5 Things to do for Your Blog During the Summer Traffic Slumps
May 31, 2016Memorial Day has now come and gone, the Summer months are upon us. With Summer comes vacations, some laxity in work hours, and a general overall relaxed vibe. For bloggers, it generally also means a decline in your traffic. It’s impossible not to feel a little bit panicked like you are doing something wrong but I want to assure you, everyone goes through it. Instead of stressing, here are five things you can do for your blog right now during the Summer slowdown months.
What to do for Your Blog During the Summer Months: Pin Me!
Build Your Other Channels
I have made a personal goal of mine to really focus on building my instagram over the Summer. Especially when it comes to Liketoknowit. I am now getting just as many clicks from my Instagram, as I am from the blog. It’s a really easy to use framework and concept. If you like what I am wearing in my Instagram and you’ve signed up for Liketoknow.it, whenever you “like” or double tap my picture, the exact looks and where to buy will be sent to your email. You will never get spam in there, only the links to the outfit you have liked on Instagram. When people are vacationing over the Summer, they are still heavily using Instagram. You are waiting for your flight, out by the pool, or road tripping in the car. Instagram is going to continue to see growth and that is where I will be focusing on this Summer, the goal is to start growing the Instagram and use my link in bio tool to link every other social platform I use so my audience is able to find me elsewhere. I am also going to continue to grow my Snapchat (@meetatthebarre) and Facebook page. The two other platforms people use on a daily basis.
Clean Up & Repurpose Old Posts
Some of my older posts when I was still on blogger bring a ton of traffic to my site. Two of my most popular posts from google searching is this one comparing Bare Minerals foundation to Tarte foundation. When it comes to SEO, it helps to put specific product names into your titles and headers but that is another post in the making. Basically, having an SEO Expert in London by your side can be a particularly effective way of building traffic for your website. Anyways, so the foundation post and my Target bathing suit guide are two of my biggest referrals in. When I switched to WordPress some of my older posts, the format did not come over as pretty. Make a point to search through your highest traffic posts and take the time to freshen them up. Never delete a photo because that may be already pinned content but you can update the product links and spruce up the formatting. You could also make new lead images that are easily pinnable (like this tutorial here). I have also made sure since the Target shopping guide is older, at the very beginning to link to the most updated post. Just like I did to my Santorini travel guide which is one of my most pinned posts to date.
Also, go back to your old content. If it was a gem that has been forgotten about and is still current information, push that out to your social media and stumble it. Get fresh eyeballs on it. I also go back and see if any posts can be repurposed and recycled for another go round. Posts take a long time to write and I guarantee you, you can recycle one or two posts a month and nobody will know. I’ve done it and even my mother didn’t recognize the old one. My last piece of advice on this topic, if you haven’t started a editorial calendar, now is the time. I have ideas and drafts for the next two weeks and an overview for a month. You have the time, use it to organize your posts and content!
Work on Your Photography
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You’ve saved all those photography tutorial posts, well now is the time to really get out there and start practicing. Stop using those iPhone pictures if you have made the investment in a professional camera. I made a pledge a little over a year ago to stop using any iPhone snaps on the blog and I feel like it has made such a difference in the overall professional look of my space. Seriously click on this post and write down the settings of each scenario, now get outside and start snapping away. If you have any questions about my tutorials or which settings you should be using in manual mode, definitely feel free to ask me. I also find when I get outside and just shoot with my camera, that is when I am the most creative and ideas for posts just start flowing.
Take the Time to Find New Collaborations
Every single time I get a blog email from a company or PR person, I save them in a folder. Then at the beginning of every month, I take the time to make contact with them again. “Just checking in, remember we worked on this campaign?” Or, “you said you weren’t looking for bloggers last month but to check back in next, do you have any campaigns starting that you may think I’m a good fit for?” I also like to ask “I see that you work for X company, do you have any other brands that you think I’d be a good fit for?“. If you are strapped for new contacts, start coming up with new ones. Do you remember this post? I talked about how I make the majority of my connections through Instagram (see how this all flows together? Working on that social channel, stepping up the photography and now the collaborations?). I’ve also been now taking the time to try and make new connections with hotel brands for my travel component of the blog. All these connections take time and guess what? This Summer you will definitely have the opportunity to reach out to new brands.
Spruce Up Your Site
I have been updating my site during this time. I added a new tab on the top where you can sign up for my Liketoknowit and see my latest instagram posts that are ready to shop. I have also added under that tab a “Shop My Current Favorites” where I update weekly my favorite shopping guides and sales. I have plans of updating my About Me page and Contact/Sponsor page. If you have been thinking of switching to WordPress now is the time. I wrote a post here about why I switched. I have a great contact that can help you with that, email me. Install a new plugin, like the click to tweet. If you want a new theme, I would tell you to check out Etsy or Creative Markets. I actually use Creative Markets for a lot of fonts and headers. Take this time to revamp your site, I guarantee that it will inspire and drive you for new content and ideas.
