Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash
As a blogger, success isn’t measured with sales or visits. Sure, the number of people that look at your blog is important – but the real goal is to establish a loyal audience that will come back for you. Even if you get 10,000 views in one day, it doesn’t really matter if they never come back. You have to learn how to build your blog audience.
With the right SEO and promotion strategies, you might get some good looks. However, building a loyal audience isn’t something that just happens – especially not overnight. It takes a conscious effort to create a successful blog and that’s where good ideas and successful marketing intersect.
Check out these 9 tips that will help your blog keep readers coming back for more.
- Know your target audience
The entire reason a blog exists is to invite an audience to read and share whatever it is that you have to say.
So, it’s not hard to understand that targeting a specific audience is important. Who is it that you want to reach out to? Family? Friends?
Whatever the case, you can’t expect to successfully reach out to anyone and everyone. Targeting a specific audience will help you mold your content to topics that are actually relevant to the people reading.
- Provide Value
What is value? While “value” is a relative term, it really ties into your target audience. What you may think adds value to the reader can actually do the opposite. The best thing you can do is understand your target audience. When you know who you are writing for, it makes it that much easier to provide valuable info for the readers.
- Link to reliable sources
When you provide your audience with valuable information, having solid sources to back it up makes it even better. Not only does this give you a better, more trusting relationship with your readers, but it also makes you a more credible blogger. Whether you link them to research, a cool article, or some interesting facts, having links in your blogs is a sure way to build your blog audience and retain interested readers.
- Don’t focus on selling
Don’t do it. Everywhere on the internet are ads and websites that just want to try and sell you the closest gimmick possible. Don’t be one of those. Let readers come and enjoy your writing – not worry about trying to be sold to.
Focus on informing and educating your readers to let them make the decisions they want to. People will appreciate this and you will find more people coming back a second, third, or even for a hundredth time.
- Engage on social media
In today’s world, people LIVE on social media. It might be a little painful to think about, but it’s true. There is no better way to reach out to people rather than sending them the invite on Facebook.
With how fast social media is growing and how popular it is now, getting your blog out there is one of the best things you can do.
- Put extra effort into your headlines
They say the first impression lasts forever, right? The first thing people look at is the headline – so make it good! If you write a three-word headline that can barely even keep itself awake, you’re most likely not going to be able to get other people interested. Make it cool, make it fun, make it interesting.
- A picture can say a 1,000 words
Going along with the headline, throw some pictures into your blogs! There is nothing more intimidating than opening an 800-page book with size 6 font and no pictures to be found anywhere. Don’t let your blog be that way. Add pictures – funny, sad, humorous, witty, etc. Make them match your writing and your readers will love you for it.
- Interact with your audience
Respond to posts, comments, and questions. When people know they are valued, they are more likely to come back for more. Establishing a direct connection with readers is something all good bloggers do – don’t let this simple request slip by you. Go ahead and give a little extra to your readers, it will pay off in the long run.
- Finally, be passionate
Why write about something if you don’t really care? There isn’t really a point. People want to read things when they know the author feels strongly about it. Whether someone disagrees, agrees, or doesn’t know any better, having a strong emotional connection with what you’re writing about can go a long way with building your blog audience.
A good, loyal audience can be hard to come by. However, putting in a little extra effort can go a long way in getting people to continuously read your blogs. Take these 9 tips and run with them – they are sure to help you build your blog audience.