Reconnecting With Your Readers, Blogging Style

I have a confession to make: I am a blog connoisseur. I write ‘em, I read ‘em, and I often reference ‘em.

Because I visit so my blogs during the course of my day, I believe that I have a fairly good handle on what trends bloggers are following and how people perceive their own blogs.

Vastly Overhauled

Several blogs I read have recently been overhauled, some with new templates or names (Political Realities) while others have migrated to a new URL and made other changes (AUP2). Regular housekeeping helps ensure that readers remain interested and engaged, something we need to to undertake from time to time.

We all know what it is like to go through a period of decreased traffic and a drop in the number of comments left. Most bloggers seem to have a fairly good grasp of their site’s analytics and can spot traffic trends quickly. When a dip occurs, responding smartly can bring in a fresh wave of visitors, perhaps new subscribers who will follow your every word.

Reader Reconnection

So, what can you do to help reconnect with your readers? After four years of full time blogging and many more years writing articles across a variety of blogs, web sites, and other new media platforms, I can tell you that all isn’t lost – you can bring back your readers and advance your site if you’re willing to mix ‘n match your reconnection campaign:

Link Bait – I’ve already baited at least two people in this article to stop in and leave a comment: Dominique Small of AUP2 and Larry Jackson of Political Realities. They’re regular readers of this blog anyway, but are certainly worth a timely shout out. Like many savvy bloggers, they know when their site has been pinged and will investigate where that ping comes from. Bait a big time blogger who likes what you wrote and she just may send a boatload of traffic your way.

Steal Content – Ha! I got your attention. This is a sore point for me, because my two automotive blogs are frequently ripped off and by people who live in faraway lands. It goes without saying that stealing is wrong, but borrowing an idea is certainly fine especially if you offer attribution to the source. Freelance writers frequently visit favorite sites for writing ideas including Copyblogger, Freelance Folder, Writing Thoughts, Lillie Ammann’s blog, and elsewhere. You should too.

Advertise Directly – Leaving thoughtful and relevant comments on related blogs, submitting a guest article, exchanging links, and even paying to advertise your blog are ways you can draw in readers. Of course, your site must be professionally designed, well written, and offer a lot of helpful information (please, no drop down ads!) in order to get the attention you want. Never insult your readers, verify facts unless, of course, you are expressing your own opinion about some matter.

Offer Value – By using the word “value” I don’t mean something financial, rather something of importance or worth. Likely, you’re already well entrenched in your niche, but do people recognize you as an authoritative voice on that subject? You can aid your cause by writing for magazines, newspapers and popular online sites, demonstrating your knowledge and skill about a particular area of expertise. Link to those articles on your sidebar to show your readers your “credentials” and to establish value. Alternatively, update your “About” page and offer those links there.

Pillar Articles – I don’t see this term used as much as I did a few years back, but pillar articles are those authoritative writings you offer to your readers that are instructive, informative, and leave the reader with good, solid information that they’ll want to bookmark and share with others. In other words, helpful information that can go viral and go far in defining what your blog is all about.

Pillar articles are generally much longer than the typical 400-500 word post, the information presented is unique, well researched, sourced, evergreen, and just plain interesting.

Your Best

Not every article you write has to be your top writing, but then again if you aim for the best, then you’ll build a reputation for always offering meaty stuff that will increase your following and perceived value as a writer. Particularly for your subject matter.

Consider interviewing sources directly for some of your articles, use personal quotes (in-text citations), reference authoritative sites (including USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal) without lifting excerpts from them. Publish guest articles from well established sources, but give a newbie or unrecognized blogger a chance if you believe that their writings should be discovered.

Lastly, your blog is constantly in motion. New content is written, links exchanged, sidebars changed, and traffic patterns will fluctuate.

Social media engagement can help advance your blog, but only to the point where your readers find something of value to bring them back time and again. So take a fresh, objective look at your blog to see what you can do to make it new and improved.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Hofschlaeger