[bctt tweet=”5 Easy things to do for your blog to help with the Summer traffic decline. Must read!” username=”meetatthebarre”]
Well there you have it. 5 things that are completely manageable to do for your blog during the Summer decline in traffic. I challenge you to complete these during the Summer months. What are some of the things you do during the slump in traffic to stay inspired? What are your goals and focus for the next few months. If you like this post, I would appreciate you pinning, sharing on social media and “Liking” on Bloglovin!
I always appreciate your blogging advice posts because they’re so meaty (no fluff!)… thanks for the fantastic tips Amanda! <3
Yes! Such great tips, and I agree with Jesica above, your blogging advice posts are one of the few I read there is just no fluff just awesome advice.
Definitely going to be re-purposing old content – with so many posts written it would be a shame to forget them! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
Yes to all of the above! I’ve been trying to be better about sharing old posts. There are some gems in there that need new love!
Such great tips! I’ve definitely gone through old posts in the past few weeks to refresh some of my favorites that needed some help.
Zelle
Southern Style
All great tips! Hoping to get a few of these accomplished over the summer/ on maternity leave!
Such a helpful post full of great ideas!! I’ll definitely be doing a lot of these this summer. Thanks, girl!
I’m totally taking this time to clean up older posts and work on photography. Great suggestions! The slow summer months kill me.
Yes ma’am! I’ll be right there with you working on my IG and my photography. I’ve actually secretly been waiting for summer to hit so that I can step away from the blog hustle and have some time to do these things! And, maybe go and enjoy life a little :)
These are great tips! I definitely need to go back and spruce up older content and/or repurpose it for a new post.
Great post full of good ideas! A summer time spruce up is a great idea!
xo, Whitney and Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
Such great ideas! Working on my photography is my #1 for this summer… and extending that into my Instagram!
I like the idea of sprucing up old posts! Now that I got a new camera I feel slightly invincible in terms of opportunities to blog haha. PS – check out that pout in the first photo! *heart eyes cat emoticon*
hahahahahah that was probably me telling Mark can’t he just take one more? ;-)
This is a really great idea! Sharing with other blogger friends!
Great tips gorgeous!
You always have such great tips and I cannot thank you enough for sharing them!
Great tips- I’m really trying to improve all of this this summer, especially the photography!
Emma | Seeking the South
I love your idea for updating old posts! I’ve definitely changed a lot as a blogger from when I first started almost two years ago, and it would be awesome to go back and update old posts with better pictures!
Great tips, as always!!!
LOVE the idea of repurposing and creating new relationships during the summer!!
Meg, Borrowed Heaven
Great post, girl! I love these suggestions! I too have been working to build up LTK and updating old posts from the switch over from Blogger to WordPress! Great suggestions! XO
Anna || A Lily Love Affair
YES to working on my photography!! Gosh if only I could get used to lugging that big camera around!!
I so need to go back and revamp some of my older posts. I have grown so much since then and that would be a nice way to have a little inspiration when I have none. (; Great tips Amanda! Keep those photography posts coming! They help SO MUCH!
Thanks for sharing! I really need to work on ALL of these but hoping to at least optimize my blog and practice more photography on my free time.
Great ideas, there are some old posts of mine that can definitely be revamped!
I certainly need to work on a few of these things. Photography is always something fun to play with! And with four years of posts, I am sure there is some genius in those early days when I had 2 readers so I could resurface some of those for sure!
You always give the BEST blogging advise. Thanks so much. This summer it’s my goal to really work on my blog! This will really come in handy! Xo
Love this post and you are so inspiring! But it’s so true… summer slows down and then BAM! bloggers are suddenly obsessed with all things fall and everything is right again lol.
xo, Kristina
Medicine & Manicures
So many great tips in this post! I especially like the idea of sprucing up old posts and switching focus to IG and FB!
Jill
Doused In Pink
I love working on old posts. Focusing and working on my photography are big goals. I am so on the fence about switching to WP. I guess Summer can bring more research in that area!
Yes! I want to do all of these things, haha! Obviously that won’t happen but I do have a lot of work to do. These are all great ideas for this summer!
Great tips! I’m hoping to tackle some of the things I’ve had on my list for some time!
SO many great tips. Summer is definitely slower when it comes to blog traffic so I need to add these all to my to-do list. My Instagram definitely needs some love and nurturing, so I’ll be working on that this summer too.
Great tips! I think the summer is the perfect time to revamp your blog :)
-Lauren
pinkonthecheek.com
Working on my photography & cleaning up my site are both on my list. These are great tips, especially reaching out to brands! xo, Champagne&Suburbs
Great post! I am a new blogger and it gives me hope that this fall may bring more traffic! I have had so much fun so far trying to grow my following, so I can’t wait!
Xo, Amanda
http://www.poisedavenue.com