This is a guest post by Gregory Ciotti.

“It can’t be!”

Ah, but it’s true!

Not only that, this new blog isn’t about marketing, blogging, or making money online!

Refreshing, isn’t it?

Only a few months ago, I started my recent project, an electronic music blog by the name of Sophistefunk.

Before I get into the details, let’s get with the goods:

Above is my most recent screenshot from Google Analytics, and as you can see, I’ve hit over 40000 unique visitors after only being live for a few short months.

And I did it without a single guest post about this blog!

But how?

Well, that’s what I’m here today to tell you!

If you are looking for some sort of secret sauce, look elsewhere, but if you want to see some smart implementation of direct-to-success techniques that you can use in any niche, read on, this post is for you.

But first, let me address why I didn’t use guest posting for this new blog…

Seriously, Why No Guest Posts?

When it comes to guest blogging, I will give myself a pat on the back and say that I’m fairly experienced in the process: I’ve used it to grow almost every blog I’ve ever started/worked with.

Almost.

What they don’t tell you in the blogging world very often is that sometimes, guest posting is not always a viable option depending on the niche that you are in.

Sure, there are always ways to post about your blog (no matter the topic) on “blogging about blogging” sites (only a small fraction of which contain any useful info, luckily Kikolani is part of that small fraction).

The thing is, these types of visitors aren’t always ideal: their main interest is in blogging, not necessarily the topic that your blog is about.

I really encountered this problem with my electronic music blog: music blogs almost NEVER accept guest posts, why should they?

Most posts on a music site are going to be media focused (videos & audio) and are relatively short, there’s no need to bring in another author.

So, for all of the support that guest blogging gets (and rightfully so), when it comes to a niche where you can’t realistically use it as a traffic generating method in a consistent manner, what is a blogger to do? Totally give up on the niche?

NO!

Where there is a will, or more specifically, a will to do some legwork, there is a way.

What Guest Blogging is Really About…

As great as guest blogging can be for direct traffic, building awareness, and indirect traffic in terms of backlinking & SEO, the real benefit behind guest blogging is that is allows you to build relationships with people influential in your niche.

In reality, providing a ton of value with a great guest post can go a lot farther than a handful of new visitors to your site: by providing value to an author of a popular blog, you plant the seeds to build a relationship which can result in this author doing a lot more for you than just accepting your post.

In my interview with Leo of the BufferApp, Leo stated that he believes one of the most powerful aspects of guest blogging is that it typically leads to reciprocation between the guest post submitter and the blog’s author.

That is, if you provide a ton of value to another blogger with a guest post, they will often reciprocate by checking out your content, and if they like what they see, they’ll share it with their followers not because they feel indebted, but because they want to share awesome content.

These types of relationships are absolutely essential if you want to build a popular blog in a target niche, and guest blogging is really only a means to that end, rather than the actual end itself.

So I knew I could succeed in the end goal of building relationships, the only thing I was really lacking was the use of guest blogging to serve as the “ice-breaker” to the influential people in my niche.

Then it hit me.

What if, this time around, other bloggers were NOT the most influential people in my topic?

How To Build Relationships

I began to realize that in my niche, it was actually the musicians who were the most influential in terms of having large followings and receptive audiences: music blogs are a dime a dozen, so building relationships with artists was a surefire way for me to stand out.

I began to realize that I didn’t need guest blogging in this circumstance, and my findings lead me to 3 main points which I’m going to discuss with you today:

• Why email is the greatest “social network” of all
• Sometimes it’s best to network with those around you, rather than those “above” you
• Social media, when used correctly, helps small ideas blossom into bigger projects

All 3 of these techniques played a vital role in creating the consistent traffic that I see today, and below I’m going to show you exactly how I went about it.

1. Email Is King: Bow Down to the Greatest “Social Network”

I’ve always had a saying when it comes to blogging that shocks many people when they first hear it, but I stand by it to this day…

You should be spending almost as much time in your email client as you do writing posts in order to build your blog!

It might sound crazy, but as many experienced bloggers know, email is where all of the magic happens!

Sure, social media is a great traffic generation source, and keeping in touch with people on social networks is a great place to build relationships (will get into that in a bit), but the fact remains is that the “meat” of your business dealings will take place behind the scenes, using email.

You should be as fluent with proper email writing techniques are you are writing blog posts.

Think about it: do you know the best way to approach someone for a guest blogging submission?

How about for bigger requests, like interviews, collaborations, or asking them to support your content because you think they’d be interested in it?

It might sound scary, but you are going to need to know how to talk to influencers via email and know how to capture their attention.

I used email as the absolute backbone for grabbing attention for my blog.

Generally speaking, my two most popular post types (keeping in mind that this is a music blog) are:

• Interviews with artists
• Premieres of brand new tracks

Neither of these things could be accomplished without the use of email, so no matter how many tweets I sent out, I can safely attribute to my blog breaking the “initial hump” solely by my consistent quality of content and my effective use of email.

There are a few key points that I want you to know about when it comes to email (and I’m a guy to both sends and receives a ton of email…)

• Always keep your messages short, unless you’ve come to agreement with the recipient to talk about a topic at length
• Keep your subject line as straightforward as possible, and use numbers so people can gauge time commitment
• Try to reference a past experience with the person in question, even if it’s just something like “enjoyed your latest video/project/blog post”

Here’s a sample email that I’ve used to land interviews with popular musicians:

Subject Line: 3 quick interview questions

[Notice how I address what the interview is about, use a number and the word "quick" to signify a small workload, and get right to the point]

Hey (Artist Name),

Just wanted to shoot you a quick email, I’ve had your latest album on repeat lately and I’ve been featuring you a ton on my blog Sophistefunk.com, big fan of your music.

