Posted in Writing

Increasing the Readership On Your Blog

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes

With everything that we have going on in our lives, it’s no wonder I see so many posts about time management! I must admit that I feel a bit guilty about my hit and miss method of reading other’s blogs. It’s not very fair or efficient. But it seems to be the only way I can get any of them read.

I follow hundreds of bloggers.  There just no way that I can read everything that everyone posts.  What I usually do is scroll through my Reader and pause at what happens to catch my eye.  But even those, if they are too long, I won’t read them. I simply do not have the time.

There are my favorite bloggers (we all have them) that I will actively seek out to see what new thing they’ve posted.

And then there is the never-ending new talent that we run across.  New bloggers or bloggers that I’m just discovering is added to the mix in my Reader.  So my list of bloggers that I follow is being continually added to.

So how can you be sure that your posts will be read? Well, there is no absolute guarantee. But there are several ways to increase the probability. Below are some ideas and suggestions that I’ve learned over several years of blogging. Maybe these ideas will help you too.

  1. Post often and post consistently.  If your blog only pops up with new content once in a while, people will lose interest.  I know several bloggers that post several times a day! I don’t know how they have the time.  I try for 5 days a week and I’m lucky if I can keep up with that.  But the advantage that these bloggers have is the number of times their posts will show up in someone’s Reader. If you dangle that carrot in front of your audience enough, you’re bound to get a few nibbles!
  2. Use an interesting Post Title.  If your blog post title doesn’t sound interesting, enticing, there’s more chance that people will pass it by.
  3. Use photos.  I’ve seen some VERY talented bloggers here that don’t use pictures, at all, with their posts.  The photo will speak for you even if the title or content does not.  Interesting photos will draw in your audience.
  4. Interact with other bloggers.  Don’t be shy.  Reach out, read, comment and share what you find here.  WordPress is a community.  Communicate with your neighbors!  These acts of kindness will often be reciprocated, increasing the traffic on your blog.
  5. Be kind. Always.  If you have a critique or comment, be sure that it is kind.  This is not the place to get on your soapbox if you happen to disagree with someone’s post.  A constructive critique is one thing, being rude or mean is another.  I follow several bloggers that have VERY different points of view on a number of subjects.  I simply do not comment on those particular posts.  They are entitled to their opinion and voicing that opinion as well, just as I am entitled to mine.  Simply put, mind your manners!
  6. Respond. If someone reblogs a post or makes a lovely comment on a post of yours, be sure to respond to that kind gesture! Let them know that you appreciate their input!  Again, mind your manners!
  7. Don’t get too long-winded.  If a post is too long, most people simply will not read it, or won’t read all of it.  I find myself skimming through lengthy posts because I don’t have the time to devote to them.

I know this is not a complete list, but I don’t want to be too long-winded.  🙂  Do you have ideas or suggestions that would help people get more readership?  If so, I would love for you to leave a comment below so we can all share our knowledge with others.  What do you think works for you?  

*Originally posted in 2019.  But still rings true today.

Image by Daria Głodowska from Pixabay

Author:

Penny Wilson is a freelance writer who writes in several genres. She has written articles for WOW Women on Writing. Her poetry has been published in online journals, such as Ariel Chart, Spill Words Press and the Poppy Road Review. Penny is a member of the Austin Poetry Society. Her poetry has been featured in the publication America's Emerging Poets 2018 & 2019 by Z Publishing and Poets Quarterly and Dual Coast Magazine published by Prolific Press. Penny is an advocate for Mental Health Awareness and has the page "Mental Health Help" on her blog. She writes about the struggles of mental illnesses and Depression. She is passionate about spreading awareness for Suicide Prevention and Domestic Abuse. She expresses her passion through her writings of poetry and life experiences. You can find more of her writings on her blog at https://pennywilsonwrites.com/ and follow her on Twitter @pennywilson123.

