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Ok so I've only been at this MP3 blogging thing for about a week now, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that it's hard to get noticed. The purpose of this thread is for anyone who considers themself to be a new blogger to help others out.
I've heard putting links to blogs in other blogs is a great way to weight yourself so you show up on google more. I'm not exactly sure how Technorati works, but I have a button set up on my blog anyway. If anybody has any other ideas on how to successfully promote blogs when you're just getting started, please speak up.
I'll start it off.
If anybody wants me to put their blog in my Blog Roll links section, I'll do so if you do the same for me. Same goes with the Technorati favoriting system. If you can favorite my blog using the button on my page, I'll favorite yours. If you feel like tagging my blog (such as "MP3", "Music, "Music Blog") on del.icio.us, I'll tag yours.
Noticing a pattern here? Think of it as a "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" policy.
http://stereobotic.blogspot.com -
You need more content first. So when people come, there is at least something to see.
post 3-5 'anchor' posts. things that you can keep linking on subsequent posts. -
I think you've got to put a couple months in before you're going to get links and see an increase in traffic. You can look at music blogs like a small business and 50% of small businesses fail in the first year. I suspect the number for music blogs may be even higher. A couple of days doesn't show much commitment to the form.
I guess noobies could link to one another and form some kind of network but low traffic sites linking to low traffic sites is not going to suddenly increase your #'s. If that's what you care about.
Not that you're looking for advice but I'd say just to write your little heart out for 6 months, not worrying about any of the meta stuff, and then see where you are. That's my $.02. -
Yeah I probably come off as being way ahead of myself, but really, I'm just trying to get my foot in the door you know? A few links on various blogs and a little bit of authority on Technorati can't hurt, so why not?
Oh, and that thing about the 50% of small businesses fail...
That's a completely different matter. The businesses fail because they are losing more money than they make. But blogs on the other hand, you don't have anything to lose really. It just depends on how serious about it you are I think. -
Posted by: StereoboticThe businesses fail because they are losing more money than they make. But blogs on the other hand, you don't have anything to lose really.
There is so much to lose. Your soul, for one.
j/k . . . sorta.
Your blog looks like it's off to a great start. You have good taste, I think. -
I'll trade links with you my blog is: http://jp917.blogspot.com
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Thanks a lot. I've added yours, not that it will do you much good for the time being...
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My blog is fairly new and I get a decent amount of traffic under the circumstances.
FWIW, here are my tips:
1. Give the people something they want to come back for. I try to do this by focussing on lots of great old music (especially country) and trying to present it in a fun, lighthearted way. The point is that when somebody finds their way to your site, you want them to stay.
2. Establish relationships with other bloggers. The best part about this whole experience has been making friends with other bloggers through e-mail. You might want to reach out to bloggers who you read or who leave comments on your site. I highlight other bloggers' posts in my sidebar area (kind of like a mini "retro music snob" site). I think this creates goodwill and is another reason to visit my site.
3. Go to other sites and make good comments. The readers will click on your link from the comments and find your blog. It's also a nice thing for the other blogger. This is a good way to get links.
4. Put your heart into a few really strong posts with great content that might get picked up by another blog. Songs:Illinois linked to my John Hartford post which generated a lot of hits. I also have a serious on 80s jangle pop which has lots of fans.
5. Wait 4 months and then apply to Hype Machine. This will generate many hits, but you have to be patient. If you apply too soon, you'll get rejected and have a hard time getting back on. Elbows will get you on a bit sooner and will get you a lot of exposure too, which will help you get links from other bloggers.
6. Be active on this forum.
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Yeah, I think a week in is WAY too soon. I didn't even find this forum until I'd been at it for about 3 months. I think I applied to Hype after about the same amount of time. Even now I don't get a ton of hits, but I'm happy with what I get and what I do. I would say the easiest way to get QUALITY hits is to write QUALITY content. I mean, I'll get spikes occasionally for a particularly popular artist (The Shins crashed my server!), but I don't consider those to be quality hits. Now, the volume of hits and comments I got when I did UnderCover Week before christmas were amazing and I really loved it, it made me feel really good and like I was actually doing something successful. I got a ton of comments and a ton of hits, but even so, it was way less than I ever got with those "spikes".
I'm not sure if other bloggers are like this, but I only add sites to my blogroll that I actually visit and that I actually appreciate and like. I think it's misleading for your readers to link to blogs you don't actually read, you know? Like, if I'm at I Rock Cleveland or Song, By Toad, and I see some sites on their blogroll, I've got an expectation that they're of similar quality. I'm not sure if this is the case, exactly, but I would hope they would be.
There was another thread about this exact thing a few months ago, and I don't understand the appeal. I guess it all depends on your expectations and goals with your blog. I would much rather have a blog that grows organically with real visitors and real content than a hit generating machine with bullshit links. -
ha ha I don't think I get any elbows traffic. Maybe I should stop writing about extreme metal and hardcore and punk.
