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10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not Using

Blog_TrafficThe “10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not Using” are hidden in plain sight.

Yet, most bloggers and online marketers can’t even see them.

The best part about what I’m about to show you, is that it is the basis for driving completely free traffic to your blog or website.

So let’s dig in.

You have a blogging business, or some kind of an online marketing business, right?

You may be a professional who has set up a blog to attract new clients.

You might be in a service industry like plumbing or event planning, and you’re trying to get just the right traffic to visit the blog you’ve set up.

It is set up to get folks to buy something, join something or sign up for some kind of service you’re offering.

The bottom line is this… you need traffic but don’t know where to find it, and you don’t have an enormous advertising budget.

Special: FREE Guide… 4 Things I Did To Build My Blog Using Only Free Traffic

Why Aren’t You Using These 10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic?

Did you know that for your specific industry or profession, for your exact niche or area of interest… there are exactly 10 to sources of blog traffic?

Why not 6, 8 or 12?

It’s because you are in control of your blogging business.

You’re the boss!

You call the shots, right?

You decide how many sources of blog traffic you want to tap into, and then you do it.

I’ll tell you a bit about why I wasn’t using these top traffic sources, even though they were right in front of me, in plain sight.

Special: Start Your New Blog in 3 Easy Steps

I Couldn’t See Even 1 of These 10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic

When I first started blogging, I made the same mistake I see my students making every single day.

I looked everywhere for traffic.

I’d start tweeting links to my blog posts, locating blogging circles where everyone shared each others’ post links, updating my Facebook status to remind folks that I just published a new article.

Sound familiar?

Why did I do these things?

Honestly, I was trying to find out if Twitter, Blogging Communities and Facebook were the top sources of blog traffic, like a lot of people were saying they were.

The problem was that I wasn’t zoning in on the places where MY specific audience was hanging out.

I was so focused on what marketing platform was best, that I looked right past the obvious.

My specific audience was on all of those social platforms.

But they were also on YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Instagram… etc.

Special: FREE Guide… 4 Things I Did To Build My Blog Using Only Free Traffic

Locate An Engaging Audience

I was hanging out in a forum one day, talking about blogging with other folks, and people just kept piling onto the conversation thread.

It wasn’t even a forum I considered to be a good “traffic source.”

I was just trying to find some solutions to things I was dealing with on my blog and I’ll tell you the truth, I don’t even remember what those issues were.

What I do remember, though, is that people were talking to me, asking me for a link to my blog, and trying to get me to help them with some of their problems on their own blogs.

Suddenly, I realized that I had tapped into a source of traffic that was, indeed, specifically targeted to my niche.

Before long, some of the folks I had touched base with there were joining my email list, buying my courses and even asking for private coaching.

This was not a huge number of people, but enough to tip me off to the “secret” to finding blog traffic.

You see, your target audience is probably everywhere.

They’re on every social media site, every forum, every blog in your niche.

Now, that wasn’t particularly helpful to me because I didn’t have time to go on every social media site, forum and blog in the world just to connect with a few folks here and there.

Special: Start Your New Blog in 3 Easy Steps

10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic

So I narrowed my focus.

I’m pretty sure I’ve written a blog post about “less” being “more.”

I don’t remember, I guess I’ll have to Google-search it, haha.

Here’s the thing, though.

To locate my target audience, I knew I had to FOCUS.

I needed to put everything out of my sights except a small number of places where I knew I could get authentic engagement with people who were really interested in what I was doing (and vice versa, of course).

So I picked a number.

I decided to find the 10 specific sources of highly targeted traffic that I needed.

I made it my business to get totally involved in the conversations in these places.

These became my 10 top sources of blog traffic.

My Blogging Mentorship Program

You need to do the same thing in your business.

Find the places where your crowd is most engaged and active.

If you like the number 10, that will work.

Be diligent and consistent and you can discover your own 10 top sources of blog traffic, using exactly the method I used.

I’d love to have your comments below.

Have you found your top sources of blog traffic?

-Donna

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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84 Responses to 10 Top Sources Of Blog Traffic That You Are Not Using

  1. Sourav Patel November 21, 2019 at 1:58 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    You blog is just love!

    The way you write is awesome.

    And this post if also awesome.

    Thanks For Sharing

    Sourav Patel recently posted.. 13 Best Social Marketing Sites To Promote Your Blog | (2019)

  2. Rahul Tyagi
    Twitter:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:23 am #

    Hi there Donna,

    This is such an epic content, that I can’t stop reading about. I just bookmarked it, and surely will link to my new post. Again, it’s rare.

    Regards

    Rahul Tyagi

  3. Rupesh Kumar
    Twitter:
    June 21, 2017 at 7:23 am #

    I have too many things on my plate which makes it impossible to concentrate everywhere. This is the biggest problem and that’s why currently I am only focusing on Facebook and Twitter.

