One of the keys to having a successful blog is to be able to generate traffic from all angles. Everyone has their obligatory post about the ‘best ways to generate traffic’.  Usually it is recycled information, although some people might be able to articulate it better.  In my previous post, I mentioned my top 5 ways to generate traffic.

I started to think recently of some of the more unorthodox ways I have generated traffic to my websites and I have compiled a list.

• Create Free Wordpress Themes. This may be easier said than done, I know. You do need some graphical design knowledge and a little programming knowledge, however. The results can be stunning.  Each time it is downloaded and implemented, you will get a back link. Plus, there are many places where you can submit them. The traffic could be just a trickle, but if you create a theme that breaks through, such as Prosense (from Dosh Dosh) the traffic could be enormous.
• Bribes and Contests. A lot of bloggers will not stoop to this level because they are more interested in their blog being revered for content. That is fine and I can respect that. However, for those who are interested in a quick traffic spike to try to boost ad revenue, contests and bribes are the way to go. I once offered a $100 gas card on one of my money making blogs, and I picked up nearly 300 RSS subscribers in 2 weeks. Epic? Not really, but a huge increase. And my traffic went up quite a bit for a while. I kept offering more, and the traffic stayed high. I was able to sell more ads because the traffic stayed consistent.
• Join a D-List. The D-List is a ‘do follow’ list of blogs. People will comment on your blog because your website will give ‘link love’, or in more technical terms, the links will count in Google page rankings. Courtney Tuttles website has a list that is pretty extensive.

This is part one. Tomorrow, I will have a few more ideas which you may or may not like