Mitchell Harper has written a guest post over at johnchow.com, about bringing a “dead” blog back to life. Mitchell has recently returned from a blogging break (hey! a bit like me!), and is looking to get his traffic numbers back up to pre-break levels.

Some of the tips hold true even if you’re starting a new blog - tips 1 and 2 in particular (guest posts and link bait respectively). Tip 3 is another traffic building 101 lesson - commenting on the blogs of others, particularly the “leaders” of your niche.

Personally I don’t see the point in wasting money on a press release. Press releases seem a bit out dated nowadays. I’d rather take the $80 and put it towards the fund for tip #5 - buying ReviewMe reviews.

The practice of buying reviews for your blog is something I have seen take off recently. In fact, I think I’ve seen 2 in as many days on the same site (not naming or linking them). It’s a fairly good idea, certainly a better option than a simple text link from TLA. After all, you get the benefits of the link (google juice), it doesn’t expire after the billing period, and the reviewer goes into more detail about your blog. Obviously this is a double edged sword - a review can be bad as well as positive, but I think most bloggers would accept the risk.

Adding to the Conversation

If I were to add a tip number 6, it would be this relaunch with something to offer. Launch something at the same time as you come back from your break. Be it a product or service, have something to offer when you “come back”. Give people something worth talking about, before you ask them to talk about you. In case you’re wondering, I do have something to launch. It will be unleashed on Monday next week, so keep your eyes peeled!