    But after reading your blog, I am sure I am not following the right strategy since everyone would also be doing the same. I have to do different things for making my website stand out. Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest are the areas to be focused on.

    Thanks once again Dona for an awesome blog post.

  4. Malik Sharjeel
    Twitter:
    May 21, 2017 at 9:50 am #

    Hi Donna

    Thank you so much for your post about blog traffic. Defiantly that’ll help me to increase my blog traffic.

    one of the major problems of newbies about a blog is traffic that can manage to get some traffic. This post surely helps them.

    Let me share this with my readers.

    Thanks again
    Malik Sharjeel recently posted..Beginner SEO Guide: (Search Engine Optimization) 2017My Profile

  5. Gina Bisceglia
    Twitter:
    May 12, 2017 at 2:38 am #

    Hi Donna,
    This article is very helpful to me. Now I know I should concentrate more on where I’m getting the responses and let go of where I’m not which is wasting too much time.

    This is the first time I’ve visited your blog and I really love it. I’m going to be checking it out more in depth. I see lots of articles I want to read.

    Thank you for the advice,
    Gina

  6. Swapnil Kharche
    Twitter:
    April 21, 2017 at 10:08 am #

    Hey Donna,

    This is the my first visit on your blog and I am redirected here from blogginglove.

    This post is just awesome. Loved your article & your writing style. 🙂

    I am still in the beginning stage and will implement these as soon as possible. I think it helps me to drive more traffic to my blog.

    ~Swapnil Kharche

  7. Clay Smith
    Twitter:
    December 25, 2016 at 8:38 pm #

    Hi there Donna,

    This is such an epic content, that I can’t stop reading about. I just bookmarked it, and surely will link to my new post. Again, it’s rare.

    Regards

    Clay Smith

  8. Ali Haider
    Twitter:
    December 25, 2016 at 9:43 am #

    Hey Donna,

    You blog is just love!

    The way you write is awesome.

    And this post if also awesome.

    Thanks For Sharing
    Ali Haider recently posted..Keyword Research : The Beginner’s Way To Successful SEOMy Profile

  9. Andy James
    Twitter:
    September 28, 2016 at 8:39 am #

    I loved your point on social media
    That the social media have the most traffic..Twitter facebook and LinkedIn are very powerful i used in the write way!!

    Loved your blog btw =)
    Andy James recently posted..10 Inspiring Things you need to remind yourself everyday.My Profile

  10. Ben
    Twitter:
    September 9, 2016 at 9:32 pm #

    Hi Donna. My focus has always been on search traffic, mostly from Google. That last time I checked, I get about 70% of my traffic from search, and probably 80% of that is from Google. From reading James McAllister’s comment I’m very glad that I got started on that 8 years ago.

    I think the best places to get traffic depend on where you put in you effort. Like you said, your audience is everywhere. It’s like water. If I drill a well in my backyard and find water, then I’m going to continue to put effort into getting water from that well. I could look elsewhere for water, buy why? My well is the best place to get it because it’s already flowing.

    People who put serious effort into getting traffic from Twitter will figure out how to get that traffic and then swear to you that it is the best place to get traffic. Likewise for Facebook, LinkedIn and so on.
    Ben recently posted..How Magnetic Bracelets Affect the BodyMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      October 14, 2016 at 5:28 pm #

      Hi Ben,

      It is so true…our audience IS everywhere, it is just a matter of what we focus on. It sure is like your analogy of water.

      It is all a matter of which place one chooses to be on constantly.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Workspace Design For BloggersMy Profile

  11. Muhammad Hayat
    Twitter:
    September 4, 2016 at 11:01 pm #

    hey Donna,

    thanks for such an amazing article excellent article. I have done reading your few articles and really that was great and got awesome idea’s that’s why people say sharing is caring. I will mention you on SEOLovers soon.

    Thank You

    Muhammad Hayat

  12. Dr. Elise Cohen Ho
    Twitter:
    September 2, 2016 at 7:20 pm #

    I have been quite focused on looking carefully at my traffic so as to better offer what my cleitns truly need. It is a wonderful journey.

  13. Mark
    Twitter:
    August 29, 2016 at 3:24 pm #

    This is such excellent and extremely practical advice Donna!

    It’s sort of like that old saying, often times, you
    can’t see the forest for the trees!LOL!

    How many times, have we searched high and low for answers,
    when exactly the answers you’re looking for, is right in front of your face.

    More times than not, it’s simply a matter of just diligently applying
    the proven fundamentals, over and over again!

    And while consistently doing so, may not make of one
    of the top authority bloggers in the world, like you coach!LOL!

