Koh Samui Thailand
Do me a favor.
Look closely at this number: 50,000 monthly visitors.
How does this number make you feel? Good. Bad? Abundant? Scared? Does the number feel impossible to attain? Does chasing the number excite you?
Now receive the most eye-opening blogging reality check.
You never once thought about helping a singular human being while fantasizing about the number.
No one holds two thoughts in mind simultaneously. Impossible.
Referral blogging traffic largely flows from human beings who:
- value your blog posts
- trust your expertise
- appreciate your kind attention to detail
- build strong relationships with you based on your mindful one-to-one interactions
Focusing on big numbers moves your attention away from serving and bonding with loyal human beings on an individual basis. I care not how much you claim to care about your tribe. You cannot sit on two horses. Nor can you fire off two arrows from two bows simultaneously.
You and I can only serve one master out of these two:
- numbers
- people
Either you focus predominantly on metrics or serving human beings.
Chasing numbers manifests some success heavily reliant on personal effort. Expect to trade most time and work for money because the referral element of number-chasing is low. People do not *feel you* since you pay little attention to individuals from an intimate approach.
Building strong, personalized relationships with loyal readers adds a powerful referral element to both blog traffic and blogging income. Freedom from time and location follows. A growing army of loyal readers promotes your blog posts and online business to their loyal tribes. Their loyal tribes begin to follow your blog, buy your stuff and mention your blog to *their* loyal tribes.
Guess what happens next? Referrals reach a third layer. Talk about exponential blogging growth, eh?
Meanwhile, while the referrals, and referrals of referrals, and referrals of referrals of referrals drive traffic and income for you around the clock you:
- work some
- sleep
- travel
- spend time with family and friends
- relax
- exercise
to enjoy freedom from time and location.
What scenario sounds fun?
Manipulating numbers to earn some blogging chedda based on your own steam?
Making friends one-to-one to build a profitable blogging business based partially on your own steam but heavily on referrals?
Do you want a blogging job or a blogging asset?
Do you want to trade time for money or enjoy freedom from time and location?
You cannot serve two masters anymore than a woman can be a little bit pregnant.
No compromise exists.
There has to be a predominant strategy.
How Should You Check Statistics?
Look at metrics as one notes a speed limit sign after whizzing by at 55 MPH.
Think about the numbers. Consider your strategy. Note growth or lack thereof.
Adjust if required or keep doing the same thing.
Never hurry metric-checking. Never dilly-dally, either. Make a decision. Move along.
Proceed to publish truly helpful blog posts for one reader. Build strong friendships with readers one-to-one. Open blog comments. Reply to each comment. Reply to genuine readers on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blue Sky. Reply to genuine readers via email. Bond. Make friends. Earn trust. Care. Listen. Serve. Be helpful. Be nice. Go above and beyond as you serve these loyal individuals.
The referral traffic flowing from these carefully cultivated relationships is far beyond your expectations. These people will run through a brick wall for your blog and business *because* you bonded genuinely with every one, one-to-one, a single mindful interaction at a time.
How can you give ample time, attention and energy to individual human beings while staring at numbers consistently on a daily basis? You really have to let go of that stat-chasing world to give full attention and energy to publishing truly helpful content and building rock solid, referral traffic boosting relationships.
As long as you focus exclusively on metrics content and outreach suffer. Or something else sneaky happens; your content rocks but you build bonds with only two people daily versus the ten loyal readers who deeply value your attention, who’d take your blog into the stratosphere, if you bonded strongly with ’em. Why? You mentally give too much time to number crunching. Doing this robs you of time better spent reading and replying to:
- blog comments
- social media comments
- emails
in mindful fashion.
Something else stressful happens in this scenario. You become dependent on things (mainly Google) for traffic and money versus driving heavy referral traffic through blogging buddies.
Imagine relying on a thing for your livelihood. The thing is based on an ever-changing algorithm designed by those with a clear narrative for the company first and foremost. Newsflash; this is Google. This is Facebook. This is X. Everything seems promising the moment you begin to work each channel. But attempting to manipulate things for your daily bread induces anxiety. Google changes algorithms. Facebook changes narratives. X changes policies. Traffic based on the former algorithm, narrative or policy dies. Grievances follow.
Imagine if a bunch of close friends drive referral traffic to your blog around the clock. Doesn’t that sound fun? Doesn’t it sound like a peaceful way to blog?
Make friends. Let friends amplify your success organically. Appreciate the power of the people. Have fun making friends. Build a community. Grow a tribe. Love the blogging journey versus ruing stat-checking sessions.
Blogging depresses most because it becomes a cold, lifeless journey of things. Check things to get things.
How could this ever be fun?
What is the “Work” Aspect of Driving Referral Traffic?
Building personal bonds appears to be time-consuming but it is a wise investment.
Time spent making friends amplifies your reach passively.
Reading comments involves work. Replying to comments with detailed replies involves work. Listening to readers involves work.
But as these readers drive referral traffic you become free from time and location.
Doesn’t that sound like a wise investment?
Isn’t it better to have caring friends amplify your success versus relying on a mindless thing for your traffic and income?
Practical Strategies to Build Bonds
- drop genuine blog comments on blogs from your niche
- promote bloggers on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blue Sky and Mastodon
- read and reply to genuine emails
- read and reply to comments on your blog
- read and reply to social media messages and comments
Be thorough. Offer detailed answers. Ask reader questions through your blog. Pepper questions into your social media streams.
Create a strong engagement chain across multiple marketing channels.
Make friends by caring.
Listen.
Help.
Bond.
Conclusion
Stop chasing numbers.
Help people.
Make friends.
Drive referral traffic.