HEY, I'M EVร“RA!

Iโ€™m a trend setter, an adventurer, a coffee lover and a photographer! I love experiments and personal projects. Finding new perspectives and breathing in new life into old boring scenes is what inspires and gets me excited! If you call yourself a creative, proudly wear that title, be memorable, inspire others and always be ahead of the crowd! Be Evรณra!

5 Ways to Increase Blog Readership

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September 25, 2012

Iโ€™ve always been a huge blogging/social media junkie.  Since the days of xanga and live journal, blogging has always been a way for me to get my works out on the screen and hopefully get someone to care enough to read about it. 

Itโ€™s been a long time since the days of my first blog, but a lot of the same principles Iโ€™ve learned back then still apply today.  I know that there are tons of other blogs out there providing advice on how to increase readership (and a lot of the advice is broad), but these are the things that I have learned along the way that have really helped me.

  1. Write about topics you are passionate about.  Seems easy right?  Well, since Iโ€™ve started Simply Nicole, Iโ€™ve written about things like beauty, lifestyle, and fashion until I figured out why it was so tough for me to create content.  I wasnโ€™t as passionate about those topics as I thought I was.  It wasnโ€™t like I was uninterested in those topics, it just wasnโ€™t something that I cared to write about myself.  There were times when I wouldnโ€™t post for a whole week, not because I was busy but because I honestly couldnโ€™t think of something to write about.  Once I refocused my blog on healthy living/running/fitness, the topics seem endless because itโ€™s what I base my day-to-day life on. 
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  2. Be engaging.  This is a tip that I learned during my masters program, but at the time it dealt with โ€œcall to actionโ€ statements.  A โ€œcall to actionโ€ statement is a sentence at the end of an email/message that lets the reader know what he/she is supposed to do next.  In regards to blogging, itโ€™s important to not just end a post.  Make sure you give the reader the opportunity to comment.  Make it easy for them!  I like to post a โ€œTalk to Meโ€ section at the end of each post with questions directly relating the the content of the post.  This way it makes it super easy for people to state their opinions without having to re-read the whole post.
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  3. Start talking to other bloggers.  Youโ€™re probably already reading blogs (that is why youโ€™re reading this right now), but you may or may not be commenting on blogs.  I have found that by simply commenting on blog posts, I have gained readers โ€“ not just from the owner of the blog I commented on, but other readers as well.  Iโ€™m definitely not telling you to post crappy spammy comments, such as โ€œOMGZ, I love your blog so so so much!  Read mine and and Iโ€™ll keep reading yourz BBFL!โ€  However, if you have something important that you want to say, comment!  It doesnโ€™t take that long, but once you begin to comment the owner of the blog will more than likely comment back and that my friends is the beginning of a great blog relationship!  It shows that you enjoy the personโ€™s content and come back frequently to read.

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  4. Guest post.  I really enjoy guest posting on other blogs.  Once you have a relationship with another blogger, they may ask for guest posts while they are are away on vacation, getting married, sick, etc.  You never know who may see your post, like what you have to say and click on over to your blog.  Guest posting is also great, because it gives you the opportunity to share your talents through another outlet.  Some of my favorite posts Iโ€™ve ever written have been on !

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  5. Utilize social media.  Probably the best tip I can give you is to utilize social media channels.  Iโ€™m on Twitter, , Instagram, and Youtube promoting my blog.  Every time that I publish a post, I post a link to Facebook which is then linked over to my Twitter account.   After looking at my analytics, Iโ€™ve found that the majority of people who read my blog clicked over from one of my social media updates!  Not only is social media great for posting blog updates, but itโ€™s a great place to chat with other bloggers! *see tip number 3.

 


Talk to Me

  • What are some of your tips for getting more readers?
  • What social media channels do you use for your blog?
  • Who are some of your favorite bloggers?
Comments โ–ผ

Hi there this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.

I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so I
wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Kammie @ Sensual Appeal

Great post, dear. I’ve gotta utilize social media more to promote my blog. I use social media A LOT but just not promoting myself I guess. Yeah, I’ve gotta change that.