I was wondering if you had the time to answer 3 quick interview questions for me and my readers, I know they are always raving about your work and it would be my pleasure to feature some of your thoughts on my blog.

I’ve done past interviews before with [Example] and they turned out really well: http://LinkToAPastInterview

Here are the questions below, thanks again for your time and keep making great music, and I’ll keep supporting it =)

You’ll notice I advocate a 3-5 paragraph max, with no more than two sentences per paragraph.

Really, the shorter the better, this one was actually a bit longer of an example because I wanted to fit a few strategies in.

You’ll also notice that I start off with “I’m a fan”, signifying some loyalty to the person I’m reaching out to.

I also state the benefits in a direct manner: “My audience would enjoy…”, telling the person that I have an audience that they could get more exposure to.

Lastly, I post a the best example I have, one of mine is an interview with Michal Menert, which got over 180 shares in 24 hours.

2. Networking With Those Around You

When it comes to creating real connections and doing smart networking, most people have the right idea, but far too often I see people attempting to network only with people “above them”, and they often miss out on the great connections that are in plain sight around them.

The thing about networking with the “little guy” is that they are much more likely to reciprocate, and by showcasing their content, you are putting the spotlight on an up-and-comer, which is much more intersesting than posting about the “big guys” that everybody already know about.

This kind of networking can be really rewarding, just look at how Tom Ewer’s post on 5 Non A-List Bloggers You Should Be Following got mentioned on one of the biggest Problogger posts of the year, and how I’m mentioning it right now!

So, how was I able to utilize “helping the little guy” to build my blog up to 40,000 visitors, and more importantly, how can you do the same?

When it comes to running a music blog, the artists are king, since they are really the content providers for your site (although I published my thoughts and the occasional electronic music podcast, artists still rule the roost).

I began realizing that my featuring of much smaller artists had a larger relative impact, in that by featuring their music or by linking to them, I was sending them a respectable amount of traffic, but a mere blip on the radar to huge, popular artists.

By featuring a larger artist’s music, I wouldn’t even get a friendly tweet (that’s not to disrespect them, with more popularity comes less time for networking with small to medium sites like mine).

Yet, when I would feature an indepedendent or “just getting started” artist, they would almost always share the post on social networks, send me a thank you email, and much more (such as providing unreleased music, just for my site!)

Think that this strategy is exclusive to my niche?

Try replacing the word “blogger” with “artist” in the paragraphs above.

You can pursue the same strategy, reaching out to “up and comers”, by connecting with and featuring soon to be superstars in your niche.

My personal take on this strategy?

I started a weekly feature called “Follow Friday” where I would feature 7 independent artists who had submitted their tracks to me.

By pairing up these talented but not yet established artists, I would 7 separate personalities (and their growing following) sharing the same post all at once.

This not only provided a unique feature for my site, but it instantly got me more links and social shares.

Funny how that works: people with a lot to gain from you mentioning them will be grateful in return.

How to apply this to your blog: Outside of just doing a featured post or linking to other bloggers, engage with them directly!

As an example: I did an interview with Rafal Tomal (lead Copyblogger designer) & Alex Mangini (owner of Kolakube) for my marketing blog Sparring Mind.

This post got a tremendously positive response, and it was because I took two talented WordPress designers who were established, but not so known as to make them “over-discussed”, and I got them to dish out their real opinions on what kind of blog designs convert well.

I took a topic people wanted to read, found under-appreciated talents that knew what they were talking about, and put them together for one dynamite post.

What kind of interviews & collaborations could you be forming with up-and-coming bloggers in your niche?

I had to ask myself that very question for both of these projects, but for my music blog I decided to go with musicians over fellow bloggers, but the general concept remains the same: collaborating with unique talent is a great way to build rapport with talented people and also provide useful content along with it.

3. Using Social Media Correctly (Saving Time & Sanity)

I’ve got a love/hate relationship with social media.

On one hand, it’s great as an “icebreaker”, and creating connections that have long term positive effects for your brand, as well as being a good traffic source.

On the other hand, unless you are actively pursuing these end goals, social media can be a complete waste of time, even worse, it makes you feel like you are “working on your business” when in fact you are doing a whole lot of nothing.

The thing with a “cold” email is, without recognizing you, some people might simply ignore your initial contact or be hesitant to respond back to you.

I’ve found that for my blogs, social media (especially Twitter), is fantastic for laying the groundwork for future email discussions, which are usually where the real work gets done (I’m telling you, email really is top dog).

It’s often as simple as “tagging”, by utilizing mentions on either Facebook or Twitter to let a blogger (or in my case, a musician) know that you’ve mentioned them in some way.

I’d often do this for new music premiere’s, and many artists would gladly retweet me to their large following, just as a way to say thanks.

Noted Psychology Professor Robert Cialdini (author of the popular Influence book) would describe this process as reciprocity, one of the 6 key ways to being more influential.

Giving to others often leads to them giving back, and scale is important in determining whether they will reciprocate and in what fashion.

What I mean by “scale” is how much your initial act effects them, that’s why connecting with those “around you” works so well: your impact on them is much greater.

Social media is your way of alerting them that you are doing do, and a great way to “pursue” traffic and increase the influence of your network, rather than just sitting around and waiting for these things to happen.

I use social media for two very specific purposes for my blog, one that is something general that any blog can do, and another that is very niche specific but brings me in a lot of traffic. (Hopefully they will serve as inspiration to you).

