Help Your Blog Grow Part 1

Since I like to help people with their blogs, one area that lots are concerned about is how to help your blog grow.  I'll start out by just doing a little series of things I've learned so far.

When your just starting a blog, one of the hardest parts is getting your name out there.  If people don't know you exist, then it is very unlikely that they'll be visiting your blog.  Unless they somehow miraculously find you through a search engine or something.  Amongst the other 10,000+ results.  I've have not found that particularily effective so far :-).

If your really serious about your blog, then one thing you may want to consider is advertising on a blog that's bigger than yours.  Some offer advertising for Mom businesses for free, like Moms By Heart (She's awsome), and others you pay a small fee.  One thing I don't regret is advertising on another's blog.  I get a lot more hits and exposure that way.
(Now, this may not be the same for everyone - in other words, if you advertise and it doesn't work out, you agree to not blame me or sue me or anything - I'm just trying to let others know what I've learned :-)

One thing that I have been really working hard at is a way to get good advertising on another's blog without the cost of an advertising spot.  We're in college with a baby, so we are not rich!  And I actually found a way.  I joined up with a few other blogs, and we are now blogging partners and we help each other out.  I made a button for each of us and we all have a set buttons with links to our partners on each of our blogs in one of the top 3 spots of our sidebars.  We are all in agreement to keep them there as long as we wish to participate.  Now we all have a great advertising spot without the cost.  It was a lot of work to put this together when I first started out, but its totally great.  And I met some great people along the way too.
(If your interested in me helping you put one of these together for yourself, just let me know and I'll try to help you out and let you know what you need to do)

Another thing that I've learned that has made a huge difference for me (we're talking exponential) is something that I've really worked at and have reaped great results.  That is...

Until next week!