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Posted by: Harry_ThaBombShelterYeah, I think a week in is WAY too soon. I didn't even find this forum until I'd been at it for about 3 months. I think I applied to Hype after about the same amount of time. Even now I don't get a ton of hits, but I'm happy with what I get and what I do. I would say the easiest way to get QUALITY hits is to write QUALITY content. I mean, I'll get spikes occasionally for a particularly popular artist (The Shins crashed my server!), but I don't consider those to be quality hits. Now, the volume of hits and comments I got when I did UnderCover Week before christmas were amazing and I really loved it, it made me feel really good and like I was actually doing something successful. I got a ton of comments and a ton of hits, but even so, it was way less than I ever got with those "spikes".
I'm not sure if other bloggers are like this, but I only add sites to my blogroll that I actually visit and that I actually appreciate and like. I think it's misleading for your readers to link to blogs you don't actually read, you know? Like, if I'm at I Rock Cleveland or Song, By Toad, and I see some sites on their blogroll, I've got an expectation that they're of similar quality. I'm not sure if this is the case, exactly, but I would hope they would be.
There was another thread about this exact thing a few months ago, and I don't understand the appeal. I guess it all depends on your expectations and goals with your blog. I would much rather have a blog that grows organically with real visitors and real content than a hit generating machine with bullshit links.yeh but do you think that some people blog, then wonder why bother when nobody is reading their stuff? if they were getting tonnes of hits i think more people would put a lot more quality and effort into what they write. but then again, the way to get those hits in the first place would be to write that quality content your talking about.
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I am unconvinced. It's pretty clear on the Hype RtFM* page that you have to show that you are actually serious before they will index your stuff. If they didn't then they'd have a database cluttered with hundreds of blogs that posted for a few weeks, got bored, and wandered off. I know it's tricky, because I waited three months, and even that was too soon, so I eventually emailed them again, asking them to reconsider, which they did, but I think the onus is on us to prove we have something worth reading before we start making a fuss about people not reading it.
Write some thoughtful posts, dig up some new bands or write about some old ones who've dropped off the radar - anything but demand readers before there is anything much to read.
Every time I see one of these 'Hype won't link to me' threads I become increasingly frustrated. READ what the fuck it says and then bide your time and put some work into it. My daily top post usually gets about ten percent of my daily total hits, which means that most visitors are going to old posts, often ones I wrote ages ago. Between that and slowly accumulating readers one or two at a time - that is the way to get hits. Large numbers of visitors from the Hype Machine, for all they are gratifying and entirely welcome, are almost certainly going to show up, download the song they came for, and bugger off without reading a word - they are barely even real hits, in that sense. You might get one or two readers at most out of a day in the Hype Popularity Charts, I would guess.
Ultimately, you have to really mean it. And a few weeks' posting is evidence of nothing at all. Patience, young Skywalker.
Sorry, djlethal, that rant wasn't really aimed at you. It's just been brewing for a while.
*Read the Fucking Manual -
no no i know exactly what you're saying. and i have seen evidence of blogs that do last a couple of weeks or so. for hype machine to add people when they are young and fresh would be crazy as so many would go bust.
i think Paul S above makes some good comments on how to really get some real hits as you say. -
I think his advice is very, very sound. And now I feel all mean for ranting at newbies, so apologies for being an arse. I get frustrated easily.
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Posted by: djlethal109
if they were getting tonnes of hits i think more people would put a lot more quality and effort into what they write
Pretty much exactly the opposite for me.
Again, the wise words of Rob the Bouncer. Don't expect anyone to read your blog for its first year, because for the first year it will suck.
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Posted by: J HoaS
Again, the wise words of Rob the Bouncer. Don't expect anyone to read your blog for its first year, because for the first year it will suck.
Looking back, I think I peaked about 9 months in. Not that I'm quitting or anything, but I used to write with more gumption. I used to get readers by railing against Apple. Now I get "hits" for writing about the Mets sing along song. Anyone know anything worth getting pissed off about?
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Posted by: gregwindLooking back, I think I peaked about 9 months in. Not that I'm quitting or anything, but I used to write with more gumption. I used to get readers by railing against Apple. Now I get "hits" for writing about the Mets sing along song. Anyone know anything worth getting pissed off about?
I think I'm in the same boat. I can crank out about one worthwhile post a month now :-p Ah well, at least it's not a real job or anything...
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Ah, the joys of being a lazy wordless MP3 blogger.
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do yourself a favor and don't apologize to your readers for not posting more
your readers don't care unless you're gawker or whatever and this will only call attention to the fact that you're not posting
also if you are in high school and like indie rock you should be aware that there are 10 million other high school indie fans who are probably writing the same post about Grizzly Bear right now -
Posted by: Dave Rawkblogalso if you are in high school and like indie rock you should be aware that there are 10 million other high school indie fans who are probably writing the same post about Grizzly Bear right now
lol. otm, Dave.
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See, I almost said the same thing about Someone still Loves you Boris Yeltsin, but it hit too close to home.
