New England Outside is just over 1 year old with 36ish posts! This still makes me the new kid on the outdoor blogging block but I have already leaned the most important lesson: build relationships with other bloggers and treat their blogs as you would like yours to be treated.
You might think that the keys to blog success is to write tons of relevant content, post plenty of pictures and create a good page layout; at least that is what I thought at first. Well, no matter what Kevin Costner says, if you build it they will not necessarily come. If no one knows your page exists then no one will read it; believe me I have the initial low page visit numbers to prove it!
You are not alone in the outdoor blogging world. There are tons of other blogs outdoor out there that are written by great people who are just as enthusiastic as you are. Connecting with these people will open your eyes to new ideas, create awareness for your site and maybe even help you make some new friends with the same interests as you.
Here is the important part; if you reach out to other bloggers then be sincere about it. Do it because you really want to expand your network and build a meaningful connection with like minded folk. This means that you should not post self serving comments to use their blog to simply direct traffic to yours.
So take a look around the blogging world. If you see something interesting then let the writer know and post a few comments on stuff that interests you. After all that’s the way you want readers to treat your blog right? Don’t be surprised if your own page views start going up as your network grows.
These are a few of the blogs that I read on the regular:
Guthook is a long distance hiker who has done over 6,000 miles in four years.
Here you will find great trip reports and pictures of lesser known, but still epic, hikes in the Whites.
A Nordic based ultra-light hiker with amazing photos.
This is a great blog about day hiking in New Hampshire. Its owner is a very nice fellow who was one of the first people to link to New England Outside.
This site is about backcountry skiing and mountain biking to the extreme. The writing style is engaging, informative and funny at the same time.
Sectionhiker.com really sets the standard in outdoor blogging. Here you will find trip reports from all over the Appalachian Trail, gear reviews, and a whole range of outdoor related insights.
It's amazing – I've seen a few posts this week in which people list other blogs. I thought I pretty much had most of them, but in each post there were great new blogs to read. This is no exception, so thanks!
I love finding new blogs. And I like young blogs the most! I like watching a good blog grow in popularity. Plus if you become a faithful reader of a young blog they will remember you when they have tons if traffic. Good info and advice! Did you see “The Art of Outdoor Bloging” over at Hiking in Finland?
Mark – This time of year must inspire people to create awareness of fellow blogs. I am glad I could help you find a new blog to read! I just added Backpacking North to my follow list; that tree tent looks cool!
My Life Outdoors: I agree, finding new blogs is great! I am amazed at how many good outdoor blogs exist! I checked our “My Life Outdoors” and like what I see! I did see “The Art of Outdoor Blogging”; it is one of the best how to blog articles that I have ever seen!
Thanks for the shout-out, Grant. First Hendrik's post, then this to get me thinking about what to do with my blog… I'm glad you mention that posting frequently is not necessary. I used to think it was, but happily the web community does seem to go for quality rather than quantity. Although sometimes it's hard to be sure. Case in point: for some reason a bunch of my traffic this week seems to be coming from a medical website with search results for “acting strangely.” Oh internet, what are you trying to say to me?
Thanks Grant for the Shout-out!
I agree with you that one should treat other blogs (people) as you'd like to be treated, a wisdom my parents also passed on to me. I do, however, think that a bit of layout, good content and fine photos help in attracting readers and help create those relationships =)
Grant – Thanks for the kind words and the recognition in your post. You're absolutely right! Treat other blogs as you want to be treated. I think your very right about when reaching out to others, be sincere. I've made quite a bit of friends (even though I only know some via the computer at this point) reaching out to others as well as having them reach out to me. I'm glad you reached out when you did, because I may not have found New England Outside if you hadn't…which I thoroughly enjoy!
Great list of blogs here. I hope to do something similar soon. Possible feature one blog per month or something of that sort.
Karl
Ryan: I definitely agree with you that quality trumps quantity. Your traffic source is certainly very interesting!
Hendrik: You are very welcome. A few months ago you linked one of my posts in your weekly update and drove a ton of traffic to my site, I have always been thankful for that. Your right that content does matters; I think this is the stuff that keeps readers coming back for me.
Karl: I am glad you agree! I did not know how many other outdoor bloggers were out there when I first started this blog. Thanks for the kind words about New England Outside and good luck with your future posts.
Well said. Thanks for the mention and the kind words.