Building a healthy, viable and ever-growing audience for a blog is arguably among the top concerns of any blogger. Without a consistent flow of traffic, blogs tends to die out fairly quickly – and without a flow of first-time readers and visitors, future growth becomes quite difficult.

Undoubtedly you have heard of many strategies that brands use to gain exposure: from paid search engine advertising and search engine optimization to social media sharing, these strategies remain critical components of any broader digital marketing effort.

However, what are some other strategies that might not be as well-known but nevertheless provide benefits? Today, let’s look at a few of them and prepare your marketing efforts for the upcoming year.

Cross-Blog Collaboration

A variety of content forms can be produced by a blog, including podcasts, infographics and videos (alongside standard blog posts). If you’re looking for a way to generate additional traffic and awareness, sometimes pairing up on one or more projects with other bloggers can be a sure-fire way to drive traffic and awareness to your brand.

These types of projects will not only identify your blog (and any others) as the creators of said content, but they can also be shared by all brands involved. With a recurring collaboration for multiple projects, individual blogs can even agree on a rotating order that involves an individual piece of content being featured on one of the blogs exclusively while promoted by all involved.

Expansion Into New Topics

Sometimes, all it takes to generate a bit more attention and awareness is a new spin on things. While most blogs have a defined set of interests and topics they cover, pinging links to new topics every once in a while can create additional traffic and interest. While it’s generally not recommended to begin writing about random topics that have no direct or indirect connection to your blog, you can find off-shoot topics that can be tied into your broader focus.

Speak at Relevant Events

Bloggers who have a background or expertise in one or more fields may find that less than conventional mediums for promotion can still have a huge impact. Inquiring about speaking opportunities at industry events is a sure-fire way to gain the attention of relevant audience members you might not otherwise ever reach, and can allow for effective opportunities to plug your blog.

The same can also be said when participating in digital events such as online seminars and even podcasts. In short: look for opportunities to highlight yourself, your knowledge and your blog, as this can provide an effective form of free advertising for your blog.

Always Be Commenting

Newer blogs in particular may find that engagement across their mediums and channels may be sparse. Because of this, every comment is a goldmine in terms of improving your brand’s reach and appeal. Whenever somebody comments on one of your blog posts or social media posts, it is imperative that you – the blogger – respond.

Whether the comment is positive or negative, your brand interacting with the individual(s) in question can ensure that your blog is pinging links more prominently via social media algorithms and/or persuading readers to become loyal followers thanks to your proactive responses.

In conjunction with other well-established forms of digital marketing, these four tactics can be useful elements in further improving the visibility of your blog. By taking time to promote your brand in these unconventional methods, you can level the playing field against your competitors and earn additional traffic in the process.