1. How important do you think reader connectedness is to the success of your blog?
I think you need to connect with readers in some way to get readers to keep coming back. It is about as important as content.
2. What do you do to draw readers in and create that writer-reader bond?
I think asking questions draws readers in a little bit. Besides that, I doubt I do enough besides writing about things that other people have an interest in.
3. What is one way you could improve this connection?
I wish I could reply to comments directly like in LJ. I constantly worry people don't see my responses. I have tried to email people that I can to tell them that I replied. I don't know if anyone checks but I always want to so I figure I will let them know too.
4. Is there a blogger you think does a great job creating that writer-reader bond? Why?
Ashley and Angeline because they actually reply to my comments and reply to others. Some of the extremely popular bloggers never reply to a comment question that I ask; I don't like that.
5. What do you do to cultivate new readers? How do you get them to your site in the first place?
I comment on blogs that I read. I always notice that the more I comment, the more hits my site gets. I have posted 2 of my links on reddit. I also submitted a post (but wasn't picked) for IFB. I need to find better ways to do this.
I constantly notice that if someone comments on a post, then others are more likely to comment. I may get the same number of hits, but I might not have that one first comment and then I get 0 more. Sometimes a friend will comment and someone else that I know comments and then all of a sudden I have 8 comments. I am still trying to figure out how to get more. I think my shorter posts get more. I should split up my daily routine from my fashion in posts and have two shorter posts. I have noticed that helps readers or at least my impression seems better.
What should I do differently? What do you do on your blog?
I completely agree with you about the more popular bloggers! I really wish they would take the time to respond to us little guys. It makes me sad that I don't see them commenting on blogs anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe Auspicious Life
Thanks for the shout-out! I so appreciate that you read my blog, and responding is one way I like to show people that I care that they care! (you too, Linda!)
ReplyDeleteComments are definitely not a science...I think of them more as a shake of the dice. One good thing, from my experience, is that as comments start consistently going up, it is unlikely they will go back down to nothing, as long as you are responding to your readers a bit.
I'm not sure what it is, either. I've started getting more comments on my outfit posts, but on non-outfit and non-blogging posts, I rarely get any comments. Sucks, because those are the ones I really enjoy writing! Oh well...my take is I'll just keep on keeping on. My outfit posts drive folks to my blog, and hopefully they stay for the advice.
Asking questions at the end of a post seems to help a little (although most people don't address the question posed). Visiting back is also good.
Geez that was a long comment. :)
Angeline, I ask questions at the end or throughout and rarely get comments/responses. I did notice a few months ago I started bolding questions if they were in the middle of my post and then I got some responses.
ReplyDeleteYour outfit posts brought me to your blog on the first 30 for 30 and I keep reading your other posts. I'm not sure if I even comment often or which ones I comment on more. I've been so busy lately that I haven't done my share of posting (I am up to posting on outfit 20 yet I'm done with the challenge and have 2 outfits after)
If I'm short on time I catch up on my 10-15 favorite bloggers but don't tend to comment. I wish there was a quick way to comment via blogger. Scrolling back up to the title to click then to comment sometimes just takes a little too long when I'm already about to fall asleep.
Linda, I just read your post on this very topic and we are very similar.
ReplyDeleteAlso sometimes I think if there are comments on a blog post of mine, I have half of them since currently I reply to them all because I always ramble with follow-up information.