For the Next 7 Days, Stop Trying to Get New Readers
Photo by A Chilling Soul.
Seriously. For 7 days, don’t do any link-building or guest-posting. Don’t leave comments on other blogs. Don’t tweet your stuff. Don’t do SEO. Don’t do a single action intended to bring a new reader to your blog.
You can keep posting as usual, but that should be the extent of your marketing.
Do I want to show you that writing good content is all you need to grow your blog’s readership? Nope, that’s not it. It’s also not true.
So what am I getting at?
For one week, instead of focusing on getting new readers, I want you to focus in closely on the readers you already have. Your goal in this 7-day period is to get to know them as best as you can. This doesn’t mean that you should hold a survey or try to find out what they want from you. This isn’t market research. I’m talking about a plain old meet and greet.
Why it matters
I’m often awed when I go to a sports game and look out over the crowd. If there are 50,000 people there, I’ll mentally divide the stadium up by 10, look at one section of the crowd and think: that is how many individuals want to read what I write. Whether you have 100 or 10,000 daily readers, picturing them as a group of real people can be a very humbling experience.
Too often we only think about the numbers because that’s what we see, but behind each number is a person with a relationship to you.
Any blog’s success is made up entirely of these little relationships. It’s the trigger for any action a reader takes to help you on your way to success, whether it’s voting for you, linking, commenting, giving feedback or retweeting you. No blog can become successful on the back of self-promotion alone. At some point people have to care enough to help you along your way.
This 7-day exercise I’d like you to undertake is not about being mushy and sentimental. It’s aimed at strengthening relationships with individual readers for mutual benefit.
Getting to know your readers can give them useful insights, tips and help them learn from you. If you mean enough to them, getting noticed by you can also make their day. In return, when a reader likes you and knows you they’re much more likely to undertake actions that help you get bigger and better. When you talk to and about your readers, they talk about you. That’s just the way relationships work.
Coming full circle, you can begin to see that by focusing on getting to know your current readers you may end up gathering more new readers than you would have otherwise.
Individual relationships are the platform for your growth
The last couple of weeks I have been immersing myself in the internet marketing world to try and gather some new tips that I can apply to blogging. It’s an unusual community, I’ll admit, but some of the tips are solid gold. One of the key points I’ve taken away is that marketing is about relationships. It’s not about reaching as many eyeballs as possible - it’s about nurturing the closest possible relationship with your customers and prospects that you can.
When selling a product, prospects buy because they like a company and trust that the product is good. When marketing a blog, it’s the readers who care most about you that will spearhead your growth.
This week, make a connection with 14 of your most active readers - 2 per day
Your ‘best’ readers are the people who comment, link and tweet with/about you the most. These are the people who care most about what you do. Each day, set yourself the task of touching base with 2 of these readers. Doing so will only take a couple of minutes for each.
You could:
- Start a conversation with them on Twitter with a friendly @ reply. The first step is to follow them, of course.
- Shoot them an email to ask how they’re going.
- If they have a blog, leave a comment on a blog post you like. They won’t miss it, because it will go into moderation if it’s your first comment there. If you’re not interested in their blog content then choose a different way to get in touch. Your comment should be genuine.
- Add them to your Instant Messenger client and say Hi.
- Chat with them on Skype.
Note: despite your best intentions I would choose not to make the interaction about thanking them for reading your blog. You might mention that you enjoy their comments/tweets/emails, but if you make it all about saying thanks, you’re focusing on the value they provide to you rather than being interested in them in their own right.
When it’s over, take stock
Did you notice a change in the readers you got to know? I bet they were talking to you and about you a lot more often.
Once the week is over you’re free to go back to hunting for new readers, but do keep up this habit. Each time you sit down to work on your blog, spend 10 minutes to get in touch with 1 or 2 readers. Each day you will slowly but surely widen the network of people who have a personal relationship with you. As a blogger, this is the single most valuable asset that you have.
Great idea. Too many people seem focused on traffic at any expense without stopping to consider whether the traffic will help them in any way. It’s as though people think their stats are the end game instead of part of the process.
I’ve always tried to reply to every comment left on my blog. I know I miss some and others don’t require a reply, but I can honestly say I know many of my readers personally and we email each other and connect in other places.
Relationships are the key to business.
Only because I have just set up a contest, I can’t do what this post is telling. But honestly, it is extremely valuable advice. Having a solid, intelligent, fan base of one hundred readers is greater in value than one thousand readers who know absolutely nothing. Great post.
You make fine points.
