American Idol

Yesterday I followed a news link from my Yahoo homepage, thinking I was going to read a news article. Instead I ended up on an American Idol blog. I skimmed through the blog, which was a recap of the last AI episode. Can you believe the blog had received 332 comments?

If 332 readers had commented, how many had actually read the blog? How in the world does a blogger end up with that kind of traffic? I suppose the first thing you can do is post material people want to read. Apparently more people are interested in AI than in garnering any amount of wisdom I may have to share on this blog.

I recently read an article on blogging in the Wall Street Journal. It is a wonderfully inexpensive way for small businesses with even smaller marketing budgets to attract attention. The article said to do what you probably already know to do: Link to as many other sites and blogs as you can. Keep your material fresh and timely. Target your audience. Contribute to conversation on relevant blogs. Not only with other bloggers notice your participation, so will their readers. Be creative. Most importantly, be willing to invest time and energy in the process.

Blogging has turned into a huge market that is glutted with not-so-interesting stuff. If you want to stand out, you must build an online presence.

I'm on my way to a writers' conference this afternoon in Coshocton, Ohio, and hope to find more ways to network with readers and other writers. I'll be sure to share all the wisdom I bring home.