As blog owner, you are (sorry to say) your only reader. Sure, you
mom, cat and coworker in the next cubicle may check in, but those aren’t
loyal readers from your target audience. How do you go about
attracting those types of readers?
We’re so glad you asked. Since you are just getting started, we don’t want to overwhelm you. Once you get a few readers under your belt and have built up a fair amount of content, go all out with your marketing efforts. There are lots of ways to drive traffic to your blog. For right now, here are six ways your brand new blog can attract loyal readers from your target audience.
1. Write ten pillar articles.
A pillar article teaches the reader something. What you are reading right now is a pillar article. This type of article is especially great because it doesn’t have an expiration date; it isn’t dependant on time. For example, the information you are reading at this exact moment will be just as relevant a year from now.
The more pillar articles your blog has, the better it will be. Since quality content is one of the most significant factors to a blog’s success, it is safe to say your top-notch pillars will draw a huge following.
2. Create a conversation.
If I visit a blog and see every article has “0 comments,” that is a big red flag. It tells me either no one is visiting or no one cares about the content that is being posted. Neither situation creates much confidence.
Encourage your visitors to leave a comment. End each post with a question. Invite readers to start a conversation. Each time someone leaves a comment, make sure you reply – keep the conversation going!
3. Write at least once a day.
Nothing says, “I don’t care,” like a dormant blog. If visitors return to your blog, only to find the same tired content that was there the last time they visited, they probably won’t come back a third time. Make sure visitors know something new and exciting will be happening every day.
Once you have your ten pillar articles, you don’t need to post one every day. Switch things up a bit. Add some variety. Throw in a news article or short story.
4. Scope out other industry leaders.
You aren’t the only blogger with something to say. There are tons of other blogs. Go find other people who are talking about a similar subject. Make comments on their articles. Most allow you to include your name and website. That blog’s visitors will see your mind-blowing thoughts and ideas, want to hear more about what you have to say, and stop by your blog to take a look. Imagine how fast you’ll build an audience if you regularly comment on a variety of other blogs.
5. Link to other blogs.
Did you read an interesting article on someone else’s blog, and it became the inspiration for the article you are currently writing? Link to the inspiration article on your blog. When you do this, the other blog owner will receive a notification. This type of communication is called a trackback.
Not only will you be supplying your readers with valuable resources, you’ll grab the attention of a fellow blog owner. That owner might reciprocate the favor and mention you on their blog.
6. Start over.
Once you have done everything on this list, go back and start again. Write more pillars. If you write one pillar article per week, you’ll have a very impressive archive by the end of the year.
This list is by no means inclusive. There are other things a blog owner can do to entice readers. Do you have any suggestions? What have you done that did or didn’t work? Do you ask guest authors help you out? Are you a member of a blogging forum? How do you market your blog? Let us know!
We’re so glad you asked. Since you are just getting started, we don’t want to overwhelm you. Once you get a few readers under your belt and have built up a fair amount of content, go all out with your marketing efforts. There are lots of ways to drive traffic to your blog. For right now, here are six ways your brand new blog can attract loyal readers from your target audience.
1. Write ten pillar articles.
A pillar article teaches the reader something. What you are reading right now is a pillar article. This type of article is especially great because it doesn’t have an expiration date; it isn’t dependant on time. For example, the information you are reading at this exact moment will be just as relevant a year from now.
The more pillar articles your blog has, the better it will be. Since quality content is one of the most significant factors to a blog’s success, it is safe to say your top-notch pillars will draw a huge following.
2. Create a conversation.
If I visit a blog and see every article has “0 comments,” that is a big red flag. It tells me either no one is visiting or no one cares about the content that is being posted. Neither situation creates much confidence.
Encourage your visitors to leave a comment. End each post with a question. Invite readers to start a conversation. Each time someone leaves a comment, make sure you reply – keep the conversation going!
3. Write at least once a day.
Nothing says, “I don’t care,” like a dormant blog. If visitors return to your blog, only to find the same tired content that was there the last time they visited, they probably won’t come back a third time. Make sure visitors know something new and exciting will be happening every day.
Once you have your ten pillar articles, you don’t need to post one every day. Switch things up a bit. Add some variety. Throw in a news article or short story.
4. Scope out other industry leaders.
You aren’t the only blogger with something to say. There are tons of other blogs. Go find other people who are talking about a similar subject. Make comments on their articles. Most allow you to include your name and website. That blog’s visitors will see your mind-blowing thoughts and ideas, want to hear more about what you have to say, and stop by your blog to take a look. Imagine how fast you’ll build an audience if you regularly comment on a variety of other blogs.
5. Link to other blogs.
Did you read an interesting article on someone else’s blog, and it became the inspiration for the article you are currently writing? Link to the inspiration article on your blog. When you do this, the other blog owner will receive a notification. This type of communication is called a trackback.
Not only will you be supplying your readers with valuable resources, you’ll grab the attention of a fellow blog owner. That owner might reciprocate the favor and mention you on their blog.
6. Start over.
Once you have done everything on this list, go back and start again. Write more pillars. If you write one pillar article per week, you’ll have a very impressive archive by the end of the year.
This list is by no means inclusive. There are other things a blog owner can do to entice readers. Do you have any suggestions? What have you done that did or didn’t work? Do you ask guest authors help you out? Are you a member of a blogging forum? How do you market your blog? Let us know!
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