I was asked to contribute one tip on how to grow your blog to a Social Media Examiner article, see my tip below… #2. All the tips are great and this is definitely worth a read.

From Social Media Examiner…

Do you want to grow your blog? Are you looking for new ways to attract and retain more readers? We asked the finalists of our Top 10 Social Media Blogs contest for their best tips on how to grow your list of blog subscribers.

Here are their best tips. I think you’ll agree there are some excellent ideas here.

#1: Be Active in Other Communities First

Here’s what Mitch Joel, author of Six Pixels of Separation and the blog at Twist Image, recommends:

“You’ll have no semblance of community unless you’re an active community member in other spaces. If I had to do this all over again and start from scratch right now, what would I do?

Without question I would start a blog and fill it with relevant and valuable content for the community, but I would spend ten times as much time adding value to the five or ten existing communities where my potential members might be hanging out, reading and connecting.

It’s not a ploy and it’s not a trick—I would do this because I’m interested and want to engage with the other community members. I would also be hopeful that those community members would appreciate my contributions and take a chance on checking out what I’m up to on my own space.

Give more than you get.”

Top 10 Social Media Blog Nomination: Laurel Mackenzie likes Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation blog because “not only is his written content intelligent and thought-provoking, but his podcasts feature discussions on relevant topics with true industry thought leaders.”

#2: Write About What You Love

Here’s how Michael Brandvold grows subscribers on his blog:

“The best advice I can give anyone who wants to grow their subscribers is write about something you love and are passionate about and keep writing.

Readers can tell the difference when someone writes about a topic because they feel it and love it, it’s their life, versus someone who writes about a topic because it was just assigned to them. No magic formula, no secret trick… just hard work on something you love.

Since my first website in 1995 I’ve learned that users will find and continue to return to content which is genuine and created with a passion.”

Top 10 Social Media Blog Nomination: Anthony Best says Michael Brandvold “knows his stuff and presents marketing and social media concepts in ways that are simple to understand and execute immediately. Not only does he share what to do, he also explains specifically what NOT to do.”

via 17 Ways to Grow Your Blog From Top Bloggers | Social Media Examiner.