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When I first started blogging, I thought the best way to get a blog to grow was to get big links. I mean, it was brutal the pressure I put myself through to get big bloggers to notice li’l ol’ me. I remember early on pissing several people off just because I thought calling someone out was the best way to get attention.

While I had that partially correct (dropping names does garner attention), there are other better ways to get linkage, get attention and gain quotes. The best way is accidentally but that’s not why you’re reading this entry.

James Joyner of Outside the Beltway provides some decent advice today about getting linked but it’s notably political blog slanted. I’d also take issue on a few items but mostly, he’s spot on. I’d add my own list of five ways to get links from others:

1. Write provocatively. I don’t mean write stupidly. Provocatively simply means “thought provoking”. When you present ideas in a way that readers may not have thought of before, you are causing a buzz. Believe it or not, readers like to be forced to think. Recently, I wrote provocatively when I wrote about elitism.

2. Do NOT write about something everyone else is. This is a major area of disagreement between myself and Mr. Joyner. As a reader, I am much less likely to read a story I’ve read 10 other places. To be successful in blogging, write about things that no one else has written about. Or at least write a different perspective on a story that is all over the news. If I want to read an article from the New York Times, I’ll read the New York Times.

As a blogger, I am far more likely to link to someone who challenges my thought than simply reinforces what I’ve been hearing all along. Recently, I wrote something brand new that caused Steve Rubel to stand up and take notice. This is how to garner attention.

3. Find a Niche. Finding a niches is not a short term solution to linkage problems. It is a long term strategy that requires discipline and focus. Find a topic that your blog can excel in and that you can become a subject matter expert in (SME). After 6 months of consistent blogging on your niche topic, you’ll find links coming at you left and right.

4. Don’t Try for Big Fish. Remember growing up and being worried about finding Mr. or Mrs. Right? You agonized over “How will I know”!” And you tried so hard and wore allt he right clothes, and did all the right things and hung out at all the hot spots hoping to meet that certain someone? Did you?

5. Link to Others. Perhaps obvious but not enough people do this. Most of the blog platforms will automatically attempt to notify people that you’ve linked to them when you publish an entry. Link to others and they will come to you.

If you’re like me, after trying so hard, you found the right person completely by accident while going around your normal everyday business. This is the key to blogging. Being yourself. Staying true to what you do. Forget getting linked by the big guys. If you try, it will be painfully and annoyingly obvious and will make you out to be a whore. Stay true to yourself and just do your blogging thing. You’ll be amazed what happens to genuine bloggers.

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Written by Aaron Brazell on April 5, 2006

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