There’s only one problem: If I start getting in touch with, say, my commenters, they may appreciate it, but they are just as likely to say the following:
Well, Bamboo, I really am happy you reached out to me in an e-mail but I gotta be honest… I just read Skellie’s latest post a day ago and the only reason you shot an e-mail my way is because she said by doing so you will inspire those who really appreciate your blog to talk more about it.
I’ll wait a few.
great post! I certainly feel great when a blogger I like knows who I am, makes me wanna read their blog every day and not miss a thing. This is a very human thing to do and I love it, thanks!
well, once you look only at the number of readers you become a mini-mass-media yourself… I think it’s a good idea, Skellie. it’s all about micro-relationships. If we forget that and stick to ratings and figures, we’ll soon find out the “new” media is not that new.
I think the heart of social media and blogging has always been what you just said, with the rise of commercial blogs most bloggers have forgotten what they were here for in the first place.
HI,
It is fantastic idea. I doing that already but I will start the the special focus from today about getting the relationship with the readers.
Thanks,
Krishna
Skellie, this is wonderful advice. I’m subscribed to Darren’s 31 Days to a Better Blog and I’ve enjoyed this single post more than the last ten days. This is something I haven’t done nearly enough of, yet it totally fits my personality and there’s no reason (outside of laziness and excuses) not to.
Bamboo: LOL.
“..despite your best intentions I would choose not to make the interaction about thanking them for reading your blog. You might mention that you enjoy their comments/tweets/emails, but if you make it all about saying thanks, you’re focusing on the value they provide to you rather than being interested in them in their own right.”
This is a great insight, Skellie. Will work more on my current readers. I just have to carve out a special time just for them. Very wise. Your posts - few and far between are worth the wait indeed.
Yesterday I went to the dentist and I sighed. This caused the hygienist to say, “I sometimes forget that there’s a person behind the mouth.”
The thing is, she’s actually face to face with you… and she “forgets”. It’s so much easier to “forget” that there are people on the other side of your blog - especially when you can’t smell their breath!!
Great advice - great assignment.
Skellie,
Relationships aren’t easy to maintain, especially for those that subscribe to the fast pace lifestyle, which leaks into their online habits, but we live in a world where numbers are everything. For those that want sales, huge email list, and as many subscribers as possible- this may indicates the following:
- Not primarily interested in building relationships.
-To busy worrying about blog stats (which I review once a month)
-Infatuated with adsense, clicks and advertisement- among other things.
-Busy following the “guru” who they don’t have a relationship with.
Skellie, considering this post. What advice would you give to folks like Darren or Yaro? I can’t imagine the number of emails, comments, family life and so on, who do folks like this find balance and commit to engaging readers (new & old) as you suggest?
Thanks for another well thought post.
This is something I’ve found that I go back to time and again. When I find myself checking stats way too often or worried about why my numbers are or are not climbing, etc., I also find that I lose my focus.
It’s those times I concentrate on my regular readers. They visit my blog without fail, new post or not. They talk with me on Twitter. It is these times that I take the time to do the same with and for them. These are also the times that I do my best writing, and make my strongest connections.
Oh My God!
There are people on the other end of the intenet!
I thought there were just Kitty Kats & Avatars
I must stay cognizant that my audience is composed of individuals not so different from me
[...] building a better blog and preparing for finals week. After things cool down, I’m taking up Skellie on her latest challenge! Please join in if [...]
When I first started blogging I couldn’t imagine how bloggers actually meet people on the Net and even make friends! The Net seemed such a vast, impersonal place.
However, I’ve made a surprising amount of friends and friendly contacts on the net. Many of them are people who originally commented on GoodlifeZEN!
I like the idea of sending commenters a Tweet. In a recent article on WritetoDone, Jamie Harrop suggested using the “Meet the Commenters” WP plugin which gives you instant access to commenters Twitter and other social media addresses.
Hey Mary,
How about that, I’ll have to check out that plugin. Thanks for mentioning it. Correction on my last comment: * “How do folks…”
Mary, I have started to create a list of blogs that use CommentLuv for my daily comments, I was thinking about a way to organize this list in a good way!
reading your post was a great thing of the things I did today, it added a value to my way f thinking!
I now have more than 30 blogs waiting for my comments :)
I think you have a new reader for your blog, and maybe a friend!
well done!
Skellie:
Interesting angle here. I agree. Just today I was talking to one of my subscribers and saying that I should probably change the name and style of one of my weekly posts to make it more appealing and make it more “tips you can use” and he said, “No, I look forward every Thursday to those posts just the way the way they are.”
