In our previous posts, we’ve covered the three fundamentals that providers of business process outsourcing (BPO) services in the Philippines use in choosing blog topics, as well as the consequences of failing to do so. Now, it s time to learn how to build a strong readership by following these basic steps:
1. Be different
With the plethora of blogs out there offering free, useful content to the very audience you re targeting, you’ve got to be able to offer something that others don t bring to the table. Whether it s the voice, focus, or the actual materials you publish, your blog should have something that is uniquely yours.
Alternatively, you could make it very niche—instead of simply making a food blog, try having themes like three-ingredient dinner, five-dollar gourmet lunch, or midnight snacking for couples.
2. Join discussions
Adding valuable input to forums and comment boxes of other blogs gives you two main benefits. First is that you promote your blog to the readers of the discussions you joined, and second, you consequently earn audience engagement in your own blog by participating in others’.
3. Mention influencers
Influencers can be anyone—not just celebrities—who have a great influence over their large online following. Referencing them, or at least mentioning and quoting their works, gives you a chance of getting your blog recommended by the influencers you featured. Imagine the exposure you could get if Ellen DeGeneres shared your article on her own Twitter account.
You have to carefully choose who to mention, though. An influencer who is reputable in the topic you re tackling or popular to a specific type of audience you re targeting can give you not just traffic but more importantly, credibility.
4. Offer email subscription
By investing in email subscription, you keep your readers engaged. This gives them the option to be notified when you have a recent post or even get the gist of your article right on their inbox.
5. Allow repurposing
Having social-sharing buttons on every post is an obvious must, but other than that, it would be great to also allow repurposing. Letting others use your content either for republishing or reference in another format (infographic, photo caption, slideshow, video, etc.) can help distribute your blog to multiple sites including social networks. Repurposing also helps people consume your content that they wouldn’t otherwise read if it’s in article form.
Of course, none of these tactics would work if you publish substandard content. The best way to drive people to your blog, make them read what you have to offer, and engage with you relies on the quality of your posts. No matter the topic you tackle or the methods you use to spread word about your brand, always make sure that your articles and other media are well-crafted, informative, and aesthetically designed.