Twelve Ways To Boost Your Blog Traffic (Without Having to Get Naked)

You have nine followers, and one of them is your mother.

You wonder why the hell you're even blogging.

You speculate if anyone will ever read your words.

You ponder if life is worth living.

Well look no further!

Listed below are twelve sure-fire ways to drive traffic to your blog and instantly boost your self-worth.

1.) Join Blogging Network Sites- The best blog networking website is Twenty-Something Bloggers. Hands down. Joining 20sb opened up a whole new world for me. Before then, I had no idea how to discover other blogs. 20sb is a supportive and strong community of like-minded bloggers. I can't recommend it enough. Other blogging networks include Blog Lovin', Blog Her, BlogCatalog, and My Blog Log.

2.) Write Interesting Content- As much as want to go into great detail about your recent trip to the dentist or how you wrapped your Christmas gifts, refrain from it. Truthfully, nobody cares. Unless the dentist had a boner while performing your root canal or you lobbed off your finger while cutting wrapping paper for you gifts...then we might be interested. Humor is a guaranteed way to enter the hearts of millions. Take for example Hyperbole-and-a-Half. You could learn a lot from her.

3.) Write About A Trend Topic- I don't adhere to this rule at all, but it's definitely a way to create buzz on your blog. Commenting on the cultural importance of "Jersey Shore" or how Justin Bieber looks like he should be on the "L Word" is a good way to start a convo.

4.) Befriend Other Bloggers- The blogging community is a tight-knit one. I have met people that I'm convinced sat next to me at the Algonquin Roundtable in another life. These people have encouraged me to grow as a writer and have supported and advertised my work. I wouldn't be where I am today without them and I try to do the same for them. As The Beatles once said, "The love you take is equal to the love you make".

5.) Leave Comments- Bloggers love comments like Mickey Rourke loves ghastly printed button-ups. Our self-esteem begins to slowly hinge on how many comments are left on our blog a day. If you comment on our blog, we will love you forever and most likely return the favor.

6.) Brand Yourself- The general consensus on this seems to be "yucky", but I disagree. The more polished the blog is, the greater the chance a reader will take it more seriously, no? Having a "brand" shows the world that you are legit. Does it take away from the personal aspect of blogging? Sometimes. But this is where you have to get clever in how you brand yourself. Subliminal branding.

7.) Photos!- Photos are a win-win all 'round. Photos grab attention. Photos can often work in substitute of text (Tumblr?). Photos can inspire. I try to put a picture in every single one of my posts, even if it's not necessary.

Like a picture of my ass.

8.) Lists- We seem to really like lists. They're easy to read and typically very visual. Remember, the average internet reader's attention span is like 45 seconds (I made that up). It's kind of true though. Think of some of your favorite posts on Buzzfeed or EW.com. Short and sweet lists.

9.) Connect With Your Audience- One of the most talked ideas running through the marketing world these days is Lady Gaga's rise to fame due in part to her fan interaction and loyalty. DoDo like GaGa. Also, the blogs that appear to have the most comments are blogs where the writer shares a part of him/herself with the readers in the post, then interacts with them via the comment box. Personal is good, but don't forget rule #2.

10.) Self Promote, But Only 20% Of The Time- Nobody likes a showoff. However, who is going to know about your blog if you don't say anything? I know some very humble bloggers who haven't even told anyone that they have a blog! You have to walk a fine line here. Tweet or FB that you have a new post up, but don't send personal messages to strangers telling them to check out your blog. Nobody likes that. In fact, we'll purposely not go check out your blog.

11.) Believe That Your Traffic Will Go Up- I know it can get discouraging at times, but don't give up. People want to hear what you have to say. If you believe that your blog will be successful, it most likely will. Power of suggestion.

12.) Post a Picture of Your Ass

Keep me posted on your progress! I'm curious to hear.