Getting started, it might be difficult for you to get word out about your website. Even if you don't plan on ever monetizing your site, it would always be nice if you had an audience to fall back on if you would want to generate some form of revenue.

Traffic, by definition, means a constant stream of people coming to your website, which can also be broken down into specific periods of time. The more you have (as a general rule), the more profit you can make, at least compared to if you didn't have any traffic.

In order to attain traffic, there are several ways that you can do this, although one of the most popular method is by "purchasing" traffic, or advertising your blog. There are several ways that you can pursue this, too.

Through Sponsorships - Contacting another blogger or website owner can lead to a sponsorship, in which you may return favors (links in the sidebar or banners), and you will receive traffic from this. While this can be free, most likely, it isn't, due to the nature of "sponsorships."

Traditional Advertising - Purchasing advertising on another site will help you get word out about your site. Depending on how much cash you want to devote to this, you could purchase several monthly ads on sites.

Search Engine Advertising - Through AdWords and competing programs, you can market your site, although you have to know what you are doing, whether this is really a good value for you.

Word of Mouth - Tell other people (including through email, commenting on other sites, etc.) about your site and what purpose it has being on the Internet.

Releasing a Product/Promotion - Running a contest, having a promotion, or giving something out for free are all forms of advertising, and each can be quite beneficial for your blog, especially in the long-term, in terms of providing value to your readers.

Conclusion

Although there are other ways, both free and paid, to promote your blog, I wanted to stick with the basics, the formats that nearly everyone is familiar with. Without saying, it is a difficult struggle advertising your blog, while trying to remain relevant and not spamming people.

Have you ever practiced advertising on other sites - was it successful?