5 Ways to Keep Your Readers Coming Back for More
June 15, 2007
Every blogger strives to have readers that think, “This blog is fantastic! I need to add it to my blogroll so I can come back everyday and encourage my visitors to do the same.” I have quite a few blogs that I am loyal to and I have to go visit each day. I’ve spent some time thinking about this and have composed FIVE REASONS why I go back to their blogs for more, so you can take this list and use it to better your own blog. :)
1. Offer something UNIQUE. All of the blogs I read daily have a unique feel to them! There are millions of blogs out there and you’ve got to make yours stand apart. You need to offer something different that no one else does. I think Kumiko has a very unique blog, to name an example. Not only has she branded her blog to her name but she’s also made it known as the “blog that is pink”. Other bloggers hold weekly or monthly events that set them apart. I’m still working on perfecting this one.
2. Post new content DAILY. Or at least, if you can’t post something new every single day, aim for every other day! I used to make the big mistake of going huge periods of days without making a single post, and I think this made me lose chances for potential readers. It’s just annoying when you go to a blog and they’ve not had new content for a long time. It makes it seem as if they don’t care about what they’re doing. If I go to a blog that hasn’t updated in quite a while, I feel like I’m wasting my time. That’s why I’m now trying to put out plenty of content for you to read!
3. Have a good DESIGN. This ties in with offering something unique, but it’s a little more specific. You need a design that thousands of other bloggers don’t use. You also need a design that’s not too fancy and might take too long to load for some people. Your design should look clean and simple, and you also shouldn’t cram it with ads.
4. INTERACT with your visitors. I love a blog that has good communication, and so do others! If I leave a comment on someone else’s blog, it would be nice of them to respond to it. It’s a huge bonus if they come and leave a comment on my blog as well! If you can’t take the time to interact with your blog’s readers and talk to them, most likely they won’t be coming back.
5. Have information FIRST. If your blog is one of the first that announces news, chances are people are going to see you as a good source and know you’re on top of things. If something happens and people want to know more, they’ll visit your blog first and maybe even link to it. They’ll know you’re trustworthy and your readers will definitely not just be one-timers!
There are so many little things you can do as well to increase your percentage of loyal visitors, but these five things are key. Other things are a little bit more obvious like typing with correct grammar and spelling, not spamming, etc. I think the most important tip is the first one. Like I said, there are millions of blogs, and it won’t do you any good to blend in. You need to be all aroud unique, with unique content, events, design, and more. Think on it a little while and figure out what you can do to make your blog different.
I also admit, I’m still correcting myself on some of these points. But I think everyday I improve just a little bit more, and that’s what matters. I’m not an expert blogger but I’m always learning. And I love figuring out new ways to keep my readers coming back for more! If you have anymore suggestions, please let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear them. ;)
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6 Responses to “5 Ways to Keep Your Readers Coming Back for More”
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Also, add an RSS button. An orange one.
A BIG orange one.
God I love being able to login into Google
and get all my news at once in the A.M.
Speaking of that, I still need to add me an RSS button. Another thing for my to-do list. Thanks for the reminder. ;)
Cool tips. I’m rather new to the world of blogging and loving it already. Learning different stuffs every other day and yet to learn how to hold contests and share goals with my readers.
By the way you’ve got a prety good state on alexa, care to drop tips for us?
@TJ - That’s cool that you have started blogging. Keep learning and don’t give up! As for Alexa, I don’t really do too much to improve my ranking. I recommend that you download their toolbar - not only will visiting your site while using it increase your views, but it gives you some good info on other sites as well. Also, just keep trying to gain traffic. I recommend using StumbleUpon and Blogging Zoom. :)
I’m doing that and seeing some success already…I guess I have to promote more…
But I was wondering, how come you don’t have any pagerank?
@TJ - This blog is currently a PageRank 3. This specific post has no PageRank, but several other internal pages do and, like I said, the homepage is a 3. :)