    Chances are, it won’t hurt your chances either!LOL!
    Mark recently posted..Three Simple Marketing Lessons You Can And Must Learn From A Complete Stranger!My Profile

  14. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    August 29, 2016 at 11:06 am #

    Hi Lillian,

    Indeed, it is great to check on our traffic. You know where it’s coming from, but then if you are not checking…you can be surprised lol.

    You have a wonderful creative mind and it is difficult to do that kind of thing like check stats I know…but there is a creative side to it. Believe me I too found it lol

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..Create Your Own Product To Sell OnlineMy Profile

  15. Lillian De Jesus
    Twitter:
    August 28, 2016 at 11:51 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Great article! I’m curious to know what your 10 are… LOL I know every blog is different therefore each traffic source is different. For example, my top traffic sources are Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook however most of my traffic comes through organic. That’s pretty incredible, right? Thanks for reminding to check in on my traffic. It’s probably a good thing to recheck every few months.

    Thanks for sharing!
    Lillian

  16. Deborah Watson-Novacek
    Twitter:
    August 28, 2016 at 12:02 pm #

    Hi Donna!

    Great post – as always! 😀 This is a great reminder that I need to find out where MY particular audience engages, not where everybody else’s ideal audience might be! It’s not something I’ve given a lot of thought to before, but now I have a game plan!

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 28, 2016 at 12:25 pm #

      Hi Deborah,

      It is important to find out where your audience is hanging out. This way, if you narrow your social media down to even 3 places and be there every day you will start seeing things blossoming.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  17. Mary Sloane
    Twitter:
    August 28, 2016 at 10:41 am #

    Ahhh Focus why isn’t that a 4 letter word, the way I avoid it you’d think it was LOL

    Thanks Donna for a reality check… we do walk a past a lot of traffic but the problem with FREE traffic is time and somehow I never seem to have enough maybe it is because I still haven’t managed that 5 letter, 4 letter word FOCUS

    To Great Success

    Mary
    Mary Sloane recently posted..Are You Caught in the “Hurry” Trap?My Profile

  18. Joy Healey
    Twitter:
    August 28, 2016 at 5:06 am #

    Hi Donna,

    I’m working on getting my traffic from different places now. As always, pretty slow progress as I’ve been distracted to offline again. But I do a little bit every day.

    One of the sources I want to spend more time on is the forum marketing because now I have enough knowledge to be useful I enjoy that.

    My first introduction to forum marketing wasn’t good and I still don’t actually know what I did, because I was being careful not to spam.

    I made an answer that seemed perfectly reasonable to a question and within five minutes of joining I had been banned LOL.

    It was a health forum and my reply was on topic and genuine information. I can only think that it was because I had a (health-related) link in my profile – but if they didn’t want me to put it there, they shouldn’t have unlocked the field LOL Never mind – their loss 🙂

    After that I stayed away from forum marketing for a while, but I have done a little recently and enjoyed it.

    Joy – Blogging After Dark

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 28, 2016 at 12:12 pm #

      Hi Joy,

      Forums can be tricky if you don’t know what you are doing. I didn’t like them at first because I had seen people bashing instead of disagreeing with each other. I was so timid to put anything on there. Then I learned the ropes.

      It is terrible what happened to you…probably it was because of a link. But as we gain more knowledge we can work a forum to our advantage.

      Glad you didn’t give up.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  19. Sonal talwar
    Twitter:
    August 28, 2016 at 1:56 am #

    Hi Donna

    As always loved reading your post and the insights you shared. Got to know some really new points.

    Thanks for sharing!
    Sonal talwar recently posted..Top 15 Metabolism Boosting Foods for VegetariansMy Profile

  20. Emi August 27, 2016 at 5:48 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    So right, if you don’t know your target market, and you don’t know
    where there are hanging out it’s like shooting with your eyes closed.
    Thank you for sharing, great tips!

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 27, 2016 at 10:50 pm #

      Hi Emi,

      Great point. It is like shooting with your eyes closed when you don’t know where your crowd hangs out. Gotta find ’em where they’re at, and get them engaged and enthused in what you’re doing.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..How Can I Promote My eBookMy Profile

  21. Peter Beckenham
    Twitter:
    August 27, 2016 at 12:59 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    What an awesome post – as always I just loved the way break down into simple steps some of the most critical elements of our blogging success.

    I’m not overloaded with traffic but I do know the folks who seek me out hang around my place and check out my other content pieces apart from the latest post.

    For me Facebook, G+, YouTube Twitter and Pinterest have been my biggest sources of social media traffic along with sites like Quora.

    But interestingly all these only amount to about 45% of my traffic.

    The majority of my traffic comes from my readers and their communities. Actually on quite a few occasions I have reached out to my newest readers and simply asked them how did they find me?

    The answers to that question gives me the focus I need to build more of that same targeted traffic.

