Blogs are an excellent way to engage your website readership and offer them something in return for their loyalty to your website.
However, managing a blog can be a challenging job. You must create and revise your content while keeping your readers at the heart of every task.
Not only do you need to communicate clearly to both new and returning customers, but you also need to show a high level of emotional intelligence.
Displaying characteristics such as empathy and compassion will keep readers coming back.
You need a strategy to keep readers engaged and increase the bond they feel to you, your content, and your products or services.
This strategy must cover areas like improving your digital presence, managing your accounts, and making your customers know that they are important.
Here are a few tips you can use to keep your readers coming back to your site for years to come.
1. Strengthen Your Website Readership: Get to Know Your Audience
Some bloggers have a specific niche or topic which largely dictates their audience. Other blogs attract men and women in every age group around the globe.
If you are not quite sure who your readers are, find out. Create a survey or poll to get to know who they are, what they like, and what they need to make life easier.
You can create a survey using Google Forms or through a survey app, many of which are free.
2. Use Account Management Strategies
Even if you’re running a solopreneur business or a small business with a few employees, having an account manager can be the difference between success and failure.
When you are first starting, you’ll probably have to wear the content strategist hat as one of your many roles. You can use the concepts of account management when working in this capacity.
Account managers know that businesses are built on good relationships. It’s essential to have someone available who can answer your reader’s questions, solve their problems with products or services, and develop long-term partnerships.
If you can’t always be available, set up business hours so that your readers know when to expect a response from you.
Building strong relationships with your customers will help you grow the business, increase website readership, and keep your customers coming back.
3. Ensure Customer Data Is Protected
Around 30,000 websites are infected with malware daily, and nearly 73% of all Americans fall victim to at least one kind of cybercrime each year.
Another 40 million Americans lose information annually when business websites are hacked.
The popular website creator, WordPress, is used for about 25% of all websites around the globe. WordPress sites are hacked more than any other of the website creator brands.
These statistics can have consumers worried about privacy and security each time they log into your site. You must diligently ensure that any data you collect from customers is protected.
An excellent strategy is to use a cloud-based backup for your blog and customer data to keep copies of any information you collect, like names, phone numbers, and email addresses.
4. Let Readers Know They Matter to You
It’s your job to make your customers feel important. Be sure to communicate how you can solve some of their most significant problems.
Once you’ve established a relationship with your website readership, be sure to ask for feedback often.
This might include asking about your services or products, as well as whether the blog content you create is important to them.
Always show your appreciation through your words, actions, and promotions.
If a reader is having an issue or reaches out for assistance, be ready to address the problem quickly. Let them know that you’re happy to help.
When you make each customer feel that your content or products were created just for them, you increase the likelihood of having loyal readers.
Another way to make readers feel appreciated is to be vulnerable. You may share details of your personal life or a recent problem or loss you’ve experienced.
When you share these types of experiences with your readers, they quickly see a connection between their life and yours.
Feeling connected and appreciated will keep your readers returning to find out what other details you might share.
5. Utilize Social Media
You can have the best content, but without the use of social media postings to drive readers to your site, it may go unread. You can boost your blog traffic by utilizing social media sites.
Create a Facebook page and Twitter account with the same name as your company website or blog name to create a brand name and voice.
Share your blog posts across all social media sites and craft catchy headlines that others will want to share with their friends and followers.
You can also use Instagram to increase website readership and keep current readers engaged.
Create eye-catching images with the titles of your blogs. Link to your blog posts in your bio. You can also share some personal details about yourself on Instagram.
Using a mix of personal and professional postings on this site showcases some of your personal qualities and characteristics. Sharing helps your audience see your vulnerabilities, weakness, and strengths.
6. Improve Your Digital Presence
Bugs or glitches can be downright annoying to your readers. If you’re experiencing a low readership or your numbers are dropping, you may need to take a look at your digital presence.
A few things to consider include your marketing strategy, the look of your website, and the content you deliver.
Many businesses run on a slim marketing budget. However, without targeted ads and keywords, you’re not likely to increase your website readership.
Another area you’ll need to evaluate is the look of your website. Make sure that it’s professional, optimized for smartphones and tablets, and clearly states your mission and values as a company.
The last area you need to evaluate is your content. If you’re not comfortable with crafting your own copy, you may need to consider hiring a professional writer.
Professionals understand search engine optimization and analytics, which can help you achieve higher rankings in web searches and ultimately improve your readership.
7. Encourage Discussion
Nothing is evidence of a strong relationship quite like a long list of comments at the bottom of your latest blog post.
Always end your posts with a call-to-action requesting your readers to share their thoughts or opinions on the subject in the comments.
Respond to your reader’s comments to keep the conversation going strong. Be positive and encouraging when speaking to your readers and try to offer help, if possible.
8. Create an Email List
Every blog needs to create a robust email list of users. Email offers a direct way of reaching the people who are most interested in hearing from you.
You can send reminders, updates, and target users with specific attributes for promotions.
Make sure that each email you send offers something unique for the reader, such as a key takeaway from your content or a free guide that you created just for them.
If you’re looking for a few of the top-rated apps to build your email list, be sure to check out Constant Contact and MailChimp.
9. Keep Your Readers Coming Back
Blogging requires you to find and continually refine your website’s competitive edge. This might be your products or services.
It can also be your written content and how you use it to find new readers and keep others coming back for more.
Use these tips to strengthen your readership and watch your brand loyalty grow.