The first I briefly touched on above: I use social media as an icebreaker for larger projects.

I typically do this by starting a conversation with the a specific person’s latest tweets, and later I let them know I’d like to chat with them via email.

When people see you are interested in discussing something via email, they are generally receptive if you’ve shown yourself to be a coherent human being with good social media etiquette: that means it’s likely your email will most likely be interesting for them.

The second is simple notification, it’s something I use to practice effective guest blogging and it’s also something I use for my music blog.

On a guest post, alerting people via social media (or if you’ve established a relationship, via email) is a great way to notify them that you’ve featured something they’ve on a big blog.

They will likely reciprocate by sharing the post with their followers, since it features them and they want repay you for the mention.

With my music blog, I would instead notify all of the independent artists who I feature using Twitter mentions and Facebook tagging.

The thing is, 95% of people would then share the post, grateful that I had taken the time to feature their music.

Bloggers are likely to do the same, especially if you are connecting around you like I mentioned above (big bloggers don’t always have the time to reciprocate).

So, don’t just use social media to share links and post about your thoughts, use it to be social, notifying people and breaking the ice, which will hopefully lead to more productive discussions via email.

Over To You…

Have you ever run into a problem where guest posting wasn’t really effective for your blog?

Have you found email to be way more fundamental to your blog’s growth than social media?

Let me know in the comments below, and thank you for reading!

You’re reading How to Get 40,000 Readers Without Guest Blogging, originally posted on Kikolani and copyrighted by Kristi Hines, freelance writer and professional blogger. Be sure to follow Kristi on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

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Kikolani

As many of you know, I love writing about Google Analytics. I’m a data junkie, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than learning more about the visitors coming to my blog. One of the best ways to get actionable data out of your Google Analytics is to set up goals.

Setting up a goal in Google Analytics tells it that someone has completed something important on your website, such as buying product, signing up to your email list, or similar. For those who aren’t interested in selling products or capturing mailing list subscribers, is there anything else you can count as a goal on your blog? Absolutely – you can start with your comments!

What You Can Learn from Setting Up Blog Comments as Goals

Here are a few things you can learn from setting up comment form submissions as goals in Google Analytics.

• Discover what referral sites are sending the most commenters. This will let you know what social media sites, guest blog posts, or other referrers are sending traffic that not only reads your posts, but also gets engaged. On the flip side, if you are getting a lot of spam, you might discover the sites sending spam traffic to your blog. This could lead you to finding lists that are sending you nothing but spam and, if that is the case, you can ask them to remove your blog from their list.
• Learn the difference between commenters and regular traffic. On my blog, one interesting tidbit is the average time on site for regular visitors is 1:23 vs the average time on site for commenters is 10:31! A good reason to encourage comments!
• Find out what content on your blog your most engaged audience enjoys so you can produce more of it.
• See what part of the world your commenters are coming from. If you are targeting a specific region, but your commenters are coming from somewhere else, you might want to look into the reasons why.

So now that you know just a few reasons to set up comments as goals, let’s look at the ways you can set up your WordPress and Google Analytics to track your blog comments as goals.

Method 1: Tracking First Time Commenters Using Thank You Page & URL Destination Goal Type

For those who don’t want to get into hacking code and modifying templates, this is the easiest way to go. The only downside to this method is that it will only track the first time commenters to your blog. Also note that it will track every first time visitor that submits a comment, regardless of whether you go on to approve the comment.

The Basics of How it Works

Using a plugin, you will redirect first time commenters to a custom thank you page on your blog. In Google Analytics, you will set up that thank you page as a URL Destination goal type which tells Google Analytics that anyone who reaches the thank you page has completed an important goal.

Step 1: How to Set Up the Thank You Page in WordPress

Setting up the thank you page for your first time commenters is easy. Just create a new page on your blog, name it something like Thank You for Your Comment, and add some good content. This page can be as simple or complex as you choose to make it.

The goal is to think about what you would want your first time commenters to do next on your site, such as check out the main categories on your blog, sign up for your mailing list, or check out your latest product. You could also suggest that they connect with you on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.

Step 2: How to Set Up the Redirect to the Thank You Page

Next, you will want to set up the redirect using the Comment Redirect plugin by Yoast. Add this by going to your WordPress Dashboard > Plugins > Add New and searching for comment redirect yoast. Once activated, you will find the settings for the plugin under the Plugins menu.

Here, all you have to do is select your thank you for commenting page from the dropdown and save settings.

That’s all it takes! All of your first time commenters will be directed to your thank you page.

Step 3: How to Set Up the URL Destination Goal in Google Analytics

The following directions are for Google Analytics 5, currently in beta. To use this version, click on the link at the top of your Google Analytics dashboard for New Version.

Last, but not least, you will need to set up the URL Destination goal in Google Analytics. Simply go to your blog’s profile in Google Analytics and click on the Settings wheel. Then click on the Goals tab.

To add a new Goal, click on the + Goal link.

If you have multiple websites / blogs, and want to view blog comment data across all of them as an Advanced Segment, be sure to use the same name, Goal set and position for each site’s blog comment goals. For example, on my main site, I set up Blog Comments set up as a goal in the second position of Goal set 2.

On my next website, I did the same, even though I haven’t utilized all of the goals in Goal set 1.

You will see why this is valuable later in the section on viewing your data in Google Analytics. Goals cannot be deleted and moved around later, so if you think you have more important goals to set up on your blog (like product sales, mailing list signups, etc.), save Goal set 1 for those and use Goal set 2, 3, or 4 for your comments.

