If you want mastery of a subject, you have to practice your fundamentals. The fundamentals of good blogging are easy to learn, but most people fail to practice those fundamentals, and then wonder why their blog has no readership.

If this primer is too basic for you, great! If you're struggling building a readership, then you ought to read this with care, and follow it closely.

Building Traffic To Your Blog

One of the joys of blogging is knowing that other people are reading. Without that sense of connection, the effort it takes to write on your blog is seldom worth it. The entire purpose of the blog is to connect with other people, so without traffic, blogging often fails to make it onto our priority list.

That said, the obsession with chasing after more readers can be as detrimental to our blog’s health as a lack of readers. Blogging at its finest is about passion, and when it exists only for numbers, the readers can tell you lack passion.

Today I’m writing about increasing traffic to your blog, but before you take these steps, make sure that your reasons for doing so are clear in your head. Traffic = Influence (at least when it’s applied correctly) but the efforts to increase traffic can often ruin your desire to write. Writing for politics is very different than writing for personal satisfaction. The default assumption for a political blogger is that of a paid shill, so you have to work twice as hard to gain trust, and readership.

Traffic Builders:

1) Content: First and foremost - traffic is the result of high quality content written by you in the first person. Traffic is a function of stickiness, and all of the internet marketing in the world won’t keep readers at a site that’s poorly written.

This doesn’t mean you have to be a journalist or an English major to do well, but your take on the world has to be relevant, timely, and something that your target audience can relate to.

Political blogs can have a partisan slant, but it's important that your writing, especially if it's for a candidate, is dignified, fair, and accurate. Red meat may boost your numbers, but it ultimately cuts you off from civilized discourse. Your goal in writing should be mixing in search engine relevant content with facts and links that support your views. The goal is to influence and inform, not attack.

So pick a topic, one you’re an expert in or want to be an expert in, and start writing. To expand your writing, focus on issues that are related to your initial subject, and dig deeply into the subject matter. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about local or national stories - stay relevant and you’ll generate an audience.

2) Design and Naming: If you really want to have an influence with your blog, spring for a professional design and a url. Sites on blogspot, typepad, or wordpress can do well, but purchasing a name and not using a template tells readers that you aren't serious about sticking around. Think of it as buying a home versus staying with friends. If you’re trying to convince a community that you’re in it for the long haul, wouldn’t they believe you more if you put down roots?

As for cost of a design - you have to decide what your budget is, but the cost should reflect the level of your candidate. Presidential candidates need professional design. Local alderman can get away with something cheaper. Whatever you do, don't pay for a template from a design firm that copies over politicians. And don't spend a lot if all they are giving you is a template.

3) Comments: You’ve probably read this, but comments are a great way to build traffic. This is true, but only if you leave great comments that stay on topic at relevant sites. Comments are also not a one-time deal. If you want traffic from a site, you have to join their community and establish a reputation at that site as a regular blogger. Individual comments left on someone’s post that are off-topic, or are never followed up tend to be viewed negatively. And they should be. I delete comments from spammers and ignore those from people trying to take advantage of my traffic and Page Rank.

At the same time, I’m very curious about readers who leave comments that advance the discussion, and direct me back to a thoughtful blog in my area.

So don’t use comments to build traffic - join communities where comments are welcome, and the traffic will come from people who want to see what you have to say. The difference in those two strategies is all the difference.

4) Directories: Never pay for a directory, but if you see a free one, consider entering your blog and putting interesting information about your site. You can also do searches at Best of The Web, and on Google for “political blogs (your state)”, and “list of local blogs”. Don’t forget to sign up at Technorati.com and claim your blog. You’re given the opportunity to add tags describing your blog, which helps when people are looking for your topic.

5) Guest Blog: Once you’ve found some friends online, be willing to write posts in their areas of expertise as a guest blogger. Keep your eyes open for people who need someone to blogsit for a week or so, and look for group blogs where they are looking for new writers.

These suggestions are basic, but when it comes to blogging, its the basics that are the foundation for growth. Overall, remember that blogging is about community. Your goal is to find groups of like-minded bloggers online and combine your voices for more influence. You're reading an example right now, here at Tech Republican.