Lets say, today you got hundred new visitors! But…… will they visit your blog again? Will they spread the word about your blog to their friends? Will they bookmark the blog? The BIG question… Will they become loyal readers of your blog? These are some important problem that you must know as a blogger.
There is a big difference between a normal ‘visitor’ and a ‘loyal reader’. A visitor comes to the site hoping that he will find something interesting… If he didn’t find anything, he becomes just a visitor’ and will not return! But if he finds what he want, or something better than that, he will not only return to the blog but also spread the word about your blog to everyone he knows. But unfortunately, for most of us, only about 10% of the visitors become loyal readers. Now its time to change these percentages… Lets see how to do this….
The visitor comes to your site…
1) Show him that you have more than what he reads by giving a related posts list
People are lazy, we think that when they come to our site they spend their time to go through all our posts. This is completely wrong, most of them only read the page that they landed and then leaves. What we need to do is show them, in that same page that we have more posts which are waiting to be read by them. Go through your articles and find the articles which are related to the post you are writing and list those articles at the end of the post.
The visitor finds what he wants and he wants to say thank you or want some more…
2) The visitor comments on your blog. Reply to his comment and give him some more info
If some one says Hi what will you say? What will happen if you say Bye? Same thing here…. if some one comments on your posts, reply to that comment and say ‘thanks’ or if he asks a question, try to do your best to solve his problem. If that person is a blogger, don’t forget to return the favor by commenting on his blog!
3) E-mail a reader and say ‘thanks’
When some one comment on your blog, try to thank him by sending an e-mail. There are lots of tools around there which will do this thanking automatically… but its better to do it your self and be personal! With that letter ask the person to subscribe to your blog and send the link to your feeds.
The visitor is impressed. Now he wants to stay in-touch with the blog
4) Give your visitor several means to subscribe to your blog
Even-though some people like your blog, they forget to come back… so we need to give them some options which they can stay in touch with the site. To do this we can use services like feedburner and twitter. Feed burner provides a great number of options for your subscribers including e-mail subscriptions.
5) That’s not all! The fifth tip, is your tip…. Feel free to tell us your own way to get more loyal readers!
Waiting your comments!
This post is part of our Best of the Best Famous Bloggers Contest
Article by Pubudu Kodikara
Pubudu Kodikara is a writer at Tech Hamlet (www.techhamlet.com), a state of the art tech blog which have a main target of educating people about the latest technology. They post latest tech news, tips on how to resolve problems, tricks and hacks to improve what you do, tutorials to learn new things and many more.
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{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: BrilliantAF
September 13, 2011 at 6:17 am
Hi Pubudu!
Thank you for sharing these tips. I was afraid before to approved comments in my blogsite but I realized these comments should be acknowledged because you will know that people were able to take time reading your post. I just advise to be cautious to spam comments.
Alex Gracian recently posted..My Unbiased Review Of Bookmarking Demon
Thanks for the info man,
I never did email follow ups in terms of thanking people for commenting on my blog, but I’ll start doing that now because it seems useful!
CJ
CJ’s last blog ..The Secret To Making $10,000 Online and Living The Internet Dream
Twitter: heydevesh
March 24, 2010 at 4:33 am
Great post pudubudu
.-= Dev | Technshare´s last blog ..A Video Marketing Blueprint That Will Knock Your Socks Off =-.
I like the idea of this post that actually made me think. I must say both the author and commenters’ feedback are valuable and I learned a great deal from them. #3 is the one I have mix-feeling with, however I think the most important thing is to be personal with it as suggested. I think we would be happy if the author contacted us, just don’t make it too formal or automated.
At least Mike showed us that it’s do-able.
@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
.-= Ching Ya´s last blog ..8 Lessons Derived from Vacation to Boost Your Blogging Experience =-.
Woooooooooooow…nice blog guyzzz….helpd me a lot…..keeep it up dudes!!!!!!cheeeeeeeeeers
thanks bro!
