All bloggers think that in order to make a successful and profitable blog, they need to target big countries like US and Canada. The cause behind this is that the visitors from these countries are more profitable than the visitors in your local country. There is nothing wrong with this approach but a blogger should never forget that he also needs to create a local presence because your local stats will show how credible you are in a certain field/niche.
Getting visitors from other countries is easier, but you can not get press coverage or attend events in other countries. So, in order to make your online presence target your own country first because in your country you can easily make a name for your brand, get press and media coverage and attend events related to your niche. I will show you 4 ways by which you can make a solid presence in your local community and reap the benefits locally and internationally.
Attend Events Related to Your Niche
I know that not all niches have special events in a country but If your niche has an event in your local area you should never miss it because this is where you will meet your fellow countrymen doing the same work as you. Some of them might be your future clients or partners, so build strong relationships with them, interact with them, teach them, learn from them, get the most out of them. Attending events can get you more exposure for your blog.
Join Local Forums
It is obvious that when you do forum marketing, you usually target high traffic forums like the WarriorForum, DigitalPoint etc to get more exposure and authority. There is nothing wrong in joining these forums but you should also join your local communities and forums to interact with your countrymen. They will believe and listen to you more than anyone because they know you can be trusted because you live in the same country as them.
Start Local Advertising Campaigns
If you have enough cash to start an advertising campaign like Google Adwords or Yahoo search marketing, then always make sure that you target only your country and the ads are only visible to the visitors of your country. This is not an easy task and you don’t want to waste your hard earned money on few or no-conversions, so make sure you know what you are doing before jumping into Advertising campaigns.
Hold Local Contests
This is the best of all the tips but it also requires an initial investment or if you can get a sponsor for your contest. Holding a local contest will draw more attention from your local community but make sure that the contest you are holding is related to your niche and targets your visitors. You don’t want to give away a pair of jeans on a Technology related blog, do you? Contests will draw in more visitors and you’ll see a wild change in your traffic stats but offer them something that makes them stick to your blog even when the contest ends.
I hope the above tips help you out in your blogging journey and make you a successful blogger by establishing your local presence. Never lose hope, work hard and it’ll pay off someday.