Getting visitors to your blog is one of the most important things you can do, but it’s also one of the hardest. It can take months to build up a solid following of regular visitors, and it’s often the biggest challenge when you first start out as a new blogger.

The key to getting traffic is to find ways to get your blog in front of people who are searching for the content you offer, and then turn them into long term readers. Luckily, there are several tactics you can use to drive visitors to your blog without spending tons of money and time.

1. Publish Great Content

Creating share-worthy, valuable and relevant content is the key to driving traffic and conversions. Whether that’s blog posts, eBooks, video, or any other type of content, make sure it’s high-quality and has the potential to attract a big audience.

2. Create a Unique Focus on Your Content

When you set out to write a blog, think about what your niche is, and how you can be an authority on that topic. By having a specific focus, you can attract followers that are more likely to convert into loyal readers and brand ambassadors.

3. Optimize for Search Engines

When it comes to generating traffic, SEO is probably the most effective method. You can get your articles ranked in the top positions on search engines, which will bring you a steady stream of visitors over time. However, you need to remember that it will take a few months before you see any results, and that generating SEO traffic is only a temporary fix.

4. Promote Your Content on Social Media

Social media is the perfect way to reach your target audience and promote your latest blog post as soon as it’s published. This will encourage your Twitter followers, Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections to read your content and to share it with their networks.

5. Collaborate with Influencers

Getting your content featured by influencers is a very powerful tactic to drive traffic to your blog and help you build your community of passionate readers. Many influencers will be more than happy to feature your content, and you can even negotiate to have your posts shared in their social channels as well.

6. Build a Strong Email List

Building a list of loyal followers can be incredibly valuable for your business, and can help you grow your blog over time. Having a strong email list will allow you to keep your audience engaged with your blog by sending them valuable content they can relate to, such as newsletters and email campaigns.

7. Run a Viral Giveaway

Running a viral giveaway is a great way to drive traffic to your blog, and it can even be used to build your email list as well. You can host these giveaways on your website or on social media, and you can even use tools like RafflePress to help automate the process and make it as easy as possible for your readers to win prizes.