This post about, How To Get People To Keep Reading Your Blog came from a moment of inspiration, luck, or chance. It was a case of the right place at the right time with some help from Mother Nature and I felt a topic worth covering or at least to be a refresher.
I had just sat down to write but instead of working in the office I decided to sit at the new dinning table. I sat positioned to look out the backdoor at the porch made up of square stone tiles. They were all the same type of stone and color.
I had taken a brief moment to do some thinking and as I looked outside the rain began to trickle down, as it often does here in Florida. I focused in on two of the stone tiles, one began to show every drop as the rain fell upon it while the other the drops evaporated almost immediately leaving a dry stone.
I made a quick comparison to blogging. The stone that showed or retained it’s drops is much like the blog that’s able to keep people reading their blog while the stone that the water evaporated on is similar to the blog that readers seem to disappear never to be seen again.
How To Get People To Keep Reading Your Blog
The returning reader is a key factor to the continued growth of your blog. Adding new readers is important but keeping those who already read your blog in my opinion comes first. What can you do to get people to keep reading your blog?
1. Fresh Content
The quickest way to lose readers is to have a lack of fresh content. Nothing worse then readers who want to keep reading your blog yet they have nothing new to read. This doesn’t necessarily mean multiple daily posts or even just a daily update, we all know how it can be difficult at times to write new posts. Rather a consistent posting and at the very least 2 to 3 posts a week. If you want to keep people reading your blog keep giving them something to read.
2. Be Available To Them
We as humans love, no crave interaction. A downfall of blogging is it’s text based interaction and not face to face. However this should in no way hinder your interaction with your readers. The comments section is there for a reason, it’s for your readers to communicate with you and yes, for you to communicate back. This is a surefire way, yet often overlooked method to get people to keep reading your blog.
3. Create A Pleasing Visit
I have to be honest, those of you with a poorly designed and navigable blog, you won’t have me as a reader. I try to pack in as many blogs into my life as possible and if I have a hard time getting around your site or is just hard on the eyes I just move on to another. You NEED and MUST have a design that makes it as easy as possible for your readers to use. The more pleasing their visit is the more likely they will keep reading your blog.
4. Show Them Some Love
Most people who will be reading your blog are bloggers themselves and what better way to show thanks for their continued reading then to reward them with a link. I’m a big fan of this. Receiving a link, blurb, or mention will go a long way towards keeping me as a reader as I’m sure it will many. I don’t read with the intent of receiving but when I do it’s a nice feeling. Giving back is a meaningful way to get people to keep reading your blog.
5. You Read Mine I’ll Read Yours
I wholeheartedly live by the motto “do unto others”. If you visit, comment, and or read my blog I do my best to return it. Now with that said if your intent is to spam your way to more readers be aware we know and thereby will ignore you without a second thought. So, if you want to keep people reading your blog one way to do that is to read the blogs of those who read yours. Trust me this will benefit both parties.
What Are Your Tips To Keep Them Reading?
While these are but a few examples of things you can do to get people to keep reading your blog they are important ones I try to live by.
What methods do you use, avoid, or tricks?
Very nice tips and indeed basic but very essential. You got all the points there Michael. This post deserves two thumbs up. Cheers!
Ron
Cavite Blog´s last blog post..Tnomeralc Web Design Toys
Usually, when I’m wondering about site design, I head over to webpagesthatsuck.com because it has some of the best, most common sense knowledge to apply to having/designing a website.
I also try visit the blogs of others as often as possible–guess that fast typing speed comes in handy..
Melody´s last blog post..Winning the AzoogleAds/Playboy T-shirt Design Contest…
Hey Michael, I agree with everything you said, especially no.5 but I take it one step further by reciprocating all comments. I even started up the F Group to try and entice others to follow the movement. I have a few members but nowhere neat enough. I reckon people are scared of making that commitment.
