Finding new readers for your blog - Understand this, if your blog is getting a ton of search engine traffic and hardly any traffic from any other sources then there is something definitely wrong, well I’d like to think so anyway. If your blog gets very few comments then there is also something wrong.
Readers are worth so much more than just having a ton of empty search engine traffic and nothing else. Readers are the lifeblood of your blog I’m sure you would agree. Personally I would sooner have an active blog with about 10 or 15k visitors a month, than a blog with about 50k visitors a month with very few engaging activities, even though some may argue that a blog with 50k visits per month would make you a lot more money. What do you think?
Every new blogger faces the challenge of trying to find new readers for their blogs.
If you are struggling to find new readers for your blog then there is no need for panic, here are 10 tips and ideas for you to try out when finding new readers for your blog.
Ideas for Finding New Readers
- Comment on blogs related to your niche – Find blogs in similar niches as you and comment on them frequently, remember the more value you can add to a post through commenting the more readers you will attract.
- Write attention grabbing post titles – Make sure you grab the attention of your readers with compelling post titles.
- Guest blog on high authority blogs related to your niche – Make a list of some of the top blogs in your niche and start guest writing.
- Interview a blogger in a similar niche as you – Contact a credible blogger that is in a similar niche to you and offer to do an interview of them to post on your blog. This is by far one of the best ways to get a lot of new readers.
- Implement local SEO – Use local search engine optimization techniques to attract new readers to your blog.
- Join blog network sites – Register your blog with blog network sites like BlogEngage, Blockube and BlogDash.
- Optimize your RSS - Make your RSS icon big and bold, make sure visitors know what the RSS means on your blog.
- Get involved in offline marketing – Perform offline marketing techniques for your blog, attract readers in your demographic area, publish one of your post in your local newspaper or printed newsletter.
- Put your best content out at all times – Create quality content at all times (I know this should be at the top of the list).
- Create a shareable newsletter – for your email subscribers (Make it easy for your existing subscribers to share your email marketing newsletter with others i.e. social sharing buttons, forwarding feature, print shortcut etc).
- On-page SEO – Pay close attention to on-page SEO.
- Forums – Register and engage in forums related to your niche.
- Build backlinks from high authority blogs – Get backlinks from other niche related blogs
- Bookmark your posts – on Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit and Pinterest
- Build an offline mailing list
Do you have your own tips and suggestions for finding new readers for your blog? Share them in the comment section below as always -
About Fabrizio Van Marciano
Hey Fabrizio,
Well, I think that ideas that you have mentioned are really very beneficial for us. Paying more attention to post title is necessary as a good title always attracts lots of readers to it. Second most important is the on page SEO which should be think about. I feel blog commenting is also very necessary. Thanks for the important update.
Aditi thanks for your comment. I’m so pleased you validate the ideas for finding new readers. Have a great day
Fabrizio Van Marciano recently posted..Monday Morning Link Mashup #3 – Posts of the Week
Hey Fab,
Those are nice tips to find readers for blog and I’m already following all of them. I’m a member of BlogDash and BloKube, but not BlogEngage.
Ehsan Ullah recently posted..Build Online Stores In Minutes Using IzzoNet
Hey Ehsan thanks for your visit today. Yes I’ve only just registered with BlogDash myself too, it is a great site, highly recommended. Although I’m registered with BlogEngage, I don’t tend to use it as much as I use to. I find social book marking to be much more effective. May I ask why you don’t use BlogEngage?
Fabrizio Van Marciano recently posted..What You Need to know about Your Target Audience
Hi Fabrizio,
Thank you for your post. I’m new to the whole blogging thing and your site is very helpful. I just joined BlogDash and I’m having trouble verifying my blog because I cannot seem to add the BlogDash icon to my site. Did you paste the script using the text widget on the right side?
Thanks!
Good points here Fabrizio. Search engine results was the #1 traffic source to my blog up until the recent Penquin update. Now, direct traffic is my #1 source. You make a good point about letting readers know about Rss. We tend to take it for granted that everyone knows what RSS is for, even though they don’t.
Justin Mazza recently posted..Take Care of Your Body Because It’s the Only One You Have
I can almost agree with you Justin, Google Panda has been the culprit for my search engine traffic loss too. Although I’m winning some of the traffic back, I’m now concentrating a lot of my efforts on direct and referral traffic too. I’m glad you agree with me regarding the RSS issue, as bloggers its so easy to assume that every reader that comes to our blogs is going to know what the RSS logo is for or what it is even. I always recommend adding an alt tag in the RSS icon image stating something like ‘Subscribe to Email Updates’ or a similar description.
