How to Drive Consistent But Free Traffic To Your Blog

{ 592 Responses }

1. Mark says:
   Authority social sites, are great way to promote the site content that is really worthy of. Similarly engaging with users alike not only drive additional traffic but also help it in sharing to other platforms.
2. jenny says:
   BIG G google is going mad and blogger are crazy now. so forget all the traffic news just focus on how to save your blog from GOOGLE updates
3. Anton Koekemoer says:
   Great ideas you've shared in the post. One thing is for certain that “content is still king”, and your whole strategy should revolve around promoting specific content to a specific (even keyword driven) target market. And be sure to monitor your Brand-name online with an ORM (Online Reputation Management) software to ensure that your newly posted content maintains a positive image in the community. (Especially if one starts posting on the “Freebie’s” sections).
4. Marnie Byod says:
   For me, my best approach is through blog commenting to other blogs and through social media. it's really one of the best and most effective ways to drive traffic (free traffic to be e)
5. Joseph Mills says:
   Hey Brian :) Yes its true that you can get lots of consistent free traffic to your site but unfortunately, some people they have this tool to get traffic by doing such underground links which is so dangerous and can hurt their website. Thanks for sharing
   • bbrian017 says:
     Sorry Joseph this tool you speak of I have no clue that you're talking about, Blog Engage never hurts bloggers ti's a great tool to use for SEO and Social Media Marketing. It would in fact hurt your blog to NOT use Blog Engage. I hope to see you joining us we're giving away free accounts to anyone who joins our guest blogging contest. Check out my comment luv.
6. Koundeenya says:
   I dont know, how blogengage is gonna work. But for indians, indiblogger is definitely gonna work. It's no less than BlogEngage. I receive no less than 50 UV from it
   • bbrian017 says:
     Hi Koundeenya I just joined that site it looks great thanks for sharing it.
7. Sara says:
   I may reading this a little bit late but all the informations about the forums are still precious for my because I'm not familiar with that. I'm trying to promote my blog and build relationships through commenting but not through forums and I would like to do it. Thank you very much for your help directions and the URLs!
8. raulnayak says:
   even offline marketing is cool. I have made business cards of my blog to promote it. and sometimes hold giveaways like t-shirts to engage and attract more crowds.
9. Marty says:
   CommentLuv has been a revelation for bloggers and I am a huge fan of it. I'm not a fan of forums though, I don't think I'll follow all of these tips but great job with this article.
10. Mr.Jay says:
    Hello everyone! I am a new blogger, new to the whole thing. I want my content to be read and shared with everyone, and although I support many social and political issues it is my writing that I want reviewed and shared. I am having the hardest time with traffic though, I have had the blog for maybe a week a now and only at 25 pageviews. I only spend a few hours each day on it and I have even created a Twitter account to help get some traffic. The biggest sources of traffic are from forums where I went and guest posted to get my stuff out there, however, I still have zero comments. Would be great to have some advice about keeping a flowing audience of commenters, because in turn that's what it is really all about. -Mr. Jay
11. Michelle says:
    Hi Brian. Love the post. Traffic is such a vital part of a blog as it contributes to it's survival. Thanks for the great pointers.
12. Gagan says:
    Great Article Brian. Its important for every blog and site to attract traffic free from organic search or referrals as mentioned
13. Tom Treanor says:
    Brian. Great post. Quick question about domain name appraisal forums. Which domain name forums do you like? Thanks in advance!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Tom, the best one in my opinion is Namepros and Digitalpoint. These sites have some really awesome users that know what they are talking about.
14. Ayaz says:
    Thanks for the great information! But I got a question to ask is that do you really think that forum commenting is vital while building backlinks? I am doing my most of link building via blog commentings but I never did forum commenting.
15. Nilanjana says:
    Being a SEO guy, i m always looking for new stuff/information. And after a long search i found your blog and these post very relate to me. Before commenting I ALWAYS TRY to read to whole post and every comment. from there you will get to know many ques and ans. Its very important to clear you fanda. Thanks for your tips!!
16. Kathrine says:
    These are quite effective tips to bring the free traffic to the blogs. From this blogs will be benefited a lot. Thanks for the fantastic article.
17. John Claudio says:
    Question: Do you think it is possible for a blogger to eventually have a successful blog by diurnally adding fresh, interesting and unique content-- with no effort expended in promotion at all?
18. Darren Held says:
    I am going to try BloKube and Blog Engage asap! Also, CommentLuv will be a useful tool - some people think it matters a lot whether the comments are NoFollow or DoFollow. Personally I prefer DoFollow but that is just me. If people are leaving a comment only to get a backlink, perhaps that's not the best way to interact in a blogging community. Some people don't like DoFollow links on their blog pointing to spammy sites, which is fair enough. Both sides have their advantages and disadvantages.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Darren Held, this is great I hope to see you joining blog engage we would love to have you as part of our ever growing blog community. Thanks for visiting and commenting!
19. Robert Jordan says:
    I really love to engage with the people with social Media as well as in Forums. It's really great experience when I give an explanation or when i give a solution for someone's query in forums I'm really hungry to satisfy them. In other side we're expecting the traffic for our Blogs from Forums and Social Media. It make sense to be active and get some traffic is everybody intention.
20. Rashmi Sinha says:
    A great post with a lot of constructive comments. Driving traffic on your blog is very important, but driving CONSISTENT traffic is the key to success.
21. Usman says:
    Well I strongly believe the best way to drive unlimited traffic is using social media websites. If you share something valuable and interesting people will be more than happy in giving your site a visit.
22. cris says:
    Hi Brian I hope I can use some of your ideas to generate traffic to my site.
23. John Ernest says:
    One way that I see forums is that they are so much a lot like blog commenting. The only difference is that through forums, you start a topic from scratch and you get a response depending on the interest level your first post produces. Blog commenting on the other hand starts off where you left off on your blog post. So yeah, I prefer forums more than blog commenting.
24. Sabrina Sabino says:
    I'm really glad I stumbled upon your post Brian! I've been a member of many of these online communities for years when I was still a student and then when I got into the world of work I tried another route. I'm back online and trying to market my blog so it's great to know I can use my accounts to do that. It's just something that sort of slipped my mind. Thanks!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Sabrina, thanks so much for the compliment, I'm glad you enjoyed the article. Perhaps we will be lucky yo see you joining us over at blog engage sometime.
25. Kiefer says:
    I guess a comment should bring some unique traffic to your site but it has to be good as this one :)
26. Kunal says:
    a very very useful article. You have very nicely explained about forum marketing. The forum portion of this article is damn good. It's true a forum can generate tons of traffic is done carefully. Apart from all social marketing works as a charm. It's a true audience traffic.
27. Jennifer Rai says:
    Great ideas for increasing traffic, Brian! I hadn't thought of the website review forums before.
28. TheRedheadRiter says:
    I don't have Comment Luv on my blog. I guess I need to research it more, but is it really better than just the regular comment system? Obviously, I need to go find out.
29. Prithvi says:
    Hello Brian, I have a tech blog started over 1 year back and i have been working hard to promote it and to get some visitors. I have been mainly using the website review forum and blog commenting. Webmasters forum is something i haven't tried yet. I have got some great tips from this post. Will surely be implementing in my promotions and marketing. Thanks for sharing. :)
30. Jacko says:
    pretty cool list. So blog engage re posts summaries of your blog posts? Does it capture from RSS feed?
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Jacko, yes our rss services will take a little part of your article to share with our members and hopefully it's enough to make them go and visit your blog. Thanks for commenting it's nice to meet you.
31. Azam says:
    Forums and blog commenting are the main source of free traffic but do follow blog commenting can dish up you a lot of do follow links that can be very useful to enlist your site in organic searches.
32. SUNIL says:
    nice tips. as i am new to the blogging world these tips will certainly help me out to drive traffic to my blog.
33. saad naeem says:
    i think commenting and forums are good source of traffic as they give you targeted traffic plus backlinks , so in long term you are good. plus i use wp-syndicator plugin which posts my sites to 20-30 social media site, it works great for me.
34. Kraman says:
    Very nice list you've got there. How would you go about marketing a website that has a lot of categories (such as yelp!) ? It's a niche site in it's area, but not a niche site on the web...if that makes any sense at all.
35. Thomas says:
    I ll try to drop domain link on the post forum. About Facebook making a page works well especially when you customize it like your blog theme.
36. Trung Nguyen says:
    Comment and guest blogging are great ways to drive traffic for FREE, it's also my link-building strategy and I think this way is easy to do for every blogger. Thanks for share your stuff, Brian.
37. Ugo Dosh says:
    What a nice and comprehensive list you have here. This must have really consumed a great deal of time to put together. I've bookmarked this page and will be visiting often. Cheers!!
38. Samuel says:
    You have built a great community there at blog engage, Brian. To build that up, required some insights on how to generate traffic to it. All of these sites and ways to promote your blog to traffic are ways to do it! Social Media is one of the best ways to do it, and preferably my favorite! Excellent article Brian, and glad I found it!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Sam, thanks for the comment, this is an older one but the same methods can be used now to do what I have done. I guess the only questions is, are the forums still as active and good. Thanks for the nice compliment as well I appreciate it.
39. Ron says:
    I have been struggling trying to generate traffic. I have tried many different things, but the best methods to use are the simple ones as outlined in this article. A couple of them I was not aware of. I have found out that doing the simple things now, the bigger the rewards will be later. I just need to be patient and let everything work. Thank you for the tips. I will be putting a few of them to work soon.
40. Jack Coxill says:
    Man Brian! You've laid out so many ways to drive traffic here :) I'm almost spoilt for choice! I personally love forum traffic, getting that traffic back to my blog seems to work very nicely, and as the traffic is already involved in a community, they are familiar with leaving comments and building relationships. Jack.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Jack, I love forums too, in fact I find they are a superb place to find people who might be interested in products or services. Thanks for your insight and comment I appreciate it.
41. jay says:
    hi brian, thanks for this tip i have a few blogs and sites that i wanted to have good traffic, and recently ive been reading on tips and ways how to do that, came to your page today and have bookmarked this post. Will sure try these.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi jay that's great! I like when people bookmark my stuff it always feels great! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it!
42. Easther says:
    I have found most of the commentluv blogs are no-follow. Are these no-follow commentluv links really have any impact on increasing site rank & traffic.
43. mihai says:
    This are some great tips, i didn;t knew about all the resources, but now i'm putting them all on the list and i'm taking them one by one. Right now my daily traffic is around 100 views per day including people coming from facebook. I hope that with this list I'll get to at least 150 per day. I'm going to come back and let you know what are my results Mihai
44. AstroGremlin says:
    Brian, epic article and congrats on being among the top 2011 articles on FamousBloggers! Since I got into CommentLuv, I've been commenting and learning at the same time. For me, link building with CommentLuv is a more controlled, transparent process that allows me to direct folks to a relevant article (as opposed to just my home page). The traffic this ComLuv approach generates seems to have a better bounce rate. At least some of those are people clicking to leave a comment and get a backlink. :)
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Astro thanks so much, I did amazing in this contest! I was so happy with the results from what I can recall we all had really awesome articles. Thanks for the comment :)
45. Saket Jajodia says:
    I think social media is the best way because when I started I didn't knew anything about SEO, Blog Commenting, Backlinks, Forums I didn't knew anything and 90% of my traffic where from Social Network and because which now I have many blogger friends, I learned many things and now most of my traffic is not from Social Network.. :p
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Saket, social media is so amazing for generating traffic is it not? you hit it right there! The best way to engage is social media! I still spend a lot of time on the forums but nothing compared to when i write this article.
46. alex says:
    very interesting, i already knew a lot of your tips, but i found some really neat that i had no idea about like webmaster forums and website reviews forums (i didn't even thought something like this exists).. thanks Brian, hope to see more articles on this topic ~alex
47. Property Marbella says:
    Congratulations Brian to Famous Blogger most commented article. An excellent informative article which will help both novices and experts to become better at driving traffic to their pages.
48. Moyo says:
    These are great tips, however about how many visits can you practically drive with these? How does a person go from 20 visits a day to 100 visits a day is measurable. Really the question is what kind of results would one see with these methods. Thanks!
49. jigar doshi says:
    hello, brian. those were some great tips. and i do all of those, except engaging myself on forums. am a bit new, so i din't really know it. but now that i know, i will surely try to increase my readership by engaging in the forums. however, i came across some errors. "I’ve been marketing online now for three years" - for three years now. " The difference *with Blog Engage and other social communities" - between* " will be viewing more *then one page" - *than " I see it done wrong more *then I see it blogged about." - *than "gain it’s a community full of *blogger like you and me" - *bloggers i hope the errors will be rectified :)
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi jigar doshi that is very nice of you, if you know what I normally write like you would just let that go and be happy with me haha! I was never any good in English or grammar.
      • jigar doshi says:
        you are welcome :) i guess, you'd get more readers if small mistakes are avoided.. good blog, nevetheless.. thank you.. all the best :)
50. Tom says:
    Do webmaster forums work very well for other niches besides internet marketing / blogging?
51. Eddie Gear says:
    Brian, Those are some awesome tips. Every blogger should read this. That way they can all grow along with a great blogger like yourself.
52. satrap says:
    I would have to disagree about forums. They wont bring you traffic consistently, unless you keep doing them over and over again, especially with forums, since your thread quickly goes off the first page and gets lost amongst thousands of others. You could do that, but with the low number of visitors such methods bring you, you may be better off, spending your time and effort on other methods that can generate long term traffic.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hey satrap that's a good point. But you can do it consistently and that will provide traffic. I think this is a great way to get traffic and if you have time and work hard at it you will do well. hard to disagree with me seeing all my success with Blog Engage if from this method.
53. Atwine says:
    Thank you for your great tips...
54. Ivin says:
    Great article Brian. I'm sure to check these out (or yours) :)
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hey Ivin buddy, sorry for the late very but your very welcome!
55. jimmy says:
    Website review forums is a new one, I have never thought about using a forum for that. But it´s something i´ll try, just to see what kinda traffic it can give my blogs and websites.! Because i differently need some more productive traffic, that will comment on my blogs.
56. Tony says:
    Commentluv and keywordluv system for Worpdress help us gain a lot of traffic from any blog that active these plugin.
57. Suresh Khanal says:
    They were some great tips and I liked that idea of domain apraisal. People certainly would like to visit website to see before they offer any view. But Brian, what about the traffic quality? Won't it increase your bounce rate because they came up to your site with different intention than what the blog is offering?
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Suresh, this is a great question. Yes your bounce rate will increase but you have to understand this is not always a bad indicator. Bounce rate means more visits in general. You have to sell these visitors on your blog. Just like in real life I make 100 calls and get 1 interested customer, does that make my calling a bad bounce rate? No! You have to get tons of traffic to gain only a few readers! bounce rate is fine as long as your happy with the participation on your blog from our readers. I hope that makes sense lol...
58. Per-Erik Olsen says:
    Brian, I did not have any idea of web site reviews forum. I will definitely check it out. Sure liked your other tips too. I learned a lot from them.
59. Quaneshia Holden says:
    Great tips here, I also agree with taking the time to comment and to respond to comments. I also love the commentluv plugin. It gives you a sneak peak into what the commenter is up to.
60. Swamykant says:
    I don't think that the forums can drive huge traffic however it can provide targeted users. Other options are good. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
61. Kyle Morgan says:
    Nice tips, I'll have to check out your Blog Engage network.
62. Tony Milano says:
    Some very nice tips there. I just found BloKube today, about 10 minutes before I found this website. I'll be back.
63. Suraj says:
    Communities and forums drive average amount of traffic for me, but yes social media sites like networking and bookmarking drive traffic like crazy!
64. Latief says:
    Great ideas Brian to get more free traffic with your tips. Commenting is always my favorites since I started my blogging journey and then guest blogging ;) I still get traffic from my guest articles until today. IMO the important free traffic is SEO, what do you think?
65. Neeraj Rawat says:
    I asked here something to Brian got a mail notification as well for the reply but couldnt find my comment regarding the website review forum very strange
66. Keller says:
    Great and concise article Brian! I've found forums are a fantastic platform to network and connect through. The main thing I would add is writing quality content. Though you absolutely must get out there and connect with other bloggers through commenting, guest posting, etc, it's vital that when you generate that traffic, you KEEP that traffic. The higher quality your content is, the more aware others will become of your site. The better the content, the more "shares" each of your articles will receive, generating more traffic. You've done a fantastic job at building your own Internet marketing empire. It's been awesome watching the growth and development of Blog Engage. You have a few extremely unique qualities that set you apart from the rest - determination, persistence and consistency. Truly a great example of what can be accomplished online!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hello Keller. First congrats on your new baby I'm so happy your family is coming together and all are healthy. Having this online experience for me has been so many mixed feelings. I've been up and down feeling happy, sad, upset frustrated, extremely stressed out etc.. The list continues. The ironic part is I wouldn't change it for anything it's been such a great experience. I've meet so many fantastic bloggers including yourself and all of those who commented here on my article. Blog Engage is slowly turning into an extremely profitable business with the new addition of the RSS service. My focus now it to keep a balance of quality contents and to build on the amount of customers I have. Thanks so much for the kind words and posting here on the contest article!
67. Kathleen Taylor says:
    Hi Brian I hope I can use some of your ideas to generate traffic to my site. Thanks Kathleen
68. spirulina says:
    Hi Brian, I think this was amazing way to get more publicity and traffic to your blog. I wish I was so creative with my site. Maybe I should learn from You :) Thanks again.
69. Harleena Singh says:
    Hi Brian,Thanks for spilling out all the secrets and the essentials to generate respectable traffic to any site or blog. I have been regularly using the social media (Facebook and Twitter) to spread the word about the good content on my blogs - and I do really get the reward: Interested people do pay their visit, which increases the site traffic. I also observed that this activity of mine also enhances the 'Alexa' site ranking of my site and blogs.However, I must say, I am not able to get the chunk of visitors comment on my blog posts - something like what's happening at this post of yours is phenomenal! This proves that only social marketing and putting up all the social buttons (like I do on my blogs) isn't really a guaranty that you get quality and engaging traffic. I confess I haven't tried to tap on the 'Forum' aspect of marketing. Do you think it will create the difference that I'm looking for?
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Harleena , I think if done the way I suggested this forums marketing method will help you build on your online relationship,. It's by doing that, that will increase your blog traffic and blog readership. I always suggest giving it a try. Thanks for the comment and stopping by!
70. Peppy says:
    Brian, I just wanted to add my support for the amazing effort you are giving this contest. Yet, it isn't surprising because that you seem to give 110%+ in whatever you are doing! Though I am not a tech blogger, I continue to learn from your articles - as well as the quality comments you generate ... clearly, your fellow bloggers respect you. As I said in a recent comment, you "walk the walk" instead of being "all talk" and I wish you success! Peppy
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Peppy, thanks a ton it's been a great contest! I went around commenting on some of the other article and it's been a great turnout! Mavis got over 500 comments she's just been rocking it! Thanks for all the support!
