Why do you blog? Why did you start a blog in the first place?
You might have been an early adapter, with the idea of starting a blog purely for your own pleasure, but have reached the point where you want to make some money out of it. Or maybe you started a blog with monetization in mind from the get go.
Whichever the case may be, one critical element in creating a successful, profitable blog is to have a significant amount of traffic coming to your site every day. Not only that, you want the traffic to constantly grow from month to month.
With the proliferation of blogs today, it may not be that easy to garner as much traffic as you want; and unless you take certain steps to attract visitors – new and recurring – you probably won’t reach your goals.
One way to increase blog traffic is to create an events calendar.
What is an events calendar?
An events calendar is basically a section in your blog which lists events or happenings in your niche. These events may be online (e.g. a Google Hangout or a Twitter chat) or offline (a meetup, a seminar, a movie release, etc.).
For example, if you run a movie site, you can make an events calendar with movie date releases and include trailers, plots, casts, and other relevant info.
Another example: if you’re in the startup scene, your events calendar can focus on hackathons, Startup Weekends, and seminars/workshops geared towards entrepreneurs.
The events calendar page provides information about these happenings:
- Event name
- Event description
- Event location
- Event date and time
- Registration requirements
Why create an events calendar?
Whether it is an online or offline event, people like to be informed about what’s going on in their area of interest. And if they can find these events in one site or page, the chances are they will make it their go-to source of information.
Additionally, think about it as a public service, promoting the activities of your contemporaries. Event organizers put a lot of effort into their activity, and highlighting their event is a form of paying it forward. Liam Smith ofย Aura Printย cites advertising as a crucial element in organizing successful events, and if you include a certain event in your calendar, you are essentially lending the organizers a helping hand in this matter.
Give and take: you help others, and you get some traffic.
Options for creating an events calendar
How do you create an events calendar? It can be as simple as a normal page that is updated regularly as events come up.
However, it is better to also put some effort in designing the calendar so as to make it even more attractive to visitors. A simple list will do, but a well-designed page is even better.
There are some tools that make this an easy task. Let’s take a look at some of them.
The Events Calendar WordPress Plugin
This WordPress plugin is the simplest way to go. You simply install and configure it, and your calendar will be generated for you. No coding required.
UpTo
UpTo offers beautiful calendars, which are also interactive. It allows visitors to share events as well as save events in their personal calendars. Additionally, UpTo has mobile apps for iOS and Android, making your events calendar more accessible.
All-in-One Event Calendar
Another WordPress plugin, the All-in-One Event Calendar provides a lot of customization and has beautiful design as well.
Wrap up
If you’re looking to gain some traction for your blog, and you need to try something new, consider creating an events calendar. You’re sure to see traffic coming in.
More plugins: 28 Essential WordPress Plugins for 2015
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