By Guest Blogger Kim DeYoung
There’s a saying in marketing that it costs more to get a new customer than to keep the ones you have. The same may be true for bloggers. It pays to create a loyal following!
A way to do that is to build relationships with your readers so that they grow to know, like and trust you. Here are four tactics to help you achieve that.
Be consistent. People generally like to know what to expect, particularly when it comes to frequency of blog posts. If you commit to posting every day, then find a way to make it happen. People create habits around their blog reading and if you’re not there for a couple days with a new post, you may lose readers since they’ll get out of the habit of reading your posts.
Stay Focused. Your blog is presumably about a niche topic or to a specific group of people, so it’s important to stay focused. When you’re running out of ideas to write about, it’s easy to want to expand your focus. Stay on topic and you’ll keep your readers coming back because they’ll consistently find information that they like and can use. Your expertise will shine through in what you’re presenting to them. And, as an additional benefit, if you use content that is keyword-rich, search engines will direct traffic to your blog.
Acknowledge comments and facilitate a discussion. One of the most rewarding aspects of owning a blog is when you’re able to create a meaningful discussion with your readers. This discussion starts with intriguing posts, comments that you acknowledge with a thank you and a question. This gets the ball rolling. If you’re struggling, just ask your readers questions. Their feedback will give you new ideas to write about as well as build those relationships that you want in your community because you’ll know what’s on their minds.
Keep it interesting. Eye-catching blog post titles pull them in and interesting content will keep them reading. Find your voice and be yourself. Share in your way. Whether that’s by being funny, provocative, controversial, or valuable. Remember to be of service to your community and they’ll value what you have to share.
Building a loyal blog following is the key to generating profits and creating a name for yourself as an expert in your industry.
To learn more about how you can capture the attention of your audience and to keep them hooked, visit Kim DeYoung, the Get It Done Girl who shares her secrets on building relationships and business while blogging in her free report: 7 Mistakes Most Bloggers Make and How to Avoid Them. Be sure to check it out! http://GetItDoneBlog.com
Great tips! I especially like the one about staying focused. It would be so easy to stray from your topic but (as you point out) if you are blogging on a specific niche topic, that’s why your readers are there. And it’s true, it is a discussion. I love when someone leaves a comment on my blog and it’s an “AHA” moment for me. They’ve said something that resonates so well with me that a new blog post immediately pops into my mind. All of your tips are great.
Great guest post. Now, I’m off to check what else you’ve blogged about!
Sherryl Perry recently posted..To Blog or NOT to Blog That is the Question
Dvorah / Kim
Took me a long time to realise that the comments didn’t just come flooding in because you had written a “fantastic post”.
You are right that you have to get out there and become known, become part of the community and build up a “loyal blog following”.
I always reply to comments and keep the discussion going with the “subscribe to comments” plugin.
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