71. Tristan says:
    Solid post here, Brian. I'm a big fan of using forums to get traffic. Like you, I've gotten some pretty good traffic from the website review and design forums. And not only do you get traffic, but you get a critique of your blog's design, which of course is never a bad thing :) Thanks for the great ideas!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Tristan , thanks for stopping by and saying hello! that's why I love forums marketing there's always other benefits not just traffic and new blog readers!
72. Argie Monroy says:
    Hey Brian, can I ask one thing? What if my blog displays itself an array of unique contents and quite some reasonable ones, but still dont get that much attention; what should I do? Will user interactions come in time soon?
    • Felix Albutra says:
      Hi Livelifexp,If you confidently think that your content is great, then marketing it will get your content more attention to your first time readers.So the best solution for that is to market it so that people will know that you have a great content in your blog that might can help or give them the solution to their problems.Perhaps, you can make a discussion regarding some things that will convert into a good conversation between you and your readers.I hope that it helps and I would love to hear from you...- Felix
      • Argie Monroy says:
        Felix, thanks for some piece of advice :) I have been promoting it on various social media such as Facebook and Twitter for a week's time. Perhaps I should be more patient enough for my blog to be quite popular.
      • bbrian017 says:
        Felix great advice thanks so much for throwing in like this it's greatly appreciated and will be repaid I promise! Keep a close eye one blog engage over the next few hours! Everyone who gave quality comments on my contest posts here should keep an eye one blogengage's next contest!
        • Felix Albutra says:
          No problem Brian. Anyway, I would like to congratulate you for your Guest Blogging Contest that went into success.- Felix
    • bbrian017 says:
      Argie I agree with Felix, if you feel your content is great then yes keep pushing things will work out! Join blogging contests were having one starting ASAP at blog engage. You should come by and give it a hot!
      • Argie Monroy says:
        Brian, now that sounds really cool, but I don't think I can make it. I've gotten not that much attention from my readers though ..
    • Tuan says:
      Yeah, I guess you should connect to some more popular bloggers that you can find in the list of communities above. When your posts get RTs or FB shared by them, they will attract a lot more attention instead of just waiting.
      • bbrian017 says:
        Yeah Tek waiting won't get you to far! I've watched you online your doing a great job so far so keep it up! Try a few of my idea's and see if you like them then go from there.
73. Jeffrey Ward says:
    Great article Brian! Good information!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Thanks Jefrey it was a good one I thought!
74. Andrew Williams says:
    Slightly off topic, but I can't find an explanation for Rank, Karma Score and ESP Votes on the Blogengage site. And btw, does a person have to be nice to get a good Karma Score? It's not in my nature. Ha!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Slightly lol that's like out in left field type of off topic. Well since your here, this explains it all, http://bit.ly/eD48X6
75. Mark says:
    Hi Brian, I agree commenting on forums is a great way to expose potential readers to your blog. In this article you mention building a following by visiting webmaster forums. Did you pick this area to focus on because webmasters are your niche or is this a good place for everyone regardless of their niche? Best, Mark
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Mark, I picked this area for two main reasons. These forums (the ones I've mentioned) have given me a lot of opportunity to build my online reputation and this was my way of giving back. I would like to think my article doesn't only give value back to the bloggers commenting but it also help bloggers understand how they can market while still adding benefit to the forum as well. What we have to realize is there's a fine line between marketing and spamming in forums. If you need a website review then post a request, if you need an appraisal then seriously post a request. When done right these methods will bring our readers traffic, new blog readers and an increase in online reputation. Also these methods will help you learn at the same time because the guys and girls doing these reviews and approvals they are good and are doing it for a reason. Regarding what niche you’re in I don't think it matters but the retention might be affected. If your blog is about knitting I don't know many webmaster forum members that will return or bookmark the site but you will still get some great feedback from the forums. So I guess in the end yes your niche will matter when it comes to converting the forums members into blog readers. In a way I feel like I'm trying to being back old school lol. Are you using forums right now to market and promote are do you mostly use social media?
    • Tristan says:
      I've gotten great results on niche forums, too, by doing essentially the same things Brian mentioned on webmaster forums.
      • bbrian017 says:
        Thanks awesome thanks for coming back and sharing your results!
76. Amogh says:
    And yeah twitter is probably one of the best platforms for publicizing your blog.And I would like to know how much time did it take for you to create the fan base which you have,it wouldnt have happened in a day or so.How patient does a blogger have to be?
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hello Amogh, first thanks for that message you sent me on twitter it means a lot! I don't know who's going to win this contest but I have put everything I have into it and it’s been an outstanding response from the family and friends at blog engage. Like you I love twitter, can you believe I was a late bloomer. LOL I remember when twitter first started I was like pfff what can we do with a website that allows 150 characters in a post... three years later here we are all in love with twitter. I specifically remember Rob from bloggeries saying to me, Brian get your ass over to twitter and start using it for blogengage. I should have listened to him because by the time I started he already had over 200,000 followers. Do you use forums for marketing right now or tare you mostly and only using twitter? Also if you don't use forums will you start maybe after reading my post?
      • Amogh says:
        yeah,seriously,when twitter came,i was like,how the hell is this gonna be better than facebook,but now im lagging on twitter,im a newbie,just started a few days ago.And what?! 200,000 that is a LOT!! He can get paid for tweeting links lol. And forums,yeah,they are also a really good way for marketting but finding an active forum is very difficult,my search is on though.can you suggest me some nice forums,the one at blogengage is great,hopefully it'll get better with more active members and yeah after this post imma gonna start using forums for the maximum benefit. And trust me on this,this is the best detailed post a newbie blogger like me would need,so i really hope you win this competition cuz you've done a great job with this post :)
        • bbrian017 says:
          Sorry he's got 55,000 that was my mistake. Thanks for the follow up. I know my article is doing well but man We have some great competition going on here! Many articles have what it takes it's going to be a crazy hard decisions for the judges! You can check the rest of the contest articles here, https://famousbloggers.net/traffic-generation-resources.html
          • Amogh says:
            even 55,000 is a lot! :P and you've almost reached 500,just a matter of few more comments :)
            • bbrian017 says:
              Yeah Rob has a lot of followers. I wish I did I've been stuck at 3200 for ever it seems lol
77. Kabalyero says:
    I don't see Stumbleupon and Reddit on your list. They are also good sources of free traffic specially SU.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Kabalyero , your right they are great sources of traffic but I find it's hard to convert and what were looking for is traffic that converts into new blog readers. When I first started at SU I got tons of traffic but no comments. I woudl get 1000 hits in a week and not comments. They are almost as bad as entrecard traffic lol Are you having any suggest with SU? Also are you using any of the methods I've mentioned in forums?
      • Tuan says:
        I used to have bad experience with SU as it really provided low quality traffic. However, in the last few months, I realize that SU has become the #4 best traffic source for my blog. The number of comments from SU doesn't increase but the average time on page grows dramatically and more importantly, its bounce rate has decreased to just over 60%. Well I think that the problem is just about content, SU users tend to find and read interesting content there. Btw, best luck in the contest, Brian.
        • bbrian017 says:
          Hi Tek, I think the issue with Su is the fact that non of the traffic stays on your site! How good is 100 hits when none of them stay and become blog readers.
78. Andi says:
    I am a big believer in blog commenting. And comment etiquette in general. I respond to every comment left on my blog as an acknowledgment that someone took the time to visit my little corner of the world and leave feedback. I also visit the commenters blog (if they have one) as well. But more to the point you were making, I read over 400 blog posts a week and comment on as many of them as I can. I think comments are the currency of the blogosphere and creates goodwill. It allows you to build long-term online relationships and grow your traffic naturally and organically, a supplement to other activities such as listings, forums, directories etc which are also an essential part of the mix.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Andi, I tried so many times to reply to all the comments on my blog but it started getting way to hard I just cannot keep up. Personally I love your blogging attitude and think it's something we should all practice. To be honest I have the same attitude to what you said in your entire comments. Have you ever experienced some of the forum suggestions I mentioned or are some of these new to you? I hope some are new I would like you to try some of the things I mentioned. It's been a pleasure chatting with you, thanks for engaging into the discussions.
79. Inhibitor says:
    Brian, Great post, man! I was around when Brian got Blog Engage started (back when I still wrote my MMORPG blog "Lagorama"), and he has taken a good idea and made it spectacular! Listen to this guy...he knows his stuff...in spades!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Inhibitor you would had loved to seen the smile on my face when I seen you come by to do a comment. Man has time gone by fast huh? 4 years where did it go? One day I own blogengage with 29 members and now we have over 6000 registered users. Thanks for the compliment and I hope life is treating you well. By the way seeing you come here to comment means a ton to me and proves that relationships can be built online you just gave to harness the power and be sincere about who you are. I wish you would start blogging again your MMORPG blog was awesome!
80. Amogh says:
    Hey Brian,what a wonderful article.This is for sure everything which a newbie blogger needs.I have taken many points from this article and hopefully I'll implement those and make my blog way more succesful :) Cheers
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi there Amogh, Thanks for the comment I'm glad you enjoyed the article! Best of luck to you, make sure to come back and let us know your results!
81. Ben Lang says:
    This is definitely one of the best posts I've read lately in regards to driving traffic, great job Brian!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Ben, thanks for stopping by and posting! Are you using forums to market right now or do you prefer social media marketing? I know your active on a lot of sites and you have a very successful blog I would love to hear your experiences.
      • Ben Lang says:
        Prefer social media, and just having good content :)
82. Dwight says:
    Thanks Brian, very useful info. in this post and I enjoy being a part of the Blog Engage community as well. Dwight Anthony Financially Elite Blog dot Com
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi there Dwight , thanks for coming by and commenting. I was hoping you could take a moment and let us know some of your own personal experiences. Have you used forum marketing before or are you into the social media marketing?
83. Dr. Hansjörg Leichsenring says:
    I agree. If you want to reech more people with your blog, you have to build up traffic. But it is the quality of the traffic that counts, not just the pure amount of posts… Same with other social media. Quantity matters, but quality counts! Kind regards from Germany Hansjörg
    • bbrian017 says:
      Dr. Hansjörg thanks for taking the time to drive all the way from Germany to famousblogers land lol... I agree quality traffic and posts is where the real deal is at. Do you currently use webmaster forums for marketing or twitter and facebook? What do you prefer? Social media or forum marketing?
      • Dr. Hansjörg Leichsenring says:
        Brian please let the "Dr"away. I try to use both, but social media comes first at the moment Kind regards from Germany, the land where bloggers have still a lot of work ahead to get the same recognition as bloggers in the other parts of the world
84. david says:
    I find your bog very informative, the twitter and facebook info i have started using , more sucess in the twitter getting more followers. Facebook well got my site hacked twice already and changed my passwords so im leary of using it now. Lucky i dont put any personal info on that site. Im trying now the bloggers forum but still a newbie on this .My sites only two months old so traffic is slowly coming in, but with what i pick up here i should learn how to increase it.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi there David, thanks for stopping by and posting a comment. Were almost at 500 can you imagine that wow! It's amazing your getting hacked I've never heard about this before I wonder if anyone else can weigh in,. I've been using facebook for three years now and haven't been hacked once. Your always welcomed to come and submit your articles over at blog engage that's a great way to get traffic. Have you tried forum marketing as of yet? Do you plans on trying a few of my suggestions to test the waters?
      • dave says:
        Well when you get a message saying your ip is different from when you last logged in (me it was in new york) and im in canada, you get sent to security site where you answer you security question , then you change your password . Lucky i dont keep personal info there which can be used for id theft. I havent tried forum thing yet, only twitter, ping.fm , and a few other social marketing sites such as stumble which is a great site to see how other sites look like.
85. Big Cajun Man says:
    Tweeting is mostly a background noise, but the folks I have met and talk with are my best suppliers of quality traffic. Good article.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Big Cajun , your kinda of right, it seems much of society today is filled with background noise. It's amazing how noise itself is being used to filter noise now if you really think about it. Are you currently using facebook and twitter to market or have you been just using social media websites?
      • Big Cajun Man says:
        Both, haven't been getting traction from a lot of sites either, been consciously (sp?) attempting to use this since November, and have added some readership, but not enough to justify the extra work being done (yet).
        • bbrian017 says:
          Big Cajun I went to look at your blog so I could get an idea of the market your blogging in and I'll admit you have it very tough! Not only are you in finance but your in a Canadian finance niche! That is going to very difficult to market. I understand your point a lot more not that I have more insight. Do you mind if I ask but what is SP?
          • Big Cajun Man says:
            Dreamhost, but I am not endeared with their service lately.
    • Ana says:
      I don't mind the phrase "background noise", but I do think that tweeting/retweeting is a necessary part of social proof if not direct traffic generation. I'd do it just for that reason alone; wouldn't you? Ana
      • Big Cajun Man says:
        I retweet mostly to keep my presence known, but again, I have not seen any concrete numbers that suggest to me that most of the entire Social Media "rage" lately is not a lot of hype (again your mileage may vary). I am skeptical, is my statement.
        • bbrian017 says:
          lol Big Cajun it's always hyped up and to be honest facebook is far more popular then facebook but I think twitter has more benefit for bloggers. Man it's so hard to say really.
          • Big Cajun Man says:
            I can point at some sites like Reddit and Stumbleupon that actually send folks to my site, but do those referrals actually pan out? Not really either, guess CONTENT is the best answer.
      • Dr. Hansjörg Leichsenring says:
        Ana I think you are right. Through twitter I not only get traffic on my blog but also very interesting contacts Kind regards from Germany Hansjörg
86. Ninure says:
    Forgive me if someone already said this, I'm a bit pressed for time. If someone comments n your blog, and leaves a real question and/or adds to the discussion try and respond back whenever possible. Being ignored doesn't do much to make "me" want to come back. Make it easy to leave a comment when you can'. I don't leave comments on sites that require "me" to go thru a long registration process, and I rarely come back.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hello Ninure, people are always looking for the easy way to make new friends or leave commetns and I think it's just the way some of the early leaders in the blogosphere has set up blogging in general. I would hate to say it but they almost gave blogging a bad name! I agree if ti's way to hard to leave a comment I even leave sometimes because I'm like and and I'm strapped for time and want to make the most out of my marketing efforts while online. Do you mind if I ask if you used webmaster forums before to market? Are you using facebook or twitter right now? If so what have your results been like?
      • Ninure says:
        Yep, I used Forums in the past. Didn't have a whole lot of hits/readers as a result, but that was awhile ago. I am on Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (my Blog was there until November 2010 when MySpace went nutz). I am not sure how much that helps, being on those networks, to be honest, since I have kinda limited who I "follow" and "friend" to people with shared interests....
        • bbrian017 says:
          Hey ninure, sorry to hear you didn't have luck with the forums marketing. You know you should avoid limiting who you follow and socialize with. One day a stay at home mom blog could become or do something different,. I wouldn't limit myself like that. Thanks so much for supporting my in the contest!
          • Ninure says:
            Well, I must admit that you have a point about the limiting thing.... But on Twitter, I limit who I follow mainly because I can only "read" so much,, and I get much of my news an inf via Twitter. But on Facebook, maybe I should broaden things a bit, :D
    • Tristan says:
      YES. +1 for making it easy for readers to leave comments. To me this means no CAPTCHA and no registration (for me this includes things like Disqus).
87. Stacey says:
    I would always take Brian's advice and go with it. He has done an amazing job with BlogEngage! We will forever support you Brian...keep up the good work.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Stacey it's so nice seeing you out here supporting me. I haven't seen you in so long.... Many we first meet back in 2007 I guess time does fly by when your having fun. Is till member you to this day over at boiledover and I was pleased to had meet you and build a relationship. Thanks so much for coming over and showing your support! I hope everything is going well in your life and things are looking up!
88. Dev says:
    I also agree with you, because with the help to twitter we can spread our link in front of huge amount of our followers with in seconds.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi v, thought that is true I find sometimes if you tweet at the wrong time no one sees anything lol. I was reading an article once at blogengage that said there are specific times in the day to tweet to get the best exposure. Are you doing any forums marketing right now or do you only do social media marketing?
      • Dev says:
        Yah! bbrian017 you are absolutely right there are specific times in the day to tweet to get the best exposure. And I talked about tweets only on specific times but forgot to mention it.
89. Imran says:
    Hi Brain, It is an excellent post you have come up with traffic is one thing every one is facing problem. This article will help for all those who are struggling to get good amount quality traffic. An Awesome share -Imran
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hello Imran , thanks so much for visiting the article. When if first started online I used these marketing methods to manage my own traffic and build my minim empire. I'm a huge fan of forums and for this reason I was easily able to get a lot of return for my time invested. Are you currently using forums as part of your marketing strategy? If not do you plan on giving some of my suggestions a try in the near future?
    • Ana says:
      That's a great comment, Imran, but I am curious how you would implement Brian's tips in your own blog. Obviously, you are a good commenter, but what about forums? Would you consider using those for traffic? Ana
      • Imran says:
        Hi Ana, I use to make some frequent visits to forum such as WSOforum and Digital Point but did not used as a power user like other do, but after reading Brian post I have to redo my daily working schedule and take it seriously. And sorry Brian I just did misspelled your name.
        • bbrian017 says:
          haha don't worry about the speling of my name I know everyone is busy and typing fast we all have blogs to promote! I appreciate your engaging conversations!
90. Melinda says:
    The power of building real relationships by sharing ideas whether in a forum or a wonderful community site like yours is the most powerful thing a person can do to jump start a new blog. I have been blessed to have met so many wonderful bloggers I consider good friends and constantly promote them on my blog and throw in a mention when I can and they do the same. Having that connection lifts you to a level you can't possibly achieve on your own and when it is selfless giving it means a lot. Power is in the numbers and the traffic is a byproduct. I haven't had time lately to visit the communities I love and have great respect fir such as Famous Bloggers and Blog Engage but I'm trying hard to find the time. I love Webmaster forums and will chevk out the ones that are new to me. Great article! Good luck Brian!!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hello Melinda, I admire your comment. I think your attitude for online blogging is something every blogger should have. The blogosphere evolution hasn't even started to begin. Building relationships right now allows us to create a solid foundation for our online marketing careers. You know I once posted about blog engage at theadminzone ( and this is nothing against them because it's an AMAZING forum for forum admins) but a member replied and said along these lines, why join there's only few members. For the record those "few" members are the most popular and most advanced members in our community such as Ms Ileane speaks, Karen from blazingminds, Justin from dragonblogger, Extreme John, Hehaman himself, the owner of famous bloggers, and the list of great bloggers goes on! My point is the foundation of our blog engage community is built on your comment! I believe in your attitude about everything is life! I made these small relationships and they have seeded into other communities and grown larger then I could have ever imagined. You know what's funny, speaking of the admin zone look at this thread I started HAHA seriously! I'm asking them to create a Domain Name Appraisals back in 2007 june LOL It's that too funny or what http://www.theadminzone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38863 How appropriate/ironic I found that to share in this contest thread!
