Blogging FAQ, Day 1: Who’s going to read our blog?
image credit: Mike Licht via Flickr
This is by far the most common question I hear when I talk with booksellers about blogging. We all get hung up on audience. We want to know that we’re not wasting our time, and that people will read what we write.
The reality is that your readership is never going to be as large as you want it to be. It will grow, but it will grow slowly. As you find your voice and write better content, more people will find your blog to be of value. More people will read, and more will subscribe. Then others will link to you from their blogs, and new readers will find their way to your site. But it takes time, patience, and a steady stream of fresh and interesting posts.
In truth, it takes work to find readers for your blog. I recommend starting quietly, seeding your blog with posts and finding your voice. You want things for visitors to read when they do find you. Once you’ve got a handful of posts up and live, the work begins.
You have to promote your blog like you’d promote your store, a sale, or an author event:
- Have a prominent link to your blog from your store website.
- Reference specific blog posts in your email newsletter, and link directly.
- Print your blog URL on your store bookmarks, on your customer receipts, and on your bags.
- Educate your staff and booksellers about your blog, and have them talk it up with customers.
- Create business cards with the URL to your blog.
- Print it in any advertisements you place.
- Encourage people to subscribe. Make your RSS feed (subscription button) very prominent.
- Allow people to subscribe via email.
Don’t think of this as a campaign — it needs to be an ongoing program, part of your marketing plans. Keep your blog updated with good content, and keep it in front of your customers.
More ways to find readers:
One of the best ways to find readers for your blog is to comment on other people’s blogs. Find bloggers who are talking about subjects of interest, and leave a note. On most blogs, the comment form has a place for you to put in a URL. If you type your blog address there, people will often click on it to see more about who is commenting. Some people use this as a means to spam, and you certainly do not want to do that. Make sure your comments are relevant and that they add to the conversation.
If you have a Facebook page or twitter account, post links to your blog posts there.
Blog about other people or local businesses, and let them know you’ve done so. They will likely point their friends and family to your post.
Consider hosting a local blogger meet-up in your store. Offer coffee and conversation about blogging to those in your area that have blogs or are interested in learning more about blogging. Is there a local expert that can speak about the how-tos of blogging, in exchange for potential business connections? If you can tap into the local blogger community, you may find a great resource for ideas and technical help. You will also find a group of people willing to help you spread the word about your store blog.
Patience and hard work are key to building a successful blog and readership. For even more ideas on how to build your blog readership, check out this article from ProBlogger:19 Strategies forFinding Readers
If you have other ideas of how to find readers for your blog, please leave them in the comments.
Tomorrow, Blogging FAQ, Day 2: Where do I find the time to blog?
Drew Goodman says:
February 4th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Excellent start to the series Ann.
Let me reiterate- the single most important thing in social media is to BE social. Just like leaving comments on other blogs, remember to respond to comments made on your own blog. Blogs aren’t a one way street, they should be an interactive communication between blogger and readers.
Although you may be posting on this later, I think it’s relevant to the topic of “Who’s going to read our blog?” and that is passion and expertise. If you are trying to write a blog that is all over the board (one day children’s books, another day hard boiled mysteries), readers won’t be as interested in coming back to read you again. What are you passionate about when it comes to books? What are you (or what would like to be) an expert on? Simply writing blog posts to write them shows no passion, no expertise. Really know what you are talking about and be passionate about it, and readers will find you.
Ann Kingman says:
February 4th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Drew, good point, responding to most, if not all, comments on your own blog is definitely something that should be a priority. It not only engages you with the original commentor, but it offers others the opportunity to jump in as well.
There will be an upcoming post on “what to blog about,” and I agree that passion and expertise are a key area. I’m not sure I agree that the blog has to be purely focused on one area, though. Let’s think about it and have that discussion when that post runs (Monday, I think).
Thanks for your insights!
Barbara Swafford says:
February 4th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Hi Ann – I like your idea of seeding your blog with great content. When I was new I felt I was writing for an imaginary audience. Eventually they showed up, and for that I am forever grateful. My favorite part of getting my blog found has been to visit other (small to medium size) blogs and leave meaningful comments. Most bloggers will follow the link back to our blog and if they like it, they’ll stick around. The community that can be found in blogosphere is awesome.
Ann Kingman says:
February 4th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Barbara, it definitely draws people to your blog when you comment on theirs, you are so right!
When I started writing (“seeding”) this blog, I pictured a few particular bookstores in my mind and wrote for them. Some of them have found their way here and others may never do so, but that’s OK. It gave me someone to talk to. I think booksellers could do that, too — think about a few specific customers and write for them. It definitely makes the blank screen less intimidating!
Thanks for visiting!
How to blog « says:
February 5th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
[...] blogging, but the information is relevant to anyone. The first in her series of posts was “Blogging FAQ, Day 1: Who’s going to read our blog?” Kingman’s advice is good, and the comments are also worth [...]
Booklishing says:
February 10th, 2009 at 6:41 am
[...] ¿Quién va a leer nuestro blog? 2.- ¿De dónde saco tiempo para escribir el blog? 3.- Ya envío una newsletter, ¿necesito un blog? [...]
tom franklin says:
February 24th, 2009 at 11:09 am
content is king online. with so many thousands of options more than willing to distract us in the search for what we originally came online to find (what was that again?…) having content that people seek out is vital.
keeping that content fresh and regularly updated is just as important.
then, seeing each blog posting as the start of a conversation to engage your readers in (and not just a monologue) completes the circle.
and, yes, your initial readership will be small. but, if those people like what they’re reading they’re likely to tell their friends about it. and as that group grows, they’re far more likely to be the kind of reader who not only wants your content but is also likely to show their appreciation by being a customer.
…