How to get more readers and how to get your readers to comment on your blog is what you are asking yourself often if you have a blog. Both questions are closely connected with making your blog more popular and getting more blog traffic.
When it comes to traffic and comments, Get Blog Traffic Increase is a post that you may want to read. Other posts that may be of interest to you that are about traffic are Get Blog Traffic With Top Directories and a bit controversial Get Blog Traffic From Twitter.
How To Get Your Blog 10 Times More Popular
A lot of work goes into writing blog posts that people actually want to read, and perhaps more importantly, cite in their own work. The best in the world have an active comments section and catchy post titles. Do you want to be the guru or the guilty pleasure?
Here are ten tips to becoming more popular in the blogosphere:
- Make yourself known: You are more than likely a member of blogs that you read for enjoyment. Make some relevant comments and you will attract readers who want to add YOUR blog to their daily online diet.
- Be Vulnerable: Do not be afraid to admit your shortcomings to the world. This adds a level of ‘humanity’ to your posts, giving your readers something to sympathize with. It also encourages comments because many readers feel compelled to come up with solutions.
- Invite comments: Ask for feedback on ideas that you’re pondering. Do a roll call to see who is reading your work. You want your readers to be active and involved with the ideas that you are talking about. They have similar interests as you do, and might have great insights.
- Encourage others to share among themselves: This relates to step #3. You want your readers to be offering something relevant to you and to the others around you. Encourage your readers to talk with one another. You might learn something that you didn’t know.
- Make awesome titles: Offer something that sparks your reader’s curiosity. Instead of ‘5 ways to lose weight,’ try out ‘How I lost a pound a day for 5 months.’ Be fun with your title, thinking about the ones that attract your attention. Your originality brings in the viewers to your site.
- Appeal to the right brain instead of the left: Use pictures to demonstrate your points. This sets the emotional side of your brain in motion, rather than the one which has to translate words into meanings. People are also attracted to pretty things.
- Write about your passions: It is quite obvious to others if you’re writing about something you know nothing about. The way to set yourself apart from the others and be seen as an expert is by writing about things that you know. The more you know, the more you can share. The more you can share, the more value you have to your readers.
- Make your blog readable: A garish striped background with black frames is distracting. Readers need to be focused on the text, rather than on how loud your background is. Use bulleted lists and make your points concisely.
- Have contests: Don’t be afraid to have contests for your readers. See who can comment the most on your blog in a month. Who can draw the best picture of a llama? The contest makes no difference as long as they are compelling and. Your readers want to be engaged, and you want to get the page views.
- Write just enough to keep the reader’s attention: Have you read blog posts that feel like you’re walking a desert road? Split your text up if you find that you’re going too long. If your post is too short, try ‘expanding the lens’ to make it more general.
People want to read your blog because you offer some enrichment to their lives. You have informative posts for the readers. You might write some great humor. You could share common interests. All of these are valid reasons for reading others’ blogs. How do you make others desire your blog?
I need your comments here. Which of the above 10 tips are you already implementing?
Which of the ten tips to make your blog more popular is the most appealing to you and one that you are most likely to implement first?
What is working for you the most in attracting more readers?
Make sure you bookmark this post on Digg or any other site of your choice and tweet it so others can find it and contribute their comments and views.
James Adams is a staff writer at Cartridge Save where he reviews popular items like the HP 343 ink cartridge and helps to maintain their design and marketing blog.
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Filed under: Get Blog Traffic, Increase Blog Traffic
that’s a really good write up about blog tips, thanks for sharing.
Vance Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Hi Kwapang,
Thank you for the visit and comment. I hope that you’ll visit again and leave a comment that is more comprehensive.
Normally I don’t approve the type of comments you left now. I consider that type of a comment a lip service that adds no value to my blog.
I’ll leave your comment here only as an example for others of the kind of comments that won’t be approved. I approve comments of value that contribute something to my blog.
It can be your suggestion, opinion or anything that I asked you to comment on inside the post. You have completely ignored that.