      • Melinda says:
        Ha ha! Well some just miss the point. I realize how incoherently I typed the above comment compliments of my iphone and I just want to say I can spell. :) I remember when you got married...still in the beginnings. Of course Ms. Ilene is the perfect example of a selfless promoter. She will forever be special to me and I just asked for some advice on a screen capture program the other day from her, and her gracious self answered almost immediately. All those you list are incredible and I was blessed to meet them in my very green starting off blogging days. And Hesham is just fabulous beyond words.
        • bbrian017 says:
          That's so funny I didn't even notice anything wrong, but again that's probably because I am so bad myself it makes yours look like a core English teachers lol. I'm not a big fan what so ever of the iphone auto correct. I had the iphone 3G and now the iphone 4 and it's one thing I don't like what so ever.
91. Martha Giffen says:
    Wow! This is one complete list of ways to promote. Forums are one of the best ways to "see and be seen." Thanks for the list you gave. I don't recognize all so I will certainly be checking them out! Traffic generation is needed by every single blogger on the planet and if they will follow the plan you have laid out, there's no reason why their blog won't be one of the highly popular ones within a short period. Great article!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Martha, it's was a pleasure meeting you last night in the facebook group. I'm new to all that facebook group marketing. It's a rather interesting way to get the word out that's for sure. I wish I would had started a little earlier and gotten a better response. Your right however, if anyone uses the exact suggestions I left, follows the right actions they should get a great response from the forums I mentioned. Martha are you currently a big forums user or are you spending most of your time today marketing in facebook groups?
92. Dani Nir-McGrath says:
    Brian, great suggestions and strategy! Being plugged in to social networks is huge! I'll add one more thing about Facebook. I do have a Fan Page to promote my blog, but additionally, I started the Blogging Mastermind Comment Tribe which has been a great way to drive additional traffic to my blog...and many others (including this one! :)) Have a key group dedicated to syndicating your blog is awesome! Loved the post! Dani
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Dani, it was a pleasure socially engaging with you last night. I've added you on twitter etc.. it's nice to make friend isn't it? Let me ask are you currently using webmaster forums what so ever to market your blog right now? Have you tried any of these marketing techniques? I know your a big facebook fan, is the majority of your marketing activities done on facebook now?
93. Pit says:
    Hey Brian, Great article, really useful tips. I am already found a few things that I didn't know existed and I am going to try to implement at my blog. Looking forward to read more about what you have to say! Thanks,
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hello pit, thanks so much for the compliment on my article. Forums marketing is fun, interactive and engaging. I've enjoyed it and I'm sure you will to from the suggestions I left. How about facebook and twitter are you using much of these sites to market and promote? Hows it's working out for you right now? I started looking at facebook groups last night and have already gotten a very positive result it's amazing!
94. TS Redmond Mize says:
    Oh wow, Forums. This is where I fall down, so hard. I have about fifty bookmarked, and I always try to remember to get in there and really give it a go- after all, as I mentioned to you in chat, I'm a social animal, so it seems I'd really enjoy it. I have no idea why I don't make some time for that, every day. I could do it, easily and I know this. Anyway- these are some pretty great tips. Also, in terms of social marketing there are a number of very useful tools that you can use to make posting your blogs to those platforms all at once a snap for convenience. :)
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi TS Redmond, You know maybe what's happening is the amount of forums your book marketing is making you not want to do it. I'm just saying I I had 50 sites I wanted to check out I would never want to start knowing I had so much work to do. What I suggest for you is to pick one or two and just get in there and get your hands dirty. This way you won't be so overwhelmed with to much on your plate. You know that could be stressful and deterring you. Are you using facebook or twitter right now to market your blog? I've been using twitter but I have slacked on the facebook aspect.
95. Alex says:
    Hello Brian, You did a lot of work to get you blogengage platform up and running. Forums are usually the best starting traffic makers, because you don't have to do all that much, but have a website and use the forums in a responsible way with related topics and answers. And of course, you and all know that having more sources of traffic is practically a necessity because you need to have a failback solution. This is where twitter and facebook came in, which in my opinion are source that come a little later because you need a bit of influence before really starting in a social environment.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hello Alex , Forums are an amazing way to generate traffic. You know a lot of my blog engage rss customer are coming from forums and also a lot of my blog engage members came from forums like digital point and bloggeries. I'm right into social media marketing with facbook after all the comment discussions with people here on this article from what I can tell I'm missing out big time! I'm hoping tonight I can get a little more involved and try to increase the amount of facebook likes on my article. Are you using much of facebook? Have you had any success with it?
      • Alex says:
        I tried facebook when they still had the Become a fan button. I managed to gather a couple hundred fans but I think I didn't really knew what to do next and as time passed by and I became less and less active on that page, the number dwindled and the CTR was really really low. Although, now I know a couple more tricks, I don't know if I am ready to start social too. Because I would be stretching it too much, and I would wind up having no traffic at all.
96. Kharim says:
    Hey Brian, we should also remember that on forums we can slip in our links on our signature so that we can get more traffic. I love forums because you can get to communicate with others and also refer them to links of help to them on your blog. This is really a great post.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hello Kharim I'm so happy to see you made your way over. I'll never underestimate the amount fo work you put into our guest blogging contest at blogengage ever again! man this is soooo much work. I'm actually surprised I forgot to mention the signature but I guess it's a rather given and people do that automatically. Are you using facebook etc to market? I haven't done much with regarding to it but I'm regretting it now. Have you had any success with it?
      • Kharim says:
        Yes I am using my Facebook fan page to publish my latest posts and I also set it up that my feeds are automatically published on my fan page. I have had success with it but not much. But I guess its because I need to build up the fan page some more. Also blog commenting, that is really great to get traffic. I like blog commenting, just like I'm doing now. :) I like BlogEngage very much and it is also on my list of top refers for getting traffic to my blog :)
    • Justin Germino says:
      Yeah, but forums require lots of investment, most require you commenting on at least 10-25 threads before you can post your own or even attach a signature. Imagine doing this on a forum by forum basis, could look at leaving 250 comments on threads just to get a link, and you could have left 250 comments on other blog articles with CommentLuv and gotten all those links instead (from unique sites too instead of same site)
      • bbrian017 says:
        Actually Justin it's not as hard as you think to get the minimum 10 comments but you have a valid point and I have to respect it! This is why I had to add blog commenting into my article! You are right, 250 comments to post a link or 250 with back links, comment luv etc... but wait isn't a forums signature the same as commentluv in it's own little way?
        • Justin Germino says:
          Yep, Forums signature is exactly like a comment love link without showcasing most recent article (unless you want to do it manually). Somebody mentioned elsewhere that website review forums are particularly good for getting people to critique sites, as long as you reciprocate. I don't know of any forums as such offhand for this though.
          • Kristi Hines says:
            There are some forums that actually have a CommentLuv-like system built in so you can have your latest post with your forum entry. Bloggeries is one of them, and I'm sure there are others. So you could find forum topics that relate closely to your blog posts and get traffic to them similar to how you get traffic from CommentLuv enabled blogs.
            • bbrian017 says:
              Hi Kristi, your right most of them do now! You set up up in your settings and it links your latest post! Thanks for adding that to the conversation!
            • Justin Germino says:
              I found the V7 Forum which I joined yesterday, will experiment more with forums, I just had no luck with DigitalPoint as I have no time to invest over there.
            • Kristi Hines says:
              When it comes to forums, just look at them as comments. Set 10 minutes aside per forum, go through and add 5 "comments" or thread replies. A little goes a long way, especially if you leave behind good answers.
97. Raj Agrawal says:
    Hi Brian, you've just given away some legitimate hacks to get free traffic. Awesome writeup!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Raj, thanks a lot for the comment, yes I've given away a lot of my neat little ideas on how to generate web traffic from forums. Have you tried any of these suggestions before? if so what one and how did they work for you? Also are you using much of facebook and twitter to market? I woudl love to hear your feedback!
98. Justin Germino says:
    There are so many new article directories cropping up all over the place but remember it helps to diversify and not stick with one only. BlogEngage is probably one of the biggest and the one I use most often, but look at what happened to BloggerLuv and DoFollowLuv which went offline? I had 30k backlinks from those sites according to WebMaster tools as I was helping John by promoting and being active and now all that effort is lost. As a blogger it is frustrating to invest time and effort into a site that collapses which only further proves no matter how good an article directory you really have to optimize your articles for SERP or build an established direct relationship for true long term growth. Forums are mixed bag, honestly when I did my NBC Heroes reviews I would post in the IMDB forum for Heroes and probably get as much as 200-300 visits just from the IMDB forums on those days. I tried to post part of my review on the forum and leave a link if they wanted to read more. Very popular forums can build traffic but it is a lot of upkeep and in some cases better to outsource to someone to handle your forum communications to free you up to writing more high quality content.
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Justin, that's a great example of using forums within a niche thanks so much for adding that value to our discussions. I think if we can apply that technique to other niches like parenting, childhood development etc I'm sure the same success would apply. I'm not sure what happened to john he sort of just took off and left us all hanging but I'm sure he had good reason. I think he's on a mission with life and you have to respect that. On the same note I feel your frustration because I know how hard you work to build these baclinks and increase serp seeing we both have similar outlooks with regarding to SEO. I guess there's not much you can really do. I'm very happy to have you as a member of our community at blogengage I find you bring great value to our members all the time and it's a pleasure getting to now you and build on our relationship.
      • Justin Germino says:
        Always have a good time over there, and recently I have been promoting BlogEngage on LinkedIn groups to ProBloggers and The Blogging Zone groups. I am finding there is a new audience in LinkedIn Groups which can help build at least recognition, I haven't seen a lot of traffic from it but do get fairly good interactions. LinkedIn allows sharing and microblogging now too so should not be ignored and is more viable for networking than Twitter and probably almost as good as Facebook (They do their groups better in my opinion than Facebook)
        • Fletcher T. says:
          I'm in the process of joining BlogEngage, and althouhg I have a LinkedIn account, I've yet to explore the microblogging aspect of it. So I'll be sure to check that out. Thanks for the tip.
          • Justin Germino says:
            Groups are good, there aren't many blogger ones yet but the ones that are there have hundreds of members.
          • bbrian017 says:
            Hey Fletcher it's a pleasure having you as part of our blogging community! Also thanks for the comment on my community blog! I seen you already submitted a guest post too! I'll be looking over that and approving asap! Are you using forums right now to market at all?
          • Kristi Hines says:
            Hi Fletcher, I wrote a post on LinkedIn for bloggers just a few months ago. Hope it helps when it comes to how to use LinkedIn for your blog!
99. Ryan Hanley says:
    Another great resource to add quick visits in Bizsugar.com. Very good community of bloggers. Similar to Technorati if your article goes "Hot" you can pick some good traffic in no time!Thanks Brian!
    • bbrian017 says:
      Hi Ryan, I've never visited Bizsugar before. I have sen their badge on many blogger websites but I have never actually seen or signed up to their service! this is a great tips all the social media sites we can use the better! Ryan, are you using much of facebook and twitter to market? I would love to hear your feedback! I know your on facebook because I've liked you page and I see your status updates all the time! I'm just wondering how that is working out for you.
      • Ryan Hanley says:
        Brian, I think that Facebook should be every Bloggers #1 tool. I'm not an expert on the platform by any means but Facebook just flat out gets you exposure to people you want reading your material. I love it. I've dabbled in Facebook Ads and I think the value is great for the exposure that you get. This isn't brain busting stuff but if Facebook isn't a focus of your Social Media effort you are missing out. Thanks Brian!
        • bbrian017 says:
          Ryan I'm going to take your word for it because I've seen you market with facebook over the past three months and you seem to be doing very well. I guess being sincere is the best strategy on facebook it seems to be working amazing for you.
100. Kev says:
     Thanks Brian, A lot of great tips for traffic generation to think about. I'm using most of them now. Albeit blogging is a slow process built up over time, in terms of traffic for those of us who don't have a million bucks to hire it out. Thats what I like about your posts they always keep me thinking. Hope you win the contest. Thanks. Kev
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Kev, I hope I win the contest as well. It's been a long last week starting as of Monday. I started in the contest late because I just didn't hear about but I was happy to know I wasn't to late! Let's keep our fingers crossed. Do you use forums to market in right now? Also have you tried our facebook and twitter? What's your opinion and what has brought you the most benefit?
       • Kev says:
         Hey Brian, I'll have to admit I'm slacking in the forum category. I'm having a rough time trying to find a forum thats related to my blog. I do need to jump on that though. Are you talking about if I follow you on FB and Twitter? I have a FB page for my site, and a Twitter account also. Having trouble getting many people to follow my page...but its only about 3 weeks old, that might be the reason. Also my site its self is just 6 weeks old today. But yes I will hook up with you on FB and Twitter...good idea...;) I'd say commenting on blogs has been the best for me so far. When I look at my analytics for the site it shows referrals is what has brought the most benefit so far to me...and that is a reflection of my commenting I think. Your site has played a major role in that benefit.
101. Dana says:
     I do utilize the commenting for promotion but not for Twitter and Facebook. I think I need to more intact in the social media strategy to get better traffic.
     • Blazing Minds says:
       Utilising Twitter and Facebook can certainly help, I know it has with my blogging and I do get quite a few hits coming from them ;)
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Karen, that's great you have managed to successfully integrate facebook and twitter. I think I've gotten so set into blogengage I've forgotten to pay attention to these other marketing opportunities. How is the page views and return visits been with facebook. Have you been able to build on relationship etc? I'm just wonder what your overall ROI is from the time spent marketing there.
         • David Leonhardt says:
           I find Twitter excellent for networking. It's a great way to bring your ready circle in, and thanks to RTing you get some new traffic. When it really pays off is if you have something special, like a contest or a giveaway, and you can call on your Twitter friends to spread the word.
           • Fletcher T. says:
             Completely agree David. I think I read somewhere that Twitter outplays Facebook in terms of marketing in the social media universe. Well that is, if you do it correctly!
       • David Leonhardt says:
         I find Twitter excellent for
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Dana, your not the only one who has been missing out on facebook marketing. I've missed out big time and it's something I'm not going to do anymore. I'm going to start paying close attention to facebook marketing article at blog engage to get better at it. Do you have any plans to spend more time marketing on facebook and twitter or do you simply have no interest?
       • Daniel Snyder says:
         Personally I don't have a lot of interest right now in facebook marketing. I find that generating excitement over something that bores you never lasts, so its best to only pursue the avenues that excite you. However I've found that when things are overwhelming that feeling in itself can discourage you from trying something that may be very rewarding.
102. Alex says:
     Brian, Great article mate - I expect nothing less from the man behind blog engage though (no pressure now LOL) I especially like your detailed information on forum marketing - definitely something I will bookmark for future reference. The overall message of getting involved rather than just talking at each other is spot on, and I agree that so many do it wrong - then they write about it and perpetuate the wrong thing. Hopefully they read this post and stop it :)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello my friend Alex, thanks so much for coming by and supporting my article in the contest. I think ti's one of the best I've ever written and I've even shared some of my most valuable secrets on how to market using webmaster forums. Have you done much forums marketing Alex? I've been doing it for three years now it's gotten me a lot of feedback and generated a lot of sales for my online products. Let me know some forums your currently using and how they have been working out for you. Will you be trying any of these methods as you move forward with marketing our own blog? Look forward to your answer.
103. Michele Welch says:
     Hi Brian, Power post for sure! Some great recommendations you have listed here. I'm particular interested in the forum tactic. Didn't realize there was a buy sell and trade forum. Do you have any particular favorites? I used to participate in WF quite a bit and did see some traffic from that. Will have to pick that up again. Also, thinking about adding my own for my site...I'm sure this may possibly generate a lot of traffic. I know you have one on BlogEngage. Do you find it to be a lot to manage? Thanks for the great ideas. ;-)
     • Alex says:
       Michele, I found the same thing with WF in that the few times I go to take up a WSO or particpate in a thread I see at least 100 visitors as a result that month. With stats like that you wonder why I don't do it more! OF course then you go and take it one step further by thinking of having your own... interesting. Bold. Brilliant! :) Brian, love to hear what you have to say on that...
       • Michele Welch says:
         Yeah, it's funny why we stop doing what works. ;-) Inspired to take that up again... just going to have to find the time. Being on my mind lately with the idea of a forum. Huge commitment for sure, but we'll see. ;-)
       • bbrian017 says:
         wow Alex 100 visits from simply participating in a thread? I think that's an amazing stats and I'm sitting here also wondering why you don't market more using that strategy.. I'm still confused though what is WF is that warrior forums? Also what is WSO I'm not familiar with that either... Also your questions or are you refereeing to the comment Michelle made about creating her own forums? if so I think it's a brilliant idea. But to be honest after seeing wordpres handles all these comments like this I'm not sure if wordpress isn't it's own little version of forums software it self. Look how cool this is working out.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Michele, all of these are good questions. When you asked if I have any that I like in particular did you mean actual forums or the sub forums where the marketing is taking place? Sorry I sort of missed that one. I think you should start using forums again! There's so much potential for success when marketing in webmaster forums. UI've been doing it for there years and I've been promoting my blogs, articles and blogengage rss services. If you can think of it you can generate traffic from it. I think that's the coolest thing because forums offer so much potential. If your thinking about adding a forums to your website I would say go for it. I know wordpress has some really cool forums plugiins to choose from. I own www.preerp.com and I have a forum attached to it. the software is great and has little or no bugs. Yes it's a lot of work but what in life that requires a lot of work isn't good back to you in return? I love forums so I'm always into joining them. Look at problogger and his forums. they are a huge success!
     • Devesh says:
       Hi Michele, Better Try DigitalPoints.com, it has lot of potential to send high quality traffic. It was one of my top traffic source at some stage. I also have great success with Warrior Forums. It think you should wait for at least 5-6 months before starting your own forum for WPJunkies. Even i'm planning to start my own forums for Blokube but it will take few more months :D lol
       • bbrian017 says:
         You know Dev I've never had success with Warrior forums I don't' know why. maybe I just don't understand their terminology of their forum names. When I first started marketing digital point was ending me 200 hits a day it was awesome they were the best for driving traffic. Also I'm really happy your starting forums at blokube this is great news! Are you going to look at integration or simply use some phpbb or other forums? I know pligg has a bridge integration with phpbb but good luck getting support right? Have you seen this module yet?
