You finally decided to start a blog. You’ve researched and written quality content. You publish articles on a regular basis. But people still aren’t commenting! What do you do? Throw in the towel and accept blogger’s defeat? Absolutely not! There are some very practical things that you can do to get the blogging party started.

Let’s liken your blog to a cocktail party you are hosting. You have prepared the hors d’oeuvres, made a guest list, secured a location, and decorated it just perfectly. Do you think people are just going to show up? I’m willing to bet without an invitation they won’t come. The same goes for blogging; you can prepare the content, define a target audience and have a great, well designed website, but if you don’t invite anyone, how will they know about it?

The first and most important question you should ask yourself is simple. “Do people know about my blog?” One way to get the word out is to actively promoting it through the digital mediums your target audience is using. In this heavily syndicated online world we live in, it’s easy to create a connection between your blog and social networks to spread the word.

Once people start showing up, it’s time to start a conversation. There is already common interest among your visitors so it’s just a matter of getting them to talk. Try out these tips to turn your blog into a bustling community:

  • Make it easy for your “real” visitors to comment and hard for the “spam” visitors.
  • Invite your visitors to share their opinions. Have an industry related “list” of sources? Ask your visitors to add to it. Have a new idea and you want some feedback? Ask for it.
  • Respond to comments. If you throw a party are you going to ignore all of your guests? Probably not. You are obviously passionate about the subject or you wouldn’t have written about it. Converse with your visitors!
  • Analyze and adapt. Take a look at what you are doing and determine what is and isn’t working. What are others in your industry doing? What is working for them? As with all digital means of communications, adapt your blog to best fit the needs and lifestyle of your target audience!

All it takes is a few visitors, some compelling content, and a little encouragement to get discussion started on your blog. Now go, you have a party to host!


Kristi Daeda helps businesses drive revenue through smart online marketing, based on over 15 years’ experience building online communities and marketing on the web. For more articles on online marketing, social media, and web design, check out her online marketing blog and her articles on mobile development, online marketing optimization, analytics and more featured by BolderImage.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristi_Daeda

Filed under: Blogging

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