22 thoughts on “Increasing the Readership On Your Blog”

  1. I’ve only very recently come across your blog, Penny, and I like what I’ve found. Thank you for such a valuable and helpful post. I agree with you on almost every point you’ve made. I used only to publish every couple of weeks, but now, I try to aim for at least twice a week, occasionally three times if I feel the need. I, too, follow lots of blogs (I’ve never counted them, but there are a fair number). My blog tells me how long it takes to read my posts (I’ve yet to learn how WP decides a person’s average reading speed!) Where I used to write what WP considers a three or four-minute read, I’ve now cut that down to one minute, or a maximum of two. I don’t have time to read very long posts, either, so they tend to get left behind in my Reader. I also use photos as I feel they can draw readers into whatever piece I’m writing. I probably spend almost as long finding the right image as I do writing the post in the first place. I think it’s important. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m looking forward to seeing your future posts … Ellie 🌷

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    1. Ellie, thank you very much for your kind comment! Thank you for the follow as well! I’ve followed your lovely blog in kind. Your poetry is beautiful and thought provoking! I look forward to reading more of your work. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you so much for the follow, Penny. Thank you, too, for your kind and generous comment. It’s so much appreciated. I’m catching up with some of your past posts and am looking forward to reading any new ones that you post. Thanks again. X 🌹💛🌷

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      2. I sent you an email. Another thought, possibility for publishing, you might check Prolific Press https://prolificpress.com/
        I’ve been in several of their anthologies of poetry and they also publish books. They seem open to newcomers in writing. However, it looks like the promotion of your book would be up to you. But they might be worth a look-see. They have several different publications.
        Thanks again, for your kind words! ❤
        All the best,
        Penny

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  2. Wonderful list of tips, thank you! I don’t follow as many bloggers as I wish I could, simply because of time. Likewise, I’ve set a goal to post a new blog once/week and I believe I’ve only missed 1 week since I set the goal. (I’m giving myself grace for missing it, as it was a rough patch, and anything I would have posted would have been unfit to read anyway).

    How do you feel about simply ‘liking’ a post you read, if you don’t have the right words to reply, or if you can see the skill in the piece, but it doesn’t necessarily resonate with you?

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    1. YES! Like a post even if you don’t have time to or the words to write something about it. It’s appreciated! Thank you for stopping by and thank you for the nice comment! Good luck to you with your writing goals! ❤

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  4. Nice post! The frequency thing is a double-edged sword for me though. Sometimes I follow a blogger, only to realise that their three-times-a-day routine kinda keeps my Reader feed too busy, lol. Anyway, thanks for this post, Penny!

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    1. I know what you mean! I follow a few bloggers that post a LOT of content. It’s certainly hard to keep up wit them even if you love their work! Thank you for the nice comment and thanks for visiting! 🙂

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  5. I love this post. As you know I just started back to blogging fairly regularly. I don’t have time to write several times a week, but I’m pleased that I am exceeding my minimum of once a week that I promised myself when I started back up. I’m enjoying finding other bloggers of some similar interests. It’s hard to find time to read and comment on very many but I try to look at my reader or my inbox for the ones I follow and try to read about 5-10 a day or so, depending on the day. I’m sure there will be days I can’t do it at all but I’m enjoying the process of easing myself back in. I’m also trying to learn more about the WordPress tools and how to do all the ‘things’ and that takes time too.

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    1. Thank you! I’m glad that you enjoyed it. Once a week is a good goal. With frequency, I just think that if you go dark for weeks or months at a time, people will lose interest. You read about as many posts as I do. I follow a LOT of people, but have little time to read them all. Thank you for visiting! ❤

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  6. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I know that it’s true to post regularly but it’s not the time which matters. For me it’s too difficult to post regularly as my blog is regarding the technology, and it requires to study and gather the correct information to provide on my article. Anyway thanks again for the nice post.

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    1. I agree with you, in your case. That thought does not apply to everyone, just like having photos does not apply to everyone. Just my Humble Opinion and what has worked for me. Thank you for the comment and for the visit!

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  8. Great post and I agree. I myself don’t use pictures very often. Mostly because I’ll be too busy with finding the perfect picture that fits the story. I’m way to picky and can spend hours looking for one. On the other hand, I like how my posts are doing without the need of pictures drawing an audience in. I might one day choose to add pictures but I’ll probably end up designing something that is meant for only blog posts and another for my creative writing posts…

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