         • Devesh says:
           DP Forums is still one of the best traffic generation source. Yeah, i'm going to using PHPBB Forums. I know there is module but haven't got time to test it. Btw. Good luck with the contest man.
       • Michele Welch says:
         Hi Dev, I actually participated in both of those forums. Will definitely pick it up again, especially since starting WPJ. Yeah forum thing, is something for the future, not just yet. Too much on my plate. ;-) @Brian - When you asked, "When you asked if I have any that I like in particular did you mean actual forums or the sub forums where the marketing is taking place? " Just meant, if you had any favorites in terms of which ones you use that will drive the most traffic to your site. :-)
104. Andrew Williams says:
     Wow, Brian! You're still hanging in there! Hope you're getting adequate rest and nutrition. Ha! Do you remeber an old Jane Fonda movie,"They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"............!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Andrew, hanging in there? I'm hoping to win this thing. I honestly think I have a good chance at winning this bad boy. with all the help and support from the blog engage community this has been a great experience.
105. Jimi Jones says:
     Hey Brian, very thorough post on how to drive traffic back to your blog. Having built Blogengage into what it has become surely provided more than a few lessons. :-) For me the most fun part of driving traffic is by far interacting with others in social media circles. It can be quite time consuming but well worth the effort. I haven't used the forums as much as in the past but hope to return to that approach sometime in the near future.
     • Alex says:
       I'm with you Jimi - Have not utilised the forums enough - if ever. One thing I will add is that you certainly do engage in social media - and engage well I might add :)
       • Blazing Minds says:
         I'm the same, forums, used to be a big part of my online life some years back, but they sort of fell by the wayside, I need to get back in to them someday ;)
         • bbrian017 says:
           Karen you should get back into it! Forums offer an amazing opportunity to meet new people you may have never had the chance to before! Just take one or two of my examples and give them a try. Make sure to come back and let us know your experience.
         • David Leonhardt says:
           Forums were my top hang out before Twitter came along, then the plethora of social bookmarking sites. But mostly Twitter.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Alexa, your right Jimi is one of the best! I've enjoyed his company at blogengage and have learned a lot from him over the past two years! It's been pleasure knowing all of you guys! P.S that comment you made "If ever" does that mean your not gonna give forum marketing a try? I really hope you do I know for a fact you would benefit from this!
       • Ryan Biddulph says:
         Hi Alex, I was huge on Warrior for a while. I enjoyed adding value but it never seemed to be a big traffic driver for me. Not I visit once a few days and focus on commenting. Thanks! RB
         • Fletcher T. says:
           Warrior is actually a forum I stumled upon early on while trying to find sites to network on. At the time I didn't know exactly what it was or how it would be useful in terms of traffic. Maybe it's worth a revisit? What was it that you think didn't work?
           • bbrian017 says:
             You know Fletchet I said in another comment I've never had much success in Warrior forums I always felt lost it's so different then the typical forums I mentioned.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Jimi, I agree socializing is the BEST part of it all! Look at all the familiar faces in this comment section right now. This is what makes me happy. I've worked hard on blogengage for three years and these forums marketing suggestions is what started it all! I think ti's time you take another look at forums and try some of my suggestions. I know you will enjoy them. Are you a member at any of the forums I mentioned right now? Have you tried any of the forum marketing idea's I presented?
106. Mathew says:
     I'm always looking to get free traffic and forums have always helped. Nice share pal. Keep up the good work.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Mathew, what forums are you using right now to market your blog? Are you a member of any of the forums that I mentioned? have you tried any of the forum marketing techniques I've mentioned? share your experiences let us know your opinions on the matter.
107. Michael Aulia says:
     It's just that we have to be really careful when posting things and links in these forums... some have very strict moderators and remove all possible "spammy" links :D I still have yet to find these review and freebie forums - haven't found one that really give traffic
     • Paul Salmon says:
       Hi Michael, I have noticed a similar thing with forums with regards to traffic. I find, however, that if I participate enough in the forums, I can usually get a few visitors because of my signature. I like to treat my signature as an advertisement and try to entice others to visit my blog. As for string moderators, unfortunately forums need these in place now-a-days because of the amount of spam than is created - probably on the same level of what you would experience on your blog without a spam plugin.
       • Michael Aulia says:
         Yeah, I guess you're right. Guess I'd do the same thing too :)
       • bbrian017 says:
         Haha Paul I cannot believe I missed adding signatures. WOW very disappointed in myself for not adding that one. Silly Brian wow! Forums signatures are a great way to attract new readers and target traffic! thanks for mentioning that and adding it!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Michael, the digital point review forums will give good traffic. Also try our webtalkforums. Both of them will give you traffic I know what for sure! Just make sure to reply to their comments and build up activity so you post doesn't drop on page two and three etc...
     • David Leonhardt says:
       Yeah, I've been kicked off a few even for posting totally innocent...never mind self-promotion links (which I am never shy to do in a tasteful and helpful manner when the situation is appropriate). Social bookmarking websites are the same. You can post your own stuff as much as you want at TIPD and BlogEngage , but the slightest whiff of self promotion at Reddit or The Mixxing Bowl and be prepared for the posse to come riding forward guns ablaze. You just "gotta know the territory".
108. Josh Thompson says:
     Great post Brian - looking forward to your next work. i have linked the post on boomserve... feedback is critical. Josh
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Josh, thanks for visiting and posting this nice compliment. Have you ever been a big forums user or do you prefer blog comment or social media marketing? What's your experience in this matter? Also you should expect more from me I'm also writing a killer post for the we blog better contest so stay tuned!
109. Don Power says:
     Hi Brian; I'm a member of BlogEngage and I see you working tirelessly to support the blogs and communities of other bloggers. All of the resources you mention here are great. Here's a new idea I'm getting some great traction from: "Fan Friday" on Sprout Social Insights blog where I highlight - right in the blog post with valuable backlinks and all - several selected blog commentors every week. I also recommend to everyone that before tweeting a link to your favorite blog post, that you take the time to comment on it first. That's a win win win proposition for all concerned. In fact, for anyone reading this comment who is interested to know more and who'd like to be featured on this week's Fan Friday post on Sprout Social Insights blog, click the commentluv link below, follow the instructions in the post and you'll see your name in lights (and in backlinks) this Friday on Sprout Social Insights! Brian - your personal reputation is such that when you contact people they listen. Why? Because those of us who know you know that you are listening right back! I'd encourage everyone reading this to check out your platform - Blog Engage and sign up! Cheers! (Hi Hesh!) - Don Power Managing Editor Sprout Social Insights aka @Sprout_Insights
     • tonyknuckles says:
       Whoa...talk about exposure!! I'm there Don with bells on. See Brian, a little push is all it took to get this thing rolling along on all 12 cylinders.
     • Alex says:
       WOW! I love it when the comment value provided echoes the message in the post! I'm so getting my name in lights tonight! WOO HOO Thanks Don, appreciate the value add and the opportunity :)
     • Justin Germino says:
       I agree that if you took the time to read the article, then by all means comment on it. Majority of people just pass on a RT without ever reading the article, and I too am guilty of that more often than not simply because I don't have the time to read 100-200 articles per day that come across in mall my feeds or social media. I try to do at least 10 articles per day on others sites and try not to do the same sites over and over (not because I don't like them, but because I want to diversify and discover new blogs and bloggers once and a while that haven't visited).
       • David Leonhardt says:
         That is the challenge. There is no way to read everything that passes by. So some I read, some I pass on after skimming. Some look like they will be useful and some I pass on just because they are from friends (wishing I had time to read them all).
         • Justin Germino says:
           Yeah, I think most just appreciate passing the article on even if you didn't have time to read it. I know I do, at least you trust my articles and my reputation enough that you are willing to RT what I publish without even reading it!
       • David Doolin says:
         Heh... I can't remember the last time I tweeted an article without reading it. Seriously, at least until the time of writing this comment, if I've tweeted it, I've read it. I do read pretty fast, though. Always have.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Don, first thank you for the compliment on blog engage. if feels like just yesterday you signed up but man time flies by. thanks so much for stopping by and supporting the article. Your idea of fan friends is pretty cool seeing follow Friday has died. We can all use something new to look forward to on Friday's. Also thanks for the compliment on my reputations ti's been a long time building. I know I've made mistake but who hasn't right? Don can you explain the benefits about your comment here "I also recommend to everyone that before tweeting a link to your favorite blog post, that you take the time to comment on it first." I would like to know more and how this is working out for you.
       • Ryan Biddulph says:
         I'm going to hop in here for a sec Brian and Don. I do this ALL the time. It helps leverage your presence while adding value to the post itself. Comment on every post you tweet, and if possible. Facebook Share it too. Thanks guys! RB
       • Don Power says:
         Sure Brian - I'll elaborate on my comment. Just like Justin mentioned above, he often retweets a link without reading the post. I don't. I like to add value to everyone concerned by commenting on the post first. That way I help the blogger, I help my followers and I actually help me too because your comment can always link back to whatever URL you want it to - giving YOUR stuff exposure to a potentially new audience as well. I'm going to reply, right now, to all of the new comments that have come in on my blog post that talks about the strategy of commenting on a post before tweeting a link (see commentluv link below) so I now from 1st hand experience that this strategy works wonders for all concerned. Cheers! - Don aka @donpower aka @Sprout_Insights
         • bbrian017 says:
           Don that's a great way to do things but it must take a crazy amount of time! I like to tweet stuff if I comment or not and I'll tell ya why! I don't have the time to comment on all the blogengage member articles but I want to engage on some level. The best way for me to do this is to tweet, digg, stumble when I can. I think for me it's the only way to give back to the members on some sort of rational high volume level/basis. I love your concept on so many levels and fits it in naturally when I can. Naturally meaning when I comment I also tweet so it's happening without effort to do so consistently like you. Your methods must be building your reputation and online authority to a very high level. Your compliment in your earlier post was appreciated and respected,. Thank you for that. I've always been a big fan of yours Don even watched a few of your videos driving in your car. I'll be honest you even inspired me to do one but I couldn't make it stop shaking... what's your secret?
           • Don Power says:
             Thanks Brian! The secret to my in car videos? It's decidedly low tech... Spongy double sided tape. Now THAT's Duct tape Marketing for ya! Cheers! - Don Oh - and I just posted the "recognition" post for all those great people who commented on my post before tweeting the link - click the commentluv link below to see my "Fan Friday" community building strategy in action! - dp
     • Fletcher T. says:
       I'm with you here! Tweeting is nice and all but the best way to build bridges and network is to show people that you listen. Setting aside 2 minutes to leave a real/relative comment speaks volumes to the author and incites reactions.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Fletcher, listening and reading a blogger content is always the best way, in fact its' the right way. If you do that on a continuous basis you will be bound to have success in your online blogger career.
110. John Paul says:
     Hey Brian.. Great post. For me the biggest result for your time would be with the social media part. Forum traffic is a good idea, but people need to understand that forum traffic takes time, a lot of time. People in forums treat it like their neighborhood. and for you to invited to the Bar B Q.. you need to spend time on there mixing and sharing. Time is better spend else where.. like you shared - Twitter and Facebook and even blog commenting and of course on your OWN blog writing better content and learning to share that content everywhere. Good Luck with the contest chief :)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi John, so happy to see you visiting and commenting! I've watched your blog grow over the past three years so I believe you when you say social media has been your largest contributor to your success. I guess we all have our ideas of success and I'm happy for you that social media have played a big part in it. Forums do take a lot of management and relationship building time but I swear it's so worth it. I have members using blog engage at are members of all the forums mentioned and they have been the most dedicated honest bloggers I have ever meet. Either way I love your advice and your opinion on forum marketing. I respect it and I think your right it’s a lot of time and dedication. Thanks for being such a great member over at blog engage!
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Hey John I love your analogy of a BBQ! So true, there is definitely an expectation in any social platform, forum or not, to mix and mingle! When we try to show up at the party, eat the dip, enjoy the open bar, throw our pamphlets on the table and leave... well... it goes over about as well! Kimberly
       • bbrian017 says:
         haha Kim I love the way you put that, "show up at the party, eat the dip, enjoy the open bar, throw our pamphlets on the table and leave" that made my day! As funny as it was it's very true! We have to put work into the community were marketing in and not just try to sell our idea.
         • Kimberly Castleberry says:
           Ha! It's true and you know it! Those people that might as well be wearing their pamphlet plastered to their face at the party... oh hey look, I'm blah-blah-blah-business-make-a-million-bucks-opportunity.... yeah, just... talk about social faux pas! The BBQ however is apparent in a place like this comment thread at the moment where I estimate 50% of us know each other and have existing relationships. Even when it's not the community of a site itself, its the community involved in a particular segment. Its extended friends and family! Kimberly
       • John Paul says:
         Thanks Kim :) who doesn't like a Bar BQ haha All platforms take time and engagement,, but forums are on a whole other level. Forums to connect and learn great.. using them to drive traffic, in my opinion isnt worth it.
         • Kimberly Castleberry says:
           I've actually been very successful using the concepts of the way we built our authority/expert-status in forums to build the same authority/status on facebook by engaging on the PAGES of other authority figures and simply "assisting" where I can. Non promotionally, lending a hand, answering questions, etc. Pages of influencers and thought leaders in my niche. Now that we can engage as our pages it's been even more effective. Its something that not nearly enough people make use of I think. Have you experienced the same? Kimberly
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hi John, I see your point and once you get used of marketing one way it's hard to open your eyes to new options. Especially when your current options are giving you an amazing return on investment. I cannot blame you for continuing to do what works for you.
           • John Paul says:
             whoa buddy,, lets not assume things. I have done all the ways to market, I have done form marketing, I have spent time doing that.. but to me.. the time is better spent other places for the amount of traffic verse time spent. My issue is with people that dont know things, yet write things, without real success behind it. That is my issue with MANY bloggers I see. To ME.. the time spent on forums to make them worthwhile, isnt worth it.. now I am on some forums, and I do great,., and I learn a lot from them.. and I get traffic from them.. but they would not be my biggest focus.
             • bbrian017 says:
               lol hey John I didn't mean to assume it's just what I gathered but now that it's clear you did try these and prefer the social media startegy I respect that. Thanks for coming back and clearing that up for me!
     • Alex says:
       JP mate. I think that last line sums up the millions of words that could be said (and are said) on social media. "Time is better spend else where.. like you shared – Twitter and Facebook and even blog commenting and of course on your OWN blog writing better content and learning to share that content everywhere." PERFECT. Content is KING after all ;)
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Alex, thanks for sticking around and to the conversation. you guys make some great points about social media marketing on facebook and twitter. I've always been a big fan of blog commenting too! I guess they all work very well as long as you enjoy what your doing.
111. Sheila Atwood says:
     Brian,Hey I am back. My comment took so long to load I had to come back and make sure I got in the conversation.I like your idea of forum traffic. After reading your post I can see how I am lacking in that department.At the first of the year I put forums on the top of my list. I have done pretty good. I have been active in one forum and it has brought traffic. My page views are up especially when I write some good advice on the forum. I do see comments coming from people on the forum. What I have not measured is the optins because I have been running a different optin test.I have the hardest time staying consistent with the methods you have listed. I get busy working on a project and do not have the time or attention for it.How do you combat that?
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Sheila thanks so much for reading the article I"m happy you enjoyed it. I guess famous bloggers is pretty heavy on the service right now because my article is so popular hehe. time is always an issue and ironically mentioned many items here in the comments section. the reality is we will never be able to do everything in one day. What we have to understand is it's okay to leave things for tomorrow. Just subscribe to the topics and visit as often as you can. We are all human and we all have restraints, some it's time, others it's money.. etc. there's always obstacles that we face we just have to figure out how to over come them. What are some of the projects your being faces with?Are they work related?
     • Daniel Snyder says:
       Hi Sheila. What forums have you invested your time into? I think a key here is that a person doesn't overwhelm themselves in too many forums. I am always trying to spread myself out to thin among too many sites. Lately I find myself promoting often in communities that don't require a whole lot of 'work' to be successful in. Forums are the exact opposite of that, you can't just show up say "hi" and expect to get traffic. Focusing on only one or two forums at a time (for an extended period of time) is probably the only way to be successful in this manner.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Dan, I want to throw in here because I know how you feel. One of the biggest complaints I got about blogengage was the amount of work needed to get any results but I don't see the big issue. Though I haven't gotten that compliant in a long time it was still one of our biggest obstacles to over come when we were a new site. Also I liked your suggestion about focusing on two forums this will allow you to get the full benefit for forms marketing.
         • John says:
           I think this is probably key to focus on only one or two forums. I'm going to jump into 2 that are about something I'm passionate for so it doesn't become "work". That way I'll look forward to going back and jumping into the discussions!
           • bbrian017 says:
             I agree John, if you can focus on one or two forums your chances of success are much larger when your strapped for time.
             • Sheila Atwood says:
               Daniel,I have been focusing on the Warrior Forum. I have found that I do best if I go on late at night. There are more opportunities for me to hit the group I am focusing on.What I like is that I can see immediate results in my analytics. Which has helped me pinpoint what is working and what is not.I also keep track of the threads I answer so I can see which ones get the most response.
112. Sheila Atwood says:
     Brian,Love your idea of forum marketing. After reading this article I can see that I have limited myself on that one. I could actually join some more forums.At the beginning of the year I put forums on the top of my list for marketing. I like the fact that I can build up credibility and get help when I need it. The forum I am in has brought consistent traffic and exceptional traffic when I really put out some good advice.What I like most is that my page views have gone up and I do get new comments on my site. I have not tested my optins because I had made some other changes in my optin that are in a different test.Staying consistent is the biggest problem I have with driving traffic with methods like you have listed. I get busy doing projects and my social engagement goes down the tubes.
113. Blog Ideas says:
     Hey Brian, All of these are relevant places to promote your blog. I am sure you have grown your community with actively engaging on various forums. I for example landed here form Bloggeries forums. How much time do you allocate for forums, Twitter & Blog Commenting. To put it in a different way; Which of these - forums, commenting & Twitter & FB - has been most rewarding for you? Which of these three you enjoy most? Good luck with your efforts.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello blogidea thanks so much for coming over and posting a comment. Yes bloggeries is one of my favorite forums because it's all about blogging and bloggers. I really like the fact that it's an actual bloggers market more so them a webmasters market. I put a lot of time into online marketing. Almost 6 hours a day at minimum. but the fact of the matter is I love it, I love meeting new people and building relationships. I'm a very social guy in real life as well. If you knew me personally you would understand why I enjoy this online marketing so much lol. How much time are you spending marketing? Do you find your results are not what you expected?