I try and reward readers by making my blog dofollow, installing the Top Commentators Plugin and commentluv as well. I try to reply to all comments which I think is essential if you want to make them feel welcomed.
Sire´s last blog post..The Differences Between Male And Female
Having a DoFollow blog, Top Commentator Plugin, and Commentluv not only help you keep readers but rewards them at the same time. Let me know about the F Group, I do my Friday mix and sounds like a worthy addition.
I agree with all those points. For myself, I also try to go through the comments and reply and get to the reader emails as quick as possible. For those that do comment, I always check out their blogs, especially the “about” bio to see who I am reading about and that tends to determine how frequently I will read that blog.
Aman@BullsBattleBears´s last blog post..Free 60 Day BJ Wholesale Membership!!
Good point worth mentioning. The emails, though it may not be ON your blog it does relate to it and it’s readers. Just as important to keep on top of that.
I totally agree! Especially the last one. If you are frequently visiting and commenting on others blogs then they will want to return the favour.
Tom – StandOutBlogger.com´s last blog post..Are Bloggers Early Adopters?
It’s an alternative way to RSS. Instead of (or additional to) getting up dates to visit a blog via RSS, comments left by others are a friendly reminder that I should visit their blog.
All essential points in my book!
Fresh content should be a no brainer and a lot of folks around the sphere know by now that 4 & 5 are always at the top of my list.
Plus being available in all areas s of super importance.
I’m even about to unveil a really upgraded theme design, which I hope will be even more pleasing en how it is currently.
Dennis Edell´s last blog post..Understanding The New Rules Of SEO
I look forward to the new design. Let me know when, as I’s like to add it to my Friday Mix.
I keep reading on someone blog if they update their blog frequently.
blinkky´s last blog post..Google Images Trick
You can read about the FGroup here, and as I’ve said whilst membership isn’t huge at the moment we do have some prominent members.
Sire´s last blog post..A Related Post Plugin For Wordpress Makes Sense
hey Michael,
Running a blog is like running a business. And in business, one quickly realizes the trick is to keep current customers so you don’t have to keep finding (so many) new ones, just like with blogging the trick is to keep your current readers. And I think as you say, the most important thing is fresh content (of value). The stone tile and rain gave you good inspiration! ~ steve, the trade show guru
Steve | Trade Show Guru´s last blog post..Trade Show Booth Staffing Secrets
Frequent updates keep me coming back for more when it comes to blog reading. Also, while I like business articles, seeing the essence of the person emerge in posts is also compelling as well.
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach´s last blog post..Offer PREMIUM Content via these 7 Wordpress Membership Plugins/Software Goodies
Hello Michael,
Nice insights pal, I myself had a problem being available for my readers now. I’ve never imagine that I would have such problem in my blogging journey. I can say that it affect your readership pretty much.
Norhafidz´s last blog post..Should Bloggers Make Money?
I would stick to blogs that are designed to meet your #3. Not only navigation, but the blogs must also have less ads.
I am not against ads, I have some on my site too, but don’t go overboard. Some bloggers like to put ads everywhere, at the top, the sidebar .. at the bottom of every posts, in the middle of the post, everywhere that they can find space. pop ups, pop unders. You name it they got it
Good tips I will consider on my own blog!
Ray´s last blog post..What is a “Donk”?
Hi Michael,
Increasing your backlinks and getting a higher PR may helps to keep people coming to your site and even more if you have TC, commentluv and are a DoFollow Blog, this must be a killer to make people coming and comment. They will come for your updates and for the PR juice.
Getting a higher base of blog subscriber it is a must for returning commenters. Submitting your blog RSS to RSS submission sites can help a lot to increase your readers.
Luis
Marketing Business Review´s last blog post..DoFollow Blogs List of Lists
I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the advice. I just started my own blog so I will definitely try and keep those things in mind as I get it up and running. (hey, I might be in the late majority of this curve, but better late than never, right?)
Daniel Cook´s last blog ..Following the past