Name your goal Blog Comments or similar. Then select the Goal Type of URL Destination. Enter the URL for the “Thank You for Commenting” page you created earlier into the Goal URL field. If the full URL for your page is http://domain.com/thank-you-for-commenting/, then enter /thank-you-for-commenting/ as the Goal URL. Your goal should look like this.

Click on the Save button to finish. Now your goal is ready to go. Be sure to wait at least 24 hours (and for a few comments) to collect some data before beginning your analysis.

Method 2: Using the Comment Form Submit Button & Event Goal Type

For those who don’t mind getting into the code and modifying template files, this is the alternative. Once set up, this method will track any comments submitted on your blog, by both first time and repeat commenters. Also note that it will track every visitor that submits a comment, regardless of whether you go on to approve the comment.

Disclaimer

Some of the following directions include modifying templates that generally should not be modified. Some things to keep in mind regarding this…

• Whenever you are modifying a template, be sure that you have a clean back up of it that you can upload immediately via FTP to your server in case your modifications make your website crash. Uploading an original file should set things straight. I use FileZilla, a free FTP solution or you can use the FTP client provided by your hosting company.
• Some theme providers will void their support if you modify their templates. Keep this in mind if you are used to getting support and will continue to need it. Or, if your site needs suport later down the road, upload an original template file in place of the one you modified.
• Be sure to note any template files you have changed and record the exact coding changes you have made. Whenever you upgrade the core WordPress platform, themes, or plugins, the upgrade might overwrite your changes. You will need to check after doing any upgrades that your code is still intact and possibly need to modify it again.
• While these modifications worked on my websites, they may not necessarily work on yours due to conflicting WordPress versions, themes, and plugins. While I would love to help you if you get stuck, please note that I am not responsible for anything that happens to your website.

For all of the following directions, I have been using WordPress version 3.3.1 and specific theme versions as noted.

The Basics of How it Works

Whenever someone submits a comment on your blog, they have to click the Submit button. You will add some additional code on the Submit button for your contact form. In Google Analytics, you will set up a Event goal type which tells Google Analytics that anyone who reaches the thank you page has completed an important goal.

Step 1: How to Add Additional Code to the Submit Button

The code you will need to add to your blog’s comment form submit button is as follows.

The words Forms, Submit, and BlogComments sycn with the Google Analytics Event Goal Type settings for Category, Action, and Label. You can use different wording as you desire. You will add it to the Submit button for your comment form like this.

The only challenge is finding the comment form submit button on your theme. The following are locations and code examples for particular themes.

Standard WordPress Themes – Modifying the Comments Template File

If you’re not using Thesis or Genesis, you will want to start your search for your comment form’s submit button code in the comment template file for your theme. To view it, go to your WordPress dashboard > Appearance > Editor, and select the comments.php file from the right side. Then scroll through until you find the following highlighted code (or similar) for the comment form’s submit button.

You will want to add the Google Analytics event tracking code as follows, then click the Update File button to save your changes.

After you save the modified file, you can check your code by going to a blog post on your site, viewing the source code, and ensuring that the Submit button code looks like this.

Be sure to test your comment form to ensure it is working properly by submitting a comment while logged out of your account. If the comment submits and posts properly, you can move on to the next section on setting up the Event Goal in Google Analytics.

Other WordPress Themes – Modifying the WordPress Core Comments Template File

If your theme has a comments.php file, but you can’t find the code for the submit button, you might instead find a call to the following function.

In this case, your theme is using the the comment form from the comment_template.php file within the core files located in /wp-includes/ folder. Most of Elegant Themes‘ templates, for example, do this. I use Notepad++ to edit files, but you can use your preferred source code editor. The line of code you are looking for should be at 1578 and looks like this.

You will want to add the Google Analytics event tracking code as follows.

After you upload the modified file, you can check your code by going to a blog post on your site, viewing the source code, and ensuring that the Submit button code looks like this.

Be sure to test your comment form to ensure it is working properly by submitting a comment while logged out of your account. If the comment submits and posts properly, you can move on to the next section on setting up the Event Goal in Google Analytics.

Thesis 1.8.2

If you are using the Thesis Theme (like I am on Kikolani), version 1.8.2, then your comment form’s submit button code is in the comments.php file within /wp-content/thesis_182/lib/classes/ folder. I use Notepad++ to edit files, but you can use your preferred source code editor. The line of code you are looking for should be at 96 and looks like this.

You will want to add the Google Analytics event tracking code as follows.

After you upload the modified file, you can check your code by going to a blog post on your site, viewing the source code, and ensuring that the Submit button code looks like this.

Be sure to test your comment form to ensure it is working properly by submitting a comment while logged out of your account. If the comment submits and posts properly, you can move on to the next section on setting up the Event Goal in Google Analytics.

Genesis 1.8

StudioPress just released Genesis 1.8 Framework on Friday. I made the following changes to my blog before making the Genesis framework update, and everything was still working after the automatic upgrade to 1.8.

The Genesis Framework pulls the comment form’s submit button from the comment_template.php file within the core files located in /wp-includes/ folder. I use Notepad++ to edit files, but you can use your preferred source code editor. The line of code you are looking for should be at 1578 and looks like this.

You will want to add the Google Analytics event tracking code as follows.

After you upload the modified file, you can check your code by going to a blog post on your site, viewing the source code, and ensuring that the Submit button code looks like this.

Be sure to test your comment form to ensure it is working properly by submitting a comment while logged out of your account. If the comment submits and posts properly, you can move on to the next section on setting up the Event Goal in Google Analytics.