114. Justin Germino says:
     What are your favorite website review forums, I didn't see any links to a specific review forum? I haven't actually ever used any website review forums and I may start trying, who has some favorites?
     • Stella says:
       Exactly, I was going to ask this same question so I thought to see if it's already asked.Brian, it would help for some of use getting interested in implementing your forum traffic strategies - can you give us the names of some of EACH of the forum types you mentioned in your post? As you know, without taking action, it'd just be a nice read.Hope to read your response soon:)
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Stella , yes I don't mind, the forums I use to market and promote are digitalpoint, webtalkforums, namepros, bloggeries, ukwebmasterworld, warrioirforums and v7n. When I have a new post, idea, products or service I simply write a marketing pitch and make it fit into the most appropriate forum. Sometimes I even private message the forum moderators to ask for help on what forum I should use.
         • Stella says:
           Great Brian. Thanks for sharing some of the forums you use.
           • bbrian017 says:
             Your welcome Stella, you know if you ever need any help you can always contact me @blogengage using the contact form I'm always open to helping anyone I find it rather fun
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Justin, I don't really have any preferences. I simply go into the review forum of all the forums I mentioned. They all have review forums inside their community. if you go and visit, digitalpoint, webtalkforums, namepros, bloggeries, ukwebmasterworld, warrioirforums and v7n you will see they all have a sub forums for requesting reviews. If I had to pic I would say digital point and web talk forums. Maybe also namepros but hey they are all good! it's actually hard to just pick one.
       • Michael Aulia says:
         I had a few good visitors from digitalpoint review section, but that was when I just designed my new blog's theme. Haven't thought of asking again there :)
         • bbrian017 says:
           Michael that's exactly what I'm talking about! When done right these visitors turn into real blog readers or in my case website users blog engagers. I've gotten almost all of our members at blogengage form forums so I know when ti's done right it's a huge success for both us and the forum.
     • Daniel Snyder says:
       I too am interested in seeing some actual LINKS to some forums that one can be successful with. Only thing with forums is the amount of time required... is that time worth the ROI? Hard thing to measure I suppose.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Dan, I asked Hishaman to update the article I have added all the forum links to it! I should had done that int he first place I'm sorry but they are there now! The ones I mentioned are the best of the best and are most active!
115. tonyknuckles says:
     I used to be heavy into the forums like DP, Wicked Fire, and V7N, until they started all of the snarkiness. Nowadays I don't even bother because a majority of my site threats are coming from countries that frequent them for "outsourcing" jobs.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Tony, I hear your frustrations but hey that's part of the evolution plus we all want to make money. if you stick to the forums I suggested an market within them you will be find and most likely avoid all that garbage you speak about. I've never heard about Wicked Fire how long have you been a member there and do they have forums inside them to accomplish my marketing methods?
116. Deepak says:
     Nice squeeze page and Twitter DM to drive in traffic this way. Quite crafty :)
     • bbrian017 says:
       lol thanks Deepak I try to keep it real on twitter so I send DM's when I need to reach out! See understanding the difference between spamming someone or genuinely asking them for help it's the deal breaker. Like you I've experienced twitter DM spam and the difference between the two actions are unique and line drawing. Did you have a chance to read over my article? How do you like the suggestions?
117. StevenPapas says:
     thanks for the extensive analysis Brian. helpful tips for us who want to promote our blog and boost the traffic. I didn't know the domain name appraisal forum and the benefits that come from.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi v, that';s just one forums out of many you can benefit from. Use some of my suggestions and test the waters. Are you currently a member with any of the forums I've mentioned?
118. Nicholas Wind IMer says:
     I've used much of what you write about above to build my pr4 marketing blog in 11 months. Simple to do but takes huge consistency but worth it to me as this is only a piece of my big puzzle. I have 2 WP open source blogs and my success really started in Jan. 09 when I thought I would try a blog. I found out I loved it so it is forever a work in progress. I do much other marketing but my homes are blogs. Plus as most know Google loves the WP platform ...especially of course with value. Amazing leverage tool. I love leverage and all 5 of my incomes have leverage built in. Nice job on this article.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Nicholas, That's awesome and I've done the same thing with a few of my websites! They re all now PR 4 , 2 and 5. Forums marketing is so powerful but judging from the comments left here it really seems social media marketing is taking over. Sites like facebook, twitter, blog engage etc... these seem to be where the trend are heading. Thanks for visiting, I'm glad you enjoyed the article!
119. Sarah Lam says:
     You are welcome, Brian.
120. Stella says:
     Frankly, I've never thought of Webmaster Forums as candidates for traffic generation - although I frequent some where I lurk around when looking for answers to questions I have or researching. I have found them very rewarding in terms of learning new things.I have tried the using the freebies section (of one of the Forums I'm in) to drive traffic and it kinda seems cool especially that as people downloaded and commented on my thread, it keeps bumping up (more exposure).I'll have to look at the other types of Webmaster forums traffic generation tactics you mentioned.All the best in this contest!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Stella, by the sounds of it your already on your way with a successful forum marketing campaign. As you move into other forums and experience new ideas please come back and share them. I'm sure many of our subscribers here at famous bloggers including myself would love to know. Thanks for visiting my article.
121. Tinh says:
     Blogging commenting is a great way that can bring traffic consistently. I have experimented with this and it worked perfectly :-)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Tinh have you ever tried marketing using webmaster forums? I mean I've added a lot of information to this post will you be taking any and trying to apply it into your marketing tactics? Have you gotten your blog back yet I'm also sorry to see that happened!
     • Daniel Snyder says:
       Personally I think the amount of traffic that comes from blog commenting is simply not worth the ROI. I don't want to be a spammer and leave useless comments, but taking the time to comment on blogs regularly for the primary purpose of driving traffic? There are a ton of other things I could do that would be a more productive use of my time (IMO).
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hey Dan that's a great point! I find blog commenting hard because you have to read the entire article. You have to place a comment relevant to the post, you have to subscribe and make sure they don't reply and if they do you want to know and maybe reply again. Overall blog commenting is far more time consuming then posting a topic in a forum with a link. I guess the cool thing about blog commenting is you do get to develop a more targeted relationship as with forums ti's a little random! For example you can go and comment on a bunch of sports blogs and target your marketing a lot better.
122. Catarina Alexon says:
     Great list of how to promote your blog, Brian. You know what you are talking about and your advise is a good reminder for all of us.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Thanks Catarina, I guess it's with trial and error that allows me to come to these final suggestions. Are you doing any forum marketing right now?
123. Sarah Lam says:
     Brian, been a long time since we communicate. I really feel like starting a forum right away after reading your post :-) In fact, I would really love to try some of your ideas. I don't know why I never thought of domain appraisal before. Might give it a try soon. By the way, hope you win!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Sarah, yes it's been sometime since we last spoke but it's nice to know we still have this online connection. if my article inspires you to start a forums I think that's amazing. forums offer such a unique way of marketing and promoting your blog article I find it very beneficial. thanks so much for coming over here and supporting me in the guest blogging contest is means so much to me!
     • Ana says:
       I do see Brian's point about forums, Sarah, but the amount of work that goes into creating one is enormous. Enough to stop me for sure... What about you? Do you really think you'll venture into that direction one of these days? Ana
       • Sarah Lam says:
         Hi Ana, well I might not jump into forum overnight, but I will put this idea into action when I feel it is the right time. Yes, the amount of work is immense but I am willing to give it a try.
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hi Sarah you also have experience because you were moderating the blog engage forums for the longest time. I'm sure you could do it no problem.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Ana your so right! I can't even keep up with my own forums at blogengage so the work involved is a lot! I'm luck to have one volunteer managing all of my forum.
       • Michael Aulia says:
         One of the hardest parts is probably to get the constant traffic coming in (the starters). With so many great forums already nowadays, you need to have good connections , to make people want to be active in your forum
         • bbrian017 says:
           that's actually a great point Michael, starting a forums is easy creating an active environment is another thing. I totally forgot about that aspect when I gave the suggestion to Sarah earlier.
124. MtnJimFisher says:
     All great ideas Brian, and all somewhat time consuming...What parts are you outsourcing, and to whom?Thanks,Mtn Jim
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Jim, ironically I don't out source anything. if i can't do it today I simply do it tomorrow. The cool thing about online marketing is you can continue it form day to day and it doesn't have to be completed with the first day of business. Another cool thing is the majority of this work is fun and involved socializing and meeting new people so this has always been a positive experience for me.
       • Sarah Lam says:
         Agreed. We can just continue what we do today, the next day and the days to come. This is what I love about online marketing.
125. R.O.M.E.L.O. says:
     Newbies to blogging and seo will surely find this post informative. It may take you a lot of time doing everything that was listed or mentioned but if you want to get good traffic then time is something you need to invest in. Of course, if you the money then you can burn it by hiring seo experts.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Romelo, your right it does take a while to accomplish of of these marketing methods but understanding that it is possible is good on your part. If we take a look at anything in life that is beneficial or good it all takes time and commitment. We just have to keep our heads up and continue moving forward.
126. John says:
     Good show, Brian! I'm definitely going to try out some of those forum posting ideas. I'm nowhere near as active as I should be on forums and I can see I'm missing out. Thanks for a great post, man.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Ho John, thanks so much for commenting and supporting my article! I wish you best of luck with the forums posting I know it's a long and hard process but trust me it's work every bit of energy put into it. Your going to meet real people, real friends etc... this is going to work out great! Please do come back and let us know how it worked out sometime I'll always be subscribed to the post.
     • Ana says:
       Hi, John - I thought I'd butt in and let you know what I think about it; not that anyone is asking. :) I think you can definitely find better (meaning more productive) ways to spend your time generating traffic other than forums. Blog commenting though is a great way to network though. Any thought on that, John? Ana
       • John says:
         Yeah Ana I think you're right about blog commenting. I need to do a lot more of that, and when I did it consistently it worked great. Gotta stop being lazy :) I just never tried any of the forums ideas so that would be something "on top of" the blog commenting. Thanks!
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Ana , for the record I also love blog commenting but ti's very time consuming to read blog articles seeing I have a low attention spam.
127. Peppy says:
     Brian, A thorough and well written article - I appreciate your frankness in mentioning areas of the learning curve you are still navigating ( such as facebook) because it shows determination is the first requirement in growing a blog. Your example demonstrates how we all should try to implement the various "tools" available whether we are "tech experts" or not. I liked, too, that your information was based on your experience as a professional site owner - you are "walking the walk" instead of just tossing out sound bites that sound good. Keep up the good work. Peppy
     • bbrian017 says:
       Peppy as much as I would like to say I'm the best and I know everything it’s impossible. I'm still trying to learn how I can use facebook to market and promote blog engage more but it's so hard. I know forums very well so I made the majority of my post focus on that and it seemed to have worked well. Thanks so much for the lovely comment and supporting me here at famous bloggers as we very and push into first place for this contest.
128. Felix Albutra says:
     Hi Brian,This is indeed a semi-complete ways to drive traffic into your blog. Why I say it semi-complete, because "Search Engine Promotion" is not included where if you have had a success on SE promotion, you will earn the most targeted traffic and in autopilot.Anyway, what inspired me most is the building of community once you've got that traffic in your website.By the way Brian, I noticed that your message under the BLOG ENGAGE category is not complete. Check this phrase... "Blog Engage is a"Thank you very much for sharing these techniques and let's get to work with it. I know it needs more of our time and effort.- Felix Albutra
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Felix, great points on the SE traffic. I should had mentioned it but the article was more so focused on social media marketing and building traffic. I find SE traffic to be a waste and rarely conversation into a friend, comment or anything. This is becase all my traffic goes to other bloggers with SE's but forums and blog comment traffic turns into blog engage invitations. I can't believe I messed up my own sites into :) Almost two hundred comments and it's the first time mentioned! I'll see if our friend hishaman can fix that. Thanks for the comment and pls help us promote it! A little tweet love is due!
       • Felix Albutra says:
         Sure my friend. This post is worth to be viral over the internet. This is really useful.Also thanks for your thoughts regarding the SE promotion.
129. Gloson says:
     Hi Brian, Really impressive post here. Social media and blog commenting are indeed very good ways of driving traffic (and building relationship and community). What's the use of traffic if your blog doesn't have community? :) Thanks to this post, gosh, I think I really need to start using forums! :) Best Regards, Gloson
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Gloson, it really means a lot that you took the time to come and comment on my guest article! Seeing you were the winner of one of blogengage's contests you know how hard it is to stand out in these contests. Forums marketing is amazing I strongly suggest spending time trying to master it's affects. I've meet a lot of people and built my online authority using these methods. I wish you the best of luck my friend!
     • Stella says:
       I quite agree with you, Gloson - what's a blog without a community? It'd just be a 'static' website. Lol
       • bbrian017 says:
         That's a good point, I've always focused on the community aspect!
130. sajeev kumar menon says:
     Hi Brian thanks for those great tips. enjoyed reading your post:)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi sajeev, your welcome it was my pleasure sharing this with the famous bloggers group and yourself! Please do return and lt us know if you end up using some of these marketing methods.
131. Argie Monroy says:
     Man, guess I've tried almost all of the things tucked in above except for just one thing... That Domain Name Appraisal Forums sound new to my ears. Brian, you really are something.. Guess I gonna have to check that one out...
     • bbrian017 says:
       That's amazing Argie, you know not one person left this article unsatisfied from my article. I mean your a perfect example. You have done everything I blog about but still managed to leave one one positive piece of advice. that' makes me very happy to know. I'm so happy this has been such a big hit for the famous bloggers club and our blog engage members.
       • Argie Monroy says:
         Definitely! This article is simply amazing.. I mean, I've read a lot of articles regarding traffic generation on my blog for free yet they all play the same tune.. Time to hear something fresh, and this one just gave me what I need.
         • bbrian017 says:
           thanks you for the compliment Argie it really means a lot! Writing is not my strong point and grammar is my enemy. This article has given me hope and hey if I can do it, anyone can do it lol.
           • Argie Monroy says:
             LOL ! You're right Brian. Grammar always is the enemy. I've always stumble upon that kind of situation, but good thing I'm improving now. It's quite tough to write a unique content these days. Anyway, what are those Domain Name Appraisal Forums ? Where can I find them??
             • bbrian017 says:
               Hi Argie I'm sorry I totally missed this question. Normally you can find the Domain Name Appraisal Forums within sub forums of the main forums I mentioned above such as, digitalpoint, webtalkforums, namepros, bloggeries, ukwebmasterworld, warrioirforums and v7n. best if luck to you!
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Argie I'm in the same boat, definitely making plans to scope out the Domain Name Appraisal forums. Don't you just love stumbling across something new and having to scratch the resulting it by checking it out and going ooooh, look, new shiny toy! Kimberly
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Kim, domain name forums are a great way to attract new reader for your blog. I'm so happy your going to give it a try and put my suggestion into practice. This is so exciting!
132. Andrew Williams says:
     I just tried to post a comment, but it "disappeared" somewhere into the ether, with a message saying I can't connect to famousblogger, so will try again herein. (If the first one pops up, never mind the man behind that curtain, ha!) Anyhow, I didn't know you could have a facebook account with your blog name. Nice! I took a look at yours and can see the importance immediately. So thanks for that!
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Hey Andrew, I do a lot of work with different bloggers and biz bloggers teaching them the ins and outs of pages and they're definitely an important part of the social media traffic game. It's important to follow the usual rules of social engagement however, to actually be engaging, to not spam your own page/readers, to not use it primarily as a social bookmarking site rather than the discussion site it is, and so many other little tidbits. Getting a page up can be a real boost if one plays their cards right! Kimberly
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hello Kin in the house lol, I agree getting that page p is a boost. I like facebook, Google likes facebook and well everyone on the world who's not anti facebook is on facebook. The biggest benefit is word of mouth and when good word spreads it spreads fast. thanks for eneging my readers Kim and joining in the conversation this is fun.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hello Kin in the house lol, I agree getting that page p is a boost. I like facebook, Google likes facebook and well everyone on the world who's not anti facebook is on facebook. The biggest benefit is word of mouth and when good word spreads it spreads fast. thanks for engaging my readers Kim and joining in the conversation this is fun.
       • Andrew Williams says:
         Thanks for the advice, Kim. The more, the better. But did I give the impression I was just spamming Brian and trying to get my page up? Sorry if it appeared that way. He asked for help, and I was just trying to show I had actually read his article and found value therein, with the facebook info.
         • Kimberly Castleberry says:
           Oh not at all Andrew, your doing it right! Didn't get that impression at all. I may have a pet peeve at people that want Facebook results and then spam their own pages with "good content" and forget to engage and then are confused why it "doesnt work" LOL! Sorry if it came off wrong you definitely didn't give misimpressions! Kimberly PS: I'm hanging out for the same thing :)
           • Andrew Williams says:
             Thanks for that, Kim. I was beside myself with guilt, and would not have slept a wink! Ha! I'm sure I could learn a lot from you.
             • Kimberly Castleberry says:
               lmao! You tell a good fib too! Thanks for the giggle!If I can ever be of assistance just give me a shout.I was just reading over on your blog when I saw you replied. Having quite the laugh at some of the scenarios. Hope for the best for your job stability though. (I reckon you're Her property LOL) Kimberly
             • Andrew Williams says:
               And Kim, just one other thought tonight--the fact that you shared my blog with a friend, Jacqueline, is about the biggest compliment any (supposed) writer could get. Please give her my regards and thank her for reading! And Brian, please excuse us for usurping your space! Is this ok?
           • Andrew Williams says:
             You made me a happy man today, Kim! My whole purpose in writing is to entertain and amuse! Your lol's and lmao's are a welcome validation! Ha! And you're right--the Mrs. owns me, lock, stock and barrel!
             • Kimberly Castleberry says:
               I shared your blog with a friend of mine Jacqueline today who quickly became pulled in and I'm not sure she's climbed out of the blog pool yet!She says "LOVE it! What a quixotic blog - and what a lifestyle!!" and that when she gets rich and famous she wants her butler to have a blog too!We both are curious if your employers know of your blogging! I would presume not given the tail number secret! Kimberly
             • Andrew Williams says:
               Kim, I'm doing everything I can possibly do to protect my employers' identities. And my job! Ha! In the post about my employers taking nine guests to the Cayman's, I'm biting my tongue not to reveal who was on that plane! But if I'm found out, and it becomes a choice between this job and continuing to write, I will continue to write, no matter what.
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hi Andrwew lol I don't think anyone thought there here, this is the point of my topic to build discussions and I thank you for helping us. You don't seem like a spammer what so ever!
           • Andrew Williams says:
             Thanks for saying that, Brian. It's been fun meeting Kim and "engaging" with your Engagers!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Andrew it's so important to grab on to any opportunity you can for free marketing. facebook is very important on a social and business social level. I also suggest twitter, linked inn and blog engage. Give them all a try you never know what the out come can be and at times it's very surprising and fun.
