So, you’ve decided to start a blog for your business. Excellent idea. Oh wait, your blog is actually more for personal use? Still, an excellent idea. However, you’re noticing through analytics and lack of engagement that your blog isn’t getting quite the amount of attention that you’d hoped it would get–which can definitely be a bummer when you’re spending hours pouring out your creative genius, and getting so little feedback in return. Today we’re going to look at 7 ways to attract more readers through writing a blog, so you can get that following you want and deserve.
1. Post, post, post
I’m sorry, but your bi-monthly blog post is not enough when it comes to attracting more readers to your blog. You need to be writing a blog post as often as you can. Statistics show that companies that prioritize their blogging efforts (and content marketing strategy) are 13x more likely to receive a positive return on investment (ROI). Being consistent is absolutely key when it comes to posting on your blog, and you need to come up with a posting schedule that suits your company. For some companies it wouldn’t make sense to post more than three-four times a week, while with others, it would make sense to be posting once or twice per day. If you’re running a business blog, it depends on what sort of audience you want to attract. Come up with a regular schedule and editorial calendar that you can commit to sticking to–that way your readers know to check back and expect new content on those particular days.
2. SEO Optimization
As discussed in number 1, posting more will also mean that you’ll cover more topics, which makes you more likely to be found in search engines. This is obviously huge in making sure your blog is attracting more readers, as you need to have the ability to be found in the first place. To get post ideas when you’re starting a blog, do your keyword research and include words or phrases that are being searched for on a regular basis that relate to your business. While you shouldn’t plan your article or blog post around a keyword just because it’s popular, finding ways to relate to and integrate them with your blog ideas will most certainly help your search engine ranking.
3. How-To and List Posts
Statistics show that both how-to and list posts are at the height of the overall headline preferences for content, with number lists (similar to this blog post) coming in first at 37%, and how-to headlines coming in third at 17%. These headlines hold these ranks for good reason. Think about how many times you, yourself have typed “how to” into a search engine. How many times you were automatically attracted to a title because it was a list? We associate lists with being easier and more manageable to read, especially in this busy day and age where we’re always on the go. There is a lot to be gained by integrating these two types of posts into your blog as often as you can. A great blog post on any given topic is more likely to get social shares with your audience, too!
4. Comment on other’s blog posts
While you may not see at first why this would even be beneficial, it can hugely help increase traffic to your website, especially when you’re first starting out. We’re not necessarily talking about commenting on anyone and everyone’s blog post willy nilly–you want to primarily focus on blog posts that are in the same niche or industry as you are. For example, if you’re a lifestyle blogger, comment on other lifestyle bloggers, and give them some positive and thoughtful feedback. This could result in their engaging with you, or may result in other blog post readers checking out what content you have to offer on your own blog. Try to reach out and do this as often as you can–every day is not too much.
5. Don’t be afraid to get personal
Sharing your own story is a powerful and meaningful tool in helping your readers get to know you on a more personal level. People appreciate honesty, and they’re more likely to come back to you specifically if they feel like they know you, and that you are going to provide real and honest content to them. Of course, you don’t need to delve into your deepest and darkest secrets every time you write a blog post, but being willing to open up and allow your readers an insight into you will greatly benefit you.
6. Use social media
People love to keep up to date with their favorite bloggers, businesses and influencers through social media–it’s all about that aspect of keeping things as personal as you can. If someone feels like they know you and get what you’re all about, they’re more likely to keep coming back to you over someone else who’s more generic. They’re also more likely to give you social shares to their friends, to share your ideas. This will help to grow that target audience through like-minded people, like their friends and family. Every time you’re writing blog posts, think about how you can make it social media friendly. When you publish an article, think about the tagline you’ll tweet out, or consider creating a hashtag for feedback. However, don’t spread yourself too thin. Pick one or two social media platforms and really focus on those platforms, posting daily and providing valuable backlinks to your business and to your blog.
7. Consider roundup posts
Roundup posts are a compilation of different sources, and can make for a great blog topic. This could mean different answers to a question, or a list of your top ten bloggers in a particular industry. You might be thinking, “Wait. Why would I provide direct links to my competitors?” Yes, you are pointing out that others are able to cover similar topics to you and do well in their industry. No one is arguing that. However, a roundup blogpost is not only meant to benefit other businesses, but yours as well. You will notice that if a blogger gets featured in another blogger’s work, they are extremely likely to share that blog post, which can bring in significantly more traffic for you. Quite a small price to pay, and there’s nothing wrong with promoting other successful businesses. We all have to support each other in this competitive world, my friends.
While these are only 7 of dozens of possible ways you can attract more readers to your blog, we hope we have given you some solid inspiration on how to move forward. With the right techniques and epic posts, there’s no reason why your blog won’t be attracting more readers in no time at all.