    Many thanks as always for sharing your wonderful experiences Donna.

    Have a lovely weekend

    Best wishes from the remote Thai village blogger

    Peter
    Peter Beckenham recently posted..Email Deliverability: The Ultimate GuideMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 27, 2016 at 10:21 pm #

      Hi Peter,

      Seems like you’ve got a good grip on what your top traffic sources are. That’s a good thing. Lots of folks just take shots in the dark with no real idea of where they should be aiming.

      It’s all about focused effort and really being in touch with your target audience, wherever you find them.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Your Blog Is A Sales FunnelMy Profile

  22. Joan M Harrington
    Twitter:
    August 26, 2016 at 8:57 pm #

    Hi Donna 🙂

    Fantastic post and yes am so happy that I am doing the right thing by knowing where my audience is and like you said, it is all in plain sight lol Engaging and sharing valuable resources is key 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
    Joan M Harrington recently posted..7 Steps To Successful Instagram MarketingMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 26, 2016 at 11:19 pm #

      Hi Joan,

      It is great to know that you are hanging out with your target audience. It sure is in plain sight once we pay attention to it lol.

      Engagement is key to just about everything in our business!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  23. Lydia Brown
    Twitter:
    August 25, 2016 at 12:14 pm #

    Hey Donna, After reading this post it was great to see I am on the right track. I have been working on making sure I am in the right place to meet the people who can relate and/or need the information and products I discuss on my blog. Not scattered all over as I was a few years ago when I started blogging. My network is building as well a resources. Being in the right place you learn a lot from others. Thank you for another informative and helpful article.
    Lydia Brown recently posted..Medical MarijuanaMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 26, 2016 at 11:12 pm #

      Hi Lydia,

      I think many of us were scattered a few years ago. But you sure narrowed things down now and that is the root of success.

      Indeed, being in the right place, we do learn so much from others. I have known you a long time and see how your business is blossoming so well.

      To your success!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  24. Atish Ranjan
    Twitter:
    August 25, 2016 at 4:14 am #

    Hello Donna,

    For me the top traffic sources are:

    => Direct – This is what I call a success as people open my blog by directly typing in their browser. Good branding. isn’t it
    => Organic [Mostly from Google search]
    => FB
    => Stumbleupon
    => Pinterest
    => Twitter
    => referral from blog commenting efforts
    => My own forum since when there is need I share my blog post links to solve queries of many. But, I do it in a genuine way. No spam at all 🙂

    and many small ones. However, I am also looking to create more sources of traffic to my blog to diversify my blog’s traffic more.

    Thanks for the reminder!
    Atish Ranjan recently posted..10 Best Portable External Hard Drives in IndiaMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 26, 2016 at 11:11 pm #

      Hi Atish,

      Thanks for sharing where you get your traffic from. I have a similar approach myself but not on Pinterest nor do I have a forum set up.

      I do believe that since you have set up your own forum, it is a wonderful business choice. You are amazing!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  25. Atish August 25, 2016 at 3:00 am #

    Hey Donna,

    You shared reality there that No blogger can try lets say 100 source to get traffic to their blog. If in case one think to do so then he/she might be wasting time with that.Even we should only target audience related too our blog that is genius readers or buyers.
    Atish recently posted..5 Steps to Fix Adsense Login Issue by GoogleMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 26, 2016 at 11:02 pm #

      Hi Atish,

      Traffic doesn’t happen overnight. There are so many black hat marketers out there that will give you a false promise that you will get 10K in a short time. And…maybe one will purchase that. What good would it do if the people on that list are not interested in your product/service.

      The reality is that traffic is part of our business and we know nothing happens overnight.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  26. Amar kumar
    Twitter:
    August 25, 2016 at 1:02 am #

    Hey Donna,

    Glad to read your wonderful post,

    Generally, i read almost all post of yours, they all are unique in content and they are beneficial for us. They used to enlighten us with wealthy knowledge.

    Yes, i agree with you now-a-days there is no additional time to go on every social media site, forum and blog in the world but social media is well known good place to develop good relationship with audience.

    Eventually, thanks for sharing your worthy post.

    With best regards,

    Amar kumar
    Amar kumar recently posted..10 Things to Consider Before Selecting Your Web HostMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 26, 2016 at 10:57 pm #

      Hi Amar,

      I appreciate you reading my posts. It’s good to know. Indeed, with all the things we have to do during one day alone, it is so difficult to be on every social site, forum and blog.

