Today we have five tips on how to make your blog ‘sticky’. People come across your blog in a variety of ways – Google, a link from another site or email, etc. Once they’re through the ‘shop door’, it falls to you to get some mileage from it. A sticky website is one where a first time reader arrives and finds it difficult to leave.
1. Great content
First up, writing engaging content has to be your first priority. What’s the reader interested in? What is your niche? What is your USP? Why do readers have to keep returning to your site for the information they need? Hey, don’t ask us! Oh, and post as regularly as you can – there’s nothing worse than being fired up by a new site only to find the blogger hasn’t posted anything for months.
2. Comments
Bloggers have different attitudes towards comments. Some decide they’re too much time and effort and disable them immediately. Others only allow comments on certain stories or opt for constant moderation. Legally speaking, if you do allow comments, it’s probably best not to say you’re moderating them – otherwise you’re culpable for what’s being said rather than the commenter. Either way, a comments facility is a good way to keep people coming back to your site – after all, they want to see what other readers have said about their latest insightful bon mot!
3. Respond to comments
Further to number 2, make the readers feel part of your community by responding to the best comments – either in the comments field, or creating a post around them. Pull a few out and highlight how controversial / exciting one of your story has been. It’s an easy win when you’re low on inspiration.
4. Deep links
Get a ‘related / similar articles’ section on your site immediately. A good way to convince your readers to stay loyal is to get them reading more than one of your posts (especially if they are your best posts). In the same vein, keep an eye on which of your articles are doing well. If you spot a sudden surge of interest in one of your stories, bung on a load of extra links to your best content as well as invitations to subscribe to your site. You’d better be quick though – these spikes don’t last forever.
5. Opting in
Another way to get readers to return to your site is to get them to ‘opt-in’ – whether it be for a newsletter, RSS, competitions, free T-shirt, special offers or breaking news. You want to be urging people to subscribe every inch of the way. Make it easy for them to do so. Advertise it clearly and give a choice about how people hear from you – for example, someone might not be that familiar with RSS so would prefer a newsletter or email update.
We could probably go on all day, but now it’s over to you, citizens. What have we missed? Is there anything you’d like us to cover? Comment below please!
PRSD blogging tips – getting ‘sticky’
Today we have five tips on how to make your blog ‘sticky’. People come across your blog in a variety of ways – Google, a link from another site or email, etc. Once they’re through the ‘shop door’, it falls to you to get some mileage from it. A sticky website is one where a first time reader arrives and finds it difficult to leave.
1. Great content
First up, writing engaging content has to be your first priority. What’s the reader interested in? What is your niche? What is your USP? Why do readers have to keep returning to your site for the information they need? Hey, don’t ask us! Oh, and post as regularly as you can – there’s nothing worse than being fired up by a new site only to find the blogger hasn’t posted anything for months.
2. Comments
Bloggers have different attitudes towards comments. Some decide they’re too much time and effort and disable them immediately. Others only allow comments on certain stories or opt for constant moderation. Legally speaking, if you do allow comments, it’s probably best not to say you’re moderating them – otherwise you’re culpable for what’s being said rather than the commenter. Either way, a comments facility is a good way to keep people coming back to your site – after all, they want to see what other readers have said about their latest insightful bon mot!
3. Respond to comments
Further to number 2, make the readers feel part of your community by responding to the best comments – either in the comments field, or creating a post around them. Pull a few out and highlight how controversial / exciting one of your story has been. It’s an easy win when you’re low on inspiration.
4. Deep links
Get a ‘related / similar articles’ section on your site immediately. A good way to convince your readers to stay loyal is to get them reading more than one of your posts (especially if they are your best posts). In the same vein, keep an eye on which of your articles are doing well. If you spot a sudden surge of interest in one of your stories, bung on a load of extra links to your best content as well as invitations to subscribe to your site. You’d better be quick though – these spikes don’t last forever.
5. Opting in
Another way to get readers to return to your site is to get them to ‘opt-in’ – whether it be for a newsletter, RSS, competitions, free T-shirt, special offers or breaking news. You want to be urging people to subscribe every inch of the way. Make it easy for them to do so. Advertise it clearly and give a choice about how people hear from you – for example, someone might not be that familiar with RSS so would prefer a newsletter or email update.
We could probably go on all day, but now it’s over to you, citizens. What have we missed? Is there anything you’d like us to cover? Comment below please!