Step 2: How to Set Up the Event Goal in Google Analytics

The following directions are for Google Analytics 5, currently in beta. To use this version, click on the link at the top of your Google Analytics dashboard for New Version.

Last, but not least, you will need to set up the Event Type goal in Google Analytics. Simply go to your blog’s profile in Google Analytics and click on the Settings wheel. Then click on the Goals tab.

To add a new Goal, click on the + Goal link.

If you have multiple websites / blogs, and want to view blog comment data across all of them as an Advanced Segment, be sure to use the same name, Goal set and position for each site’s blog comment goals. For example, on my main site, I set up Blog Comments set up as a goal in the second position of Goal set 2.

On my next website, I did the same, even though I haven’t utilized all of the goals in Goal set 1.

You will see why this is valuable later in the section on viewing your data in Google Analytics. Goals cannot be deleted and moved around later, so if you think you have more important goals to set up on your blog (like product sales, mailing list signups, etc.), save Goal set 1 for those and use Goal set 2, 3, or 4 for your comments.

Name your goal Blog Comments or similar. Then select the Goal Type of Event Type. Under Goal Details, configure the Category, Action, and Label that is equal to Forms, Submit, and BlogComments. Your completed goal should look like this.

Click on the Save button to finish. Now your goal is ready to go. Be sure to wait at least 24 hours (and for a few comments) to collect some data before beginning your analysis.

Viewing Your Data in Google Analytics

Now we are on to the fun part – analyzing the data! There are a few ways you can view your Blog Comments Goal data in Google Analytics.

Explorer View

In any section where you have the Explorer, you can click on the Goal Set corresponding to where you placed your Blog Comments goal. Since mine is in Goal Set 2, I would click on that in the Explorer.

You can then see the percentage of goal completions for the specific data you are viewing.

Click on the column for your Blog Comments goal to see data related to the highest goal completion rate. Specific types of data you can see in relation to your blog comment goal completions include the following.

• Audience > Demographics > Location – View the top countries in which visitors are located and see the percentage of blog comments completed by these visitors.
• Traffic Sources > Sources > All Traffic – View the top traffic referral sources and see the percentage of blog comments completed by these visitors.
• Traffic Sources > Sources > Search > Organic – View the top keywords from search and see the percentage of blog comments completed by these visitors.
• Content > Site Content > Landing Pages – View the top landing pages that visitors enter upon and see the percentage of blog comments by these visitors.

Conversions & Goals Overview

Next, you can visit the Conversions > Goals > Overview section of your data, then select your Blog Comments goal from the Goal Option dropdown.

Here, you can see a graph of the number of blog comment completions in the date range specified.

Below, you can see Goal Completion URLs which will generally correspond to the posts that have received the most comments.

You can also click on the Source / Medium link to see the top traffic sources that lead to blog comments.

Advanced Segments

This one is my favorite. By creating an Advanced Segment based on your Blog Comments goal completions, you can see all of your data within Google Analytics based on just those visitors who submitted a comment. To do this, click on the Advanced Segments tab, and then the + New Custom Segment to create a new segement.

Name your segment Blog Comments Goal or similar. Click on the green dropdown that starts with Ad Content, and start typing in the name you gave your Blog Comments goal. Select the one that includes Completions.

In the next dropdown, select Great than, and then enter 0 as the value. Your completed segment should look similar to this.

Click on the Test Segment to see data from this segment, or click Save Segment to finish. Now you should see your Blog Comments goal like this.

To compare the data for visitors who comment vs. those who do not, click on the Advanced Segment area again and make sure the boxes for All Visits (under Default Segments) and your Blog Comments goal (under Custom Segments) are checked. Then click Apply.

Now you are ready to learn even more about your visitors and the differences between those that comment and those that don’t. I find that pages per visit and average time on site are much better for commenters compared to other visitors – a good reason to encourage comments!

Speaking of comments, if you have applied something similar to your blog or apply this, let me know how it goes!

You’re reading How to Set Up Blog Comments as Goals in Google Analytics Using WordPress Hacks by Kristi Hines, originally posted on Kikolani. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Kristi on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+!

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Kikolani

This is a guest post by Marcus Sheridan, recently named one of the Top 10 Social Media Bloggers of 2012 by Social Media Examiner.

We all want our blogs to grow. I do, you do, we all do. But as many are now finding, it’s getting more and more difficult to experience growth quickly, especially in industries that are more saturated with many great bloggers and tons of excellent content.

Notwithstanding, every year bloggers come from nowhere and explode onto the scene, finding a way to build a large audience quickly and become a leading voice of authority and trust within their field.

So how does it happen? How can a newbie blogger increase their ascension to the top of their chosen industry? This article will demonstrate qualities of successful bloggers and how they have found a way to stand out from their peers in a very short period of time.

1. Be Relentless in Getting Stuff Done

I put this one first because often times when we read about ‘shortcuts to success’, we forget the most important principle of all- hard work. And when I look at bloggers that have shown a propensity to push with an unrelenting enthusiasm to get things done, one name really stands out to me — Danny Iny.

For those of you unfamiliar with Danny, he started his blog Firepole Marketing at the beginning of 2011 and managed to not only build a name for himself, but also produce one of the Year’s best works (IMO) with his excellent book, Engagement From Scratch, a must read for any blogger.

What was so impressive about Danny was the sheer amount of ‘stuff’ he did during the year to get going. Not only did he produce 2-3 great articles each week on his own blog, but he also managed to land more guest posts in one year than anyone I’ve ever seen… by a landslide.

