Getting people to read your blog is hard work. There are millions of blogs out there, so readers have an enormous choice. This means that when someone visits your blog for the first time, you need to do everything possible to make sure they come back. It isn’t rocket science – but you need to know what you’re doing. The trick to making your blog “sticky” is to give your readers compelling reasons to come back again and again. Successful bloggers know how to do this – and you can too by following these six great strategies.
Great Content
This one is obvious. Readers follow blogs because the content is great. However, producing great content week in week out isn’t as easy as many people think. Some days it’s difficult to find inspiration, so you end up writing boring blog posts or rewriting old ones just to create more content. This is guaranteed to drive readers away.
One good approach to creating content is to plan ahead – sit down for a few hours and come up with a set of topics to write about over the next month. If you do this, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get the creative juices flowing – and you’ll never be stuck for something to write about on the day.
Also, there’s nothing wrong with scouring the web for interesting things to post. For instance, if you find an infographic or video that would interest your readers, share it with them. As long as it’s relevant and you give credit to the source, your readers will thank you.
Share Your Personal Thoughts
People don’t just read your blog for information – if that’s all they wanted, they could buy a magazine. They want to connect with you on a personal level and feel that they know you. There’s no better way of creating this connection than by sharing personal experiences. If you do this, your readers will see you as a human being – they’ll feel empathy because they can see themselves in the same situation. Don’t be afraid to talk about your goals, passions and fears – this will strengthen the relationship even further. Above all, be honest at all times – if readers trust you, then they’ll want to know what you have to say.
Build A Community
A blog isn’t a one-way street. You need to have a conversation with your readers. There are too many blogs out there that shut off reader comments, killing any chance of building a community where people feel that they belong. Make it easy for your readers to share their thoughts with you – and with other readers. Respond quickly to them – and don’t just answer their questions. Ask their opinions, and find out what they would like to see on your blog. Have friendly debates, and don’t assume you’re the only expert in the room. If you do this, people will come back to keep the conversation going – and you’ll get great content for free as well.
Create A Series
Think about your favorite television program. Why do you watch it every week? The chances are that it’s because you want to find out what happens next. You can do exactly the same with your blog. Write a series of blog posts about a particular subject, and tell people in advance what the next post is going to be about. Mix this up with other content, and people will come back to read the next installment – and get caught up on your other posts at the same time.
Post High-Quality Product Reviews
Your readers value your opinions – or they should do. They want to know what you think about things, including whether or not they should buy particular products. If you write great product reviews, you can turn your blog into a reader magnet. But you need to put in the effort to do this – if you just rewrite existing reviews, you’re not adding any value.
The best approach is to get in touch with manufacturers and ask for product samples that you can review. Sites such as Tomoson are a good place to find manufacturers who want to do this. Once you have a sample, try it out. For instance, suppose you’re reviewing a hiking jacket. Don’t just read the label and say the fabric is waterproof. Put the jacket on and go for a walk in a rainstorm. Did any rain come in through the zipper? Could you move easily, or did you feel like you were in a straitjacket? Does the jacket breathe easily, or did you end up in a pool of sweat when you wore it? If you talk about your real experience with the product, you’ll keep your readers waiting eagerly for your next product review.
Invite Other Experts
Don’t be afraid to open up your blog to other experts. Your readers want good content and advice, no matter where it comes from. When you invite other knowledgeable bloggers to post guest articles, you’re giving your readers another point of view – and another reason to come back. When you do invite a guest blogger, the chances are that they’ll ask you to post something on their blog in return – which is a great way of reaching new readers. Keep in mind that you’re not really competing – if both blogs have unique and interesting content, then readers will follow both.
You should also interview industry experts who may not be bloggers at all. For instance, if you run a snowboarding blog, then an interview with a snowboard designer is going to fascinate your readers. You can write up the interview in a blog post – but why not make a video instead, post the video on YouTube and embed the video on your blog? Best of all, this will be a way of attracting a whole new set of readers who originally find the video via YouTube.
This article was written by Jeff Foster, who is the co-founder and CEO at Tomoson, the influencer marketplace. The platform allows bloggers and social media influencers to get paid for posting sponsored content, and lets businesses connect with targeted, niche audiences.
Source : www.bloggingtips.com
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