To increase your blog traffic, you have to get your name out there. Think of your blog like a business; to be a success, you need to market. And the best way to go about marketing is to start by creating a detailed marketing plan. Follow these steps to get started.

Step #1: Define Your Blog

Start your marketing plan by determining your goals for your blog. What are you trying to accomplish with your blog? Are you looking just to gain traffic, find a dedicated audience or maybe even sell some products? Your goals for your blog will help you figure out how and where you will market your blog.

Step #2: Profile Your Audience

Besides figuring out what you want to do with your blog, you need to define who your ideal audience is. Think about who you are targeting. What type of content do they like to read? What topics stir up passion in them? Where do they spend time online?

Step #3: Create a Content Calendar

Content is a huge part of your marketing plan. Now that you have an idea of where you want to go with your blog and who you are writing for, you will need to create your content schedule. You can use something as simple as an Excel spreadsheet, or a calendar plugin. Plan how often you will post content and also what types of content and tentative titles.

Step #4: Focus on Social Media

Another big facet of your marketing plan is going to be social media. You don’t need to be everywhere all the time. In fact, trying to do too much is counterproductive if you really want to boost your blog. You already have an idea of where your ideal reader spends their time online, so focus on those platforms first. Take a look at how you are doing on those networks, and see what you can do to increase your exposure. Look at what your direct competition is doing, since they are likely gunning for the same audience you are.

Step #5: Test and Evaluate

Stick with your marketing plan for a few months and then evaluate. If something isn’t working for you and your blog, go back and take a look at your research again. Even if your marketing plan seems to be working fine, it is always important to evaluate every so often to ensure that you are pursuing the best route. What people are looking for online can change at the drop of a hat, and what’s working one month may very well not work the next.

With so many blogs on the web, it is important to market yourself to help you get noticed. Start by having a clear picture of what you want for your blog, figure out who you want to target and write for, and then focus your content and your social media strategies for those people. By following these steps to create your own marketing plan, you are much more likely to get ahead.