Moreover, Danny also commenced a marketing training program, published his book, and found the time to get married in the process. Seriously, I thought I was pretty motivated until I saw everything Danny was able to accomplish in 2011, but he certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities if we put in the time and truly ‘will’ success into our lives.

2. Think Wayyyyy Outside the [Opt-in] Box

Whenever there is content saturation in an industry, one major key to standing out is the ability to think completely outside the box and offer fresh perspective on principles most folks have never considered. One person that comes to mind immediately when I consider this is Derek Halpern of Social Triggers. Derek was the first person (that I’m aware of) that put an opt-in box on his home page, something that many bloggers big and small have done since learning about this feature. (I added it recently myself and it works extremely well.)

Although Derek doesn’t write a prolific amount of content, the stuff he does write is always extremely thoughtful and often times questions status-quo best practices, a quality that has helped him build an email list of over 10,000 names in less than one year. He also started a podcast on iTunes which debuted at #2 in Business – Social Triggers Insider: Marketing, Psychology, and Business.

3. Know Your Shtick and Go After It Aggressively

I’ve talked about ‘knowing your shtick‘ quite a bit on my blog but the phrase refers to one’s ability to know their core strengths and passions, and then actively pursue this direction without distraction.

A perfect example of this is Amy Porterfield, who, in less than one year, has become known as one of the premier experts on using Facebook for marketing and business.

Instead of trying to be all things to all people, Amy has focused her efforts in one area, and boy have the dividends paid off. In fact, Amy recently launched arguably the most thorough online training course for Facebook marketing ever produced—Facebook Influence.

4. Learn to Post Powerful and Effective Blog Titles

I honestly feel one of the biggest problems in the blogosphere, especially for newer bloggers, is that they simply don’t understand how to write blog post titles that arouse reader interest and lead to a high click-through rate.

Although this may sound self-aggrandizing, I’m going to list a few examples from my marketing blog to show you exactly what I’m talking about:

• Chris Brogan Unfollowed Me on Twitter and Now I Hate My Life
• Eventually, Mr. Blogger, You Actually Have to Do Something
• 10,862 Comments Later, I Realize Blog Comments Are NOT a Business Model
• 7 Reasons Why Having a Twitter Feed in Your Sidebar is a Really Dumb Idea

5. Think Like a Teacher

If you’re a great teacher, and you find a way to speak to your audience in a way they can understand, it’s a good chance you’ll find success as a blogger.

A perfect example of this is Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income. Anyone that has ever read Pat’s blog will always describe it with this word—Helpful. In fact, it’s not just helpful, it’s extremely helpful.

Pat has a magical way of putting himself in the shoes of an inexperienced or beginning blogger, and then showing techniques, practices, etc. in such a way that anyone can understand. If you read Pat’s blog, there is a good chance you’ll leave every post with something new and applicable you can apply to your blog and business—the truest sign of a great teacher.

Your Turn

Although all of these qualities will surely help you to build your blog and brand more quickly in 2012, there are many more worth mentioning, and I’d be curious to know what other qualities you’d add to this list. Also, if you’ve noticed other bloggers demonstrating these qualities, don’t hesitate to mention them as well. As always, your thoughts, comments, and shares are very much appreciated.

You’re reading 5 Essential Qualities of Growing Your Blog Quickly in a Crowded Niche by Kristi Hines, originally posted on Kikolani. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Kristi on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+!

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Kikolani

This post is part of a weekly series, Fetching Friday, featuring the best posts of the week in blogging, business, freelancing, SEO, and social media on kikolani.com.

The Resources Mashup

Here are some of the best articles I have seen on Google+, retweeted on @kikolani, and read in RSS subscriptions this week.

Blogging / Writing

• The Ultimate Guide to Guest Blogging – In this article we are going to look at exactly how you can get guest blogging opportunities and make the most out of them.
• 17 Copy-And-Paste Blog Post Templates – Ever feel stuck when preparing a blog post? Here are 17 Copy-And-Paste Blog Post Templates that you can use as your own.
• 23 Lessons You Can Learn From Corbett Barr – A compilation of 23 awesome tips and posts from the successful blogger behind Think Traffic.
• 7 Powerful Ways to End Your Next Blog Post – Without a powerful end to your post, all the work that you put into the title and paragraph one is wasted. Because the end of your post is what keeps your readers coming back for more.
• How To Get Over 50,000 Visits to Your Blog in the First Month – Peep Laja got 600 RSS subscribers, a double opt-in email list of 700 and a bunch of new Twitter followers. Not bad for the first month. Here were the strategies he followed to achieve this.

Business / Career

• The 100 Blogs You Need In Your Life – 100 blogs on entrepreneurship, blogging, Internet marketing, social media, SEO, niche sites, freelancing, affiliate marketing, and other topics to help you achieve the goal of leaving work behind.
• The 5 Truth Bombs That Are Silently Destroying Your Business – Lots of people are teaching business owners about the latest online tools and tactics for getting more customers, but almost nothing is said about the unchanging fundamentals that underpin all successful marketing.
• The Most Effective Piece of Content – 24 content strategy and marketing experts reveal common mistakes that people make in their content and marketing efforts.
• Sales Tips Revealed: The Must-Do Sales Strategy That Will Shock You – There’s a way for you to make more sales by asking a few simple questions. This strategy is based on some surprising research about the human brain and how it works and when James shares it with you below, you’ll realize just how powerful it is for making more sales.
• 37 Free Video Answers to Your Business and Marketing Questions – 37 answers to questions about choosing your niche, making money, launches, marketing, sales, traffic, and social media.