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Posted by: Dave Rawkblogdo yourself a favor and don't apologize to your readers for not posting more
your readers don't care unless you're gawker or whatever and this will only call attention to the fact that you're not posting
also if you are in high school and like indie rock you should be aware that there are 10 million other high school indie fans who are probably writing the same post about Grizzly Bear right nowYeah. I realized how excessive the apologizing thing was, and how it only draws attention to the fact that I'm not posting as often... But something feels wrong about taking it off the posts now.
Also I'm just curious. Is that grizzly bear comment aimed directly at me? Because I've only mentioned Grizzly Bear probably once. -
Posted by: StereoboticOk so I've only been at this MP3 blogging thing for about a week now, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that it's hard to get noticed. The purpose of this thread is for anyone who considers themself to be a new blogger to help others out.
im on the noob kids side ha. but then again im a noob also
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I have a traffic building plan in the works that I should be unveiling this weekend. It's nothing new or revolutionary and does not cost anything cept for a very small amount of time. This should help out some of the new guys tremendously.
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Posted by: gregwind
Anyone know anything worth getting pissed off about?
I wrote something about politics and tribalism and had one of my most frequent commenters and supporters and quite a good friend, in the internet sense, come on and flat out state that Obama was a Muslim. How to rant back and yet remember that he is a friend at the same time? Dilemmas, dilemmas!
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I think one of the big reasons I haven't been as hot and bothered about music and this industry is that I've been spending a lot more free time worrying about politics, which I have so far not written about. If it was just me, I'd have no problem dragging the politics in, but we've got a bunch of writers and I don't want to write a check they'll have to, in part, cash.
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Yeah, I can imagine. For me it was the other way round. I'd spent so much time writing about music recently that I hadn't had time to ramble about stuff that was on my mind. My brother lives in the States and sent me a frothing email, full of rage about the Muslim comment so I guess things are getting a little heated over there, eh?
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yes. yes they are. not sure how they're covering it over there, but here, it's basically all-out war within the democratic party, which is a funny way to try and win an election.
i'd been blaming the winter for my lack of interest in music news lately, but i think being preoccupied w/ politics might work as an excuse now that it's getting warmer -
Posted by: underthedogI have a traffic building plan in the works that I should be unveiling this weekend. It's nothing new or revolutionary and does not cost anything cept for a very small amount of time. This should help out some of the new guys tremendously.
b00bs?
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Funny you should say that. I facetiously posted a picture of Helen Mirren's boobs once (from back when they were in very fine shape indeed) and Helen Mirren is now in my all-time top five search terms.
And instructive little tale, I think you'll agree. -
*Resisting temptation to google "toad, mirren"*
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I think the image itself is long since gone I'm afraid. But you never know.
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Posted by: underthedogha ha I don't think I get any elbows traffic. Maybe I should stop writing about extreme metal and hardcore and punk.
don't stop doing that. -
Posted by: Stereobotic
Also I'm just curious. Is that grizzly bear comment aimed directly at me? Because I've only mentioned Grizzly Bear probably once.
insert buzzed-about indie band of your choice
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Posted by: mlPosted by: underthedogI have a traffic building plan in the works that I should be unveiling this weekend. It's nothing new or revolutionary and does not cost anything cept for a very small amount of time. This should help out some of the new guys tremendously.
b00bs?
Nope, just some good old fashioned Darren Rowse/John Chow Grassroots promotion.Posted by: c4Posted by: underthedogha ha I don't think I get any elbows traffic. Maybe I should stop writing about extreme metal and hardcore and punk.
don't stop doing that.I don't plan on it, it is what I listen to mostly.
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Posted by: Dave Rawkblog
also if you are in high school and like indie rock you should be aware that there are 10 million other high school indie fans who are probably writing the same post about Grizzly Bear right now
that's the most depressing encouraging words ever... lol. -
Posted by: squashedPosted by: Dave Rawkblog
also if you are in high school and like indie rock you should be aware that there are 10 million other high school indie fans who are probably writing the same post about Grizzly Bear right now
that's the most depressing encouraging words ever... lol.Not to discourage the kids or whatever but honestly more people would read their stuff if they'd post it on, like, message boards instead of blogspot templates
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much like others have said, you have to offer something that the other 1,000,000 music blogs don't. I also agree with it being a positive thing pouring your heart into some posts....the passion in what you are writing will show through.....also while having 10,000 hits from hype or elbo.ws can be a good plug for your site, if you don't have something to keep the visitors coming back thats all it is....10,000 hits from random visitors just looking to listen to some music. I have been at this for a few years now, google can be a huge friend, my site comes up quite often in the top 5% of the hits for search terms, but after 2 years of fairly consistent posting I am quite happy with where things are at....it's not ALL about how many visitors come......but how many actually come back?????
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True returning visitors is a very tough metric to gauge accurately.
Tomorrow I should have my grassroots traffic building group project ready to go in the wild. It's not any sort of scam or anything, just a way for us to help each other out.
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