How to Get People to Actually Read Your Blog

Every time you sit down to write a blog or e-newsletter, you feel like you’re walking into a torture chamber. You spend valuable time each week or month agonizing over the “right” words for your piece. So, is it working for you? Is your blog getting you a loyal following? Are you getting phone calls, emails, or most importantly, clients as a result of your blog? If not, you’re doing it wrong. Here’s how to make sure your blog is actually working for you.

1. Do you know who you’re talking to? WHO do you want to share your voice with–the exact person who needs to hear what you have to say? Create a message that’s relevant to only them. That’s when they will pay attention.
2. Are you helping your readers take action? Organize your piece so it is easier for your readers to take those actions.  If you want them to sign up for your newsletter, make it easy for them to do that with a sign-up box in your blog. If you want them to call you, make sure your phone number is in a prominent place and is a clickable link for when people are using a mobile device to find you.
3. Are you getting their attention? Humans have an extremely short attention span. Your headline has to grab them immediately or else they will not read further. Your headline also has to be great for Twitter or Facebook.
4. Will they care? This is not about you. Let me repeat: this is NOT about you! Write content that your readers will care about. It has to be relevant to their needs, and talking about yourself isn’t relevant. What can you do for them? How can you solve their problems? That’s where your content needs to go.
5. Are you committed to your blog or e-newsletter? You need to get on a schedule. This is how you build a following. If you start writing on the first of every month, your readers will start looking for your content on the first of the month. If you suddenly skip a month or two, your readers will wonder where you went. They may go elsewhere to find content if they can’t find yours. Get on a schedule and keep to it.
6. Are you engaging with your readers? Do you get comments on your piece? If so, reply to them! Make sure that readers know that there is a real person behind the writing. A simple thank you to a compliment will go a long way toward developing loyal followers. If you’re not getting comments, you need to ask for them! Ask a question or two, or invite readers to share a story or a solution to a problem. This will invite comments, and then you can respond.

7. Are you paying attention? You’ll want to use analytics to learn about the health of your blog or newsletter. These are free services. Get them and use them!

Do you need help starting or maintaining your blog or e-newsletter? Call me. I can help. Contact me at sue@suetoth.com or call me at 973-362-5382 and we’ll get started.