Are you looking to increase traffic to your blog now that you've finally got it up and running? Sure you can start passing the word around to friends and family to check out your site but that won't start attracting online traffic. How do you attract readers?

Well assuming you've got next to nothing for traffic let's review the top 5 things you need to do as a blogger to spread the word and start attracting online traffic to your blog.

• Launch Your Blog with a Series of Pillar Articles

These articles should be longer than the average post (approximately 500 words) with content designed to inform and educate your readers. The tips and advice found in these articles should encourage visitors to return for more of what they hope will be the same. It is best to have 5 or more articles ready as soon as your blog launches.

To further maximize your writing efforts you can take these articles and also submit them to article directories after you've posted them to gain additional exposure. Within your resource box there should be a link back to your blog.

• Post Frequently

Upon launch your blog posting should be done on a daily basis. Maintain this frequency during the initial stages. This will keep visitors coming back to check for new material since you're demonstrating to them that they can expect this. Search engines will also visit your site more frequently enhancing your search engine rankings.

An important note here with frequent blog posting is they don't all have to be article length. Something short and insightful will do but continue to include articles intermittently to maintain a certain level of quality content.

• Reference other blogs in your post

Don't be afraid to refer to other blogs for the quality of their content. When you're posting and you use reference links to indicate the source of some of your content you can also do a trackback. This is basically notifying the blog you've referenced that you've posted about them on your site. When you do this a brief synopsis of your post is left on their blog entry with a link back to your site allowing folks to read the entry and follow the link back to you.

• Visit other blogs and leave comments

Look around and visit blogs within the community related to your niche. Get involved and leave comments.

This is beneficial since when comments are left by you a link back to your site normally is part of your signature file you've left. Also you may pick up helpful information or insight you can use at your blog.

Quick note here is to be sure your comments are helpful and appropriate otherwise you'll be ignored and viewed as a spammer.

• Encourage participation at your own blog

Be sure instructions are clear at your site on how to leave comments. Encourage this practice by your visitors and participate by responding back. Others will notice this and follow suit increasing the interactivity and popularity of your blog by creating a more communal atmosphere.

By implementing this 5 aforementioned points you should not only increase traffic to your blog but also make your blogging experience more enjoyable.