10 Simple Ways To Boost Your Blog in 2010

As a blogger, you’ll need to wear multiple hats to keep your blog on the right track and moving forward. Of course, if you make it big and become a star, you can afford to outsource a lot of processes that are not among your core competencies. But 95% of bloggers will probably need to handle multiple positions on a consistent basis. So not only you’ll have to write your content, you’ll have to work to promote it, find ways to enhance your blog, and work on your branding efforts as well. You may not be able to do everything by yourself, but there are simple things that every blogger needs to be doing in 2010.

If you are serious about your blog and are just starting to grow your blog, here are 10 simple ways to get it done:

• CMS: using a content management system comes in handy if you have lots of articles on your blog. I personally recommend Wordpress to all bloggers. No disrespect to Blogger and other content management systems out there, but Wordpress is the king among blogging content management systems out there.
• Blog Security: if you happen to run a content management system that can be enhanced through plugins, don’t hesitate to download plugins that can enhance your blog’s security and protect it against hack attacks. Hackers target bloggers from time to time, and while there is no 100% foolproof blog security system out there, you can at least give hackers something challenging to deal with.
• Theme: if your blog has had the same look for years, you may want to invest in a premium blogging theme or pay a designer to develop a brand new look for your blog. Don’t think of blog redesign as an expense as it’s more of an investment.
• Twitter: if you have not taken the time to create a Twitter account around your blog, there is no better time to do it now. Being on Twitter is not too special anymore. Lots of people have been on Twitter for a couple of years now. But if you are not taking advantage of Twitter, you are doing your blog a disservice. Don’t forget to enable Twitter sign on feature on your blog as well (you can use Disqus to do that).
• Facebook: similar to Twitter, Facebook gives your blog yet another avenue to drive traffic to your blog and get more exposure for your work. Build a Facebook page for your blog. Make an effort to connect and reach out to your fans.
• Ning: Ning is a great platform to be a part of and take advantage of. It not only allows you to create social portals, but it can help you find niche communities to be a part of. I am personally a member of various Ning portals in my niche. It’s a fun platform to play with.
• YouTube: if you haven’t taken the time to register your brand name on YouTube and create a channel for your blog, now’s the time. Even if you are not making videos currently, you should take time to work towards doing that in the near future. Video is the present and the future. You may as well get on board.
• Posterous: Posterous is a great young platform that gives bloggers yet another chance to reach out to the world and share content with others and follow top players in any niche. It’s very easy to use too. Another one of those sites that you need to be on.
• Flickr: Flickr can be a big traffic drive if you take advantage of what the community has to offer and provide value to other community members. If you have a decent camera and know how to take decent pictures, Flickr can be another avenue for your blog to reach out to the world and bring it in.
• Listen and Participate: you can be on all the above-mentioned sites, but if you are not taking time to participate, add value, and listen to what others have to say, you are missing the boat. It’s nice to catch up with friends on Facebook and Twitter. However, there is just so much information to look at and learn from if you are watching and listening closely on Twitter, Facebook, and other similar services.

There are of course other things you should be doing, but the above tactics are easy to implement and something that most bloggers should be doing by now. If you are not, there is never a better time to start.