but social media sites are blocked at my school.
      Thank you so much for the kind words about my article.
      Janice

  11. Melinda Mitchell

    Good afternoon, my BBFFJ,
    Wow! Your expertise continues to amaze me!
    Congrats on your 2,000 subscribers milestone, and your 400th post. Did I miss the party? Was there cake??
    All your advice is valuable. The network, then network again bubbles surrounding the ducks, made me laugh! So true!
    And oh boy, staying regimented- I know it’s important, but hard for a messie slob to do!
    But, I keep telling myself, if BBFFJ can work a full time teaching job, be a mom, AND a successful blogger, then I can keep blogging too!!

    • Janice Wald

      Hey you,
      After reading your comment, I decided our next blog party will be to celebrate 400 posts. Your inspiration, so I will link to you.
      Thank you! 400 did feel like a milestone of sorts which is why I mentioned it.
      I am a full-time teacher, a mom, a blogger, a wife, a friend, a daughter, and a dog-owner.
      Janice

  12. Juana

    Great post. I really enjoyed reading it. I think networking is probably one of the most important and most overlooked way to engage others with your content. After all, people have to know you exist to read your posts and decide whether or not they want to keep reading your new content.

    I will definitely be trying different networking strategies. I feel like I am terrible at putting myself out there and engaging with others effectively. My FB page can probably show that. Haha.

    Thanks for the post, it was a good one.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Juana,
      I hope you got my instructions about the #SITS girls party every Saturday morning on Twitter. They retweet my links for me, and I am sure they will for you too.
      Thanks for coming by, writing me, and the kind compliments on my article. Glad you enjoyed.
      Janice

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Chris,
      I saw in my Email today I received the notification (still no pingbacks). I became so excited, well, I started jumping up and down. I told my husband as well I was so excited. Seriously, thank you. I have a separate Pinterest board for “reblogs”, so I remember. I am on my way to your site to see it.
      Janice

  13. John Doe

    This was a masterpiece. What a great and informative post. You really out did yourself.

    • Janice Wald

      Why, thank you so much. Thanks for reading what I wrote and commenting.
      Janice

  14. kereta sewa murah klang

    I just subscribed to your blog and am truly enjoying it. Hope you will contribute more.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Kereta,
      Thank you so much for saying you subscribed to my blog! Exciting! Unfortunately, I never received a notification, so I took the liberty of adding you to the subscriber list. Welcome! Thank you for the nice compliments on my blog. I am glad you are enjoying my articles.
      Janice

  15. Bren Pace

    Hey Janice,

    Really great tips! It’s essential we network to build our following.I think link parties, Facebook groups, and commenting on other’s blogs (comments of value) can aid in growing it. But we all need to remember, if the contents is good, they will come, right?

    Passing it along.

    Bren

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Brenda,
      I work for hours on each blog post. I totally believe that content is important.
      That said, I have heard of talented actors that never become famous.
      Talented bloggers that never get readership? Totally possible. Blogging is knowing hacks. I hope I presented them in my article.
      Great to see you. Thanks for writing me.
      Janice

  16. Benjamin Carter-Riley

    A very good post once again Janice,

    Networking is a must have for ANY successful blog. Because without it, you have no readers (you have to build relationships).

    I haven’t really used FB groups for my blog, but just reading this post is giving me the push to do so.

    Thanks for the hot tips Janice! I loved reading all of them. 🙂

    Best wishes,

    Benjamin

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Benjamin,
      My apologies. I just saw this comment, or I would have written you sooner. I read your comment today about Snip.ly. I will look into it. I am definitely interested. Is it free? Thanks for the great compliments about my article. Nice we are back in communication.
      Janice

  17. Ryan Biddulph

    Love this Janice 😉 Blogging is an inside out game. You need nothing outside of you, including a HUGE following. Just be authentic, attract loyal readers, and you’ll enjoy this ride and also, will rock it out.

    Thanks for da mention 🙂

    Ryan

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Ryan,
      Thank you for writing and bringing your advice to our site. Thanks for the perspective that blogging is NOT a numbers game.
      I was happy to give you da mention. =). Thank you for retweeting the post for me over at Twitter.
      Janice

  18. Lady Lilith

    Nice tips. For me, blogging is a hobby so I do not have much time. I will use some of your tips and see where it takes me. Thanks.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Lady Lilith,
      Enjoy your blogging journey. Be sure to let me know how it goes, if you found my tips helpful along the way.
      Janice

  19. Leanne

    These tips are great Janice – but I honestly think the secret to your success is that you consistently produce really helpful advice and people come back for more of it! I love your blog and I must admit I never thought subscribers were particularly important – but I’m slowly changing – I now have a subscribe button in my sidebar which is a start 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Leanne,
      I love having subscribers. I find helping people rewarding. Thank you for the wonderful compliments on my blog and the tips in this post.
      I am glad you have a subscribe button in your sidebar.
      Empowering people feels great. A blog might as well be a diary without the readers. Thanks for writing. I love this dialogue.
      Janice

  20. Donna (Just One Donna)

    Hi, Janice. I resisted the subscribers lists for far too long, I think. I just put the opt in pop up on my blog today. I’m doing all the things you said you did, but my only measure of success is page views. Those are growing at a respectable pace since I decided to focus early this year. I had let my blog languish for three years and it was nearly DOA when I decided to refocus earlier this year. Perhaps it was too late, but I’ll keep on plugging. I appreciate your posts as they help me to stay on focus.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Donna,
      Thank you for writing me and for your interest in my article and my methods.
      The opt in pop up should definitely help. Can you mention a free incentive on it? Mine takes them to a free tools infographic. People love free things. That will be even more attraction to get on your Email list.
      Janice

  21. Amanda Nel

    You give me hope for my blogging journey! I sometimes get lost in the networking thing, reading post, clicking through to a recommended post etc, but I take it as ‘schoolling’. I find Janice’s blog refreshing because of the honesty and real purpose to help! Did I understand correctly Janice, do you have a day job too?

