Every week my inbox is jam packed with emails from new bloggers asking me the same question: "how do I get more followers?". Now as much as I don't mind getting asked this question, I often find it difficult to reply to every one of these emails as there's so much I could say on the matter. There isn't one magic thing you can do to grow your readership, it takes a combination of things and it take a lot of time. With this being said, I thought I'd put a little post together with my 'top tips' for growing your readership.
These are just things I've picked up through my own experience as a blogger and you've probably heard them all before but sometimes a bit of motivation from a post like this can help. Before I share my tips I do want to say one thing that's important to remember. Blogging should firstly be based on hard work, passion for what you do and a dedication to suceed. If you have those three things and pair them with the things I've mentioned below, you'll be on the right track!
Join as many social networking sites as possible
So this might be an obvious one but I actually see a lot of new bloggers that haven't joined social media site and if I'm following a blog, I always want to follow the person on other platforms so I can get to know them better and have easy access to their new posts. I'd say the main two worth joining are Twitter and Instagram but the more you're being active on, the better. Also, try to keep your name consistent on each of your different sites. I made the mistake of not doing this when I first started blogging and although it hasn't affected me massively, I find it much easier to find bloggers on instagram etc if they've got the same name as their blog/twitter accounts.
Promote yourself
Some people hate self-promotion and I can kind of understand why, especially in the beginning. When I first started blogging I though 'oh gosh, nobody will want to read my blog, I look silly tweeting about it' but the exact opposite happened and other bloggers started tweeting me back saying they'd just found my blog and enjoyed reading it so don't be afraid. I always make sure I tweet and post on instagram each time I've published a new post too - that way your followers will know you've just uploaded and can head over for a read. I'd recommend tweeting the link to your new post a few times throughout the day to catch different groups of people - maybe once in the morning, once at lunch and once after school/work/uni. Try and change up each tweet too instead of copying and pasting the same thing! Try not to go overboard with the tweets though or it could come across a bit spammy.
Get to know fellow bloggers
Its so important to get involved in conversations on twitter, especially using specific hash tags like #bbloggers #fbloggers or #lbloggers. There's a hash tag for virtually every niche now so whatever you're blogging about, make sure you chat to people who are doing the same. As well as being great fun and an easy way to get to know other bloggers you can potentially begin a friendship with, introducing yourself to people will also bring more readers to your blog. Who knows, they might love your blog so much that they recommend it to their followers. Back when I first started blogging, getting 'shout outs' from bloggers with a lot more followers than me really helped. I never asked for those shout outs or did things with the hope of getting one but had I never spoken to them or told them I loved their blog, they might have never known about mine. See what I'm saying? So without further ado, get chatting!
Update new content regularly
Another obvious one but one that's so important is to update content regularly. When I first started blogging I was quite lucky in the fact Ihad a bit of spare time on my hands which meant I could upload every single day. I think this really helped in the beginning as there was constant new content for people to read and for me to promote. I don't have quite as much time on my hands these days and the amount I post has reduced but when you've built up a loyal following, I don't think people mind if you don't post every day. However, in the beginning, its really important to get up as much content as possible. People are far more likely to follow if they arrive at your blog and its already jam packed with content for them to read.
Say yes!
This is quite a broad point but what I mean is that when you first start your blog, say yes to anything and everything you can. Whether its guest posting for another blogger, doing a tag you've been tagged in or attending a meet up with bloggers in your area, do it! The more of these kind of things you can do in the beginning, the better. It'll allow you to get to know other bloggers and let them know about your blog. Its also nice to do these things too - nobody wants to follow a blog if the writer isn't friendly and won't get involved in things. Don't say yes to something you feel uncomfortable doing but if its something you think could be fun and could benefit you, have the confidence to do it!
So there we have it, a few tips for growing your blogs audience. If you're a new blogger or just needed a bit of motivation, I hope you found them useful! One last thing I think is important to say is that you must remember that blogging isn't about the number of followers you have and you shouldn't start blogging with the goal to get 'loads of followers' in mind. Yes it is important that people read your blog and enjoy reading it but most importantly, just enjoy it for yourself. If you love what you do and don't get too caught up in the numbers game, you'll find getting started as a blogger much easier and more enjoyable!
Do you have any other tips for growing your blogs audience?
Lots of love,
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