I love starting new projects because the learning curve is steep and challenging. Starting a new blog means coming up with the idea, writing the posts, and watching the visitors roll in to read your words of wisdom.

Writing is the easy part! (Photo: B. Kopp)

Stop right there! If nobody knows you’re there in the blogosphere, nobody is going to come to visit. Marketing your blog is critical. I’m picking up the pace in our marketing plan in a couple of ways.

Step #1: Go Back to School
I started a guest blogging course with master blogger Jon Morrow. Guest blogging allows you to get your name out there, get recognized, and draw visitors to your site. This course is serious schoolwork and not recommended for casual bloggers who write to share news of their lives with family and friends. It’s for bloggers who want to learn how best to market their efforts in order to make money.

Step #2: Read and Learn
There’s always more than one way to do anything. I’ve checked out a few books from the library (Blogging for Dummies, WordPress for Dummies, etc.) and have been trolling top sites online (Problogger, Copyblogger, Blogging Tips, etc.). Read and absorb. Read and learn how best to market your work.

Step #3: Share Your Work
Social media sites are perfect for writers to get the word out, but sharing your latest blog means more than Facebook. I’m posting links on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on Google+. Note to self: look into sharing via StumbleUpon, Digg, and Reddit.

Step #4: Google Analytics
Using this tool helps you keep track of the number visitors coming to your blog. You can follow which days see the most traffic and time your posts accordingly. Spoiler: it can be a fun time suck!

It’s a lot of work, but I’m keeping track of the numbers and will let you know how it goes. Do you have a marketing plan for your blog? Feel free to share.