4 Quick Tips to Grow Your Blog
Congratulations, you've made the leap of faith and added a blog to your website!
Now what?
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Create a schedule - and stick to it
Imagine this: you hear about a great blog and check it out for three days in a row - but the content never changes. Would you spend any more time waiting for a new post? I didn't think so, and neither will your readers.
Readers want to see new content, and they want to see it regularly. If you don't post frequently, you'll loose your readers. It's as simple as that.
So create a schedule and try to post three new entries each week. Remember to spread them out and don't post them all on the same day. As readers get used to your posting schedule, your blog will become a part of their regular routine.
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Content is king
New blogs pop up constantly, giving readers a tremendous amount of material to choose from. Posting dull, unoriginal content will immediately turn readers off of your blog and onto someone else's.
Think about what specifically interests your readers and deliver it. Be the first to report or react to industry news, tackle a difficult issue, answer questions, etc. Above all, be original!
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What's your comment policy?
Allowing readers to post comments is the best way to encourage interaction with your blog. Plus, comments spark and sustain reader interest. But as we all know, not all comments are good comments, so you need to find a balance between quantity and quality.
Some things to consider: Will you moderate comments? What about using word verification? How often will you respond to comments? Ultimately, the decision is yours - but don't let your control squash reader interaction. Bottom line: balance is key.
Quick Tip: Responding to comments and creating a dialogue with your readers is a great way to understand their interests, concerns, needs, etc. You can easily stay up to date on the issues that are most important to them and deliver exactly what they want.
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Make it readable
An inaccessible format can kill a blog, so give your readers
content and convenience. Some readers like to check a
blog themselves while others prefer to read blog content
via email. If you've got a tech savvy person in your office,
consider using an RSS feed (check out http://feedreader.com
for help on this).
To satisfy all readers, offer an email subscription to your blog's feed and include links directly to your blog. That way, readers stay in control of their viewing preferences.
Above all, remember that staying focused on your readers is the best way to grow your blog. By providing regular, quality content and a forum for comments, your blog won't just be a promotional tool. It will grow into a community that engages your readers and helps you streamline your marketing campaign.
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