How You Can Attract Loyal Readers to Your Blog

You worked hard starting your blog. It’s been your baby project. You’ve started, created, and launched. A victory right? A big yes!

The truth is many people set up a blog. Go through the process of developing their blogs. Then discover readers just aren’t showing up! Time passes, and more time passes. You still aren’t getting the desired traffic to your blog.

You don’t have to be lost on the web! It is a big world with thousands of people who could be reading your blog. Readers who would be there exploring your content if they knew you existed.

So how do you and your blog begin to get noticed?

Social media integration

While it isn’t necessary or productive to use all social media it is important to integrate a few them. Social media networks provide fantastic opportunities connect with your readers and other bloggers.

Here are some suggestions to get you started;

There are so many social media outlets to choose from. Often it is difficult to determine how many of these you need right away.

Facebook and Twitter are great places to start.

Keep in mind that the social media avenues you choose will need to be managed. Used successfully they involve regular content, interaction with you will be required consistently.

Social media is about engaging with others and expanding your reach to a larger audience.

Too much social media can and I promise you will absorb much of your time.

Social Media Examiner is a great resource.

Connect with other bloggers in your niche

Here you begin to formulate a relationship with bloggers who are sharing a similar message as you are. They talk the same language.

Help them get known for what they do and they’ll help you too! You’ll learn from them and some will become your friends. The best way to become known by influential bloggers is to be helpful and giving of yourself generously.

Here’s how you can start connecting with other bloggers;

Read and leave valuable comments on their blogs.
Share their work across your social media networks.
Be a generous giver and give without expecting anything in return.
Contribute guest posts to bloggers in your niche.
Show up daily and they will remember you.
Be teachable and willing to promote what they teach.
Join a couple of Facebook groups where bloggers support each other.

An influential blogger friend of mine Ryan Biddulph from Blogging From Paradise has mastered the concept of connecting with other bloggers. Follow Ryan’s blog and you’ll discover blogging tips that are a surefire way to grow your blog through generosity.

Get involved in online communities

Several years ago I joined a writing and blogging course by well-known author and blogger Jeff Goins. Built into the TribeWriters was access to his closed Facebook groups set up for his rapidly growing community of students. We were his Tribe. This is what you need to do too. Build your tribe of friends, readers, and followers.

Connecting with other bloggers in online communities helps you to build and grow a Tribe of friends and followers. You’ll gain more readers to your blog as you share your work among larger audiences.

Show interest in what influential bloggers are doing.

Offer to help them.

Learn from them.

Grow your tribe.

Guest posting

Write and publish an article on someone else’s website or blog. It’s a great way to establish a connection with more readers.

Offer to guest post on some of the people you connect through their websites on the same topic.

Some will say no, a few may say yes. Guest posting is a great way to expand your reach.

For further reading about guest posting;

3 Ways Guest Posting Can Help You Grow Your Online Audience by Jeff Goins

The Ultimate Guide to Guest Posting by Neil Patel

Guest Posting 101: 7 Keys to Get Your Guest Posts Published by Frank McKinley

Create your brand

Over time, you will become known for the brand you create around you and your niche area. When people think of it, they will remember you.

If you want to learn more about establishing your brand watch and listen to this video segment of ‘This is your life” with Michael Hyatt and his Co-host Michele Cushatt. The 5 Elements of a Powerful Personal Brand

The reputation you build around your brand will largely impact your blogging experience good or bad.
A good picture of you that is known to your readers. They connect with you and want to see you. Know who you are. Your readers won’t stay if you drive them away with being too impersonal.
Give your site a simple logo. Head over to Logo Makr if you want to create one for free. This is a great video tutorial on how to use Logo Makr Create Your Own Logo by Greg Narayan
Canva is another great place to design your own logo.

“The reputation you build around your brand will largely impact future success.”

Give something for free.

People love free stuff! Your readers love getting free offers! This gives them an incentive to subscribe. Being generous helps you to succeed in blogging.

So what can you offer them starting out?

Ebooks, newsletters, email courses, tutorials, calendars, and planners can be helpful.

Consistently post new content

Decide what posting rhythm works best for you. Better to start with a less frequent yet consistent posting routine. If bi-weekly is better for you then start there. You can always increase from there.

If you decide to post 3 times per week then all of a sudden move to bi-weekly you’ll lose readers. Your readers rely on the tempo you publish content to your blog.

Creating quality posts is a practice that gets easier with time. The more you do it the easier and better it gets.

Further reading: 10 Blogging Practices That Work: How to Create Blog Content