Boost Your Blog Readership In 4 Steps

You’ve chosen a domain name, launched a blog, and decided on a stat tracking application - now’s the time to put Mint into use and start building up your RSS subscribers.

Link To Other Related Blogs

It doesn’t matter if you write about Apple technology, dogs, or life at university, there are always going to be blogs covering similar areas. Find these sites and spend some time browsing their archives, looking for articles of interest.

When you stumble across interesting pieces, don’t just read them, but blog about the article you stumbled on. Do more than just leave a link, write a few hundred words providing your views on the matter in hand, and adding some helpful related comments to stretch the discussion.

Comment, Comment, Comment

Does the word comment mean anything to you? It should. Start voicing your opinion on current news in your field via other blogs. Make sure your comments are large, well thought out, and well constructed.

Make detailed comments, comments you would be proud of for people to read. Many will see your insightful comment on an article, and click you name which links back to your site. Not so much instant traffic, but it helps build up your reputation in a specific field.

Get Personal

If you’re just going to be blogging the news and nothing else, stop. Readers can find this elsewhere. You are running a blog, not a website. A blog is an outlet for you to create original content with an original and personal twist to it.

Don’t be afraid to get personal in terms of trial and error, experiments, and previous experience in your posts. Let your opinion be known, give your readers an in-sign to the real “you”. It will ultimately make your blog more interesting to read, and you will developer a much stronger link with your community.

Communicate With Your Readers

Communication is one of the most vital aspects about blogging. If you get an email from a reader, reply to it as soon as possible. If you have a reader asking a question over IM, be helpful and friendly while trying to help them with their problem.

Identify loyal commenters and email them, start conversations, connect with them. Without these loyal readers and commenters, the main reasons of blogging is gone - developing friendships.

How many blog subscribers do you have?

Comments

  1. #1

    wphj → www.wphj.wordpress.com

    Great post Glenn. I have actually followed many of these steps with my own blog. It’s worked out pretty well. The last one is, in my opinion, the most important. It’s more rewarding for me to talk to a few loyal readers than to see a big number on my stats page from a Digg story.

    If I would say one part that I don’t do well, it’s the first point. I normally don’t blog about current news or rumors, so it’s not as easy to post something linking to another blog without it turning into a sort of “me too” post. Also, I’ve had less time to comment on other blogs because my own blog takes up the time!

  2. #2

    Kiro → tstitch.wordpress.com

    This is great advice. I try to focus a lot of my time with these points. You are absolutely right about it being a “blog” and not a news site. Getting to know someone who’s been there or has their own opinion is a great spin on things.

    I have a few loyal readers and they are great to work with. Communication is a huge key to unlocking more readers, and an over all great experience. Nice post! I’ll be sure to keep these points in mind.

  3. #3

    Andre → winnopeg.com

    15 RSS readers at the moment. Not tons but enough.

  4. #4

    Alex Suraci → www.alexsuraci.net

    I’m going to have to disagree over Mint. I installed it and found that it heavily, VERY heavily hinders the load speed. It slows it to a crawl. It may have been the few plugins that I installed, but I’ve noticed the exact same thing on your blog, Glenn. I chose to remove it immediately once I realized it was the cause for the major slowdown.

  5. #5

    alej744

    I want a blog…

  6. #6

    Steffan Williams → www.steffanwilliams.co.uk

    No idea how many people subscribe - with no idea of how to check it either.

    In complete opposition to how this article says about comments, I’m just going to say: nice post. The rest was covered by Kiro and wphj.

  7. #7

    alej744

    Steffan, I subscribed to your blog.

  8. #8

    Angelo

    I’m going to have to disagree over Mint. I installed it and found that it heavily, VERY heavily hinders the load speed. It slows it to a crawl. It may have been the few plugins that I installed, but I’ve noticed the exact same thing on your blog, Glenn. I chose to remove it immediately once I realized it was the cause for the major slowdown.

