When I created my first blog a little over a year ago, I spent a lot of time to make it look appealing. I included a few posts on a variety of subjects, video, photos, links and a few other trendy widgets and ads. I was so proud of my accomplishments and just knew my creative genius would pay off. I could hardly wait for the equally excited stampede of visitors that would soon follow.

But that herd of traffic never came. Sure, I got an occasional visit here and there. But what happen to the masses that I had predicted? After a short time, I sat back and reanalyzed my lonely blog situation. I finally came to realize what had gone wrong. I had gotten hooked on the idea that having a blog meant making money. I had become infatuated with the idea of having a blog instead of having the passion to share my blog. I knew it was time to lay my blog to rest and invest some time into learning how to create a blog people would really want to read.

Here are some of the things I have discovered along my blogging journey:

Decide who your audience will be. What is it that you are passionate about and want to share with others? Is is cooking? Then your audience will be individuals who love to cook (or eat)! Yes, we all want to make money with our blogs but that can not be your motive. If you learn how to blog with a purpose and have a desire to share your knowledge with your readers, the money will soon follow. Once you have dertermined your audience, you can then begin to implement some targeted marketing.

Create content with substance. Your readers will want to follow your blog for a few reasons, the main one being your content. They want to read valuable information that will help them learn something new or entertain them. Your cooking blog should be richly filled with topics such as; cooking tips, reciepes, food reviews and even pictures of your favorite freshely cooked dish! The quality of your content will not only help your blog stand out, but it will also allow your readers to relate to you and trust your expertise.

Define your niche. This is where it can get a little tricky, especially if you are new to blogging and online marketing. If you are a mom who blogs about cooking, you may want to define your niche market to moms who love to cook. In order for your blog to attract your specific audience, you need to learn how to find your niche. A great way to start is to find a few social networking sites online that cater to your market. Social networking sites are great tools to help you and your blog gain exposure as well as help increase targeted traffic to your site.

These are a few ways that will help you create and increase traffic to your blog. The important thing to remember is to be consistent in your efforts. It takes time to build a following but can be easier when you understand the benefits of applying targeted marketing strategies. When you enjoy what you do, your work seems effortless and you will reap the rewards. Happy blogging!