133. Memoirs of a Single Dad says:
     There are SO many tools, the biggest problem I have is managing them all by myself, as I would imagine is most people's biggest challenge as a lone-wolf blogger/site owner.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi M_oa_SD, time is always the issue but forums and social networks have ways to manage your time. Subscribe toy our forums topics and make the most out of what time you do have. I know this method of marketing has long days but ti's so worth it in the end.
       • Sheila Atwood says:
         Time is my biggest problem too. So I have a tendency to stick with what I know and not branch out. I think that stifles finding what gives you the best ROI.
         • bbrian017 says:
           You know Sheila you could sign up at one forums and try some of the suggestion. This way it wont' take up to much time and it will give you a good idea of the forum marketing possibilities. Maybe that can work for you? If so I suggest digital point!
134. Gera says:
     Hi Brian, Interesting concepts about forums and traffic. I'm not big fan of forums- because I must write a lot in English there to get noticed and this is my second language - I prefer social bookmaking and social media marketing instead, and if you can with videos / podcasts - better :) BTW: stumbled, and rted!Cheers,Gera
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       I agree I'm not really a fan of forums either but mostly because the best ones are hidden away from Google and that leaves me struggling to chose whether I want the relationship building - or - backlink, when I can have both by blog commenting. Forum marketing can be really powerful though. Kimberly PS: Gera I've been connected to you for a while and did not realize english was not your native language, see what I know!
       • Gera says:
         Totally with you Kim! Forums are great but you need to invest a lot time in them depending of your goals, as you said relationship building or backlinks. And the best are private or at least, out of search engines so for them only is relationships. Mine in Spanish, so forums in Spanish language are better for me, I can write quicker - but as you guess, are few compared with the global English. So I prefer social media marketing and SEO for traffic.
         • bbrian017 says:
           You know Gera you can also apply these techniques toy our own language forums. I think anyways, might want to read the forum rules first! I know I've gotten a few infractions haha!
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Kim, all the forums I mentioned in this article are the best for these marketing methods and are not hidden from Google. But your right this is more about relationship building. Also I have to agree I've never noticed english was not his native language lol... he's better than I. (p.s. sorry about the spelling name error in my first reply comment to you) (Kin oops)
         • Sheila Atwood says:
           Hi Kim,I am in a forum that shows up in Google. I often find the forum listed in a Google search. Plus I use Google to search the forum.Gera,I was introduced to forums by a Marketer that has used them to build his business. Now I see him there every so often. He now markets mostly with eMail and very little social marketing.Now I get plenty of emails from him with tons of help in them and plenty of extra attention.So yes, just like anything there is some extra time spent in the beginning in order to get to the make break point.
           • bbrian017 says:
             Hi Sheila, I should had mentioned e-mail marketing in this post. I've been able to send many e-mails to the blogengage members and get amazing results. I think as long as your members trust you and you have good contest e-mail marketing can work amazing!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Gera I agree, you make a valid point. If your English is second sometimes social networking or voting sites are your best bet for marketing. I still think you should get into the forums. You would be amazed how many people at webtalkforums and digitalpoint are English as second language.
135. Togrul says:
     Great informative post Brian, I've been a member of Blogengage for a while and really enjoy the community there. You did a great job creating that community. Keep up the good work, Togrul
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Togrul thank you, blog engage is a great community but ti's people like you that make it so great! We all come together to throw in a little piece of ourselves and when we do this that is what makes a community. The forums marketing helped a lot you should really try it! I'm sure it would benefit you well and hey it's free!
136. Jennifer says:
     Hey Brian, Great post! I am a relative newbie, so I wouldn't pretend to say I completely understood everything in this article, but there were definitely some good tips. Will have to get going and start a Facebook page for my blog!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Jennifer, I really think this article is meant for new bloggers such as yourself. When you start off as a blogger funds are low and these methods are great for generating initial traffic. I'm sure if you had a look at the forums marketing section and tried it you would do just perfectly fine.
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Hey Jennifer, Brian is right, facebook pages can be a great boost for a blog. They do have a learning curve to understand how to engage their correctly if one is not primarily a FB user but generally it just follows the usual rules of engagement... make talk, not just link sharing. It gives us a way to further relationship building and that's huge! Kimberly
       • bbrian017 says:
         Great points Kim. I find the standard for higher quality content becomes very important with facebook fan pages. The consumer is very smart these days and they all have facebook lol.
137. ptaylor98 says:
     A good overview of effective traffic generators. Whether a website or blog, we all know that traffic is key to success. And of course, free is better. Thanks for sharing these!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi ptaylor98, your right about these methods are good for both a website and blog. The marketing methods can be used to market anything online really. Thanks for stopping by and reading the article!
138. Doc Sheldon says:
     Great post, Brian! You make some great recommendations for attracting traffic, but you didn't really dwell on the two things that have brought you such success... quality content and engagement. That's what turns SOME traffic into a TON of traffic! ;)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Doc, thanks for taking time from the WTF and visiting us! I wonder if they noticed I added then into the suggest forums! you know that's one of my favorite online marketing forums? I agree with hat you stated building my online relationships has helped tons. You know I'm hoping to see you join one of our 500 USD contests this year!
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Doc that's spot on. It takes high caliber content, quality engagement and a little big of something unique to make that traffic you get from anywhere result in anything useful and "stick"! Its one thing to get traffic its another thing to keep it! Kimberly
       • bbrian017 says:
         Again Kim great point. I've even found at blogengage I have 5800 members but I only see 600 or 700 members a day! the rest is SE traffic and referral traffic. Keeping people coming back is so hard!
139. Goran says:
     Great article Brian. Forums are definitely one of the best ways to generate traffic because so many people visit them daily. The problem that I have with forums is how to find time to stay active with all of them. As soon as you stop commenting on posts, posts that already have your comments on get old and no one sees your link anymore. Any suggestions?
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Goran, You have to remember to engage with the forum members and build discussions with them. You MUST keep your topics live and active so they get seem by more of the forums audience so be sincere and develop new online relationships. When your topics fall behind they are lost like you said. I once started a website to solve that issue but sold it because it never caught on. It was a forum to request replies to other forum topics. forumengage.con lol very similar to blogengage.com
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Definitely a common issue with forums. The tactic there has to be very focused and persist in keeping a few high caliber threads alive rather than flitting around trying to keep dozens alive. It means in the replies we have to be willing to let the topic ebb and flow and take on a life of it's own rather than try to hold it static which would kill the thread. They do all eventually vanish though but that's not unlike blog commenting unfortunately although seems to happen faster! Kimberly
       • bbrian017 says:
         Time is always an issue! In the end we have to decide one what our goals are. We have to do what's needed to be successful and if it means bucking up and engaging in forums well we have to do it. It's sad when topics simply get lost and go down and down the pages but it's just the luck of the draw. Keep on moving forward.
140. Ninure says:
     I am just new here, we'll see what happens. I'm not selling or marketing anything, BTW.
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Welcome Ninure, even if you're not selling anything if you have a blog your still selling people on reading your blog and so that traffic to get them there remains important! :) Kimberly
       • Ninure says:
         I wouldn't use the word "enjoy". It was well written, just one of the subjects I find interesting. I read it because I got an e-mail saying that you needed folks to read and respond to your Blog, so I paid a kind of courtesy call.
         • bbrian017 says:
           Thanks you for that Ninure along with all the other blogengage members that are here commenting! This is a true sign of our community and ti's strength! My comments went form 90 to what they are now this is amazing!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Yeah Kim makes a great point, even showing up and leaving a comment is selling yourself and an idea of what you might represent! Did you enjoy reading my article?
141. Christine says:
     I just starting using forums. So I still have yet to assess the traffic generated from this method. However, Twitter and social bookmarking via Blog Engage and Blokube work great for generating consistent traffic to my blog. ;)
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Hey Christine, I agree that social media and social bookmarking both can be good traffic and certainly seem to work hand in hand. Over time, due to the social bookmarking and link building you should generate some SEO traffic as well which is always a nice addition! Glad to hear your having great results with both BE and BK! Kimberly
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Christine, I'm a huge fan of all the networks you mentioned! look at blokube did you see the support I got format he members over there! Dev pulled some strings and really helped me out! Look at the response I'm getting from the blogengage community! WOW I cannot say thanks enough to the BE members I'm so impressed with the turnout! Best of luck with your forum marketing! I hope you toke some of what I was saying and are able to apply it.
142. Sarah says:
     These are all great ways to drive traffic to your blog! I'm a huge fan of Twitter. Blog Engage is awesome too! I do have a Facebook fan page, but I haven't had much success with it—I'm probably going at it the wrong way. I used to be active on forums, but I get annoyed with them because they often lack real content, and are full of members who want nothing more than traffic for their blog, rather than participating in valuable discussions. Forums also take up a lot of time, and for these two reasons, I haven't bothered with them for a while. I'm probably missing out on a lot, right?
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Sarah, facebook pages are really fragile because it's real individual people your working with and not so much a collective group. I'm in the same boat as you right now and I have been having issues trying to promote mine as well. So far we have about 410 people that have liked it but it's a small and slow growth. Regarding the forum marketing yes you are missing out on a lot and you have to be able to tell the difference between someone that is sincere and someone that is not. I know it's hard but don't give up. Try a few of my suggestions and let me know the results!
       • Sarah says:
         You're right, I do need to get back into forums. I know of a few blogging forums, but I really wish I could find a forum that discusses blog design. If there's anything like that out there, it's probably for Wordpress, though. I've actually considered creating a community like that myself, but it would be a lot of work and I can hardly keep up with my blog! :)
143. Alison Moore Smith says:
     Brian, this is very good info. Your sites seem geared to webmasters. If a site has a different market, would your recommendations change?
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Hey Alison, that's a common question and the method itself remains the same but the key for forums is to find a forum that is popular (hot) in your particular niche. You want to find a target where YOUR target market hangs out. For example, someone marketing/blogging on fitness would be looking for a forum full of people trying to get fit, be it diet, health, wellness, even some traditional women's/men's forums. The key is that the forum is active and a place you can position yourself as an expert and give give give value! Kimberly
       • Alison Moore Smith says:
         Yes, I know, Kimberly. (Been blogging for 8.5 years, I'm ancient!) I was just asking Brian for how he'd redirect his particular advice on each of his list items. I think it would help readers if he could generalize his great advice, not just forums, but the other items as well. So, Brian, what are your ideas?
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Kim that's actually a great point and it seems I missed it totally. Sorry Alison Kim is right even though you might get some good comments and replies from these forums your chances of gaining new blog readers is slim unless you can target your audience. Thanks for putting that feedback into the discussion Kim.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Most of my recommendations are good for you in these forums. No matter what type of website you have review forums, design forums, domain name appraisals forums ti's all good no matter what niche your in. Give it a try Alison and let me know your results. I think these marketing methods for the forums can be used for any niche blog because ti's all a matter of opinion and it's based on anyone particular interests.
144. Dave Lucas says:
     Brian, forums rock - no question about that! But anyone approaching the concept of using a forum to boost blog traffic might want to hang back or "lurk" initially and get a good feel for the flow of the forum, then start contributing to the discussions slowly (don't reference your blog at first) and as you begin to find threads that your expertise meshes with, plung more wholeheartedly into those. Now that you have your "in" either suggest an already-existing post from your blog that matches the thread - or better yet - write a really fantastic article that falls in line with a hot thread, publish it to your blog and then hit the forum with it. Your advice is like "food for thought" Brian: the more I read and think about advice you've written, the more concentrated my thoughts become and I dream up better solutions than I might have had I not read your articles!
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Ahhh so true Dave! The last thing you want to do is either stick out like a sore thumb because you don't yet understand this particular forum's culture or to promote a post of your own too soon least they nail you for being a spammer. Those are great tips to help someone not hit their head by diving in the shallow end of the pool without looking! Kimberly
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Kim, it's funny but I'll be the first to admit I've gotten many infractions but we all have to learn. At one point I was even banned from V7n forums but I'm not anymore. I learned the hard way to take a moment and read the rules LOL
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Dave, I agree, I didn't start marketing my urls until I had nearly 1000 posts at digital point. Now I'm around 3000 posts or maybe 3500. Point is I built my reputation there and then started marketing. I'll be honest I don't think it was on purpose but it's just the way it worked out. I'm really happy my article got the wheels turning for you. This is always the best outcome for someone writing a post and that's to help others and influence them to do better even if it is one step at a time. Thanks for the comment and supporting my guest post!
145. Sean Supplee says:
     Awesome tips to driving traffic. My all time fav right now is social networks like facebook. From the stats I have seen it looks as if list building is going out the window and bring replaced with something more live such as social networks.
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Hey Sean, As a FB trainer myself, I'm going to have to disagree with your list building statement. Social media tools give us a easy way to foster the relationship building and work around people's natural fear of being spammed, however they remain now replacement for email marketing. They have put a serious damper on RSS promotion though due to consumer focus. Once you have enough trust established to get into someone's inbox, you easier ability and legality to market an to leverage that more intimate connection. The two now work very much hand in hand rather than as lopsided as it was in the past, in my opinion. It may however look very lopsided as its very easy to get a like, from one of 9) or more% of your fans that will never actually return to your page so the numbers look distorted compared to the size of most email marketing lists yet having a mailing address often gives a higher level of contact. This is where I think they compliment each other... email list building lets us get a more direct set of eyeballs on our content, while social media makes it substantially easier to make our raving fans feel heard, loved on and listened to which list building can not. At least that's been my experience in marketing. How have yours compared? Kimberly
       • Sean Supplee says:
         They do work well hand in hand. I have my Facebook like button required before someone can register to my list to spread it even more. But much like bloggers are seeing RSS subscribers being reduced so is email marketing. At least for the younger generation. Many teenagers and mid 20's tend to not even have an email account that they use. Instead they do all social networking and text message. I do feel list building is a very valid option to building your business but I don't see it having as much focus as it once did.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hey Kim, thanks so much for posting this on Sean's comment. I have no experience what so ever on list building so I'm happy you took the time and discussed this with him. I guess I do have some experience but ti's in a different manner. I mean I have a huge list in my blog engage database but I don't have one via wordpress and blogging. Thanks so much for engaging the blog readers here and adding so much value to our discussions it means a ton!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Sean, you know I've never gotten into the List building and I think it's because I've always been more of a website owner then an actual blogger and you can ask anyone online this I'm still struggling on making my blog work. ti's a lot harder them I woudl had ever imagined! Finding people is the easy part, keeping them coming back is where the real job is at.
       • Ana says:
         You are so right, Brian, about keeping the readership coming back. However, now that you are a blogger, list building is a must! I know you know it; you just need to get on with it. :) Ana
146. DazzlinDonna says:
     Answering questions is a great way to bring new traffic - wherever those questions exist. That might be in forums, or it might be in Q&A sites, but if you can find relevant questions, and your blog can supply relevant answers, you'll find a receptive audience ready and willing to visit your site.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi there Donna, your right helping someone is always a great start to building on a relationship no matter if it's in a forum or on a blog. Look at Kim for example I know for a fact she's building so many relationships in my article look at how helpful she has been to our readers! I'm sure at the end of the day she will walk away with some new blog readers and friends from her efforts to help us. that was a very relevant point you made!
     • Ana says:
       Question, Donna: do you think Q&A sites and forums will be as popular as they were before the Farmers' update? Let's face it, most people were there to get backlinks and that has changed a bit. Not sure they are as effective any longer. Ana
       • DazzlinDonna says:
         Relatively speaking, most people have never even heard of the Panda update. Sure, the site popularity of Q&A sites will probably go down slightly when informed webmasters stop going there, but the general populace will still flock there as usual. (Those who weren't there for backlinks, but to ask actual questions and get actual answers). And frankly, if your competition stops going there, it only opens up the playing field even more for you. [evil grin] (To get actual traffic, rather than backlinks).
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hey DazzlinDonna that's a great pint! Societies it's a great idea to market where you have little or no competition. The cool thing is you still have a target market so this is actually a very good idea!
147. Pablo Lara H says:
     Great article! A lot of ideas for promotion.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Thanks Pablo, maybe you can try a few of my suggestions out and come back with some feedback on your experiences?
148. gregsmithsays says:
     Very sleek and easy to read with exactly what I'm after. Glad I got this link. Tks greg
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Greg, your welcome I'm glad you enjoyed the article! Maybe you can expand on your comment and let us know what some of your favorite suggestions were. I would love to get some feedback from you in more detail.
149. Bilal Ahmad says:
     Very useful article bbrain. Forums are really very useful places for driving instant free traffic and getting quality knowledge.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Bilal , thanks so much for stopping by and supporting the contest article. Perhaps you can take a moment and expand on your comment. Explain what you enjoyed and what you think will be beneficial for you as you grow your own blog?
150. Tia Peterson says:
     I agree with the forums, thing! I love forums. I don't participate as much as I should; it's one of my favorites, though, because I genuinely like to exchange ideas with people. I like that forums promise nothing in return, yet my participation in forums has always be rewarded. Cheers, Tia
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Tia I'm so happy you found the time to come and comment on my article HUGS AND HUGS!! Just like you I love forums as well. In fact my first website ever was a forum but it's sold now. I thick the return is great for the time invested and the real people you meet is priceless.
151. Dr. Rus Jeffrey says:
     Hey Brian; Working to build awareness and a brand can be hard work. However, like you've also pointed out above, it doesn't have to be brain surgery. There are a number of easy ways to consistently build awareness. But persistence is also required. I have to admit I chuckled when I read your Facebook comment. I've been on Facebook for years. But for some reason it was the last place I thought of to put up a page for my blog site. Great tips! Thanks for your advice! Dr. Rus
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Dr. Rus, you know it's odd but I thought I had already replied to your comment. oddly enough it must had been in my dreams lol. Like you I was a late bloomer to marketing with facebook pages. I'll be honest I was also a late bloomer with twitter but now I'm visiting the site everyday. Your right when you say it take persistence. We cannot give up and we have to continue moving forward. thanks for supporting my guest post and commenting.
152. Sietse says:
     Can't get enough of these traffic tips :) I gotta agree with getting traffic/exposure from Forums. I've been actively engaging on several forums lately and apart from the fact that it brings in some extra traffic, it's also a very good way to meet new people whom you can ask for advice and such. And ofcourse Blogengage is a great way to go as it has a proper RSS syndication service AND growing forums! Great article mate, thanks!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Sietse I'm so happy you took the time to come and read my article! I'm happy your satisfied with the blog engage rss service and thanks for being such a great customer! I'm just like you when it comes to marketing and I'm very proactive. I don't wait for things to come to me I got out and get them. these forums marketing examples are proof of how i do my business and marketing online.
