How to Cultivate Loyal Blog Readers

In this post, you will learn about how interacting with blog readers builds relationships and loyal readers. You will also learn how interacting with blog readers sometimes does none of these things.

People talk a lot about interacting with blog readers, and the importance of doing so if you actually want a blog that someone else besides yourself reads.

Although I've implemented many such strategies, one of the simplest strategies I've found effective is to remember to email back blog readers when they send me questions. This builds relationship, and works you towards your goal of a tribe of true fans.

Let's take an example from last week to show you how this tactic works in both building powerful relationships and not never ever wasting anyone's time.

#ornot

Summary: Tuna Tries to Subscribe to Claire's Newsletter

If you subscribe to my email newsletter (and you should), you will immediately get a automatic response that asks you if you really want to subscribe. I've personalized it, so it's particularly awesome. And by awesome I mean it includes the words -- "Hold Your Horses Partner!"

Once in a blue moon, people who don't use the Internet seem confused by this common practice in newsletter subscription -- the practice of "double opt-in", or, confirming your newsletter subscription. Since anyone can go to any old website and sign up anyone you want as long as you know their email, "double opt-in" ensures those folks really want to read what you're writing.

Truth be told, if it were 1995, and I was on Altavista requesting my free teeshirts for teens (true story), I might also have been confused by what it means to confirm you want to receive a newsletter you just signed up for. But it's not 1995, I'm not giving away tee-shirts, and I am now well-versed in the phrase, double opt-in. Plus, I digress.

So last week, I had one of those users (the kind that doesn't understand confirming newsletter subscriptions) whose name rhymed with Tuna. Since Tuna is a great nickname, we'll call the person Tuna for the purposes of this blog post.

After s/he (I don't know if Tuna was a man or woman) received the "Did you mean to subscribe? If so, CONFIRM now!" email, s/he wrote me an email that sparked a - dare I say it - dynamic email chain.

I've written it up, like a play.

How to Confirm a Newsletter Subscription, In 5 Acts

Act 1

Blog reader Tuna receives newsletter confirmation email from blog writer Claire Diaz-Ortiz newsletter after signing up.

Act 2

Tuna does not confirm said email newsletter, but rather responds to Claire's email address directly saying, "i dont understand wtat will hapen, may be give some explaination about it so that i can understand"

Act 3

Claire, good at interpreting poor English and poor typing (two skills she herself boasts in abundance), responds: "u will receive the email you signed up for"

Act 4

Tuna reads Claire's response, and then responds, saying helpfully, "I ignored the message"

Act 5

Claire responds to Tuna immediately, saying, "#coolyo"

The End (or, dynamic email chain goes cold)

So, not a lot of goals were achieved in this exchange. I didn't get a new reader. Tuna didn't get anything new to read. I apparently didn't help Tuna understand double opt-in, and Tuna apparently didn't care. Ultimately, my work wasn't advanced. Neither was Tuna's. But I had fun, I tell you. And that counts when you're counting how to waste your time on a given Tuesday.

So go on, interact with one of your blog readers.

For more from Claire, read her free ebook on developing a morning routine, check out her blog, follow her on LinkedIn, or find her on the Twitters via @claire.

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