what attracts readers?

Oh, I’m going there today.

A frequent question I get from readers who are starting out blogging or have been blogging a while but would like their blog to grow is: How can I attract more readers to my blog?

While I am not an expert, I have definitely seen my blog steadily grow over the course of the last year or so. And while I also don’t have all the answers, I would like to share what helped me and what I did to increase my readership. Over the course of the last year, I have shifted my thinking of CEC from “just a hobby” to a part time job. This has really helped me to keep my focus, create a professional appearance (I hope.), and learn from successful bloggers.

1. Don’t focus on the numbers. Seems weird, right? But just don’t do it. While I would be lying if I didn’t get a little giddy some days when looking at my blog stats, it doesn’t tell the full story. What were those posts about? Were they quality pieces or was I just “blogging to blog”? I feel like if you focus on the numbers, others will start to notice. Once numbers are involved, blogging with passion will decrease dramatically.

(source)

2. Quality over Quantity. There are some days where I just don’t feel like posting twice a day, or even at all in a day. When that happens, I have two options: don’t post or schedule a guest post. If I were to post when I really wasn’t “feeling it”, chances are you would notice really quickly. Gabriela and Tina both recently did posts on their “blogging mojo”, and both are a really great read.

3. Get involved. And now I sound like my mother when I went off to college. In all seriousness though, getting involved in the blogging community really helps. I am involved in a number of different communities that help me stay involved and get CEC some more exposure. Some communities I am involved in are:
- Foodbuzz
- Wellsphere
- Fit Blogger
- Foodgawker
- Teaching Street
- Love Grown “Love Blogger”

4. Guest Post. I have gotten a lot of my readers through guest posting on other blogger’s sites. Obviously you should discuss guest posting with a blogger you already have a relationship with instead of e-mailing someone you do not really “know” though. Create a guest post swap for the two of you to complete at the same time!

5. Utilize Social Media. Social media is HUGE, and I really did not realize this until this year. I cannot tell you how many people come to my blog because of a tweet I sent out or because of a link I shared on Facebook. With that being said, if you don’t have a Twitter account, get one. If you have been toying with the idea of getting a Facebook page for your blog, do it (and use it, unlike me for about 4 months! #guiltyascharged). Social media has helped me to create relationships with other brands, with other bloggers, and with all of my readers!

6. Focus on the relationships. Blogging is no fun without my readers! I love interacting with everyone in the comments section and on Facebook and Twitter – it’s probably my favorite part about blogging! I have also focused on making long lasting friendships with other bloggers – it makes blogging that much more worthwhile!

7. Slow and steady wins the race. Give yourself time. You can’t expect your blog to grow 1000% overnight! It took me a a lot of time and hard work to get to where I want to be!

Are these the only things you can do to try and get your readership to grow? Absolutely not! They are, however, what helped me the most during my blog’s “growth spurt”.

Question: What have you found attracts people to read certain blogs?

Tagged as: advice, blog, blog community, blog maintenence, how to attract more readers, increasing readership on blog