Every day, an average of five million blog posts are uploaded online. Yes, you read that right, five million – you can see the stats in real time here. So how are you going to make your blog popular and stand out amongst those millions? How are you going to keep active readers visiting your site and coming back time after time? We’ve put together our five top tips on how to make your blog popular by attracting readers to your blog – and keeping them there.
1. Establish connections with other bloggers
Blogging is all about community, one that doesn’t just involve you and your readers. Other bloggers do exist, with 70 million new posts each month on WordPress alone. Rather than seeing other bloggers solely as competition, use them as a tool to gain new readers. Be active within the blogger community, leave engaged comments and start a conversation. Create round-ups of other bloggers who inspire you. You’ll soon see yourself included in similar round-ups of relevant bloggers, sending waves of new readers to your blog.
But how to make your blog popular when you have just a handful of readers a month? While you’re still starting out, focus on making meaningful connections while you have the time. Commenting on blogs with larger audiences than yours will provide exposure amongst their readers. As you establish good relationships with bloggers, they may invite you to write a guest post. Guest posts are an invaluable tool. They give you the chance to show readers what you can do on a larger platform, while allowing you to grow your own blog in the process.
2. Email encouragement
Not everyone is online browsing blogs all day every day. But chances are, many of your readers are checking their emails every day. An estimated 293.6 billion emails were sent in 2019, so your audience is definitely there. If you’re wondering how to make your blog popular with an email, think of it as a digital reminder. The email will encourage readers to click through to your blog to read what you’re writing.
Remember, the email is not your blog post, it’s a tool. Keep it short and snappy. Don’t succumb to clickbait titles (your reader will soon suss it out), but do make your content sound appealing. With so much content out there, sometimes your readers need a nudge. A smart and savvy email is the perfect reminder.
3. Opt-in wins and content upgrades
But how to grow your email list in the first place? Let’s face it. Everybody loves a freebie. Rewarding your readers with a free gift every now and again is a great way to encourage visitors to subscribe to your email list. But don’t overdo it. You want to give a sample of what you’re offering to keep them coming back (and paying) for more. Depending on your business, here are just some of the things you could offer:
- PDF templates (calendars, planners, checklists)
- Product samples
- Exclusive discount codes
- One-on-one video workshops
- Ebooks
- Cheat sheets
Don’t forget, more original blog content is another ‘freebie’ you could offer. This is what’s known as content upgrades, or lead magnets, and you could implement one in every blog post. To make content upgrades work for you, find out what your readers enjoy. Use Google Analytics to discover what content attracts the most readers. Then, create more of it. It’s that simple. Say, for example, your list or round-up blog posts perform better than others. Next time you write one, keep ten out of twenty tips or hacks back. At the bottom of your post, give readers the option of subscribing to your email list to discover the other ten.
4. Engage with your readers
Now that you have a few more readers, you need to keep them checking back regularly. Customer engagement is key here. If someone takes the time out of their day to leave a comment on your blog, the least you can do is reply. The same goes for social media too. LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram are all great for sharing your blog posts with a wider audience and creating meaningful connections. Use social media plugins to allow your readers to easily share your content, too. You can also ask your readers exactly what they want to see. That way, you know they’ll come back for it.
5. Quality and quantity
Usually you hear ‘quality over quantity’, and while this is true, ideally you want both. Regular, high-quality blog posts will keep your readers engaged and returning to your site. These are our main guidelines when it comes to producing content.
- Stick to a posting schedule. This way, your readers will come to expect a blog post from you every Tuesday and Thursday, for example.
- Start blog series. Don’t give away all of your secrets at once – make them wait for it. By letting readers know a post is part of a five-post series, they’ll be more likely to come back next week.
- Keep Google ranking factors in mind. Avoid keyword stuffing, but you want your blog to be easily found by new readers. This means showing up early on Google SERPs.
- Change it up. Everyone loves a list but make sure you have a variety of different, high-quality posts on your blog. Guest posts from other bloggers, stories with a personal touch and how-to guides are all good starters.
- Seasonal content will attract readers at different times of the year, while frequent evergreen content in your niche will establish you as an expert.
Call in the experts
Feel like you need a little blog-writing help from the experts? At Topcontent, we offer blog content writing services that will turn your blog into a powerful tool for your business. Contact us today for a free quote, or simply use our self-service system – log in or create an account and place an order for high-quality blog content instantly.