153. Paul Salmon says:
     Brian, I haven't done too much forums posting, although I do frequent one on a daily basis. I have started to get into blog commenting more, and it seems to work - depending on the blog. Besides Twitter I haven't really look at the social media sites, although that is something on my to-do list.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Paul, you really have to get some more time to market in the forums with my suggestions. I promise you if done right you will get a great response and see a direct increase in blog traffic. Make sure to take some time out of the next few weeks and give it a try. Come back here and let me know the results. I bet you will be pleasantly surprised.
154. Daniel Snyder says:
     Brian, great articles! Need concepts here. I have always hated forums, and they are still one place I try to avoid as much as possible (though once you really start marketing, you need them). :-( I just wish someone could design some forums for better navigation and aesthetic appeal! haha.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Daniel , I've always been a big fan of the forums so I've never avoided them all that much. I have however found myself spending to much time on them and not getting anything else done lol. I suggest suing some of these tips and trying it out to see if it works for you. Don't be afraid of forums use them to your advantage these are marketing tools for us.
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Hey Daniel, you remind me of a discussion I had with the wordpress based "simple press" forum guys. I've been looking for a nicely styled forum with threading and not only did they inform me that theirs wont... but they informed me that no one before me had ever asked for it! Apparently I'm the only one that thinks threading is helpful! (I'm sure no one at WP agrees right? LOL) Kimberly
       • Sheila Atwood says:
         Daniel,I agree there are some pretty ugly forums out their. But it is key to find one that is easy to navigate and one that is well run.A forum that has great moderators attracts people that know what they are talking about. And special interest groups do not take over the forum.
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hi Sheila , I've owned many forums and you always get a person that doesn't like the layout. It'd so hard to hit it right all the time. Also if we get to much consistency they are all the same haha!
155. Blazing Minds says:
     Great points there Brian, I used to be in to forums some years back, when I first started really getting in to the internet, but I don't seem to use them much these days, I seem to prefer the commenting on other blogs and using social bookmarking. Maybe it's time I got back in to the forum side of things ;)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Karen, I love blog commenting to and you are a great reason why I do that in the first place because I've seen you make a success from it. I use to be in the forums a lot like you but I've calmed down quit a bit. I still market and promote my contests in them however!
       • Blazing Minds says:
         Thank you for your kind words Brian, it means a lot to me when people notice what I'm doing ;)
         • bbrian017 says:
           I'll tell ya now I've watched you build amazing relationships using blog commenting and your the one who actually inspired me to start doing it as well. I don't know where you get the time it's crazy!!!
           • Blazing Minds says:
             Awwww you're making me blush, to tell you the truth it's all down to sneaking in the odd spare moment or two, plus using my BlackBerry a lot to keep me up to date on what's going on ;)
156. Typhoon says:
     From the points you mentioned brian, webmaster forums are currently my favorite. There was a time when I used to do a lot of blog commenting and I was like in almost every other blog's top commentators list but as I got little busy in my other things, I slowly dropped that thing and now I only comment sometimes on the blogs. Yes, I regret not having time for this. Amongst the webmasters forums, I highly recommend warriorforum. It is really awesome. The members there are little mature that other forums like digitalpoint and talks about new things often which I really like. I am catching up with social media sites for traffic mainly facebook and twitter. Facebook is really working out good for me. I also tried linkedin groups just yesterday and after this comment, I am going to check my analytics to see the traffic it sent my way. That was nice and a complete post for anybody looking to get traffic that is consistent. Great brian.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Typhoon my friend. Thanks so much for the feedback. the only reason I didn't mention warrior forums is because my marketing methods aren't so welcomed in their community. You have to be very careful where you practice these methods. Forums have very strict rules and I find that the warrior forums is one of them they are hard rock with their rules. The forums I mentioned are more specific to my marketing methods but hey don't get me wrong I also love the warrior forums I'm a member as well. I got to the warrior forums for help and advice rather then use it for marketing and promotion. Best of luck to you and I hope to see you blog commenting a little more often as well.
157. David Leonhardt says:
     And all these will change over time. It pays to keep up with what's new, because there are a lot of clever people developing new methods of spreading content (your blog posts) around on the Web.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello David, so happy to see you visiting and commenting on my article. I knew you woudl enjoy it seeing were both marketers at heart. Your right these methods change fast but will always work if done right.
158. Kiesha says:
     Hi Brian, These are definitely some great ways to bring in traffic. I'd add Technorati here - as people link to your posts it builds your score and whenever they post those "Hottest Posts" - if a blog post of yours makes it there, it can bring in a good stream of traffic.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Kiesha, it means a lot to see you here reading my article! Thanks I know how long winded it is haha! I'm glad you have had a positive experience and add to my marketing strategy and experiences. Thanks for visiting :)
     • Kimberly Castleberry says:
       Oooh that's a neat tip Kiesha! I really haven't made good use of technorati apparently. Are they forum style inside or how to you build momentum there? Kimberly
       • bbrian017 says:
         This is ironic but I've publicly said I had never understood technorati, I signed up, it's hard to get noticed so I left :)
159. Bryan Hollis says:
     Brian, You sneaky little devil. What a good idea about the domain name appraisal. I really like that one...totally new idea. Bryan
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Bryan, I swear I replied to your comment yesterday I guess I'm just going mad lol. thanks for the compliments and yes the domain name appraisal is a great way to generate traffic.
       • Kimberly Castleberry says:
         Of course your going mad have you seen how many comments you've got? I was cross eyed last time I participated in this contest! Its a lot of fun but a insane amount of work! Kimberly Hang in there Brian!
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hey Kim yes it's crazy hard work. but I'm very thankful for all the help you have given me and how you started some great conversations here on my article! Thanks for being so involved you have added tons of value already to my article!
           • Ana says:
             Why didn't you do it this time around, Kim?
160. Jon says:
     Trying hard not to say "thanks for sharing" but, thanks for sharing! Some good ideas there that I had not considered. What sort of percentage of traffic is social media, compared to search engine now then? I still seem to be struggling with the old social side. I sometimes get a rush of traffic from stumbleupon or reddit, then nothing for months. In fact, it has been really quiet recently.
     • bbrian017 says:
       I hear ya Jon, sometimes it's not what you say that matters but ti's hard to portray that in a comment in text form... I still get the majority f my traffic from search engines but forum marketing has brought up my direct traffic over 400%
161. Kavita says:
     First of all, congratulations Brian for exponential increase in traffic and popularity of blogengage. RSS syndication service has made blogengage more attractive to new bloggers. I am glad I am using this service. Coming to this article, congrats and good luck for participating in the contest. I know that forums can get good free traffic but I still I learnt many new tips. Thanks for the share.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Kavita, I'm so happy to see you as a happy customer and also here commenting on my article! I swear by this method. I love forum marketing and anyone who follows this guide will see the benefits. Blog Engage is rocking this year and it's looking even better as each day passes. We really have some great members and a quality community! I'm just loving it!
162. Latief says:
     Hi Brian, Thanks for sharing your secrets how to get free traffic. Being active everywhere will be the key of success to get more traffic and we will enjoy the result from our activities that you already mentioned here. Best, Latief
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Latief, being everywhere is Key but to revisit where you have been to reply to comment and continuing engaging the audience is the real key. I've had a blast marketing and sharing online over the past two years and ti's starting to financially pay off!
163. Bruce says:
     I'm pretty much a novice at this blog commenting, but since trying it, actually have found it quite educational, but also quite a time waster. I have had to dedicate just a certain amount of time to it, otherwise I'd be here all day. I've also found that if you have a decent review of a quality product on your blog, if it's on theme of course, then people actually read & sometimes further engage you, which has lead to some affiliate commissions even! Bruce
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Bruce, Yes affiliate sales work great when it's within your target audiences niche. This will generate some sales and earn some income! I know what you mean about wasting time, but time well spent is never time well wasted so allowing yourself only so much time a day is a great idea.
164. Sheila Atwood says:
     Brian,I have found the forums a good place to go for traffic for two reasons: 1. you have the chance to provide value and help for others, 2. this builds your authority. Especially if you visit the forums often.I have not done a freebie yet. Your article did give me a couple of ideas.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Sheila, I'm so excited I actually gave you some idea's. If it generates you more traffic that converts into blog readers I will be very leased. Thanks for supporting me over here during the contest. Best of luck to you in the future!
165. Matt Conlon says:
     Excellent article, looking forward to trying some of your suggestions! ...not to be "that guy" but "I know I know you here this..." should be "hear"... Just sayin. :)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Thanks so much Matt! be sure to come back here and share your opinions and experiences...
166. Aswani says:
     This is an excellent post. Yes, who doesn't want it all free! Thanks you for sharing these great tips. I will be making use of the same especially social media marketing techniques to get better and much better results.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Well I say free but your time still costs money! In theory there's not direct financial cost but everything you do in life has a price tag on it these days including your own time! Market wisely and build on your relationships it's time well wasted!
167. Kharim says:
     This is a great article Brian. I'm always looking for ways to increase my traffic, because traffic is the #1 step for our online success. Forums and Blog commenting gets you great traffic but also the best traffic which can be targeted traffic. Thanks again for this post.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Kharim thanks for stopping by and reading my post! I"m very happy with the positive reaction I've got from all my blogging friends online! I was very nervous to do this but it's turned out very well.
168. A. Tatum says:
     Hey Brian, great work as always. Between your site and this one you guys are interact with the community really well. Forums are a great way to get traffic, and because I have interest other than blogging I get traffic from those non-social media relationships. I always say never forget to apply real world rules on-line.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello atum, thanks so much for the kind words! I know forums worked for me and if done right it can also work for you! It's time consuming I know but hey what in life isn't hard work? Thanks for supporting me over here at famous bloggers!
       • A. Tatum Jr says:
         Well I live by "work smarter not harder". I'm always looking for ways to achieve the same results, but efficiently as possible.
         • bbrian017 says:
           See I'm totally opposite, I like to work funner (is that's a words lol) If I'm not having fun I'm not doing it. Normally the smarter way isn't so much fun but in this case your lucky and it is fun.
169. Omer Greenwald says:
     Brian, I find that in order to get decent traffic from social networks like fb and twitter the number of followers has to be by thousands. However, social communities like Blog Engage and others can be great traffic sources as you wrote. For me, Stumbleupon is one of the greatest traffic boosters. Anyway, commenting and forum participation are great tips for anyone who wants to enhance their website/blog recognition.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Omer, Yes small communities offer a huge return on investment but the marketing strategy is very fragile and requires a lot of work. It's worth it but you have to be willing able and dedicated! Thanks for the compliment on the article i means a ton!
170. Aybi says:
     I've already done blog commenting and social media marketing to drive consistent free traffic to my blog but making use of forums to promote it is something I haven't done. Thanks for the share. You give me new idea on how to obtain traffic for my blog.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Aybi I'm so happy to hear I may have helped you increase your market share reach by using webmaster forums. Best of luck to you and all the power to your success and blog! ti's so great when this actually happens for real!
171. janwong says:
     Hey brian, great post with practical tips! Interesting to find that you also suggested forums - it would seem that many people are staying away from forums because of the clutter. Nevertheless, it is definitely a great place to expand your networks especially if it is within a 'specialized' forum. Thanks for the tips! :)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Your right Janwong forums do have tons of clutter but the ones I suggested using in the article will benefits you greatly! Don' miss out and give a few of my suggestions a try!
172. Robert Bravery says:
     Hey Brian, As prommised I did not compete just to give you a better chance of winning. Ok enough of blowing my own trumpet. Good post my man. Tee things that bring me most traffic are comments on other blogs, Twitter of course, and the obviously blog engage. But never thought of website review forums and the like. I suppose I have always been afraid of criticism. I know good constructive criticism is needed, but it is still hard to swallow.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi robert, Don't worry about website reviews you can try any of my other suggestions. Domain Name Appraisal Forums When requesting appraisals on your blogs domain name don’t be afraid to drop the domain name in a link format. I did this and it generates tons of traffic. People like to view the url because the site always increases in value when it has an operating community or content of some sort. The Freebies Forum You know as well as I do most of the online webmaster forums have a Freebies section. This is a great place to promote your blog. Set something up on your blog that is free and add a link to your blogs main website. Make sure to keep your ideas targeted to your blogs niche. The freebies forum can also be used to exchange comments with other bloggers in some cases. Buy Sell and Trade This is a great forum to buy sell and trade things such as sidebar ads, link, services and other random exchanges. This will generate tons of traffic because all the forum readers will be visiting your site to see the quality of content and could in fact generate return visitors. Make sure to always include your blog link during these threads. The buyers want to view your blog for quality and content control. Give them a shot!
       • Robert Bravery says:
         I remember going to domain name apraisal when I first stared out. That was a while ago. Never got much traffic, probably because my site was every new and not established. The freebies thing, I think I will try out.
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hi Robert, yeah freebies works well if you actually have something free of value to give away. Use your imagination and come up with something. I means in theory you can give free website reviews away in that forums. Anything you can yourself and not charge is a freebie. Thanks for the support during this contest!
173. RowenaBolo says:
     Hi Brian,Thanks for introducing yet another proven strategy - that is participating in forums. Also, if I remember it right, I knew about BlogEngage through Kikolani, but I haven't had the chance to be active there (although I did sign-up)... I am always impressed with these blogging communities (Blokube, BlogEngage, etc), and it's nice to know the geniuses behind these great projects!I look forward to interacting with you more, and to truly engaging in BlogEngage community. Thanks Brian!- Rowena
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Rowen, Kristi is a sweetheart and has always been a great member of the blog engage community. I also look forward to you joining and engaging. We are an active community of young and old bloggers. there's many things that can be done when trying to market online but I strongly believe marketing inside the forums is the best bet. Thanks so much for supporting my article and posting a comment.
174. Ileane says:
     Hey Brian, great article and I'm going to follow this advice. I saw someone in the comments mention that forums took a hit in the recent Panda update. That might be true in terms of search traffic, but the way I see it, you're talking about other ways to drive traffic that are not at all related to search engine results. I belong to Lisa Irby's Website Babble forum and another reason I like it is because it helps me build authority and reputation. As an active member I also learned a great deal from the other webmasters there and I've met some awesome people too. :) Thanks Brian!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Ileane, thanks so much for commenting and supporting my contest article. Your always such a great friend since we first meet. Your right about the forum marketing not being about search engines. What were doing here is trying to generate new traffic and build on relationships. Forums are a great way to meet new people.
175. David Leonhardt says:
     I like that - the more review forums, the better. Lots of people visiting your page, good advice, more exposure - make sure the content is good first and the ads are well-placed. :-)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Amabaie, Yes it's funny how you picked the three most important things out of the articel. 1. Post in the forums. 2. make sure the contest on your website is good. 3. make sure the ads are in the right place. This will equal income and success. thanks for stopping by and positing!
176. tonyknuckles says:
     I've had to revisit this post after removing some of my forum signatures from some of the newer sites. Looks as though Google is slamming forums now as well.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi there Tony, thanks for the comment and tweet! Google is slamming forums but please don't think about this a a search for backlinks. this is a search to meet people,. to socialize. this is getting new blog reader which in my opinion is far great then increasing backlinks. Also I wouldn't be worried about your forum signatures!
177. Cosmin Stefan says:
     Hello Brian! I really like the fact that you included both forums and blog commenting in your traffic resources. I am active on both and whenever it comes to blog commenting VS forum posting I usually see two kinds responses: - On forums people say that forum posting is better; - On blogs, people say that commenting is better; Why not simply use both? :D Anyway, good luck with the contest!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Including both in your marketing strategy is a sure way to increase your chances of success. I've had such a great experience over the past three years marketing in forums. I've meet so many great people and most of them are not members of blog engage. I'm happy you enjoyed the article Cosmin and thanks a bunch for your support during these times.
178. Joyce Oladipo says:
     Wow is this very long list. I have just joined BlogEngage. I think i like the idea behind you site. It's definitely going to help me get some really cool free traffic. I have tried to work with a few forums but nothing has really worked for me. Right now am just working the social media things are its working good for me. Thanks for dishing. Forums do drive a lot of traffic to your blog consistently, if you are consistently participating in them. That’s the part I have a little trouble with at times, but when I do make the time for it, it can be really powerful!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Joyce, welcome to blog engage I'm so happy to have you as a member. Please do engage with our members, comment, tweet and interact. I know my article was a little long but I had to make the points about forums marketing so people reading the article would do it right. I hope you managed to learn something that will be applied to future marketing efforts.
179. Jon says:
     It's always nice to pull back the curtain and see what or who is behind some of these great ideas. Wonderful job starting and growing Blog Engage to the powerhouse it is, best wishes going forward with it! Your suggestions in this article have all worked for my clients and me (other than the freebies forum concept). It seems the earlier we stop obsessing over the analytics and SEO (these are still important) and focus heavily on genuine engagement and relationship building, the faster our businesses grow. I have yet to join Blog Engage but it's been highly recommended from several trusted sources I follow. Thanks! Jon
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Jon, that's amazing that you have been recommended to blog engage. It's great to know the word is getting out and the site is starting to get popular. the freebies forum will only work if you genuinely have something free to give away. Sometimes I'll goo and give away a free month service of our RSS memberships. this always generates a few sales and new blog memberships. Thanks so much for taking the time to read the article and post a comment it means so much to me.
180. Mavis Nong says:
     Hi Brian,Nice to meet the man behind Blog Engage :). I have just joined.Great traffic generation tips you're sharing here. I must admit, I haven't heard of these forums before.I find that forums can be time-consuming. You go in there to spend half an hour so, before you know it, your day is gone. That's why I'm not a fan. I know of bloggers who get great results from using forums.Thanks for sharing your insights, Brian and good luck with the contest!Mavis
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Mavis, if your spending half a day in a forum I would suggest trying to get better control of your time, as in time management. Once you post your forums topic you subscribe to comments and leave. You cannot go and return a comment every time someone replies. Set aside forum marketing time so you can accomplish your goal and get out and on to other important activities. I don’t think marketing in forums is your issue I think it’s a time management issue. Sorry I may be wrong but judging form your comment this appears to be the obvious issue and time management would be my best advice. The only other conclusion I can come to is your a forum junkie and once you get in you can't leave ( which might be the case) I use to be like that. I spent hours and hours in the forums. You have to get control and leave once the job or task is finished
181. Dahlia Valentine says:
     Hi Brian, I LIKE that tip about using webmaster forums. I sell one of my e-books from a webmaster forum, so I know it works. You just have to take the time to participate on a consistent basis. Good stuff!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Yes forums are a great place to sell stuff. Especially digital point. I'm happy to see you have found a way for forums to benefit you. Personally love marketing in forums and have had a lot of success.
