If you’re like most bloggers, you want to expand your audience and offer your readers more of what they’re looking for. However, it’s often easier said than done, especially if you’re already  pouring your heart and soul into your blog. Here are some easy, practical tips to get you started on improving what’s already great!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase from one of these links, I’ll receive a small commish at no cost to you… mama’s got to pay the bills so thanks for your support.

1. Make Sure Your Blog Looks Good

If your blog looks cluttered, haphazardly put together, or like it just arrived in a time machine from Web 1998, chances are you’ve already lost a large percentage of potential readers.

Fair or not, appearance counts for a great deal. And while it’s true that people are reading your blog for your words and not for your design, it’s also true that a bad design will lose some of your audience for you. If you’re not hot on design yourself, you may want to try outsourcing your blog design (don’t worry–you won’t have to spend much).

Why not check out Studio Mommy’s beautifully designed themes by clicking HERE!

Speaking of outsourcing…

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Spend (a Little) Money

Nobody wants to spend money when they think they don’t have to. But don’t be penny wise and dollar foolish! Trying to do everything yourself, or otherwise getting everything done for free or on the cheap, can cost you a lot of money in the long run.

You don’t have to spend a lot. But you should be prepared spend at least a little bit of money to in order to take your blog to the next (profitable) level. This will allow you to focus on your strengths.

Naturally, you should be prepared to pay for a domain name and hosting. If you’re like most bloggers, your strengths probably don’t lie in graphic design. There’s no shame in finding pre-designed blog themes or hiring a graphic designer to help you out.

3. Know Your Blog’s Audience

You might think, “Oh, that’s easy–my audience is full of people just like me!” But–that’s not always true. Your primary audience may instead be made up of people who want to be just like you–or who otherwise want to do what you do, know what you know or live how you live.

At first, it may seem like the only thing your blog readers have in common is that they have some of the same interests, or found your blog with the same keywords. But your readers probably have more in common than just the way they search for info.

Your readers already share an interest in the subject you’re blogging about. But they likely share  a common outlook on the world, a usage of catch-phrases, or certain emotional “hot-buttons” that get them excited, too.

These commonalities often cut across traditional age, gender, income and race-based demographics. Find out what your audience wants from your blog, how they see the world and what gets them excited. Then, find more of them by…

4. Using Social Media

The first thing that comes to mind these days when people say “social media” is Facebook. But social media marketing (affiliate) also includes Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr.com and more. Even sites that aren’t social media sites have been adding social elements in the past year or so (napster.com is a perfect example).

You should also take advantage of specialty social media sites, such as LinkedIn for B2B blogs or Meetup to find local bloggers in your area.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Just like with graphic design, don’t be afraid to spend a little money on a social media expert like Cori or marketing firm when it comes to reaching your audience. A little bit of money on the front end connecting with your audience, will be worth a lot of money to you later on.

Hopefully these tips will get you focused on what you can do to make your blog even more of a success. Polish up a few things, and you’re bound to see results!

Author: Holly is an Indianapolis native who enjoys yoga, hiking and running. As a stay at home mom, she enjoys the perks of making her own hours (around her kids’ schedules of course) and the availability of coffee all day long. She works as a Social Media Strategist and makes a mean PB&J.

Like this post? Check out these other post:

• How to Add a Favicon to Your WordPress Blog
• SEO Tips to Rank and Rock
• Steps to Setup a Site