Hello dear readers! As many of you know, I started a Chow Down Blogging Tips section a while back, including a List of Top Twitter Chats and SEO Tips for Bloggers. Since I’m super active on Twitter, I realized how silly it was that I don’t have a post on growing your blog through Twitter yet! So here it is! I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject, but these are some tips that I’ve found help me grow my following and drive more traffic to my blog.
How To Grow Your Blog On Twitter
1. Twitter Chats
This isn’t just a plug for #USBloggerChat, I swear (Thursdays 8pm EST oknowi’mdone)! But honestly, blog twitter chats are a MAJOR source of new followers not just to your twitter account but to your blog itself. Chats are generally 1 hour long, and you always get to chat with a ton of fellow tweeters who are interested in your passion – blogging! At the end of each chat there’s a designated time to swap blog links. Don’t just give out your link, though. Ask for everyone else’s link, and really make a connection! If you love their blog, let them know. They’re bound to check out yours in return.
2. Publish Blog Posts
This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many twitter accounts I see that are just retweeting others, or tweeting random things all day. Make sure you’re publishing your own posts as well! Don’t just rely on the automated publishing that Bloglovin does, either.
Take the time to think of a witty caption (follow big bloggers for ideas), add an image from the post, use hashtags, and tag any brands or restaurants that may be mentioned in your post. The more you get retweeted, the more exposure your posts get!
I generally publish my posts 1-3 times the day they go live, and about once a week for a couple weeks after that. Give them a chance to shine!
3. Timing Your Posts
Make sure your blog posts are published at the optimal times – early in the morning, at lunch, and at night. I’ve read that early morning posts are most effective on Mondays (because people are procrastinating), and Fridays (because people are tapped out for the weekend), and that lunch posts are most effective on Wednesdays. Try different times and see what works best for your audience!
4. Get More Retweets
Did you know there are Twitter accounts designated just for retweeting your posts? Definitely utilize this by tagging them in your posts, so they reach a larger audience. My favorites are @FemaleBloggerRT and @Lovingblogs – see a full list of my favorite Twitter RT accounts here!
5. Use Hashtags
Don’t be shy! Hashtags are another way to let a huge audience find your posts. There are specific tags for different blog niches #bbloggers (beauty), #fbloggers (fashion), #lbloggers (lifestyle), and even local tags like #NYCBloggers. I just learned a new one – #sundayblogshare, which is pretty self-explanatory.
6. Promote Your Bloglovin
Utilize Twitter to promote your Bloglovin profile! After all, Bloglovin accounts for a lot of blog traffic. The more followers you have there, the more traffic you’ll see!
7. Interact With Others
If you want people to see your work, you have to care about theirs. Get into the habit of commenting on and retweeting what other bloggers are tweeting, and soon they’ll be interacting with you too! There are so many cool bloggers out there, so you may as well take advantage of Twitter’s interactive platform to meet them! Likewise, if someone comments on something you’ve tweeted, don’t ignore it (or even just “favorite” it). Take this as an opportunity to chat a bit and get to know them! Maybe you have something in common.
8. Guest Post
What does guest posting have to do with Twitter, you ask? Well, if the blog you’re posting for has a lot of followers (or even just different followers than you), this will increase your exposure when they publish the post! Just make sure they credit you properly.
9. Schedule Blog Posts with Buffer
You can’t be posting to Twitter manually all day, but you CAN schedule out your posts into the future and while you sleep! I used to only use Hootsuite for scheduling Twitter posts, until I realized Buffer actually allows your images to show up with your scheduled posts! Hootsuite only posts them as image links, so it’s not as effective at drawing attention to your post. I saw a marked increase in twitter engagement and clicks through to my blog when I switched to Buffer.
So there you have it! Those are my top tips for growing your blog on Twitter. Hope you find them useful, and be sure to check out this handy guide for taking amazing photos with an iPhone camera!
Comment Challenge: What do you think of these tips? Do you have a major Twitter trick not listed?
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