We’ve all heard the expression, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Well, if you spend hours writing a blog and no one ever sees it, was it a waste of time?
Let’s try to avoid that situation. Here are some tips that can help you get more people reading and following your blog based on what I learned growing BridalTweet.com, a thriving wedding community of more than 20,000 wedding professionals and brides who visit each month.
Get Readers to See Your Blog:
1. Get your blog out there!
Each time you create a new blog post, announce it on your Facebook business page, Twitter and on other free websites specific to your industry. And, don't just provide a link to your blog. Instead, consider including the first paragraph of your blog post and an image to entice readers.
2. Comment on other blogs
Another way to drive traffic to your blog is to leave thought-provoking questions or comments on other popular blogs and link back to your blog.
3. Include 'share' buttons on your blog
Include buttons within each blog post to make your content shareable on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. I use the free tool bar from Add This. This makes it easy for my readers to share my content with all of their friends—and this equates to free marketing. For example, if I read your blog and shared it on Twitter, then a link to your blog post would go out to my 20,000+ Twitter followers.
Get Readers to Read and Follow Your Blog:
1. Consistently blog about one specific theme or niche
Having a theme will create a perception that you are an expert on that particular subject. More importantly, it will signal to readers as to what they can expect from your blog on a regular basis. If it is a theme that they are interested in, then they will likely visit your blog often. To choose a theme, think about what you are passionate about and what you are good at. For example, I’m in the wedding industry and I’m passionate about marketing. So, I use my blog to give free marketing advice to wedding professionals.
Want to read more blogging tips? Check these out:
2. Decide how often you are going to publish new blog posts
I’ve chosen to blog on a weekly basis. Since I have made that decision, I make sure to stick to my weekly schedule. Sticking to a consistent schedule helps you to create a following for your blog. It shows a commitment and makes it clear to readers about what they should expect from you. I also try to write three to four blog posts ahead of time, so that I don’t find myself stressing out each week about what to write.
3. Sit down and write
I recommend that you ONLY write about things that help or add value to your audience. This can include tips, trends and research, ideas and inspiration, special offers, new products or services, interviews with trendsetters, and/or a backstage look at your business.
4. Remember that your customers don’t read
Ok, yes they do but they also love photos. Unless you are talking about business topics, I would recommend that you include at least one beautiful image in each of your blog posts. This will make your blog posts more interesting and attractive to potential customers. If you are using images or content from a third party, be sure to give credit to those sources.
5. Proofread. Proofread. Proofread. Did I mention that you should proofread?
This sounds obvious, but I read so many blogs with spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. We all make mistakes sometimes but try to remember that consistent mistakes can be distracting and have the potential to impact your credibility. I highly recommend that you have another person proofread your blog post before you publish it. In fact, my husband proofreads ALL of my posts before I publish them!
Do you have any tips to share about how to create a successful and popular blog that readers will visit again and again? If so, please comment below.
OPEN Cardmember Christine Dyer is the Founder and CEO of BridalTweet.com, the wedding community that connects over 20,000 wedding professionals, brides and wedding bloggers each month. At BridalTweet, Christine shares free wedding marketing advice with wedding professionals. WeFollow.com has ranked BridalTweet as the #1 most influential wedding personality on Twitter.
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Allison Canty 1 year 0 months and 3 days ago
Great tips Christine. Share buttons are really important, and what's even more important is that you make it as easy as possible for people to share the post. There is nothing more annoying than trying to share a post and having to copy and paste the title, then shorten the link etc. To increase your readers or subscribers, I'd recommend having guest bloggers on your blog. That way you are tapping into their established network and increasing the reach of your blog (and content).