For a new blogger, there’s nothing more exhilarating and addictive than reading those first few comments posted to your site. Suddenly, you realize that your words are reaching people around the world, and that you have the ability to impact their opinions, and in some cases, their lives.
But once you’ve found your audience, how do you keep your visitors coming back for more? And how do you keep them engaged? The following are some tried-and-true tactics for upping the participation factor on your blog.
Update Often
“If you build it, they will come.” That may hold true for baseball fields, but when it comes to blogs, the trick is updating your posts frequently, and even more importantly, on a regularly scheduled basis. Your goal is to get your reader to bookmark your site and return to it often. The only way to do this is to give them a reason to come back, namely by providing new content, ideally daily.
One trick of the trade is to stockpile your posts. If the thought updating your blog each day is too overwhelming, consider writing five short entries in one sitting and then upload them throughout the week. Obviously, this technique won’t work if your blog is dedicated to breaking news coverage. But for those whose subject matter isn’t time sensitive, this technique can be a real time saver.
When it comes to length, keep your posts short and concise. Otherwise, you’ll risk losing your reader’s attention—one that’s likely spread thin.
Solicit Comments
One sure-fire way to increase the number of comments on your blog is to end each post with a question addressed to the reader. Encourage comments and debate about the subject matter you’ve been discussing in that day’s post. This can be simple and straight forward (“What do you think about free web hosting? Share your comments below.”) or more provocative in nature (“Think I’m an idiot? Tell me why below.”)
Be sure to read through your reader’s comments and respond to them. The more you interact with your audience, the more invested they’ll feel in the blog and the more likely they’ll be to return.
In today’s age of social networks, people want their voices to be heard. Consider pulling quotes from the comments section and including them in follow-up posts. By placing the spotlight on your readers, you’re making them mini celebrities and giving them all the more reason to spread the word about your blog.
Turning Lurkers into Participants
Running a poll on your blog is another quick and easy way to turn lurkers into participants. Be sure to use a program that enables you to post results instantaneously. That way, you’ll give your readers a feeling of instant gratification.
Finally, you might consider recruiting guest bloggers from among your readers. Naturally, you’ll want to retain the option of reviewing and editing posts before uploading them. But by drawing on your fan base for content, you’ll only increase their loyalty to your site.
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