      If we have a good consistent way of spending our time smartly, and going to some social sites once or twice a day for a very short time, we can build nice relationships with others.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  27. Erika Mohssen-Beyk
    Twitter:
    August 24, 2016 at 6:49 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    Always something to learn from you for everybody .
    For me, it seems we get to the good old stores where
    we know the people and get trusted friends with them
    and make them our customers. Only in our time, it is
    in the internet and a larger audience. Going in forums
    takes a lot of time as many here admit . But nothing
    works overnight and as you say “less is more” . The
    right people will come together.
    Thank you
    Erika

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 26, 2016 at 3:27 pm #

      Hi Erika,

      Absolutely….Nothing in this world works overnight. And yes…I do believe that less is more. When we are out there marketing we cannot think of money, rather how can we serve another human being.

      It is so simple…it’s crazy. Once we have that in our hearts, put the content out there and believe it….people will come to us. And the right ones too. In all my decades of business in the helping field one way or another I only had one person that didn’t work out. Now that was my fault because when she came to me, I didn’t listen to my intuition. I allowed her to suck the energy out of me and knew no matter what I did she wanted to play the “blame game” and I let her do it.

      No one’s perfect!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  28. Ryan Biddulph
    Twitter:
    August 24, 2016 at 8:29 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Our traffic really is everywhere, and it’s up to us to zero in on a few key spots where engagement is highest, to build bonds, and to grow your blogging business thru a few set sources.

    For me that’d be:

    – Twitter
    – Facebook
    – G Plus
    – Guest Posting
    – LinkedIn
    – Blog Commenting
    – Quora
    – Warrior Forum
    – Pinterest
    – recently, Google

    I focus heavily on publishing long form, SEO-optimized posts to my blog to both gain Google traffic and to keep getting social shares on posts for months.

    I then devote the same energy and strategy to all of my guest posts, to reap similar results.

    Like you said, it doesn’t require you to kill yourself with work. Just chat, engage, be helpful, and then grow that list. Your traffic will easily expand as you become helpful to more people thru a few different channels online.

    Super post Donna.

    Ryan
    Ryan Biddulph recently posted..27 Wacky Things that Happened to Me During Travels and 1 Blogging Lesson to Ease Your PainMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 26, 2016 at 3:18 pm #

      Hi Ryan,

      Well you know that “secret sauce” quite well because you do it! In a nutshell what you said is oh so true: Just chat, engage, be helpful, and then grow that list. Your traffic will easily expand as you become helpful to more people thru a few different channels online.

      I remember That PM I sent you “Hey Ryan…did you know you are number 2 or something on the first page of Google?” We did have a virtual party about that lol.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  29. Adrienne
    Twitter:
    August 24, 2016 at 1:29 am #

    Donna, excellent points made in this post! I agree the more focused one is about where to find traffic the more traffic one might get. It just makes sense. It’s like with advertising – those advertising dollars of companies need to be spent in the correct market or it is a serious waste of cash and time. I have started paying more attention to certain FB groups of which I’m a member to help establish better relationships – which in turn can bring more traffic from social media shares of my posts as well as opportunities for guest posts on others’ blogs. ~Adrienne
    Adrienne recently posted..New Blog HeaderMy Profile

  30. Stella Chiu
    Twitter:
    August 23, 2016 at 2:25 pm #

    Hi, Donna

    Three items stood out from the post for me: “the boss”, “focus”, and “engaging audience”.

    I am the “boss” of my blog or my business, I have all the freedom to join all the platforms, groups, and forums that I want. However, if I don’t have the time and energy to involve with the people, I am just wasting my time. Now, I concentrate mainly on FaceBook and Twitter in SM for now. Next target will be Pinterest.

    I still have the problem to narrow down the numbers of groups in SM. I am in the process to focus on the list.

    Start paying attention on how to connect with engaging audience.

    Thanks for the post.

    Stella Chiu

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 11:12 pm #

      Hi Stella,

      It looks like you’re moving in the right direction.

      You’re getting a list of groups to interact with on a limited number of social media sites. It sounds like a good base to work from.

      The BIG thing, of course, is the engagement part. That’s where you want to be putting your effort every day, consistently and in an organized manner… which is why you need to maintain a list of groups to visit daily.

      Good work, girl 🙂

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Build Your Business With eBook MarketingMy Profile

  31. vino
    Twitter:
    August 23, 2016 at 1:57 pm #

    Your post were simply amazing. Everyone of us require traffic and we have take a call on what kind of traffic we require. If one needs a targeted kind of thing then one must concentrate more on search traffic. If they require any kind then they are independent to use all. Thanks for sharing this Dona.

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 11:08 pm #

      Hi Vino,

      Glad you found this helpful.

      Traffic is certainly the lifeblood to blogging, isn’t it?

      You have to really know who your target audience is, and then find out where to locate and engage them.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..5 Top Newbie Blogger MistakesMy Profile

  32. Chery Schmidt
    Twitter:
    August 23, 2016 at 1:20 pm #

    Hello Donna! I just got off the your call with Sean and all I can say is WOWSY Girlfriend! You were Awesome!!

