12 Ways to Expand Your Blog Readership
Every blogger wants to super-size their blog reach as quickly as possible so that it stands out in its category. For many bloggers, the challenge is getting the blog the special attention it deserves in a way that sets it apart from the rest of the blogosphere. To this end, it’s critical to have strong blog content that’s created on a regular basis, not just when the spirit moves you.
Here are twelve ways to help you super-size your blog audience.
- Create tweetable blog post headlines. To build your blog audience, increase each blog post’s readership by creating killer post titles. Since you want prospects to read and share your posts, however, don’t make your titles tell the complete story without further reading.
- Provide specialized information. High quality content such as white papers, e-books, research and infographics provide must-have value to your audience. Enhance the professionalism of your content offering with strong graphics.
- Create must-read lists. These inventories covering a specific category attract readers. If your list includes high profile experts with large followings in your field, they’ll spread the word because it makes them look good. (Here’s a list of social media readings.)
- Write guest posts. To maximize the impact on your blog reach, write for the best blogs in your category. The goal is to give away your best content to attract more readers to your blog. It’s not about linking back to your blog. (For more insights, here’s how to be a guest blogger and here’s how to set up guest blogging policies.)
- Throw a contest. Get people’s attention with a contest. To be effective in building your audience, the prize and the related participation has to be worthwhile.
- Build a social media tribe. Having a loyal group of followers with whom you interact can build your blog audience.
- Organize social media events. Social media events like twitter chats, LinkedIn discussion groups and Meetups gather like-minded individuals. Some of these events can have sizeable audiences and built-in exposure.
- Leverage other people’s audience and/or housefile. Make a presentation to a related audience where the blogger or firm promotes you and links to your blog. Present useful content to engage the audience including webinars, presentations and white papers.
- Get your content included in third party newsletters and other publications. When newsletters like Who’s Blogging What and Smartbrief for Social Media include your blog post, they often entice readers with a short blurb.
- Have your blog posts mentioned and linked to in other people’s blog posts. It’s bad form to ask bloggers to link to your blog to help grow your blog. Rather you must have information and/or content that’s a resource for their readers. Further, these bloggers may expect you to reciprocate on your blog, Again, a single mention may not do anything. The goal is to build the number of blogs that mention your blog to send traffic directly and help your search marketing.
- Get high profile individuals to recommend your blog posts. A mention from a respected source can increase an article’s performance. To get significant blog audience growth, you must post this type of content regularly. Otherwise, it’s a one-time spike in traffic that’s gone as quickly as it arrived.
- Acquire blog bling in the form of badges obtained through hard work and exceptional content in your category. Since they’re a sign that your blog is well rated across a number of attributes and assessed by a committee, these lists attract readers, especially when the new listings are announced.
All of these suggestions require strong content to entice readers. Therefore, decide which of these suggestions are best for your blog content, category and audience.
Do you have any other suggestions for super-sizing your blog audience? If so, please include them in the comments section below.
Happy marketing,
Heidi Cohen
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Photo credit: Emilio Labrador via Flickr
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