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Welcome to Ask Andy! Where, were still hoping someone besides my mom is watching.
For this edition Zack T. asks, “How do I get readers to my blogs?”
Well, there’s more than one way to skin a cat...though I do wish there were less graphic
idioms than that. I’ll try and answer Zack’s question...and leave the cats unharmed. No
matter your approach, they key is to create a core group of fans. Start with one, even
if it’s your mom, and build from there. These are the fans that will spread the word,
be your biggest supporters and consistent readers. Let’s look at a few ways to make
that happen.
Social media and email.
We’ll start with the more obvious ones. You will have undoubtedly put in the work
to grow your email list and social following. Put it to good use. Think of it as your Bat
Signal. When you’ve got a fresh piece of content on your site, shine a light on it.
Let Gotham City and beyond know to come check it out.
Shareable content.
It’s not enough just to bring your email list and social followers to the blog. Knowing
the type of content your readers enjoy and would be likely to share is key. Pay attention
to what kind of posts get the most traffic or even survey readers to find out what they
want.
You want your content to be what’s discussed at the Internet water cooler. This can be
done with interesting stories and tie ins to current events. Can also be done with great
images, design and even infographics.
Guest blogging is another great way to gain new readers. Make friends. You probably don’t
remember your first day of school. Then, or at some point in your life, you had to walk
up to a stranger, introduce yourself and figure out if you could play nice together. You may
have a steady roster of blogs you follow. It’s also possible that other bloggers are
paying attention to your site. Use that and build relationships from it. Guest blogging
for their sites will get you exposure and having them do it for yours may bring their
readers’ eyes to your blog.
There are countless other ways you can attract readers to your blogs. These are just a few
examples. Try out all different kinds of bait and see what gets you a bite.
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