What is the most important question any blogger should ask? Is it, “What design template should I use for my page?” How about, “How many times per week should I post?”
Don’t get me wrong, any question about blogging is a good question, but there is one in particular that should take top priority.
That is, “How can I keep the readers coming?”
Some would argue that it is page design or social media marketing that drives more readers to blogs. Truth is, these things do attract people to sites, but the question at hand is not about finding readers, it is about keeping them.
There are numerous ways to ensure that readers will continue to follow your blog (and even share your posts via social media), and this is what makes answering this question so difficult. So many different answers to this one simple, yet very pertinent, question can leave you feeling overwhelmed. However, there are a few tried and true tips that should work for all blog niches, whether it is about parenting, student life, travel, business, health or whatever.
- Write for your readers: Give them what they want. This doesn’t mean you should make things up, only that you should stay aware of the reason why your readers came to the blog in the first place. Followers choose blogs because the initial post interested them; it spoke to them, maybe even mirrored their feelings or their life. Generally, you should find a theme and stick with it, and keep this theme in the back of your mind every time you sit down to write. Unless you have a compelling life story that needs to be shared, avoid writing in diary style (with the pronoun “I” in every sentence). Incorporate your readers into every post in some way.
- Only share valuable information: Having said that, make sure that every post contains some useful information. It can be anything, so long as your readers can walk away from it just a little bit wiser.
- Start a community dialogue: Give your followers the opportunity to discuss your posts through comments and guest posts, and don’t forget to respond to all comments and messages. If a follower has a good point or information to add, share this with everyone else in another post and attribute it.
- Post with a consistent schedule: This can be easier said than done, because so many bloggers also have full-time jobs. However, you should try to pick certain days to share posts and stick to that schedule. By doing this, you are giving your readers an idea of when they should expect your next post. People like consistency, and they especially like schedules. Imagine trying to keep up with your favorite TV shows if they didn’t air at a set date and time.
- Inform your readers of a hiatus: If you plan on taking a vacation from blogging, don’t forget to tell your readers. This is one of the most common reasons people stop following blogs; missteps in posting schedules or MIA bloggers. Even if you plan to only take two weeks off, let them know. And if you are supposed to post on, let’s say, Tuesday but can’t seem to come up with any content, look for a guest article to share or just simply tell your readers you have writer’s block and to sit tight until further notice.
About Lauren
These are great tips. Every blogger wants readers to keep coming back to their site. Consistently posting valuable info surely helps. Thanks for this useful share.
new york tax help recently posted..Goldburd McCone LLP at the Nasdaq Opening Bell
Twitter: internetdreamof
says:
It might be quite useful to ask your readers about their interests and personal preferences in article reading. So you can provide these with information through which they tend to be exactly fascinated.
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Twitter: RiftHunter
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Great site to meet like minded bloggers. sure to bookmark this site. Thanks for the insightful share. How often(in a week) do you visit this place? Celebrity News and Gossip
Twitter: faissalhaithami
says:
If you’re really serious about making money from blogging, you shouldn’t share what you like. In fact, you should share what your readers are actually looking for. Unless you provide something that simplifies the lives of your target audience, you can’t keep them coming back.
Thanks.
Faissal Alhaithami recently posted..How to Increase Your Social Media Fan Engagement With Web Forms
Twitter: GlynisJolly1
says:
Worthwhile tips, Lauren. In fact, that last one is one I’ve never seen before. Sure, I know bloggers take vacations but you answer the question, “What if I can’t come up with anything to write about?”. Courtesy is the key to some of this.
Glynis Jolly recently posted..What Is Holding You Back from Reaching Your Goals?
Twitter: itechnified
says:
Hey Lauren,
Readers look for the information, it should be valuable. After all content is king. That will drive readers to come back. You mentioned valuable points in the post, thanks.
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It can be quite useful to ask your readers about their interests and preferences in post reading. So you can provide them with information in which they are exactly interested
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So glad you all enjoyed this post, and thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Twitter: Elena__Anne
says:
Yeah i appreciate it when bloggers tell me they are taking a break or will be unable to post for a bit. Shows a certain level of respect for their readers. It’s good business and it’s good manners!
Elena Anne recently posted..Stress & Weight Gain
Twitter: IGBALAYEOLAYEMI
says:
Great post and perfect points. writing for your readers is very important to make them come back for more and make it unique content.
IGBALAYE OLAYEMI recently posted..10 Powerful Steps for Setting and Achieving Success in Life
Too many people seem to be focusing lately on content for search engines. I think the real goal for most website owners and blogger is to build a community and not worry about the search engines so much.
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Twitter: DerekMaak
says:
Hi Lauren,
I think posting on a regular schedule is a really good way to get readers to come back. No one likes visiting a blog expecting to find something new and then seeing that nothing has changed since the last time they were there. When readers know what day you post, it makes it more likely they will come back if you’re providing good content. It also makes it easier to fit coming to your blog into THEIR schedule.
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Great points, Lauren. One that I would add is to build an email list. I don’t mean in so you can spam users, but simply to keep them in the loop. They may have not visited your site for a couple weeks when they see your monthly newsletter in their inbox, prompting them to pay you another visit. When autoresponders and scheduling, you can ensure they receive a followup a day or two after their initial visit and maybe a week or a month after that.
David recently posted..The Importance of Manners and Courtesy
Twitter: AppliedVisual
says:
Thanks for this great post. My problem is with #3 Starting a community dialog. I just started adding blog posts to my site and so far there are no comments. Nothing brings traffic to my blog like good posts but how can I influence readers to start up some good dialog about my posts?
I’ve never bothered with informing my readers of a hiatus and this may be partly why I don’t get repeat readers! I never thought of it in this way before.
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Twitter: AlexGheorghitan
says:
Nice tips! Dialog is necessary if you want to keep your readers close.
Twitter: DAMGFLORIDA
says:
Good article, I think everyone struggles with attracting readers, I get the hits but I find it impossible to start dialog with the readers. I do post everyday.
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Twitter: AlexGheorghitan
says:
Very good advice! If you’ll interact with your readers, they will keemp coming back because they feel that they you pay attention for them.
Twitter: 3mwindowfilmTO
says:
Great advice! I agree that having readers coming back to your website/blog is the single most important part of it. Getting people to visit you for the first time can be achieved through a variety of different avenues such as guest blogging and social media but once these new visitors come to your website it becomes you responsibility to keep them coming back. I think if you offer quality media rich original content that people in your niche are interested in, post regularly and respond to comments promptly you should be able to retain most of your visitors.
Twitter: LTGMonkey
says:
Hey Lauren,
it’s good advice but #1 is by far the most important of these (and arguably the same thing as #2).
Beyond that I respect anyone that can get good quality community dialogue going – as most people either don’t want to leave comments, don’t have time to leave comments, don’t know what to say or leave a comment and see it as a 1 or 2 interaction thing (bloggers included).
Also I like the last point though I’d rather do everything to just maintain a schedule at all costs – even if you are only posting brief posts – personally I like to keep my posts timeless so if you have a post saying I’m going away for a few weeks, at least remember to go back and delete or edit it when you’re back – otherwise you could lose readers later on because they think the content in your blog is stale!
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Twitter: MobilityCompany
says:
Absolutely, I just can’t seem to find enough visitors to my blog. The social media and great content seems so abstract to me. Your post definitely inspired me to find the right topic that my potential readers could find it interesting. Can’t wait to start off!
Twitter: taxfile_india
says:
Excellent piece. Informing readers of an impending break is very important. It shows that you value and respect them.
Dialog is very necessary to ‘engage’ the reader.