Nizwa Oman
Figuring out how to blog successfully usually involves correcting blogging mistakes.
What may be the most common error?
Turning down blog traffic seems to be one curious blogging boo-boo.
Why would you turn away what you need to succeed?
Consider this inner dialog below.
As you read it, feel free to own it if these concepts pollute your blogging mind.
“I generated a heavy volume of traffic to this post. But the ratio of spam was too high. I shut down comments. The spam went away. Yeah the traffic dropped too. Big-time. Oh wait a second; when I closed blog comments I instantly prevented the dozens to even hundreds of genuine human beings – aka organic blog traffic – who would drop genuine comments in the future, from offering feedback, blog post ideas and even to publish critical user generated content rocketing my blog to the top of my niche.”
WHOOOPPPSSS!
Look closely at the above scenario.
This my Young Blogging Padawans is a fine example of shooting yourself in the foot by turning down blog traffic.
Closing blog comments temporarily shuts down spam now. But closing comments permanently repels:
- greater traffic numbers
- future organic traffic
- future readers who’d add critical user generated content to your blog
Turning down present and future blog traffic is almost always the worst decision you can make because you base the decision on past struggles not future success.
No vision?
No significant traffic?
Afraid of spammers?
Put up a fence to block genuine human commentors out, too.
The Delicate Dance
In rare cases, turning down blog traffic by:
- deleting low quality blog posts
- closing blog comments on heavily spammed blog posts
is the wise decision to make based on your personal experience.
Some things work for some bloggers.
Other things work for other bloggers.
For example, if I have only received spam comments on a post for months and these spammers drain my blog’s resources I may close comments for the post. But that’s only because the resources drag ruins the experience for legitimate human readers.
Imagine if many Blogging From Paradise readers told me that my blog loaded slowly. Some may have told me that my blog crashes consistently. I see that as a blogging problem because many readers relayed their poor user experience to me.
I would then troubleshoot to solve the problem.
I would note one, or two or ten blog posts generating spam hour after hour. Spammers would park themselves on my blog for hours, draining resources.
In this dramatic scenario, I’d close comments to:
- turn down blog traffic
- improve the overall user experience for legitimate Blogging From Paradise readers
But this seems to be an outlier experience, folks.
In most cases it is a bad idea to turn down traffic by placing barriers between human readers and your blog.
Beware Setting Up Blogging Barriers
I published this post.
I promoted the post to:
- my email list
- X
- Blue Sky
Comments are open. No barriers there. Anyone can drop a genuine comment to foster a discussion. Anyone can gain blogging exposure. I allow no follow blog links via comments.
Anyone can find the post through the above channels or any channel for that matter.
I do not block traffic from specific countries. I did not close blog comments. No one sees a pop up here, do they? Nor does anyone see slow-loading ads diminishing the user experience.
I maximize blog traffic by removing all possible barriers. You see the blog title. You click. You get content backing up the title-promise.
That’s how do it it.
That’s how to drive organic blog traffic.
Remove all possible barriers to traffic. Make it easy for readers to find blog posts. Serve helpful content. Make your blog a two-way street. Open comments. Be open to user generated content. Build bonds. Let readers drive referral traffic. Let customers drive referral income. Put your blog out there. Never shy away from people. Never hide from readers.
As odd as it sounds, bloggers block traffic consistently. Most shy away from spammers. Some shy away from readers. People often recall the sting of being criticized. Perhaps a cherished person criticized you in the past. That hurt! So you set up your blog to avoid criticism. Maybe you reach that goal. But you also turn down blog traffic. No one shows up to lob a nasty comment. But no one shows up to buy an eBook, either. No one shows up to drop a glowing review, either. Block the sour. Block the sweet. Duality works that way.
How Do You Screw Up Your Scale?
Pro bloggers leverage.
Pros maximize blog traffic by being seen in as many targeted spots as possible.
Leveraging begins with making blogs highly accessible.
Promote blog posts through multiple channels. Keep comments open. Hand the blogging microphone to readers.
Never screw up your scale. Do not resist leveraging.
Fears arise the moment you open things up to the general public. Society can be rough. Critics emerge as fans applaud you. Most of the general population comes and goes. Why would the general public stick around if you do not offer something for nothing? I hate to sound jaded. But it is true. Most people come and go pronto because the world wants either easy solutions or distractions.
Success expands through leveraging. But critics appear as your community grows strong. Even if you target ruthlessly, people come and go with the tide. Bloggers rue these bounces. Some quit in frustration after not generating a single sale for a product despite registering thousands of page views.
NOT turning down traffic by leveraging brings up ample fears resting in the unconscious mind. This is why bloggers often resist leveraging by opening up their blog to the outside world genuinely Success arrives. But so do mental blocks as you level up.
Hell; becoming successful may feel partially awful to those bloggers harboring worthiness issues. Guilt triggers if you feel undeserving. You may be miserable if you resist scaling. But at least you need not deal with uncomfortable worthiness issues.
Of course this trade-off makes no sense.
But the unconscious mind largely makes no sense.
The inner world becomes a study in self-sabotage.
Conclusion
Open the traffic floodgates.
Face fear.
Target diligently but allow the world to find your blog.
Remove barriers.
Increase organic blog traffic and everything that comes with it.
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