182. Jan Rossi says:
     I am fairly new at blogging and I tend to have long posts. Edit! Edit! I keep telling myself. There are so many cool tips to share, information to be fine-tuned - so much to do - yet over time you look back and say - "cool, this is really coming along"! The key is to start now....don't delay. I know too many people attending meetup groups and then not implementing anything they learn. Ugh! Implement one new cool thing a day and you will be amazed at the way your Blogsite advances. Thanks for the great article!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hey Jan I love your idea of implementing something new every day. It's ironic but that's actually a good life skill being applied to blogging! I find many of the things that will improves quality of life will increase the quality of your blogs content. I guess it's harder to do then it is to say but if you could practice this behavior as often as possible your blog will see the difference.
183. Janet says:
     Brian, aloha. Let me begin by saying Congratulations on what you have created with you Blog Engage community. Given your experience and knowledge, I truly appreciate the value of this content you are sharing. Thank you. Though I have never even visited a forum, after your comments I have added learning about them to my "to do" list. No doubt I will find a wealth of information and new friends there. Best wishes for a great weekend. Aloha. Janet P.S. I'll see you over at Blog Engage.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Janet, thanks you so much for your compliment on Blog Engage. It's been a long three years but I'll tell you one thing. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've built such great relationships it's been fantastic. I swear to anyone reading this article these methods work, if you don't mind hard work. You know it's ironic in the early stages of Blog Engage one of the biggest complaints was the amount of effort needed to get noticed in our community. What we have to understand is we only get out of blogging what were willing to put into it. I cannot believe you never joined a forum... you really have to fix that. If I was to recommend your first I would suggest webtalkforums they are really great people and a very friendly community. It's short for WTF haha!
184. Dennis Edell says:
     If it's OK with Hesham, I'd like to see some links to these forums and such you speak of, as well as this how to guide?
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Dennis, I actually wrote this article not Hesham. I'm sorry the article was rather I'm complete for you. Just get your feet wet and start posting threads! your bound to meet new people and gain traffic.
       • Dennis Edell says:
         Sorry for the confusion Brian. I know you wrote it, but it is his blog and he may not want links in his comments...I always try to ask first. :)
         • Hesham says:
           mmm.. Maybe you should try to forget it's my blog, it's a multi-authors blog :)
           • Dennis Edell says:
             Good to know, point taken. As long as you're here, how do you feel bout link within comments, as long as they are relevant to the topic?
         • bbrian017 says:
           I guess it was me that got confused lol sorry about that Dennis.
           • Dennis Edell says:
             No worries, as it turns out, I was somewhat wrong as well. lol
185. Vijayraj Reddy says:
     Now a days the second source to the blogs is social media after search engines, so no one can avoid it....
     • bbrian017 says:
       I agree, social media is changing the world we live in. I've always said social media brings us one step closer to work peace and I truly believe that.
186. Alex says:
     Ah great info, Brian, I don't really have something else to add just the fact that small communities like blogengage usually drive the best traffic in the sense of comments, engaging, sharing your posts etc. Because everybody is there for one reason, they love blogging and want to read more about it and so when they find it the share it. Oh, and I think that search engine traffic can be free too, you do have to work for it, but if you get there on your own, it's considered free traffic right?
     • bbrian017 says:
       If your doing your own SEO work then yes I would say it's free. Your right about the small communities they are the best for your return on investment (time). I've gotten so much from the blog engage community and I've also seen other people go from nothing to popular using our network. It's a great feeling to know I've helped some blogging friends become successful. Also I should recognize their help in initially building our community. Not only did I help them become successful they have helped our community become a success. I've built some amazing relationships online and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I look forward to the blogging evolutions and what the next 5 to 10 years brings us!
187. Tony Hastings says:
     Thanks for a very comprehensive post Brian and for highlighting some areas I hadn't really thought about. I use Twitter mostly, Facebook when I can get my blog page to link properly and I also find commenting useful in making new connections. I guess it's all down to using my time more effectively, more work to be done on that! Have dipped my toe in to your Blog Engage and you have prompted me to try again. I think the clue is in the name and the reason that I wasn't getting as involved as I could have been was due to the fact that I wasn't actually engaging with other users. Will get more involved this time as it seems to be working well, congrats to you for getting it all up and running. Cheers Tony
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Tony, I've seen you around many places, twitter, blogengage, seomkt and the top ten website right? You have done and are dong a great job on branding yourself because I remember many places we've met. Thanks for the compliment on blogengage I really appreciate it and I hope I do see more of you. I'm there everyday of the week hanging out checking out blogs and so many others are as well. Using time effectively is always important but don't let that get in the way of having fun and enjoying what you do! it will all work out. Step by step we will move forward.
       • Tony Hastings says:
         Thanks for your kind words Brian, step by step is definitely the way, it takes patience and a willingness to change stuff if it's not working. And definitely needs to be fun still needs to be fun, the day that stops (which I will make sure it doesn't!) would be the day I stop. Good luck in all you do Tony
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hi Tony, your absolutely right! Anything that takes or requires time in life is well worth our efforts. I guess where we get the patience is the real questions. I don't have much patience really so it's hard for me to make much change. Also making sure ti's fun is so important! thanks for stopping by and joining the discussions!
188. tonyknuckles says:
     Where do you find all of the time within a day to fit all these functions? I used to be heavy on the forums until I got into the social media stuff and now my forum visits are lacking.
     • bbrian017 says:
       lol hi Alex, in all reality you don't do all of this in a day. I guess you do as much as you can and you will still see growth. I'm not even close to as active as I've been in the past. We all have our own schedules, see what fits for you. I would however suggest always subscribing to your forum topics via e-mail. This is a good way to keep in touch and track the conversations.
189. Neeraj Rawat says:
     Domain Name Appraisal Forums is new to me your next post can be about that many commentators here as well wanna know about it & Website Review Forums can be a great traffic resource any topones you would like to name
     • bbrian017 says:
       Domain name forums offer such an amazing opportunity to get new blog readers. It's so important to make sure your blog is loading fast, has tons of good content and then it's time to get your appraisals.
       • Neeraj Rawat says:
         would you like to suggest good website review forums
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hi Neeraj Rawat, use the forums I mentioned in the article they are the BEST I promise!
190. Kristi says:
     Forums do drive a lot of traffic to your blog consistently, if you are consistently participating in them. That's the part I have a little trouble with at times, but when I do make the time for it, it can be really powerful!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Kristi. I don't know why people think ti's tons of work. You login, post your thread and subscribe to it. If someone replies you get an e-mail and you go and read the reply. I think where the issues arises is when people start reading other topics and get stuck on the forums because they are enjoying the experience. I hear ya but hey doesn't anything good in life take time and commitment?
191. Mani Viswanathan says:
     Forums does give a good amount of traffic, only if we use it smartly. Just building up post count won't fetch any traffic. Thanks for sharing the tips Brian.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi tospost, your right just posting and leaving don't work all the time unless you have already built an online reputation. Comments on other members forum topics normally helps with this.
192. Tinh says:
     Nice article. I think guest blogging on regular basis will be a great way too :-)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Tinh yes guest blogging is a great way to generate traffic back to your own site or blog.
193. Alex says:
     Brian mate! Great post, and because it came from the pen of the man behind blogengage you can bet I bloody sat up and listened! Also want to formally thank you for creating such an engaging community. Brilliant!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi there buildrankprofit. thanks so much for the kind comment on blog engage. Owning and developing the community has been an amazing experience for me as well as our members. I'm glad you enjoyed my article.
194. Estava Morioka says:
     Great list. Great observations and thanks for sharing the info. I'm going to try all of these. especially the Domain Name Appraisal Forums. That one is new to me. Looks like I have a lot of work to do. Thanks!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Estava, thanks for the support and comment. Best of luck in those domain name forums! It's always a blast hearing what other people have to think about your domain name.
195. Shiva says:
     Hi Brian, A great summarized checklist of the best traffic generating websites. I am a regular at Digital Points and a few other webmaster forums. Participating in forums helps a lot in increasing your traffic as well as increasing your knowledge. It was nice to read your classification as to what to post in what forums, thanks a lot for that. And ya, Blogengage and Blokube are really the best blogging community out there and is highly recommended for all newbie bloggers. Thanks a lot Brian for coming up with this excellent traffic generation post. Regards, Shiva
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Shiva, thank you so much for your nice comment. it was my pleasure making this list. I've done this for over 3 years and it's brought me so much traffic and new friends. I like how you added the idea of generation knowledge. You know I use to use forums as a direct method on how to come up with new blog post idea. Forums provide so many benefits I just love them.
196. Ash Flight says:
     Hi Brian, Thank you for a very thought out blog post! you mention using webmaster forums, can I ask with the new algorithm update, does this mean google values backlinks on forums of relevance over those of high page rank? Cheers Ash
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Ash, I"m not sure if it helps all that much. I'm sure Google has devalued the weight for forums for SERP on the internet. The benefit of this marketing method is to develop on your relationships with these forum members and turn then into follows and perhaps blog readers. If you gain some search engine dominance well that it's a cherry on the ice cream.
197. Robert Dempsey says:
     Great points Brian. Apparently there are many more forums that I should be checking out. I'll be tracking these down after I finish this comment. After being told about Blog Engage (thanks for building it BTW) and Blokube I've been sharing my posts there, and am sure to always vote for the posts I've been reading as well. With anything marketing, one-way promotion is a no-go. Even though we're all blogging, it will never detract from your blog to promote the blog of another.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello, Rdempsey, thanks for the compliment on Blog Engage. Forums are an amazing way to generate traffic and taking advantage of all the popular forums is so important. The most you post the more success you will get. thanks for the comment and the support on my guest article. I agree promoting the blog of another blogger can never be a bad thing.
198. kbharath says:
     Blog commenting is one of my way to drive traffic to my blog and i get more traffic from twitter rather than facebook. and my other secret of driving the traffic is using the best low competitive keywords for the articles.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi kbharath , then maybe it's good for you to start using other method, this post may help you a lot.
       • kirapermunian says:
         Actually, just very recently when my client asked me to do blog commenting, he gave me a tutorial in blog commenting. Upon reviewing the techniques provided, I've seen that there are different ways of blog commenting. Aside from my own techniques, I've learned the other methods that if it will be combined to my methods would really mean traffic, massive traffic.
         • bbrian017 says:
           Hi Kira, this is such an interesting comment, I woudl love to see you do up a blog article simply on different types of blog commenting. I only know one way really. read, comment, tweet. I would love to see you do an article on different types of blog comments. How interesting would that be to read.
199. Steve says:
     Brian, Great post and some great ways to drive traffic. Thanks for the post and running such a cool site in Blogengage. I use it just about daily for my posts and it rocks. Thanks and keep up the great work.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Steve, I'm so happy to hear you sue blog engage on a daily basis it means a lot to me! Its members like you that have created the engaging community we have. Also I'm happy you enjoyed my post today.
200. Andreas says:
     Social networking is the number 1 choice when it comes to creating traffic for new sites and blogs. Visitors will arrive from social networking sites even long before traffic from search engines finds its way to new blogs and it gets the ball rolling.
     • bbrian017 says:
       Andreas yes social networking is great but the forums provide the same result with constructive criticism. I thin you should give it a try you will be surprised.
201. Saket Jajodia says:
     The Best way of driving traffic I found is Facebook and Twitter.. And thanks for list of some forums websites will join them..
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hey no problem it's my pleasure to share this list fo forums! I hope you sue them to your advantage for marketing.
202. Bican Valeriu says:
     I think the most important are blog commenting and social networks !
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Bican Valeriu your right those are the two best elements for today! Forums are still good but wow social networking has taken over!
203. Wong Chendong aka The Bad Blogger says:
     Well... I really doesn't know how long I have been in Blog Engage, seriously is great to know you and many other bloggers around the community.... Lol I even remember you send an email warning me not to submit my sexual post... well... I always follow the rules... and lastly... thanks for sharing your traffic generation secret... actually I didn't know about "Domain Name Appraisal Forums" until I read this post... I will go research it and see if I can do anything with it to take advantage of it...
     • bbrian017 says:
       HAHA Wong that was so long ago! But maybe I was being hard. I was new to online marketing so I didn't know what to say about those posts. Domain name forums are great for posting the url and generating traffic. Thanks for the compliment about blog engage your the best and I'm happy your still a member.
204. ariff says:
     wow. Can't imagine the owner of blog engage himself is posting here. Looks like you have quite an established site. I do agree forums are a great tool to let other people discover our site and drive traffic but in my opinion, forums are losing its popularity over the years. Now is the age for social media giants like Facebook and Twitter. However, for certain niche and purposes, forums are still very relevant and even better required. A great post I should say. Thanks! I'm also participating in this contest and it would be great if you could drop by my post. Again, thanks!
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello, ariff because you asked I will most definitely stop by and comment. Thanks for the comments and I'm happy you enjoyed it. thanks for the compliment on blog engage it's been a great past three years trying to market and promote it.
205. Nishadha says:
     Forums are definitely a great way to get back links and relevant traffic but you have to spend some time in the forums to build relationships and connections. That always seems to be the hard part for me :-(
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Nishadha, thanks so much for supporting me in the contest and commenting. I'm glad this article may have benefits you. relati0osnhips aren't easy to create because it takes an effort from both ends, the blog reader and blog writer. If one aspect is missing the entire process falls apart. Keep working on it things will work out. just don't give up!
206. Dave Grimes II says:
     Using twitter has always been my Achilles heel... do you have a specific strategy for engaging people on twitter that you could share? (I kind of feel like my biggest problem is being able to convey my thoughts, and provide value in just 140 characters.)
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi v, the focus here isn't on twitter it's on forums marketing and blog commenting. Perhaps in another article sometime I can grab attention to this issue and shine some light on it. Perhaps if you try marketing in forums you will find it easier to get your message across seeing there's no character limits.
207. Devesh says:
     Hey Brian, Awesome to see you here man and glad to see you're taking participate in one of the rocking Traffic generation contest. Blog commenting is one of my favorite way to connect with blog owner and get some traffic. I've awesome success with it and that's how i found Blogengage :). Social media sites is something that I'm focusing more. Facebook, twitter, Blogengage and Blokube are in my top traffic sources. Thanks for sharing this great Post Brian. Just submitting it to Blokube.com and sharing on all social media networks. Good luck ! Have a powerful, my friend. ~Dev
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hello Dev, thanks so much for sharing this post over on blokube. You have generated a lot of traffic for me and comment. For this I say thanks! your right about the top referring sites. I use to have a lot more traffic from forums but I market else where now. this is still a good median but I've exhausted all these ideas.
208. Matthew says:
     There are quite a few ways to generate free traffic. Thank you very much for the tips. I just started a new website so I've been researching on different ways to get backlinks. I saw that you can do something called a link wheel on another site. I thought that was pretty cool. I might try it. People really get creative when it come to getting traffic and and backlinks to a site. New strategies just keep on coming out too. Thanks again Matthew
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Matt, when your site is new this would be the best time to use my marketing methods. It starts building traffic and generates new readers for your blog. Just make sure your blog has good content and it's working perfectly before you start your marketing. I always suggest dressing up nice before going out dancing at the bar! This is always going to be the start of your brand development. This stage is so important for success. Best of luck on your new blog.
     • Paul Salmon says:
       The one thing to ensure when starting a new site is to not create too many links too quickly. I have known several people that have started new sites, and created links to the new site too quickly and Google caught on. The result was dropping the site to much lower in the rankings. It is true in how creative a some people are getting when generating links. I have read some forums where others have created such a complex linking strategy that I lost track of what they were doing. For me, I have seen the most success with natural linking, with most of the links coming from various forums.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Paul, is what your talking about called the Google Sandbox? I heard of this but I wasn't sure if it was true or not but by the sounds of your comment it may be. If so thanks for sharing this with us and adding that value to our discussions!
209. kirapermunian says:
     Hi there Brian, Glad to see you here. You have some incredible and useful information here. I believe blogs and forums are a good source of getting quality links. We could get good traffic for our website in joining to some popular forums. They are a good platform for discussion, we can get a lot ideas and solutions of certain problems through forums. However, forums aren't widely used. I am recently moderating a forum for a popular drug site in the Internet, I gotta pissed off with the numerous spammers in there. I hate it and I hate spam. Luckily, we've able to stop them through Akismet, but I've seen a few who have escaped from akismet. Yeah, that's right! I am also seeing a large drift of bloggers and marketers trying to put a great deal giving more importance on social channels. This is primarily to lessen their reliance on Google. Thanks for the great share Brian! Cheers, Kira Permunian
     • bbrian017 says:
       Hi Kira, I hear ya on the spam issue. I won a blog forum at blog engage and ti's always an issue. Some what to the point where I've even considered closing it down. The marketing methods I'm suggesting would create active forum topics and generate traffic for many bloggers. I know I would appreciate such posts in my forums. Thanks so much for the positive feedback. If done right I think this method could generate more traffic then most people think. It just takes time and hard work but her that never killed anyone...l did it?
     • Paul Salmon says:
       I am a moderator on a forum, and there isn't a day that goes by where I don't have to deal with ten spam posts - and I am one of several moderators. Forums have just become a haven for spamming. A bulk of my search engine traffic is a result of others linking to my posts from within forums. With enough links, and a few on high ranking forums, such as Apple and Microsoft, those posts have been producing traffic for the past several years for my blog from search engines. With the right linking from forums, it is possible to get good rankings in search engines and the traffic.
       • bbrian017 says:
         Hi Paul, right now that is one of the biggest issues with our blog engage forums. Like you said also it's happening to many forums. spammers are writing software that automatically submits spam content into the community. It's so bad I closed registrations at blogengage many months ago and went to invite only. Do you mind if I ask what forum your moderating at? I'm a huge f an of forums and if your a member I'll also join that's for sure!
         • kirapermunian says:
           Hey Brian, I'd like to answer your question to Paul. I am moderating a big site about drug addiction treatment in the web today. And we've got a mounting amount of spams everyday! Too bad.
       • kirapermunian says:
         I agree, there are several kinds of visitors in forums. Some are real but some others are just there to mess up flooding it with unrelated links. Also, some are trolls who just pretend and ask you something and then they don't come back when you answered them. I also agree that forums can give targeted traffic especially if you are with the same niche of the forum. I believe there are rules that abide us to proper linking, and in discussions . Where could we find dofollow forums today? most of them are nofollow.
         • bbrian017 says:
           I know the blogengage forums are do follow but that's probably why we get so many of the trolls you talk about. They post a random comment on the thread and leave. It's rather odd but a very unintelligent form of spamming. I'll be honest I'm considering just shutting the forums down at blogengage it seems to be nothing but hassle. To bad because I think ti has so much potential.