Thanks Kammie. Social media is super important, in my opinion. Great way to get your content out there fast and simple!

All great tips… I’ve really utilized social media and interacting with others. It sort of spreads like wild fire. Humor is also been really good to me, but I’m cheesy like that.

I’ve tried humor. Haha, sometimes it works, sometimes I just laugh at myself!

bahaha. I LOVE your spam comment!! Ps. Are we BFFFLs yet?! Kidding.
But your ideas are definitely smart ones. Being real has been the biggest one for me — it makes it easier to write and easier to connect with your readers that way. ๐Ÿ™‚ (You do an excellent job of this, actually.)

Thanks Chelsie!!! haha we’re totz BFFS! DUH.

Love all these ideas! And OMGZ, I LOVE YOUR BLOG. ๐Ÿ˜‰

haha thanks Erica! Sometimes it’s nice to step back and analyze why people come to your blog. Some things work for some people and some things dont ๐Ÿ™‚

I definitely use Twitter to engage more because I’ve found a lot of people don’t communicate through their comments! I’m working on getting more engagement. It’s fun!

Twitter is great! I’ve found that Twitter is the best for me regarding getting my post out! Seems like most of my readers are on there.

Thanks for these great tips! I started blogging a few months ago and didn’t realize quite how vast the blogging world was. Since starting I’ve discovered so many other great blogs. I appreciate these tips not for selfish reasons (even though it’s always nice to have readers) but because they are great tips to increase connection and interaction with others. Thanks again! ๐Ÿ™‚

Welcome to blogging, Catie! Glad you stopped on by. The connection you have with the blogs you read is important! I love reading comments from my readers. Makes it all worth while!

These are great tips Nicole. I’m totally with Miz on #1. I think that’s the most important. You can totally tell when someone’s writing about something they care about versus writing to just have something to post.

Thanks Christine! Being true to yourself is probably the underlying best thing you can do. It makes everything easier!

Great tips Nicole! I think having an engaging conversation with your readers through comments is very important! Also, when I comment I ensure that it could either create a conversation or that I am making a point! Don’t comment just to comment!

Thanks Ashley! I hate when I read some of the bigger blogs and people just comment b/c they think it will get them more readers. Comments are only beneficial if you have something to actually say!

Great tips! I have a year old blog now and am always trying to increase readership. It’s a process but such a fun one!

It is such a long process! Haha I’ve had this blog for over 3 years not and I’m still learning!

I love all of your tips and practice them daily. I’d like to add just one more; tell everyone you know about your blog. Give them blog cards. Ask them to tell their friends.
Surprisingly, this is the hardest thing of all to do! Funny how we can pour our souls out on the internet, but feel awkward when we ask our friends and family to read…

Great tips Nicole!! I am always looking for ways to improve ๐Ÿ™‚ currently I am on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (I love Instagram!!)

Great tips Nicole!! I am always looking for ways to improve ๐Ÿ™‚ currently I am on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (I love Instagram!!)

Great tips Nicole!! I am always looking for ways to improve ๐Ÿ™‚ currently I am on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (I love Instagram!!)

Thanks Tara! My sister’s name is Tara. Every time you comment I think of her LOL. Social media is such a great tool. Some people don’t realize how important it’s becoming!

great tips! the one thing I would add is join groups like FitFluential, SweatPink, Girls Gone Sporty, Clever Girls… I can go on and on. They are great communities that give you opportunities and you can get some post ideas! (:

Did you ever use the buffer app/website! It makes tweeting and posting your blog posts and others so much easier! check it out! (:

That’s true too, danielle. I have definitely seen a spike in my readership after becoming a Fitfluential Ambassador. Great community!

It’s number one for me.
write your passion.
write as though no one is reading.
write what feeds YOUR SOUL.
your people will find you.

SO TRUE. You’re words are completely right. Once you start writing for you, you’ll learn that people will start (hopefully) reading.