A Beginner's Guide to Getting New Blog Readers
So, you’ve got your blog up and running. Congratulations are in order, but I’m not giving them to you. At least not yet.
Wading through the mess of hosting and domains is by no means an easy feat. But any writer will tell you the real challenge is in finding new readers for your blog and turning them into subscribers, aka “repeat customers”.
These are the people who’ll make building the site and curating content worth the effort. Attracting them to your piece of cyber real estate takes a bit of work. But the good news? It’s far from impossible.
So how does one engage readers? Here are a few tips:
1. Know your audience
To be able to get readers, you have to first know who they are.
The first question you need to ask yourself is “Who am I writing for?” This advice may be vague, so try this trick: imagine your audience as one person. Give her a name, like Rita or Clementine. Then try to give her a personality. What movies does she like? Is she a deep, soulful person, or someone who prefers the lighter side of life?
This could be a person you already know, or someone you just invented. Either way, when you come up with content, imagine writing for this particular person. It’ll be easier to focus your message than trying to please multiple people at once.
2. Build a community
People naturally seek out spaces where they feel a sense of belonging. For you to get the readership you’re looking for, draw your audience inside your circle. Make them a part of your world.
Build a platform where your readers feel empowered to reach out and comment. Make them feel welcome in your exclusive little bubble. Shine the spotlight on them once in a while. That’ll give them a reason to keep coming back.
3. Be everywhere
There's a reason why it's called the worldwide web: everything is supposed to be connected. Link your blog to your other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, even Pinterest. That way, you'll be able to reach a wider audience.
You could even go the extra mile and find relevant groups on Facebook and Reddit, where your target readers usually spend their time. It'll be easier to catch their attention and get them to visit your blog if you know your content will be able to satisfy their interests.
4. Connect with other blogs
Guest posting on other blogs, and allowing them to guest post on yours, is a good way to make yourself known. This also allows you to spread your community further. When you have a very small audience, guest posting on more high-profile blogs will give you the boost you need.
Another way to establish your online presence is to leave comments on articles. Bloggers will, more often than not, reciprocate by also checking out your site. Doing so also builds back links to your blog, which is a helpful SEO technique.
There are so many more ways to get readers to flock to your blog. You just have to find the right combination of techniques that work for you.
Do you have any tips to get regular and sustainable traffic?
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Flora Paredes is a self-described creative who leans into her words more than her other skill sets. She currently works as a freelance Content Marketing Manager for an international tech company while studying to be a pastry chef on the side, just for funsies.