Doesn’t it seem as though everyone has a blog these days? With the easy access to blogging resources and digital technology, it’s easier than ever to launch and maintain a blog. In fact, it’s been reported that the number of bloggers is expected to reach 31.7 million by the year 2020.
While this fact is mindblowing and exciting, it is also concerning for current bloggers. It’s no longer enough to create a website and only publish content. To be a successful blogger, you must also build a loyal following of interested readers. Naturally, this is easier said than done, especially with the constant flow of new competition in the blogging world.
If you’re interested in fostering a fanbase for your blog, keep these ten crucial tips in mind.
1. Know What You Want to Write About
Depending on your age, you may remember the good old days of LiveJournal. Users flocked to the site to pour their thoughts, feelings, emotions, and opinions into journal entries and blog posts. They could write about whatever their hearts desire.
Today, followers expect to read about specific topics from bloggers. While this doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to only one industry or genre, you should know what you want to write about and communicate this to your audience.
For instance, if you tell readers you plan to write about travel, they’ll continue coming back for travel-related content. However, if you randomly publish a piece about the state of the automotive industry, your travel readers will be confused and may not return to your website.
Set your topics in stone and get writing!
2. Define Your Target Audience
Knowing who you want to write for is also a key component to building a following. By understanding your audience’s needs, desires, fears, passions, and more, you can tap into those emotions and concerns within your content. In doing so, you show readers you get them, empathize with them, and that they can trust you for regular content which resonates with them.
3. Write Content that Appeals to Your Audience
After defining your blog topics and getting to truly know your target audience, you can write, write, and write some more. Always create content that will appeal to your audience. If you’re not sure what your audience wants to read about, ask them! They’ll appreciate your desire to learn more about them and give you genuine feedback.
When creating content, follow these quick tips:
Always proofread your work. There’s nothing worse than a reader pointing out an error.
Make sure you’re providing honest, quality content to your fans.
Avoid clickbait content and headlines at all costs.
Try your best to create and publish content on a regular schedule.
Take advantage of the myriad of blogging tools available online.
Try your absolute best to write valuable content for your audience. Before diving into a topic, ask yourself how you will provide value to the reader through your writing. Whether it’s entertainment, education, or another goal, your content should always have a purpose.
4. Take Advantage of Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is beneficial for both parties involved. If you develop content for other websites, you expand your audience reach and drive new readers back to your website. On the other hand, if you allow guest bloggers to create content for your site, you provide your audience with fresh and exciting, but still relevant, content. It’s a win-win!
In addition, as you establish lasting relationships with other bloggers, you’ll begin to generate a larger awareness of your brand and content. As you share each other’s content, you’ll work together to create a community of loyal readers for your respective blogs.
Plus, bloggers work diligently to expand their brand awareness through social media and search engine optimization. Guest blogging works to advance both of those marketing strategies, as well!
5. Distribute Content Online
Again, it’s not enough to just publish your content. You have to make sure it gets in front of your defined audience as well. This is where a solid content distribution strategy comes into play.
A content distribution strategy works to ensure that your content can be found and accessed from multiple places online. Most content distribution strategies include:
Sharing the content on popular social media networks.
Emailing new content to your readers and subscribers.
Optimizing the content to rank for particular keywords on search engines.
Repurposing your content to reach new audiences.
Sharing your content on platforms such as reddit, Medium, and LinkedIn.
6. Give Readers an Extra Value
If you want to keep readers coming back for more and turning into loyal followers, try giving them something extra for free.
For instance, let’s say you write about DIY hacks on your blog. Create an eBook filled with your top DIY tips and advice and give it away for free. All readers have to provide in exchange is their email address. Once you have their email address you can add them to your list of subscribers and continue to share valuable content with them.
Or, if giving away information isn’t up your alley, host weekly live video events or create other forms of content that provide users with a little something extra. It’ll keep them entertained, engaged, and most of all, loyal.
Plus, as readers see you’re genuinely interested in their needs, they’ll return for more content.
7. Build a Following on Social Media
At first glance, this tip may seem counterintuitive. Why should you focus on building a following on social media when you’re trying to create a following for your blog? Because the two work hand-in-hand!
Think of social media as the doorway and your blog as your home. You can’t get into a house if you don’t walk through the door!
Start fostering a community on social media with these tips:
Follow fellow bloggers and related accounts or brands.
Share your own content regularly.
Curate content from other bloggers, brands, and publications.
Spark conversations with your followers.
Participate in conversations on social media.
Bloggers rely on social media to attract new readers, engage with current fans, and push their content out for the world to read.
8. Let Readers Subscribe to Your Email Newsletters
Email marketing is an excellent strategy for bloggers. It allows them to distribute their content to a loyal, interested audience. To start an email marketing plan, you need a list of subscribers.
Allow readers and visitors to subscribe to your blog easily. You can include a sign-up form at the bottom of your blogs, in the footer, and in other areas of your website.
9. Interact with Other Bloggers’ Content
If you want people to read and engage with your content, you have to be willing to return the favor. Read, share, and comment on other blog content you enjoy from across the Internet. As you begin to interact more with other content, you’ll also generate a following for your own blog as others head over to your website to learn more about you.
10. Pay Attention to Google Analytics
If you’re doing all of the tips above and still not attracting a loyal audience, there might be something wrong with your content or website. The first place to check for red flags is your Google Analytics account. From high bounce rates to minimal time on site, the data from your account can help you solve any problems that might be standing in the way of generating a blog following.
What did you do to build a loyal following for your blog? Let us know in the comments!
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