    I took tons of notes as I always do when you are talking, and the same with this here post! I do admit I have made quite a few mistakes along the way, but the important thing is that i have learned from each of them.

    I have taken most of the summer off and now it is time for me to roll up my sleeves and get to work!!

    Thanks for all you do!
    Love Ya
    Chery :))
    Chery Schmidt recently posted..Working Your Online Business With DiligenceMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 10:42 pm #

      Hi Chery,

      Glad you enjoyed the call with Sean. It was a blast and once I start talking I never shut up he he he.

      We all made mistakes, but that’s how we really learn. I’ve seen all the fun you had this Summer…good for you girl, you deserve it.

      Time to pull up those sleeves and get going. Have a marketing plan and stick to it. It does take time but the more you do one thing the better it is.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  33. Lisa Thomson
    Twitter:
    August 23, 2016 at 11:24 am #

    Thanks for the tips and inspiration, Donna! This is a great reminder. As soon as I finished reading it, I knew where my target audience hangs out. I need to get more involved in some of these discussions in hopes a few ladies will check me out. I always feel a bit shy about shameless self promo in these groups though. Also, lately I’ve been kind of apathetic when it comes to facebook and social media in general. Not sure what’s wrong with me LOL maybe it’s the summertime blues.
    Lisa Thomson recently posted..Dear Lisa, Reader QuestionMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 10:58 pm #

      Hi Lisa,

      Don’t think of your social media interactions as “shameless promotion” but rather, helping people solve their problems. Usually, you can’t even leave links to your blog or landing pages, but that’s okay. When people see you out there helping others on a regular basis, they’ll find you!

      So the key is… think of “helping” not “promoting.”

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Grow Your Blog OrganicallyMy Profile

  34. Marquita Herald
    Twitter:
    August 23, 2016 at 10:13 am #

    To the point and well said, as always. I’m just coming back from 3 weeks “away” from all things to do with online so your article is well timed to help me get back in gear. You know, I have never used Reddit, primarily because I’ve read some horrible stories about how brutal the users can be. I think it’s time I find out for myself so I’m going to test the waters. I’m already a fan of forums, in particular those on LinkedIn, but maybe I can find a couple of new groups to explore. Thanks for the inspiration!
    Marquita Herald recently posted..12 Timeless Truisms on Changing Your LifeMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 1:27 pm #

      Hi Marquita,

      Glad this has given you some inspiration! I have not been a fan on Reddit but many of my clients are and are doing well..go figure…

      I too like LinkedIn. It is a place where the more serious minded people are and I do find there is more respectful people there than anywhere else.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  35. James McAllister
    Twitter:
    August 23, 2016 at 7:32 am #

    Hi Donna, been a while!

    Launching a new business has really given me perspective on how much things have changed even in just the past couple of years. It’s only getting more competitive and a lot is locked down by big players (we’re publishing 3x a week, 1,200-1,700 word articles and are just now starting to get a tiny bit of organic traffic!)

    This is an extremely competitive market (almost as muchso as the MMO market) so I had to ask myself two questions – who’s got my traffic, and how are they acquiring it. I bought advertising through some of the big sites purely so they’d give me information on their numbers and from there I’ve been able to craft a better strategy. A lot of the things I’ve discovered are things I would have otherwise not have ever thought of.

    We also are at an advantage because we have 3 full-time employees and 2 people that we bring on when needed so we have the resources and ability to do a lot of things others wouldn’t be able to to acquire traffic, like packaging insert cards for example. We’re moving product like crazy and a good chunk of our readers found out about our blog after becoming a customer. Talk about targeted traffic!

    Anyway, this struggle has shown that yes, you really do need to be focused, consistent, and creative, or someone else out there will and they will take your traffic.
    James McAllister recently posted..7 Areas To Reinvest Blogging Profits IntoMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 1:18 pm #

      Hi James,

      Great to see you again. I know how busy you have been for a while. Indeed…we have to target that traffic and there are many ways to do it.

      I love the way your customers buy first and become readers of your blog later. I found I’ve done the same thing myself with services.

      Great to know you are growing with your employees….indeed things sure have changed since a few years ago.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  36. Cori Ramos
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 11:40 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    This is excellent!

    I started just like you and probably every other blogger out there – focusing on the marketing platform instead of finding out who my target audience is and where they were hanging out.

    I was trying to be everywhere but that was wearing me out. What I did was look at my Google Analytics and see where I was getting my traffic from – the top 5 which is Twitter, Facebook, Flipboard, Pinterest and Google.

    Then I take the next 5 and do a mini study once a week. I share posts on there to see how effective it is. If it doesn’t move the needle so to speak, I move on to the next on the list.

