Last week on The Freddy Fixit Show, the topic was just this. Getting your blog noticed. Here are the 3 tips I shared with the listeners/viewers (and two extra).

Starting a blog may be the craze these days, but is it for you? Do you have what it takes to not just start a blog, but stick to it? Do you know what you want to  accomplish with your blog? Do you know how you want to position your blog, what you want to write about and more importantly who you want to write for? A blog without an audience is still a blog, but it may not be effective in achieving your overall goals.

If you want to have an audience, you have to market your blog. You have to let people know it exists. Most people don’t write for themselves, they write for a consumer, a fan or someone(s) who has similar interests. Having others read what you write affirms that you have information worth reading. And if you have ever received comments on your blog you know that feeling that someone does take what you have to say seriously. Even when they don’t agree with your stand, they took the time to respond.

If you want to increase your readers and get more feedback from them (comments) you need to create a plan. And there are “little” things you can do every day to make that happen. Here are three (plus) tips to get your blog noticed… and followed.

Tip #1 ~ Make friends with other bloggers. That’s right. Bloggers who likely have a similar audience (or even the same). Reach out to them. Ask them to do a guest post for your blog. Return the favor. Comment on their blogs. In fact, start out by commenting – thought provoking, meaningful comments that get noticed – not “hey nice post, keep up the good work.” Those generic posts often look like spam and at the very least to most bloggers don’t look like the commenter took time to even read the post. Some people will do anything for a link back. Don’t be one of those people. Blog comments are an excellent way to showcase your own knowledge of a subject as well as how much you got out of reading the post.

Tip #2 ~ Make the most of Technorati.com – (Currently tracking 98.4 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media) and Digg.com (a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web). Build relationships with other bloggers by visiting and leaving comments. Try microblogging with Twitter.com and check out Entrecard (your business card 2.0). Entrecard is a 125×125 image which represents you and your blog. It’s part advertisement and part business card. It comes with a widget you place on your blog, so that others can leave their Entrecard for you. You can also use Entrecard to promote your blog and launch free advertising campaigns. Both FREE.

Tip #3 ~ Promote your blog on social networking sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. And niche social networking sites that cater to your target audience. I belong to several other social networking groups such as Boomer Diva Nation we help one another promote our “stuff” all the time. For instance we have our own Twitter Tuesdays and every Tuesday we help one another spread the word about our blog posts, events, products and services and more. There are tools and plug ins for most social networking sites that allow you to automatically post your blog articles as they happen. For instance, use Tweetfeed to post to your twitter account. And you can update your profile with videos from YouTube on Facebook, LinkedIn and more.

Tip #4 ~ Create a Directory ON Your blog. The Directory can include resources your readers would value and want to visit often. By including the directory link you increase the likelihood readers will return (provided the content is good). You can start compiling your directory content based upon your blog posts.

For instance, if you write a technology blog and offer the latest and greatest gadgets in every post. The gadgets could then be compileed and referred to in a directory of recommended sites that your visitor can refer to often. A directory could work with almost any type of blog. A parenting blog could list parenting resources, magazines, books, experts, educational sources, etc. A social media blogger could create a directory of social media sites, social media tools, resources, plug-ins, experts, etc. You get the idea. One of my favorite blogs BlogHer has a directory of other female bloggers on their blog. It is one of the most popular and respected blogs in the blogosphere.

The point is a directory can increase readers because if the content is good, your readers are likely to refer to the directory on their blogs and in their newsletters and emails. After all, if they find a great resource, they too will want to let their readers know about it. Why not be the “it” they refer their readers to?

Tip #5 ~ Many successful bloggers have increased their following and built a loyal base by creating an online community on their blog. You can create a forum, a social network or a simple chat room. In fact, most blog software these days allows or has plug ins that will help you establish your community. For an example of how one person did this, check out JamieOliver.com. Keith Ferazzi (author of Never Eat Alone) has a great mix of website, blog and community to take a look at as well.

If you are not sure if you should include a “community” for your readers, check out “Should Blogs Have a Forum?” at Blog Herald

Be sure to tune into the Freddy Fixit show on Monday evenings from 6 to 8pm EST. and learn about other tech tips (as well as other business and lifestyle topics). That’s 1470 AM WINN or www.AMP2.tv for the streaming live video of the show. I will be writing more about getting on radio to expand your circle of influence and increase your credibility. Stay tuned!

Heidi Richards Mooney is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of WE Magazine for Women, a WordPress Web Designer, the author of a dozen books and a social media consultant and trainer. Heidi has interviewed hundreds of experts on Social Media Around the World. In 2003 Heidi was named one of 50 women shaping the Internet by the International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce. In 2009 she was named a Twitter Woman to Follow by Only2Clicks.com. She works with solopreneurs, professionals and small businesses in ecommerce, direct sales and retail. Follow Heidi on Google Plus