We all know that most blog traffic is down during the Summer. Families are on vacation, moms are spending more time with their kids, and all of this is happening outside. With planning and strategic actions, you can increase your traffic and use the slower pace of Summer to make improvements on your blog. Avoid Summer Drain and Overwhelm!
How to Get Through the Summer
Everyone is out of the house and away from the computer during the summer. People are relaxing and spending time with family. You can be successful by planning ahead and are providing tips specifically to help your readers during the Summer. Before June begins, you should be planning June content to help your readers prepare for the 4th of July. The, you should be planning August content to prepare for Back to School season.
But, what about July content? If you go to Target in the next couple of weeks, you will start seeing Back to School stuff. Your content needs to be out there, too. A great example of a blogger who capitalized on and a met a Summer need is Tiffany King of Eat at Home Cooks. Before Summer began, she asked participants in her linky part if she could feature their recipe on her site – her idea turned into a series of 75 days of crockpot recipes. She met a Summer need!
Capitalize on the Traffic You Are Getting
Crystal has been using a specific strategy. Her coupon resource page consistently and constantly gets traffic. Here’s what she did to capitalize on that:
- Bought a new image
- Created a new post to promote the page (took about 20 minutes)
- Generates new pageviews, new pins, tweets, etc. and backlinks
- Linking to new post from landing page, using keywords
Another piece of content that gets a lot of traffic is her crockpot ravioli recipe. Here’s what she did to capitalize on that:
- Bought a new image for the original recipe post
- Created a new post to promote the page (have you seen the most popular recipe on my site?), using keywords, added link to the recipe along with links to other similar recipes
- See her new post: http://crystalandcomp.com/the-most-popular-recipe-on-this-site/
Benefits of creating a new post to promote existing content:
- Increases traffic
- Increases Google Authorship, domain authority, SEO ranking, etc.
- Saves content creation time (leveraging posts already getting traffic)
Readers need to be shown the same information repeatedly to encourage them to try it.
New readers may have never seen your most popular posts. Look at your Analytics. You are likely getting more new traffic than returning traffic. If they just started following you, they don’t know about your old content. You must promote it to them.
Other Ideas for Creating Easy Summer Content:
- Create a Top 10 Posts in June (or last month), new image or collage, roundup links, pin it, promote it through all your normal channels
- Create a roundup of posts on the same topic on your site (Example: Top 10 Homemaking Posts)
- Create a roundup of posts on the same topic from your tribe (reach out, request 3-5 links each)
- Create a roundup of posts on the same topic from the linky party you host
- Create a roundup of posts on the same topic from a Facebook or other group you’re in
- Create a roundup of posts on the same topic using the LTB search engine
- Create a roundup of posts on the same topic around the web
Use Summer Downtime to Submit Guest Posts
Any groups you are a member of, ask if you can guest post on your topic of expertise.
- Kelli suggests having a post ready (example: if you are reaching out to 5 people, have 5 ready or a plan to create that content without getting overwhelmed) and increases the chances of your post being accepted and getting published sooner
- Great way to use up the drafts in your site
- You can offer a roundup of your best resources on that subject which gives links back to your site and helps you reach a new audience, potential new readers for you
- Offer them a guest post spot on your site, too
- Watch the hangout on Guest Posts: Guest Posting Part 1 (How to Be a Guest Poster) Dianna Kennedy
How to Get More Readers and More Pageviews
- Other bloggers are your audience during the summer. Create content that helps them.
- Comment on other blogs (x number every day or x number of minutes/day). Watch the hangout on using commenting to grow traffic.
- Make a list of blogs that fit your niche, especially if they have CommentLuv enabled (ex. 10). Start today, even if it’s only 5 blog comments today and 5 blog comments tomorrow. This should take no more than 15-20 minutes. That’s 25 blogs, comments, and links in each week (5×5).
- Find a pin with a lot of repins (search on Pinterest or Check Webmaster Tools) and repin it.
- Send that pin’s URL to your tribe and ask them to repin it.
- Create a new image and promote an old post again (share it in all social media channels).
- If you make changes (about 30-35% of the beginning) to a post and save it (“Update”), Google will reindex it.
Prepare for Fall Traffic
- You need to have content on your site about seasonal events 4-6 weeks before the date.
- Use your Editorial Calendar to plan for fall, Back to School, printables, etc.
- If you need ideas, review last year’s content and search Pinterest.
- Then promote it during the season.
- Closer to the date of the event, create a roundup of the content you created and/or create new content for last minute Halloween costume ideas.
If you feel like throwing in the towel and need some encouragement, start watching the video at 47:35. Crystal has some very encouraging words for you.
How to Keep from Being Overwhelmed as a Blogger:
Remember, the VIP Learn to Blog Forum is $7.99 a month (go here to join) with over 2,000 topics being discussed with actionable tasks for growing your blog. This forum is for the fully invested bloggers looking to make an income from their sites. The non-complainers. The folks wanting to invest in their businesses.
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