2000 Followers!

Are you guys for real??

When I began this blog on October 1, 2017, I was in search of a place to land. Somewhere to put my dozens of dusty journals filled with poetry, songs, short stories and anecdotes where they could catch a bit of sun and bloom. And my goodness, did they ever.

I had no idea I would find friendship in so many of you. I am unbelievably grateful for the endless support you have shown me. In reblogs, likes, comments, even in your help in getting me 4 100 votes in my scholarship essay! This community really is a village, and I am in love with it all.

I always get inquiries from readers about blogging help and I only thought it fitting to share those tips with you all today!

Please note that I put a lot of effort into this blog because I also use this as a portfolio for my professional life as a PR student. Showing that I can generate that traffic is integral to my work as a future communicator in my field. You and I probably have different goals—please don’t think that my journey has been grown naturally or of luck. I have read some incredible work from WordPress writers, and someone who is using their platform as a personal diary and someone like me who uses it as a portfolio piece will not have similar results. Do what works for you!

Without further ado, here are my top three tips to boost blog traffic:

1: When someone leaves you a comment, comment on their blog!
I can’t stress this one enough! If someone gives you that courtesy, return it. This is a community of writers who love comments and feedback from other writers. We are all here to learn from each other. 

2: Utilize your other platforms!
And I don’t just mean put the link in a new tweet—add a little blurb about what it’s about, or a great quote from it you love. Engage in the community by following hashtags! On Instagram for example, if you view the #poetry hashtag and follow/like some posts there, you’ll build a new connection on a platform that will link back on WordPress—and maybe get you some Insta-friends on the way!

3: If someone likes your post, like three of their posts.
This one is a bit aggressive, but stay with me here. Everything about traffic generation is giving courtesy back when it has been afforded to you. Maybe I’m just Type A, but I always remember those users who leave comments and likes on my page. When their blog comes up on my feed, I won’t hesitate to leave a few comments on their blog as an appreciation of their ongoing friendship with me.

I want to STRESS the idea that this blog takes time and effort. I spend at least two hours everyday—and I mean everyday—going through new posts, leaving likes and comments, optimizing my social media outlets and always writing new content in order to get those numbers up. On Sunday for my big posts, I am easily mulling over my page for five cumulative hours. There is A LOT of work behind the scenes; don’t be discouraged if we are at different points in our blogs!

Elleguyence is the first place I ever spoke publicly about my struggle with bulimia in my post, 18. I cried the night before, terrified that I would be judged or misunderstood for attention-seeking. I had a lump in my throat as I clicked “Publish”, and I cried again as my inbox FILLED with women telling me their stories, too. It was a rush of relief, knowing we weren’t alone (and we never were).

When we were born, we were put on this planet with other people. We are nothing without the support of each other, and this community has shown that to me tenfold. Please, don’t hesitate to ask me questions about this blog, whether it’s diagnostics, widgets, content creation and more, comment below!

Thank you all again for your support. This little pocket of the internet has really become a facet in my life.

Love,

ELLE