How to get more visitors to your blog

One of my colleagues recently asked me:

"I am getting into my blog. I need assistance in ways I can really "make this fly" as I am realising that it is a great way for me to put my IP into practical use for people. So, I'd like you to visit the blog and then help me find ways to drive people to it."

I replied with a series of suggestions, which I'll share here with some minor editing to preserve confidentiality:

• Every time you write a blog post, tweet it.
• Subscribe to other blogs about [your topic area] and comment on them whenever they mention your topic.
• Find and participate in on-line communities on these topic areas.
• Add the blog address (INSTEAD of your Web site address) to the bottom of your one-page "tip sheets".
• Give these tip sheets away to selected colleagues for them to distribute.
• Link to it from your Web site.
• Make it appear automatically in your Facebook profile.
• Make it appear automatically in your Thought Leaders Central profile.
• Make it appear automatically on your First Step Community profile.
• Add a link to it in your LinkedIn profile.
• Start a group in Thought Leaders Central.
• Incorporate it into some interesting group activity for [a regular networking group he facilitates] (e.g. Print 10 blog posts and use them as starting points for ... ???)
• Go back to recent clients and offer them something similar (probably online).
• Find/start a group about [your topic area] at SpeakerSite.com.

The point is, it's not just one thing. It's about being passionate about your area of expertise, and then you'll naturally find ways to promote your blog.