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Secure Your Linux System With Avast for Free =-.
I seem to agree with Michael about the automatic email that is annoying. I use to have that plugin installed on my blog, but I removed it after a while. I do my best to reply to all comments on my blog as the user took time to leave a comment, so I should take time to reply to him/her.
One of the most used methods is a free ebook or a newsletter, most bloggers use this method. I’m in the process of writting my own ebook and also trying this method out.
.-= George Serradinho´s last blog ..Tips For Creating First Post With Wordpress Thesis Theme =-.
good idea… free e-books and rally help us to get some good readers! its a bit hard, but its a great method to get readers! please let us know when you finish your e book
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Secure Your Linux System With Avast for Free =-.
That’s very useful tips.
I came here because deepika suggest this post in her blog.
Great to see your blog,thank you ^_^
Glad you found my post useful
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Google Wonder Wheel – Great tool for Writers to Find New Topics =-.
Twitter: michaelaulia
December 12, 2009 at 4:37 pm
With number 3, I’m actually annoyed about being sent an automatic email everytime I leave a comment on a blog for the first time. I know it’s automated and the fact that the email is made so that it’s not automated annoys me more
.-= Michael Aulia´s last blog ..Wallpaper for the Ladies =-.
hehe it sure does…. and sometimes we can’t even read those thanking messages because they are full of links and technical stuff….
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Instant Article Templates – 3 Reasons Why MOST Article Templates Do Not Help You Write Articles Fast =-.
Damn awesome tips man.. keep up the good work
Thanks mate
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Instant Article Templates – 3 Reasons Why MOST Article Templates Do Not Help You Write Articles Fast =-.
Interesting Tips. Thanks for sharing
.-= Ramkumar´s last blog ..Micromax GC700 A Review: =-.
You welcome mate
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Come Out of that Dark Cave if You Want to Blog! =-.
I’m very happy to see you added the personal touch to #3. Those plugins can get very irritating.
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..4 Plugin Package – 75% Off! =-.
yea…. they makes you like a mechanical robot…..
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Customize your Browser With the Official Chrome Extension Gallery =-.
Hi Pubudu Kodikara,
I came to read this topic through blogengage. All tips are useful and i am following this. And i like the fifth point very much. readers comments are most important thing.
Yep….. putting questions like the 5th point can get lots of comments from the reader!
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Customize your Browser With the Official Chrome Extension Gallery =-.
Twitter: InfoGenra
December 10, 2009 at 6:35 am
Excellent post.. I love to follow these tips..
.-= Rajesh Kanuri @ TechCats´s last blog ..Download Beta Versions of Google Chrome for Linux & Mac =-.
thanks Rajesh…. hope you succeed with these tips!
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Customize your Browser With the Official Chrome Extension Gallery =-.
I really like tip #3. I’m going to try doing that with my blog.
I have a lot of people signing up to my mailing list, just to get the free ebook. In the autoresponder, with the link to the ebook, I put in something like “Do you have any questions about coffee that I can help you with? I get only a handful of response, but every time I email one of them back, it’s turned them into a loyal visitor because they’re shocked that there’s someone actually home.
.-= Mike Crimmins´s last blog ..Nescafe Taster’s Choice Giveaway =-.
yep, most of the blogs are like empty homes….. when we knock… no answer….. people don’t like haunted houses like that…. it should be active!
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Customize your Browser With the Official Chrome Extension Gallery =-.
It’s a real good article. I’m very much impressed. I could actually use these tips , When I also a create a Site of my Own. Keep up the good work and all the best to you.
Then don’t forget to tell us when you make your own blog!
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Customize your Browser With the Official Chrome Extension Gallery =-.
Sure,I will let you know when I will begin my contests,forget to mention,one of the popular methods to promote contests is to trade,exhange contests between bloggers.There are many other ways we can think about.