Freelancing

• 10 Places to Find Potential Clients that You can Engage with Online – To save you time looking everywhere, Alex put together a list of great places where you can look for prospects in your target market, before adding them somewhere like LinkedIn or Google+.
• 7 Get-Real Questions to Ask to Set Your Freelance Writing Fee – What should you charge for writing? That depends. Here are seven questions I ask in determining how much I will charge a new freelance writing client.
• 21 Times for a Freelancer to Say “No” – In this post, I list twenty-one situations where a freelancer might need to say “no” to a prospective client. I also provide a sample response (as well as some discussion) for each situation.
• How to Write a Guest Post for WordCount – Writing a guest post for WordCount is a smart move if you have a book, ebook or other project about to debut that you’d like to promote, or if you’d just like to gain some more exposure for your own blog.
• 44 New Portfolio WordPress Themes Collection – You may want to check out this 44 Premium Portfolio WordPress Themes. Browse through the samples and brief features.

Personal Development / Productivity

• 10 Ways to Stop Forgetting Things & Get More Done – We all want to stay on top of our tasks and obligations. What we need are good habits and strategies to remember what we need to do.
• 10 Good Reminders for Stressful Times – ust a few things to think about when life delivers a dose of difficulty and stress.
• How Meditation Improved My Life in About 30 Days – Last month, Stacy created a new habit: meditation. It drastically improved her life! She shares why and how it has brought so much positive change. Music included!
• How to Keep Going In The Face of Constant Setbacks – How to keep going in the face of life’s setbacks and disappointments, how to stay motivated by remembering what sets others up for success and what makes you special.
• The Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Doer – If you are tired of inactivity robbing you of your potential, then here are 15 ways to be a doer.

Search Engines / SEO

• The Inside Scoop to Finding Link Building Opportunities with Free Alerts – Exploring ways to automate the search for link building opportunities with free alerts.
• What is AuthorRank – With the maze of content and myriad of authors on the Internet, how do you stand out from the rest? If you publish content, you’ll want to learn all you can about the AuthorRank and the Rel=Author attribute.
• How To Test Your Google Authorship Markup in One Clicks – Did you implement your Google Authorship markup correctly? Is your review microformat being recognized by Google? The best way to find out is to run it through Google’s Rich Snippets Testing Tool.
• Everything You Need To Know About SEO Web Structure & Internal Links – Using internal linking to create a vertical site architecture is like setting-up a Monopoly board for game play. You still need to buy properties and add houses and hotels to have a chance at winning.
• Google+ Box Ranking Factors Report – How does Google decide which pages and profiles get that coveted spot? Also, how does Google decide which search queries get the plus box, and which ones don’t?

Social Media / Social Networking

• Pinterest Marketing Tips for SEO, Traffic, and Online Reputation Management – This post includes some additional statistics about Pinterest, how it compares to Tumblr, and tips for marketers looking to get more out of the Pinterest network for SEO, traffic, and online reputation management.
• How to Become a Twitter Ninja in Less Than 30 Minutes a Day – Twitter is one of the key tools in my platform toolbox. Here’s the strategy and tools Michael uses to maximize my impact and minimize my effort.
• 10 Tips to Optimize Your Facebook Page for Brand Visibility – Are you satisfied with your page presence so far or yearning for better results? Here are 10 tips to improve your Facebook Page for brand awareness and visibility.
• 10 Ways to Get More Traffic, Attention and Higher Rankings Through Social Sharing – If you write a post that gets 500 tweets, 100 likes and 40 +1s, and you do that consistently, your bound to grow your traffic and grow your search engine rankings. So how do you get people to share you content across the social web?
• 6 Mistakes That Get You Ignored On Twitter And Social Media – There are several tricks for getting people to retweet or share your content, and respond to you when you contact them.

Who’s Going to BlogWorld New York?

It’s that time again! BlogWorld New York is happening June 5th – 7th. Get the best prices with early bird registration now through February 22nd! For those who don’t want to hoof it to the West Coast (Los Angeles), then this East Coast event is for you.

BlogWorld Expo is my favorite conference to attend to network with other bloggers. So far I have only been to the ones on the West Coast, but I’m *strongly considering* the trek out to NY which is coincidentally starting on my birthday. So if you are planning to go, be sure to get the best prices by registering now. Let me know if you’re going too!

Photo of the Week

This week’s top photo is from the snow covered Grand Canyon. Since it got chilly again here in Phoenix, I thought I’d post something wintry.

Be sure to check out my photography blog for more photos and follow me @kristihines for my photography tweets or become a fan of Photostry on Facebook!

HDR Skies

If you’ve got a good Internet connection, blow this one up to full size. It’s worth it!

Don’t Miss Out on Fetching Fridays!

Be sure to catch the weekly roundups by subscribing to Kikolani’s full feed via RSS or email. Or subscribe directly to Fetching Friday only via RSS or email.

You’re reading Fetching Friday – Resources Mashup & HDR Skies by Kristi Hines, originally posted on Kikolani. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Kristi on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+!

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Kikolani

Impressionable Kids

People love to follow celebrity gossip through tabloids, television and internet blogs. Unfortunately, some of the information contained in these outlets aren’t true. Famous people can have their problems blown way out of proportion many different ways. Kids see how they are living their lives and want to imitate. If they see Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears out at night partying with drugs and alcohol they will do they exact same thing. Ultimately, parents must keep watch over their children so they do not fall into these destructive patterns.