    I think it’s nothing to do with mint, that’s just mediatemple’s gridserver which is really slow.
    Anyway good points, Glenn. I prefer reading your blog checking it via browser rather than using RSS reader.

  9. #9

    Alex Suraci → www.alexsuraci.net

    I think it’s nothing to do with mint, that’s just mediatemple’s gridserver which is really slow.
    Anyway good points, Glenn. I prefer reading your blog checking it via browser rather than using RSS reader.

    I’m using DreamHost. :P I’m pretty sure it’s Mint, it was fine before I installed it.

  10. #10

    Steffan Williams → www.steffanwilliams.co.uk

    Steffan, I subscribed to your blog.

    Hey, cheers alej744.

  11. #11

    John → www.insearchofdessert.com

    Communication is the most important to me but interaction as well. I’m running a book exchange review blog where people can post their own review and it creates a very interesting climate of collaboration with an interested audience.
    If you’re interested go and check it out ;-p
    http://www.readerswithoutborders.com
    Very interesting blog Glenn.

  12. #12

    Jordan → www.macweek.ca

    Great advice Glenn. I’ve been implementing many of these measures already on my blog, and have seen improved success. Though I do need to focus more on the personal aspect of Blogging, It’s very difficult though, especially with technology related blogs. I also need to take more time to comment on other blogs, but I guess I’m doing that right now :D

  13. #13

    Jay Robinson → www.hip-hop-anonymous.com

    I am always impressed by how intelligently this young man can express his thoughts! Keep up the good work!

    I shall endeavor, as well, to create compelling content as you have!

  14. #14

    Eric Schwarz → schwarztech.us

    Good post, Glenn. I came across this site about a month ago and every new post has been pretty good…

    At first when I saw the title in my RSS reader, I thought it was going to be another “don’t suck” type post that so many other blogs do. Instead, there’s plenty of legitimate points and it spells out some things that we do naturally, but never give a thought to. Of course, I guess this counts as “Comment, comment, comment”.

    Keep up the good work!

  15. #15

    Jenn → forever-digital.net

    Great post! Thanks for the tips. I’ve been trying to get my readership up for a while now and when I finally do I get caught up in school and don’t post as often. I’m going to try your tips though and also try to blog more often!

  16. #16

    BabyGotMac → babygotmac.com

    Excellent tips Glenn.
    My biggest issue is wanting to be ‘big and authoritative’.
    Long tutorials and conjecture seem to be far less popular than simple two paragraph tips or even a simple discussion of which is better, A or B.
    It’s hard to not try to overcompensate to try to stand out, and it’s certainly disheartening to spend hours writing something only to see it flutter by unnoticed, while elsewhere a link to a 3 year old commercial gets 100k hits.
    :)
    But we shall persevere, and this too shall pass. Thanks again for the great article, and the continued quality writing.

  17. #17

    Jehan → digital-substance.co.uk

    Thanks for the advice Glen. :)

  18. #18

    RSS Subscriptions - The Ultimate Resource List - MarcoRichter.net → www.marcorichter.net/blogging/rss-subscriptions-the-ultimate-resource-list.html

    [...] Boost Your Blog Readership In 4 Steps [...]

  19. #19

    NichM → nichm.com

    I’ve got 38 subscribed readers and I’m sure these tips will defiantly help that number boost up a lot.

    I’m trying that tip, “Comment, Comment, Comment” right now :P

  20. #20

    Lefteris → mercedes-hosseini.toyotafortuner.cn/vreeland-ford.html

    Cool…

  21. #21

    Ted Winder → www.tedwinder.org

    Good post. I try to follow “rules” but I always end up doing something completely different…

  22. #22

    Sotirios → slammin-car-show.dfwbmw.cn/toyota-dealership-in-brooklyn-park.html

    interesting

  23. #23

    Travis Reynolds → Travisreynolds.com

    thanks. I’m going to have to try this when I get home

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