Good luck with your blog,
.-= Copy-Blogger´s last blog ..10 Different Ways to Make Money with your Twitter Account =-.
Make the readers feel that we will supply them with useful great content in future.
.-= Dana @ Online Knowledge´s last blog ..Online Knowledge Blog Disclosure =-.
Great idea! can do it by giving a list of upcoming articles right?
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Customize your Browser With the Official Chrome Extension Gallery =-.
Yea, it can or also create post series.
.-= Dana @ Online Knowledge´s last blog ..Atahualpa 3.4.4 configuration part 3 =-.
I agree with you that most of our visitors are non-loyal or visit us once only or only when they find themselves in some problems. Otherwise they don’t remember us. But there are many loyal readers too who never forget to visit our blog any day. To get them is to get all we want!
.-= Saksham Talwar´s last blog ..Back Up Your Blog Regularly. =-.
Yep we need to find a way to reach those loyal readers and call them towards us…
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Customize your Browser With the Official Chrome Extension Gallery =-.
Twitter: AussieSire
December 9, 2009 at 3:47 am
Every point you have made is very important, and although it may take some time it is time well spent. In regards to emailing them to thank them for their comment, there is actually plugins available to do this for you.
Apart from replying to all my commentators, I go one step further by leaving a quality comment, wherever possible, on their blog. I found this converts a lot of visitors to loyal readers.
.-= Sire´s last blog ..The New FTC Guidelines, How Fair Is It? =-.
your absolutely right, its worth spending your time for your readers!
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Google Chrome For Linux and Mac are Now in Beta Stage! =-.
I have to agree, as I got to this blog from yours
.-= Matches Malone´s last blog ..The Making of, Party in the House!!! =-.
i haven’t done the 3rd tip yet, i appreciate my visitors but i haven’t emailed them.. nice suggestion…I guess if you will comment on someones post, at least your last post should be somehow related to the article you are commenting.. that way, you can both share some ideas… or if its irrelevant, show some appreciation to the author…
.-= sernan´s last blog ..To Joomla or to WordPress? =-.
then better start it now….
first pick some visitors who have made some great comments (which shows you that they are really interested in your blog) and try to e-mail them first!
.-= Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..Google Chrome For Linux and Mac are Now in Beta Stage! =-.
Very useful and interesting article.Also,you can run weekly contests to make the visitors your blog’s readers.
Thanks
.-= Copy-Blogger´s last blog ..Top 6 Problems Newbie Bloggers Face When They Start Blogging =-.
Great tip mate! Running a contest can attract a huge number of readers if you can promote it well
…. not only loyal readers, from a contest you can get some loyal writers too….
.-= pubudu´s last blog ..Hurry up and write an article to win $1000 from FamousBloggers.net! =-.
Yes,it is really like that,Contests can drive good traffic,you only need to promote your contests via social bookmarking sites,or commentin in other related blogs.I am thinking of running a contest and give my visitors free wave invites and cash
)
.-= Copy-Blogger´s last blog ..Top 6 Problems Newbie Bloggers Face When They Start Blogging =-.
then don’t forget to inform us about your contest
!
.-= pubudu´s last blog ..Hurry up and write an article to win $1000 from FamousBloggers.net! =-.
#2 is one of my favorites. If a reader asks questions, I will go out of my way to find answers — or at least ask questions to clarify what s/he needs.
Great post.
.-= Alison Moore Smith´s last blog ..6 Steps to Startup with WordPress: The Guide for the Wannabe Blogger =-.
your right….. actually readers should be our first priority…
.-= pubudu´s last blog ..Hurry up and write an article to win $1000 from FamousBloggers.net! =-.
Thanks for sharing these great tips with us, because most of the time we end up with non-loyal readers!!!
Your absolutely right… as i said almost 90% of our visitors are non-loyal!
.-= pubudu´s last blog ..Hurry up and write an article to win $1000 from FamousBloggers.net! =-.
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