Preferential Treatment

When celebrities hit rock bottom and go to drug addiction rehabilitation people become even more obsessed with their lives. They seem so interesting compared to most peoples mundane lives. There are even reality television shows on air that deal with this very subject. People want to see celebrities confront their issues in front of a camera so they can gossip about them even more. This is a recent phenomenon that is very unhealthy for our country.

Common Misconceptions

Unlike normal people who need to seek rehabilitation, celebrities are able to afford luxury treatment facilities. People get the impression, from seeing these places on television, that rehab is a glamorous experience. The reality could not be further from the truth. In fact, rehab is one of the toughest things a person can ever go through. Society needs to wake up to the fact that a drug addiction is not the latest fashion accessory.

Media

The mainstream media, namely the paparazzi, need to stop reporting such inane stories about celebrities and their alleged drug use. It fosters a fascination that serves no purpose other than making drug use seem more normal. It is confusing for a young person to see their favorite celebrity using drugs while maintaining a successful career that is endorsed by the media. It makes it seem like there is nothing wrong with what they are doing.

Help From Family

People who have regular nine to five jobs live very different lifestyles from the celebrities out in Hollywood. They do not have the money in most cases to cultivate and maintain a serious drug habit. If they do, they surely will not have the money for expensive, resort like treatment centers they see on television. It is important for people to realize what they see on television and read in tabloids does not accurately reflect real life. If a person fails to understand this it will make them think it is okay to have a hard partying lifestyle.

rants, odes, and ramblings

rants, odes, and ramblings

Form DS-11

You will need to complete a Form DS-11 for each of your children. Applications need to be submitted to an authorized location such as a post office. Check with your local postal office to see if they process passport applications. If they do not, they can most likely direct you to a government office that can help you. Once completed, both parents and the children must submit the application in person.

Proof of Citizenship

You will need to provide proof of the child’s citizenship. This can be done with an original certified birth certificate that has the registrar’s signature and a raised impression or multi-colored seal. You will submit the original with the application and it will be returned when you receive your passport. For children born in another country, a “Report of Foreign Birth’ may be provided instead.

Evidence of Relationship

Your relationship to the minor also needs to be documented. When both of the parents are named on the birth certificate, this is satisfactory evidence. The same would be required if you are using a “Report of Birth Abroad”. If you are divorced and have sole custody, you will need to present court documents as proof. An adoption decree will be needed as evidence of relationship if your children have been adopted.

Parental Identification Documents

As the parents, you will also need to provide a photocopy of your identification. Acceptable forms of identification include a previously issued passport, a naturalization certificate or a valid drivers license. City, state or federal employees may use their employee ID or military ID, which are also acceptable. If you are applying for multiple children, a copy of your ID must be submitted with each application.

Fees

There are two fees involved and they must be paid separately. The total cost for a child’s passport is one hundred and twenty dollars. The application fee is ninety-five dollars while the execution fee is another twenty-five dollars. You may be able to pay in cash if you have the exact amount or you can pay by personal check, money order or credit card. Not all acceptance facilities accept cash so you may want to check with the post office you plan to use.

Photos

The last thing you will need to complete your application packet is a passport photo. There are strict rules on what is acceptable so you may want to have a professional familiar with the requirements take the photos for you. Many post office facilities also offer a passport photo service.

Signature Must Be Witnessed

Post Office facilities that accept pasport renewal applications and offer passport photos have limited hours in which these services are offered. Be sure to check their passport processing hours and make an appointment if possible. Gather all your documents and photocopies together and submit your application. Your application should not be signed until you are with the acceptance agent, as your signature must be witnessed.

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“When House Guests Leave” and “On my Grandmother’s Bed at Age 5” by Andrea Potos

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Poet Hound

Uniqueness

This program has helped countless people meet and even exceed their fitness goals. It has been used by both star athletes and celebrities all over the world. The Body of Fire fitness program clearly lays out the methods for successful weight loss. It is not an easy program, however, and requires a large amount of dedication to be successful. However, anyone who closely follows the program will obtain staggering results for themselves.

Simplicity Of The Program

One of the things that make this program so incredibly effective is its ease of use. It clearly tells the user what they need to do each and every day in order for them to lose weight and gain muscle. It does this, mainly, by tricking your body into working harder than it ever has before. If you stick to the meal plan the program provides, your body will transform into a weight burning machine very quickly. You will be amazed at how much more energy you will have during your workouts on this program.

Success Rates

The exercises contain in this program have been proven to help people effectively lose weight while simultaneously gaining muscle. All the user has to do is follow the plan and they will begin to see results almost immediately. Often times, other programs will show people methods of losing weight that are very unhealthy. With this program, you can rest assured that everything you will be doing is good for your body’s overall health. The Body of Fire weight loss program is so effective because it offers real solutions to people struggling with their weight.

Benefits

An individual who chooses the Body of Fire weight loss program, and follows its instructions, will reap many benefits from using it. They will have more energy throughout the day than they are used to experiencing. They will enjoy better sleep patterns, as well as looking the best they ever have in their lives. If a person decides they want to get into shape in a healthy and long lasting way they would be wise to consider this comprehensive program. It is one of the most effective ways to lose weight and gain muscle that exists.

This is the program you have been waiting for if you are tired of feeling lazy and out of shape. Following the principles outlined in the Body of Fire program will have an individual on the way to a better body as soon as they begin using it. It is understandable to be skeptical about a program that promises so much to its users. However, one look at the customer testimonials of this program and you will be convinced. Another good weight loss program is the Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program. Both programs promote healthy weight loss through exercise and eating right.