I am thinking of doing a interview of a friend of mine with the same niche as mine I hope that will work
Saad recently posted..Giveaway And Review Of System Mechanic 2012
Best of luck with your interview Saad, don’t forget to post a link here if you wish so you can get some of our readers to check it out
Fabrizio Van Marciano recently posted..5 Simple Ways to Get More Subscribers on YouTube in 2012
One more:
Make guest posts available for users.
Hi Fabrizio……
Nice tips bro….
I would like to add few more points here
1- Participate in different Hangouts (related to your niche on G+)
2- Participate in FB Discussion Gorups
Above point will help you to promote yourself as a helping blogger as well.
sandeep kumar recently posted..Tips to get traffic from commenting on others blog | Power of Comments
Hey Sandeep, thanks for the added tips
you’re absolutely right mate.
Yeah Simple And Nice Tips. BTW Fab What is your suggestion for Optimizeing RSS?
Amit Shaw recently posted..7 Effective Tips to Reduce the Bounce Rate of Your Blog
I’ll be writing a post on how to optimize RSS in next few days Amit
Hey Fab,
This info will help me alot as you know i am trying to learn things and following guidelines to write my blog from everywhere.These tips will surely help me.
Aditya recently posted..ERP Software Companies
These are great tips to get new readers to a blog. Interviewing a popular blogger from the same niche looks pretty interesting. Thanks for these simple yet very powerful points.
Hey bro,
Only a few weeks ago I got accepted on Blokube, I have been hesitant if it would be able to really help but I have noticed some small leaps forward, which means if you can dedicate enough time to the platform you can do some pretty awesome things.
PS: I keep forgetting to submit my posts, doh!
Simmeon recently posted..The CommentLuv Link That Refuses To Be Clicked
Glad to hear it Simmeon, well I’m still waiting to be accepted on Blokube after almost 4 months, but I’m not too bothered either way lol.
Fabrizio Van Marciano recently posted..5 Common Mistakes Followed by Bloggers
Hey Fab,
Nice to connect with you here
BTW both 6th and 12th are the same. And 3rd and 13th
You can replace them with the following 2 tips:
1. Try Yahoo! Answers
2. Go for podcasting and YT marketing (you’ll find tons of new readers)
More than 50% of Pat Flynn’s readers came from YT and guest posts.. so, it’s certainly the best way to hunting new readers
Rahul kuntala recently posted..Why Online Writing Is Different? How to Write Online Content to Attract Your Readers?
Hey Rahul, thanks for noticing and adding some additional tips, appreciated bro
BTW Welcome to the blog
Hi Fabrizio,
Brilliant ideas for identifying new readers for your blog. I would like to add one point to the list. Many readers out there are talented enough to have their own blogs but are unable to do for reasons of their own. Therefore, encouraging them to contribute to your blog will make them feel recognized for their talent and they will start writing for you. The best part here is, your blog will enjoy a word of mouth advertizing which costs nothing plus will add up to your list of new readers.
Regards,
Raj Kumar
Rajkumar Jonnala recently posted..Update Your AT&T Galaxy S3 with Parandroid Custom ROM firmware To Unlock Its Potential
Raj, thanks for stopping by and adding a very good point, something I’ll also bare in mind for the future
I’m pleased you enjoyed the ideas mate.
Really helpful tips, and it is actually what I had been searching for. I’ve just started my new blog, and I have heard so much about the importance of linking to other freelancers. I think I should give your points a try and ask my friends for some testimonials. I unfortunately haven’t done anything like this before, so your useful tips could be very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing them!
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Fabrizio, very nice blog post! I find it exceptional that you can make something so simple in idea become a lavish extension of truly distinguishable concepts. Thanks for sharing!
I think include advertising is another excessive step for increase readers on the page. Blog commenting , articles are popular ways to attention.
Building a steady readership is essential to any blog’s success, I know that much. Thanks for the helpful tips!
We’re actually doing all those things you’ve mentioned and find that people are following what we’re doing.
A simple word of mouth will bring enormous traffic in the long run although at first it is one of the most difficult task in promoting your blog depending upon your connections.
With the advent of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook it is now easier to share our blogs and market our ideas but the difficult part is on how to build our credibility but with proper tools and knowledge we can leverage this social networking sites.
Ours is a humanitaran site and it’s been my experience that one needs to work a little harder when all you’re doing is simply trying to help others. These days most people want info telling them how to put money in their own pockets.