Vance
Hey Vance, I just had a look at my ten most popular posts, to see if it would help me answer your question as to what seemed to be attracting my readers and getting them to comment, and the majority of them were posts where I was offering an opinion or asking a question. Many of these were also instructional posts.
Obviously posts that ask a question would encourage people to comment, and perhaps those posts that offered an opinion also stuck a chord with readers causing them to either agree or disagree.
I probably use #3 and #4 regularly, and although I know impressive eye catching titles are important I reckon I could spend a little more time in that area.
Sire@Photo Blogger´s last blog post ..5 Killer Tips for Your Discount Marketing Strategy
Vance Reply:
September 14th, 2010 at 2:18 am
Hey Sire,
Thank you for answering my question. Your comment is a good example of comments that I love to read.
I think that the type of posts that work well for you in getting readers to participate also work for me but to tell you the truth when I think a particular post will get a great response it sometimes doesn’t happen to a degree that I hope for and on the other hand when I don’t have such great expectations the readers response on occasion very pleasantly surprises me.
I know that I can also improve in the great and catchy titles department too. And probably several other areas. It really helps to read different blogs and see what works in addition to reading helpful comments like yours.
Vance
Introducing yourself with your reader was an awesome sign of honesty. It can also be considered as being vulnerable by admitting your faults. Just being true to yourself. # 4 and #7 catches my interest too. It wasn’t the “selfish” thing type which I sometimes ignored when reading other posts. It was like a give and take relationship. #8 also has a great impact on me. There are some post which I find it hard to read. Always consider that the font and proper space of each word will be a great help. Besides, the reason why you create a blog is for others to see and read so this rule should always be considered. I love the way how you categorize everything Vance, thanks for sharing your useful insights.
Vance Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Hi Abbie,
I’m not sure what you meant by the first sentence. Perhaps you can elaborate on that. Thanks for commenting.
It’s true that reading some blogs posts is not very entertaining and it can be even boring. I’m glad you are doing some of the points mentioned in this post.
Welcome to my blog and visit again.
Vance
These are very good points. I am already using some of them on my blog but the results aren’t so grate until now.
Bit Doze@Link building´s last blog post ..Make Money Online with CashGophercom
Vance Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Hi Bit Doze,
I’m glad you like the points made in the post and that you are already using some of them. Results may not come right away so try to be patient and put into practice the remaining points.
Good luck,
Vance
Hey Vance
Thanks for the mention 🙂
Your post has actually inspired me in two ways…
1. I took a screen shot of your blog as I was wanting some more proof that other blogs mention my blog ha ha, so you gave me another screen shot to add to my ebook.
2. You mentioned running a competition, I have never done that before and maybe it’s something I should consider, not quite sure what prize a poor beginner Internet Marketer could give, but I will think of something!
Blog commenting is a crazy thing, sometimes you get a ton of comments, other posts get very little, I am currently looking at which posts I write get the most comments, then I will try and produce more content in that way.
After all if I can give the readers what they want, they will keep coming.
Test test and more testing!
Your shared 10 great tips on how to get more readers, had them all covered except the competition one, so will try that next.
Speak to ya soon Vance, thanks again, Sally 🙂
Sally@Internet Marketing Tips´s last blog post ..Top Ten Blogs That Sent My Blog Traffic
Vance Reply:
September 19th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Hi Sally,
You are more than welcome. If we can inspire each other then what could be greater? I’ll be proud to have my blog shown in your ebook.
You are right that one can hardly tell which kind of posts will get a lot of comments. I’m beginning to get an idea but proving it would be much better.
I think that it’ll take a lot of posts and testing very closely to find out for sure.
Try competition and see what happens. I think that they tend to work quite well. As for the prize a good reward may be just a post about the winner or something like that that doesn’t cost any money.
Thanks for the comment and see you soon,
Vance
Hi, yeah I have just started to blog – thanks for sharing these tips for getting more readers. It is a very weird feeling writing stuff that can be seen by anyone in the world, but knowing that it won’t be read by no-one.
Owen´s last blog post ..Pardoning Audis French
Vance Reply:
September 25th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Hi Owen,
By commenting on other blogs you will get your blog read at least by some people. Implement more of the tips in this post and you’ll get even more readers.
