There are many ways that you can gain readers and visitors and I like to think that over the time that I’ve blogged, I have come across some great ways to get traffic when you need it. This isn’t about link bait posts or anything of that sort but other ways that you can market your blog to help gain readers and visitors.

1) Market Yourself In The Blogosphere - One of the best methods that works for me is when I go around the blogosphere and check out other blogs and leave comments. This helps me in getting out there and helps people recognize who I am. Be careful though, the type of comment you leave is a first impression as it indicates what someone can expect when they visit your blog.

2) Writing On Universal Topics – If you have a MMO blog there are ways that you can gain extra traffic by going a little outside the box. For example, if you talk about a particular ad network that blogs of other niches can use or if you talk about certain video blogging techniques that other bloggers can use, then you’re writing on a universal topic. A topic that is not confined to your particular niche will help you reach a larger audience specially through search engine results.

3) Responding To Advertiser Emails - A lot of times I get emails from individuals asking me to check out their website or try out their product and by checking out their website and leaving a comment or by trying out a product you can gain a new audience. The advertiser may link back to you or mention you in one of his posts and it can help you gain more readers. This is different from commenting on other blogs because it involves being contacted by an advertiser or a new venture blogger first.

4) If You May, Offer Your Help – If youre the giving type then offering your help to bloggers and helping them succeed can play to your advantage. Its not that you have an ulterior motive but its an added benefit of being helpful and friendly. Most of the times when I help a blogger they mention me, become a committed reader and link back to me. This helps me maintain a relationship with the blogger as well as have them help in improving my traffic from time to time.

5) Interviews, Sponsoring, etc – I recently did an interview with Market Leverage and I have even sponsored a contest recently but doing things such as interviews and sponsoring contests can help raise your awareness in the blogosphere. Most interested individuals will decide to check out your blog if the contest you are sponsoring includes a great prize or you come off as natural and approachable in an interview. It can definitely boost your traffic.

I would like to know what are some other unconventional ways that you use to gain traffic. Its common to see things such as hosting contests, link bait posts or anything of that sort. What are some of the things you do that seem to work for you?