    • Janice Wald

      Yes I do! I am a teacher. Thank you so much for the kind words.
      Janice

  22. Kathleen - Bloggers Lifestyle

    Congratulations on the 2000 + subscribers I think that is so awesome and a credit to you. You are such a hard worker and deserve your success. I appreciate all the ways that you have achieved this and that you share these with others. So well done.

    • Janice Wald

      HI Kathleen,
      What wonderful compliments! The validation means so much! I consider you a friend as well as a colleague on Pit Stop, so the comments mean a great deal.
      Janice

  23. Tonia

    Great job showing people how you *make* the time to do the work. Everyone is busy, but if you want something, you have to make time for it. I also like how you lay out all the tactics you used to grow your subscriber base. Thanks for sharing!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Tonia,
      I believe “Nice to meet you” is in order, so… Nice to meet you.
      Yes, I agree with your comments. You get out of things what you put into them. My pleasure to help.
      Janice

  24. Kathleen - Bloggers Lifestyle

    Congratulations this post was among the top clicked in the Blogger’s Pit Stop #24. Be looking for a FEATURE on Friday. Well done.

  25. Kellie

    Great advice, now to do it. I feel like I have subscribed to a TON of blogs and read and comment, but not a lot have done the same for me. I cannot seem to figure it out. I will keep plugging along though. I have recently joined two FB groups, and that has helped too. I would like to join your pinterest group if I can. Thanks.

  26. Sara

    I agree that networking is the number one key to blog growth.

    I kind of feel that the “Bandwagon” effect as popular blogs usually get a large number of subscribers from people who “don’t want to miss out”. This isn’t to say that these people actually read and interact with the popular blog, but they do subscribe.

    My current blog has grown slowly as I have time to invest in it. It is a blog connected to my business so I try to publish a new post once per week.

    The growth is mainly from communities like MyBlogU and ViralContentBuzz. Facebook groups are another factor.

    As my blog is currently an experiment in traffic (2016) I find it interesting to see what works and what is just wasting time. There is so much ‘blogging advice’ out there that it’s hard to know which to follow.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Sara,
      2 AM here in California, so I’m off to sleep, but I wanted to thank you so very much for subscribing to my blog. I don’t believe that my blogging tips are like everyone else’s. I think you will come to see that too. How did you find my blog? I always wonder.
      Janice

      • Sara

        Your blog is definitely unique in that you test your theories. That is something I enjoy. You are also very supportive of bloggers in general. (I’m in Calif. too).

    • Janice Wald

      HI Sara,
      I like ViralContentBuzz since people stumble my articles for me. I am obsessed with StumbleUpon. We have a stumble group on our site. I don’t find I get subscribers from ViralContentBuzz. I have just started reading Ann Smarty’s MyBlogU. I find Facebook groups extremely valuable. Thanks for the dialogue.
      Janice

      • Sara

        Ann is a smart cookie. I haven’t experimented much with Stumbleupon (May was my month for that). You’ll enjoy her blog as well as Anna Hoffman’s blog on traffic.
        Facebook groups for bloggers have been a great source of support when promoting my new posts.

  27. Gilly Maddison

    Just like Melinda who commented way up the comment list above, much of what I read here goes over my head too and I can’t take it all in. I am in awe of people who can implement all these strategies while holding down jobs outside!!!! I absolutely lost track of networking ages ago and I have no idea how you can have a reading/commenting/writing schedule that works. I don’t have an outside job but I have very ancient parents that have both had challenging illnesses in the last two years. I am frequently absent from my own blog for weeks at a time while looking after them and each time I return from another crisis, I find any networking I was doing has collapsed. I am not the only person with impossible demands on time I am sure – so how do people cope with keeping up effective networking when life gives you several extra balls to juggle?

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Gilly,
      Thank you for reading what I wrote, for reading the other comments on this post, and adding to the discussion.
      I brought you a link to an article that may answer your question about how busy bloggers have time to do it all.
      https://mostlyblogging.com/blogging-schedule/ This article offers 3 blogging schedules that may help you. Two are mine, and one is my guest author’s.
      I will add another idea that has been enormously helpful to me and sound like may help you as well: shelf posts. I have posts that are ready to publish that sit on the shelf. I keep them just in case life throws me a curve ball and I don’t have time to publish. Then, I publish a shelf post so I can still keep to my publication schedule.
      Janice

  28. Gilly Maddison

    Thanks for your reply – I will most certainly follow up your very sensible suggestions.

    • Janice Wald

      Thanks for reading what I wrote Gilly. Let me know if the tips work for you. Thank you for the kind words about them.
      Janice

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