10 Ways To Build A Readers Blog

Posted on 01. Feb, 2009 by Mike J in Blogging Elements

Do you want to feel like you are part of a fun and intelligent environment when you visit your favorite blog? Where the posts feel personable and as though you’re having a conversation? As the commentators bring more personality to the posts, and a community has emerged rather than a place to just get information, your blog develops into a social group, of sorts, rather than a disconnected resource.

Here are some ideas for how you can create this environment on your blog:

1. Talk

News and industry highlights are nice, but they won’t create a relaxed, friendly feel to a blog. Try to write as though you’re having a conversation with the reader; ask questions all the way through the post. Write as though you’re talking at the reader rather than an entire community.

2. Keep It Clean

Make things orderly, easy to navigate, and provide options to subscribe to your RSS feed Also, if you have a newsletter make the subscription process simple and straightforward. Provide the reader information on what they will get with their subscription and ask for their name and email. It’s as simple as that!

*Note: It is essential to assure your reader their email address is safe and will not be sold.

3. A Place for Readers

A hoard of banners and unclear navigation lead to frustrated readers. If you are going to use advertising, do so from the start. Building a blog from the ground up and deciding to cover it with ads once a certain status has been reached is a sure way to lose the readership you have built up; those who have been with you since the beginning stages will often interpret the sudden advertising as an indication that the focus of the blog has changed from personal communication to one of money and profit. From the beginning, choose a place on your site for advertising that is in a good location but doesn’t take anything away from the reader’s focus.

4. Questions

You won’t know what a reader has to say unless you ask! Comments will often provide another point of view, not only for other readers, but also for you! This often creates inspiration for future posts and will add to the community that will flock to your blog. If you invite your reader to share their comments, they will experience a sense of being valued by you and your blog.

5. Be Involved

Most of the popular bloggers have an extremely dedicated and protective community of followers. The blogger takes on a celebrity like status with the readers. Taking the time to respond to a few of your reader’s comments and answering as many questions as possible will connect you with your readers invaluably. Comments are much more personal than the posts.

6. Make Notes

A great accessory for ideas is a blogging journal. You can take it everywhere, enabling you to keep track of your thoughts while on the go. It can be used for jotting down post topics among other things.

7. E-Mail

If you receive an email, reply back! You’ll keep more readers coming back if you just take a minute to respond. It’s important and worthwhile to keep good relationships with your readers.

8. Network

Network to create your community. Seek out places to network and spread the word about you and your blog; get out there and bring people in. If you’re providing quality content it will become viral and the community will grow. It may not always be fast growth; expect this and be patient!

9. Consistency

Creating consistency will let your readers know that you’ll be giving them constant quality content. Yes, it’s not always easy; in fact, it may be the hardest part of blogging. If your aim is a consistent growth of readers however, YOU MUST DO IT!

10. Give

When you do more for others than you do for yourself, success will find you. Your blog and brand will see the rewards.

What creates a great environment for you while visiting another blog?

Why do you come back?

How can bloggers improve their blogging environment?

Let us know with a comment!

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