    I do like the idea of participating on forums but I imagine it is time consuming – there are so many out there I wouldn’t know where to start.

    Thanks for this great post Donna! You know I’ll be sharing this.

    Have a great week!

    Cori
    Cori Ramos recently posted..Make Money From Home: Work-from-Home and Blogger JobsMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 1:15 pm #

      Wow Cori,

      That’s the way to do it GF! I am so glad you are going forward with your marketing hat on. Those analytics can be quite weird at first, but then, like anything else we do…it becomes a habit…a good one.

      I like the way you are doing things. Awesome!!!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  37. Ravi Chahar
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 9:45 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    It’s a simple yet informative post.:)

    Targeting your audience is a hard thing to do. You can get lost in between the different kinds of audience.

    Some people prefer to go for the beginners, others are the coach. Using the forums to connect with others is really effective.

    You can get more chances to build strong bonds with other fellow bloggers.
    Thanks for bringing this up.

    Have a great week ahead.
    ~Ravi
    Ravi Chahar recently posted..50 Content Marketing Tips to Explore Your Business.My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 1:13 pm #

      Hi Ravi,

      You know me…love to keep it simple! It is so important to build relationships with other bloggers. It can be in forums or coaching….whatever one choses, as long as they are persistent, great relationships will be formed.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  38. Lea Bullen
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 8:52 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I think when everyone starts out they’re so desperate for some kind of attention that they don’t care what kind of traffic they get as long as some eyes are on it. But then you come to realize the people who are actually interested is the ideal kind of traffic.

    Focusing on what works for you is best. Nothing everything has the same impact for everyone. So you definitely have to keep your eyes on it.

    You always keep me thinking 🙂

    ~Lea
    Lea Bullen recently posted..8 Surprisingly Easy Ways to Create a Meaningful LifeMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 25, 2016 at 8:51 am #

      Hi Lea,

      I have always noticed that desperation of folks that want traffic fast. They do end up with bottom feeder traffic. You know…those that never purchased anything and is for sale lol.

      I find the ideal kind of traffic are those that respond to an offer….the people actually interested in doing a two step opt-in sometimes.

      I’m so happy I keep you thinking!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  39. Abdul Samad
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 2:55 pm #

    Hello Donna,
    It’s really great post. I’m visiting here for the first time and finding this blog is useful.
    Will surely gonna come soon on your next topic for sure 😉
    Have a great week ahead 🙂
    ~ Abdul Samad
    Abdul Samad recently posted..The Definitive SEO Guide – Never Seen Before!My Profile

  40. Don Purdum
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 12:07 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    You really nailed one of the biggest struggles we have… I’ve spent the summer reading, revising my business model and stopping to think about what I’m doing.

    In the process, I discovered some amazing, highly targeted forums that are specifically for small business owners and entrepreneurs who looking for my exact message.

    As you know, I’m absolutely convinced that if a business’ message is not in alignment with their target market, or more likely they don’t know the target market, it makes it hard to find the 10 sources that can put our blogs over the top and propel us forward.

    As always, I appreciate your wisdom and insight and I always glean a new perspective from you!

    Have a great week!

    ~ Don
    Don Purdum recently posted..Increase Sales by Discovering the 80% Customers are Not Telling YouMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 23, 2016 at 9:21 am #

      Hi Don,

      It is good to know that you spent the Summer tweaking. So did I lol. Great minds thing alike Hugh?

      Seriously, we do need to know where to go where business owners and entrepreneurs are looking for out exact message. It is what I too was working on because I fine tuned my message this Summer.

      You are the best!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  41. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 11:39 am #

    Hi Ahmad,

    Good to know you have fetched some ideas..hope it works out for you when applied.

    Of course I read your latest blog post….my secret is to click the commenters latest post BEFORE I answer it here. But I noticed my comment didn’t go through. Maybe it is awaiting approval…let me know.

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  42. Muhammad Ahmad
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 11:18 am #

    Hi Donna,
    a very awesome blog post after a long time 😉
    Learned something new, fetched some ideas 😀
    Lets see how it goes.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Hope you find this week productive!
    ~ Ahmad
    P.S. Please do read my latest blog psot at BloggingEarning [dot] com
    Muhammad Ahmad recently posted..5 Dominating Email Subscription Plugins for WordPressMy Profile

  43. ikechi
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 8:17 am #

    Hi Donna

    This post is thought provoking. I like the idea of being focused and looking for just 10 top sources. Being focused helps in a way to have a great result. I have seen where someone shared a 100 sources to get traffic. However what was missing was no target audience was put into consideration.

    Thanks for sharing this post. Take Care

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 22, 2016 at 11:05 am #

      Hi Ikechi,

      Oh my gosh 100 sources? That will make my brain pop. Even 10 is a lot, but if you consider that one of them is your list that you spend tons of time on, and others are blogs you comment on, it can narrow things down.