Vance
Blogging versus rambling is what I look for. Agree that having knowledge, i.e. Passion, about the subject is paramount. Most readers can tell the difference between promotion and information. Useful blog, thanks.
panther´s last blog post ..Mardi Gras Queen Costumes
Vance Reply:
September 25th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Hi Panther,
I’m glad you find my blog useful and I hope it’s not just because you are looking to get a comment link. If you found good information I hope you’ll be back for more and leave a more comprehensive comment.
Vance
Vance, I agree there should be “awesome titles” to attract readers but i also noticed some bloggers who sometime write titles just to attract reader and don’t actually offer any value. That thing actually hurt credibility. Say for example, if title is “7 amazing secrets of link building” then reader actually expect ‘amazing secrets’ rather than 2-3 paragraphs.
You have listed some nice points. Nice reading.
Vance Reply:
September 28th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Hi Joel,
Than you for commenting and welcome to my blog. Awesome titles should be supported by awesome content. Otherwise, like in your case the readers will be hugely disappointed which doesn’t help anybody in the long run.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading the post and that will bring you back, I hope.
I look for your future comments here.
Vance
Hi Vance
Special thanks for the Tips above. I’ve printed them out to keep next to my computer. I find that my mind tends to drift sometimes (often), and I need a nudge to kick me back on track.
Rambling. I KNOW I ramble! I can get caught up in the information, and tend to not leave out a single detail, which I fear makes for dull reading.
Must stop now – I’m starting to ramble.
Best regards
Alan
Vance Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Hi Alan,
You are most welcome. I’m always happy to hear that my blog is helpful when it’s meant genuinely. I think that your mind is not the only one that tends to wonder. We all tend to do that at times.
Thanks for commenting and do come back again.
Cheers,
Vance
Really a great post to read. Nice tips to get more readers to make a blog more popular, i am surer that if these tips are followed by a blogger in a right way then it will be great for him. Thanks for the post…..
Vance Reply:
October 26th, 2010 at 12:55 am
Hi Concrete,
I wish you’d leave your personal name somewhere. I don’t particularly like to talk to inanimate objects. I’m glad you found the tips useful. Please come back to comment again and leave a name so I know who I’m talking to.
Vance
Great point of views, I would also add an advice: use a lot of pictures, because they lighten up the blog! This is available for articles as well.
Cheers!
Vance Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 10:50 am
Pictures help that’s true. Adding some videos enhances the visitor’s experience too.
Hey Vance, wondering what your best free traffic generation strategy is? I have been online a little while and have read through your content (which is great) and wondered how you do it? M
Vance Reply:
November 3rd, 2010 at 10:05 am
Hi M,
It appears that your site is not up yet. You can implement some of the points made in this post and read my other posts on the subject of traffic. The number one thing you need to do is to put some original content on your site. Number two is start commenting on other blogs. Then implement more tips from this post and read this blog for more ideas.
Whenever you read my posts leave comments. I always reply to them but first make sure you really read the posts.
Vance
All of these are obviously important but I find 7 the most pertinent. I’ve written previous blogs about stuff I wasn’t that interested in, simply because I thought it would attract a bigger audience, but when I reread those posts now they’re not interesting or amusing, because there’s no love there. I would hope to think that my current blog, which is about a subject I’ve loved pretty intensely for the last four years, is more readable just because I’m passionate about what I’m writing about.
I guess the only thing tip I have to add is not being afraid of writing down opinions or thoughts people might disagree with. I’ve actually found that some of the posts I thought would be very controversial have been well-received.
Blue´s last blog post ..Five Sentai Teams I Think I Could Take in a Fight
Vance Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Hi Blue,
Thanks for the comment. Writing about things you care about is very important as you are confirming. It does show in the posts eventually if you don’t.
Controversy draws people in and writing controversial things will get you both friends and enemies. I think that one such post once in a while is good but writing only on controversial subjects or creating controversy on purpose may backfire sooner or later.
Vance
Really good tips, now I build my personal blog, it can be very useful.