The majority of new bloggers think SEO and organic traffic are the only way to attract their audience and promote their blog. But there are more viable options out there to balance your ongoing SEO efforts.
If we strictly look in terms of traffic and marketing, I believe the channels below are your best options:
- Search engines (not Google)
- Newsletters
I you have a blog, I would put most of my efforts into Pinterest. Pinterest has been the most underrated platform for bloggers, content creators, e-commerce, and sellers of digital products with the highest return.
The best thing about Pinterest is that Pins have no shelf life, and older pins from a year ago will often perform better than fresh ones.
The reasons why I love Pinterest the most are:
- Newer and alternative keywords
- 85% of the users are there to buy or learn something
- Ideal for content-driven websites
- High-quality social media traffic
Pinterest is volume-based. It’s not unusual to Pin or re-Pin 30-50 times per day. Once you have 50-100 blog posts published, I would advise using this platform.
Read also: How To Use Pinterest For Your Blog: Beginner Tips & Basics
Search Engines (not Google)
Everyone is extremely focused on finding traffic on Google. But I’ve learned that Bing is as valuable and less competitive. Yes, there’s less traffic, but when you’re new to blogging, every page view and visitor will count.
Some of the Bing stats:
- They account for 1 billion visits per month
- The USA has the strongest market share
- Integration with Edge and Copilot, which boosts Bing traffic via indirect usage
- The largest segment of users is between 35-55 years old
- Users often have a higher degree
- Users often have a higher household income or additional disposable income
Bing Webmaster Tools allows you to submit your website for free. It would be crazy not to leverage Bing traffic.
I’ve always found Reddit to be an incredibly rich source of information. The questions asked can be so random, but also niche-related.
However, Reddit requires a more tactical approach.
- You don’t just spam links to promote your blog
- You should answer mindfully to other users and slide in a reference to one of your blog posts
- You should engage actively and be helpful in the subreddits you want to be a part of
Never center your content around answers, but build a reputation where you’re perceived as helpful or even become a pillar to that subreddit.
I used this strategy before, and when I shared my content or guides on Reddit alongside a comprehensive response to the original poster’s question, it resulted in a significant influx of traffic and increased my newsletter signups.
Newsletters
One of the hardest methods, but with enough consistency, it might yield the best results. Convincing a visitor to sign up for your blog content or latest updates is extremely hard.
You shouldn’t be afraid to add a newsletter signup from the start, even though you might not see any signups in the first year.
But once they engage, it sends a strong signal that your content is interesting enough, and it should be an indicator that you’re doing it right.
Having a newsletter is a significant responsibility. However, if you consistently publish new content that includes affiliate links, it can effectively convert readers into buyers.
Read also: Can Affiliate Marketing Actually Make Money?
Other Channels & Platforms
There’s never a one-size-fits-all. Even for blogs. And some of the platforms might yield better results because of your niche or industry.
For example, Threads or Bluesky might be great for content creators or lifestyle bloggers, but LinkedIn might be a better fit if your entire website is about entrepreneurship, HR, or starting a business.
Don’t spread yourself too thin from the start. Focus on one or two channels until you gain some traction. Otherwise, you might lose focus, and your efforts won’t be as efficient.
Final Word
Starting and maintaining a successful blog is a long journey.
Acquiring quality traffic sounds like an impossible mission nowadays when first page results are dominated by YouTube content and Google’s own generative AI.
But new bloggers should realize that increasing organic traffic is not solely dependent on SEO.
If I have to bet on building a successful blog, it would be:
- Focus on traditional SEO and the Avalanche SEO technique
- Expand your efforts to the Bing search engine
- Leverage your content through Pinterest with the Tailwind social media tool
It’s not as difficult as it sounds; it just requires a simple marketing strategy and constant adjustments depending on your niche.
