Do you remember when you started blogging? I am sure that, like me, you were in the throes of lack of reader engagement. After years of research, experiments, trials and errors, I have learnt to create content that triggers positive reactions from readers.
Today, I want to share a few tips to help you increase reader engagement. But first, three important points.
What is reader engagement?
Reader engagement occurs every time someone reacts to a blog post by commenting on it, sharing it or mentioning it on their own blog, website, book, etc.
Why do people not always leave comments?
Those familiar with marketing know that a response rate starting at 5 or 10% is excellent. Out of 100 readers, only 5 or 10 will take the time to comment. Blogs like Mashable get hundreds and sometimes thousands of comments daily because they have millions of visitors.
People do not leave comments for many reasons. For example, they may not know what to say; they may just be there to browse; or they may not like the content offered.
The Internet is full of (bad) content. This makes finding your content difficult. However, consistency and hard work will get you to where you want to be.
Ways to increase reader engagement on your blog
- Write attractive titles.
- Make your content easy to read and interactive. Write short paragraphs and use titles for main ideas. Also add pictures and videos.
- Make your readers feel special.
- Ask questions at the beginning and the end of your posts: Do you remember...? What do you think? What is your opinion? What is your story? Do you have examples that you would like to share? ...
- Make your content relatable. Share personal stories.
- Make sure that your content is well-written, researched and unique, and provides answers that can hardly be found elsewhere.
- Invite readers to share their knowledge on the topic.
- Interact with readers in the comment section.
- Ask people to give you ideas for future posts. When you write your content, do not forget to mention their names.Redirect people to prominent bloggers in your field by mentioning an example of post that they wrote and that you like.
- Write different types of posts. Check out Darren Rose's excellent article on the topic: 13 Types of Posts that Always Get Lots of Comments.
- Harness the power of social networking. Share your articles on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, etc. Track who has shared your content and thank them for taking the time to read and spread the word.
Need more help with your social media strategy? Check out The Little Big eBook on Social Media Audiences: Build Yours, Keep It & Win!