      I know you well enough to say that you got it down perfectly.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  44. Harleena Singh
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 3:23 am #

    Hi Donna,

    Happy Monday 🙂

    You’re so right about all that you mentioned, especially the part where you wrote about finding our target audience, which is what matters most. No matter what the platform, if you notice it brings you the returns, stick more there, though don’t forget to touch the other platforms too, as you never know who or where you’d get your next audience from.

    Besides the usual 3-4 main ones, I’d strongly recommend Pinterest too, as it does bring me most of my traffic, where social media is concerned. And of course, there are the Google Plus communities that work well too – just adding my bit to your already recommended sources 🙂

    Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead, and I hope you’re feeling better too 🙂
    Harleena Singh recently posted..When Social Drinking Goes Too FarMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 22, 2016 at 11:03 am #

      Happy Monday to you Harleena!

      Indeed, once you find that target audience, that’s where you spend most of your engagement time. And yes, we cannot forget the other places to be in for a short time..because one never knows…….

      I always forget Pinterest ha ha ha….you and many of my colleagues get so much traffic from that source. I was there long ago for a short time, but my numbers weren’t so good for return. Right now Facebook is working wonders for me…it has been for a while. Also Google+ has a funny way of putting me on the first page so many times lol.

      Thanks for the additions. I love it when the conversation gets like this.

      Many thanks again and I am feeling better!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  45. Clay Smith
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 2:46 am #

    Hi there Donna,

    This is the first post that I have read from you, and it’s just simply amazing.

    I just liked this paragraph so that I couldn’t mention it in this comment ” Locate An Engaging Audience.”

    I also shared the article in Google +. I’m waiting to see more “engaging posts to an engaging audience”.

    Cheers,
    Clay.

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 22, 2016 at 10:58 am #

      Hi Clay,

      Welcome to my blog.

      It is so nice to know you enjoyed this article. Aha…”locate an engaging audience” may sound easy, but it will take some time. If you put effort into it you will see that your blog and/or business will start growing.

      You know Clay, there is still that “word of mouth” that exists. It is obvious offline, but here online people do tell their friends and colleagues when they find something interesting. So think about that one!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  46. Robin Khokhar
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 2:26 am #

    Hi Donna,
    As always it’s a good post. And helped to grab some new points through your post.
    So, thanks for sharing. Have a good day.
    Robin Khokhar recently posted..Essential WordPress Plugins for your Blog and WebsiteMy Profile

  47. Kimsea Sok
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 1:22 am #

    Hi. Donna!

    How are you doing today? Hope you doing.

    It’s a nice article as usually you did.

    Well. The newbie bloggers and marketers always talked about getting traffic, but some of them don’t even think about where is the traffic come from and how to get it. The most of mistakes is to focus on search engine organic without consider others simple sources such as community traffic.

    I agree what you said. The social media platforms are the most of traffic, and over 50% of mine came from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google. I didn’t use many platforms so mostly I active on the above 4.

    I’ve tried forum sometimes. You know? It’s great for finding new idea for blog post. However, if you did right in the forum, you’ll get massive traffic. I first did the mistake by spam the forum community as I want to get backlinks. It’s stupid right? Yes. It is.

    I don’t have a big email list thus I’m working on it.

    Thanks for sharing…
    Kimsea Sok recently posted..How to Become The Expert Blogger Even if You’re A Freshman to BloggingMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 22, 2016 at 10:55 am #

      Hi Kimsea,

      No…not a stupid mistake by spamming on a forum because you didn’t know any better, but you fixed that right away. Sometimes mistakes like that can cause us a bad name but anything can be fixed my friend.

      It is great that you have found the 4 social platforms that you get your traffic from. It is a bit of a trial and error type of thing, but once you find it…it will work.

      It is important to check and see where your traffic is coming from via analytics because if you do, then you know where to spend more of your time.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

  48. David A Rhodes
    Twitter:
    August 22, 2016 at 12:41 am #

    Hello Donna
    After ever post you put on your blog I think this has to be your best but then you post another and it tops all. You amaze me with your knowledge.
    I agree that being focused and really have a mind set of really offering solutions and as much help as you can give. Traffic will come. I guess that’s why they call it attraction marketing.
    Thanks again for all the help you have given me. Sincerely David
    David A Rhodes recently posted..To all Baby Boomers in the United States of AmericaMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      August 22, 2016 at 1:04 am #

      Hi David,

      Thank you for your kind words.

      It does work when you are pin focused on your niche and continue to give solutions to problems. But we cannot give away the farm lol.

      When we write for others to give them something they can actually use…put into action then traffic comes. As long as we are consistent and stay focused…no worries!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..Law Of Attraction – My True Life StoryMy Profile

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