How Bloggers Actually Get People to Read Their Posts (And Come Back)
There is nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment after putting out a blog post. That is, until about five minutes later. Until the stats come in—three views, of which two are probably just the blogger hitting refresh on the page. Not only is it hard to get people to read what you’ve written in the first place, but it’s even harder to get them to come back.
Yet the blogs that have consistent readership have nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. They simply do it with intentionality and a sense of purpose with all of the things that other bloggers don’t have the time or motivation to do as they rush to put out more and more.
They Write For Real People—Not Just Google
If there’s one thing that’s reiterated in blog writing advice across the board, it’s that most content needs to appeal to SEO. Keywords. Meta descriptions. Header tags. All helpful, of course. But what’s more helpful? Writing something that a real, breathing person would be compelled to finish.
Sure, there’s plenty one can get from search engines to lead them to a blog, but only with good content will they stick around. Successful blogs treat their readers as humans before they treat them as readers and numbers. This means sacrificing the mechanical appeal of keyword stuffing for a natural voice that seems like someone genuinely interested in helping someone else explain something because they care.
When people recognize that a person writes what’s on the page, they are more likely to trust their recommendations and investigate other work by them. Such trust becomes important down the line when bloggers think about other revenue avenues which generally become more than just display ads.
They Solve Real-Life Problems—Not Just Titles
There is a difference between writing about a title and solving a problem. Most bloggers write about titles. Those who are worthy of saving and returning to solve real-life problems.
For example, the title “Social Media Marketing Tips” is a title. But the title “What To Post on Instagram When Your Business Is Not Visually-Oriented” solves a problem. Why does the second example get read, bookmarked, shared and remembered? Because it speaks to an immediate frustration someone has at that moment.
Bloggers who effectively have engaged audiences take the time to see what their audiences are struggling with. They scour comment sections, investigate forums their demographic populates and pinpoint questions that arise too often to just brush aside. They dig deep into issues that warrant generalized responses instead of coming up with something new that truly solves a problem.
They Find Revenue Opportunities That Don’t Annoy Readers
Ultimately, as time moves on, most bloggers find themselves searching for revenue from their written work. The problem? Many avenues of monetization can be distracting or get in the way of what others have built with reading experiences established over time. Banner ads that lag loading time, pop-ups that obscure content without warning, affiliate links that seem awkwardly out of place—no one wants to ruin what they’ve built up over time for something so distracting.
Instead, smart bloggers find revenue opportunities that make sense with how people consume information in the first place. For example, affiliate marketing native ads make sense because they come in seamlessly rather than interrupting the flow. When advertising becomes a natural extension of what’s already being offered, readers will be receptive, and bloggers can make money without sacrificing appeal.
Nothing should get in the way of what was established over time in an intrusive way unless it inherently makes sense.
They Don’t Sweat Perfection But Consistency
New bloggers fail to put consistent posts out because they stress over perfection. They spend weeks on one post so it comes out flawless, yet they then stall out since they don’t have the energy to craft a second article down the line. Meanwhile, bloggers who’ve come out with decent-but-consistent writing build audiences because they keep showing up.
People like knowing that something new has arrived. This isn’t to say that posts filled with horrid material should be cranked out just for the sake of time—but it does mean that good material published today is better than perfect material in three months’ time sitting in limbo and never released.
Those who can find their groove—be it two a month or one every two weeks—find a rhythm that allows a reader to know when new content will come out and allows bloggers themselves not to suffer from burnout trying to master one perfectly.
They Help Readers Share Their Content
Sometimes, great content isn’t enough. Bloggers who successfully maintain audiences help their content become shareable and referenced. This means clear titles and subheadings and pull quotes that work well for social media reference and practical take-aways that mean people want to save things for later.
Posts that emphasize actionable results or concrete case studies are shareable over theoretical explorations. People love sharing posts because it makes them look smart or helpful—or in-the-know. When a post helps someone’s urgent need or genuinely teaches them something worthwhile, it’s likely they’ll share it with others going through the same thing.
In addition, the best posts link back to other posts within the same blog so new readers can dig deeper into similar ideas without searching elsewhere for others. When someone finds three other relevant posts after reading through one, they’re likely to save the site for future reference.
Blog Posts Build Over Time
It’s always tough starting from scratch, but when momentum carries a creator through, each new post builds just a few more regular readers. They add up quickly, they’ll share and inspire even more regular readers until it’s established that every new post has audience backing—rather than starting from scratch each time.