@chrismingryan
Was reading this post on the train home from work today. Although I’m not a blogger mainly, this is just as important for the running of a community website like ours - probably more so even. Reaching out to new members constantly, letting them know they are noticed and not ignored is how we engage them to stick around and feel like they’re being paid attention to. Some great relationships come out of those initial communications.
Thanks to Miguel, I was directed here and very much, agreeing on the importance of relationship building with your existing readers. This may be seen as a challenge for bloggers– to carry out the task and put everything on hold temporarily. However, if well planned, I don’t see why not? Plan according to your time frame, and how you wish to approach, and the frequency of communication… It may even becoming a new ‘task’ in your weekly/monthly to-do list from that day on.
However, I would suggest don’t put too much expectations in getting something in return. Expect less and think for your readers’ interest. Who knows? You may be blessed in other ways you least expected it. ^^
@wchingya
Social Media/Blogging
Interesting read. Thanks.
Like rosalina, I also (who doesn’t) appreciate when another takes notice of me and genuinely expresses an interests in my improvement. Like a blogging mentor. Having experienced this type of interaction and kindness from another blogging, It makes a difference- now it’s my turn! :)
-Mig
LOVE this post…I’ve always been loyal to my original followers—the ones who got me going and made me want to keep blogging and learning. I read their blogs daily and have made great connections with them.
THIS is such a great idea!
Wonderful idea Skellie. We must be on the same wavelength, I have been experimenting lately by bringing people into the mix of my content directly on the blog. I agree that relationships are the key to achieving your goals, and think you should do this as a natural part of your blogging - beyond simply 7 days.
Hey, Skellie, I’m a day or two late reading this but am making it my mantra for the week. In light of our own recent “opportunity” to get acquainted, I can see the value in taking a moment to reinforce the infrastructure. One of my favorite books last year was “Never Eat Alone,” by Keith Ferrazzi. It helped me to realize that the whole point of all this “biz building” is (or should be) about the people, the trust, the relationships. And sometimes, I’ve let myself forget that! Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the perspective. Good tips I will follow this week.
Me too is guilty of focusing on traffic only. Thanx for this post ;)
Wonderful..!
These are the very basic and fine points which really make sense. I will surely try to implement these things.
Relationships plays an important role in each and every episode of your life as well.
Very well written.!
Cheers..:)
I haven’t yet had many comments as my blog is very new but having even one has been such a pleasure. Am still building up the posts but really appreciate the idea of responding properly to contact people. thanks
This is definitely a great idea. I think we should always thank our readers and show them that you care. They are the ones that have stuck by you and I the whole time. It would actually be nice if I had readers but my Blog is brand-new.
interesting!
I am doing the 30 Days to a better blog at ProBlogger this month and this was pretty much today’s exercise.
As a new blogger trying to separate the wheat from the chaff re blogging advice, it’s nice to see expert bloggers agree on this. Here’s Darren’s post fyi:
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/04/27/pay-special-attention-to-a-reader/
@Bamboo Forest took the words right out of my mouth! :-)
As I was reading this I was thinking, “Ok, if I do this, it’s going to have to be down the road a bit, after people have forgotten about this post.”
I really don’t think it would be an issue, but you do have to be cautious, as no one likes to feel like they’re being manipulated.
Great points, though. Blogging wisdom, no doubt! Eric
This will be something that I have to do while focusing on getting new readers. I’ll have to make sure that I pay attention to those that comment - and following them on twitter and even comment on their blog.
I do not have many readers - but the readers that I do have are telling me that I have good content. I think I just need more posts. Not sure what I need, but I really need something.
any honest opinions would truly be appreciated.
Thanks for a great article - I will be working on this.
I really enjoyed that post. Sensible marketing technqiue that gets lost a little in our quest for a wider readership. BTW I like what you have done with the design of your blog too. I am off to put this one into practice. One reader at a time. Thank you.
Excellent Point. Focus makes perfect sense. To me this is locking eyes with you in a conversation rather then scanning the room for another contact. If I look through you the trust is gone forever. One to One means just that…new tools have made it too easy to forget.
Hi Skellie, thanks for the post. I really the humanistic approach you take.
My blog has started for friends and family initially. Interestingly, it slowly expands. I am considering to move beyond just for friends.
However, for me, is the other way around, I don’t know how to handle new readers I don’t personally know. I do keep wonderful relationship with new readers, however, just need your and others’ advices on privacy, and where to draw the line. For example, some readers hope to meet up with me, there was once I was recognised on the street. Some want my mailing address to send me gifts to say thank you and etc. I am grateful for their kindness, but at the same time overwhelmed. Especially if they ask for mailing address as such, I am still very skeptical and concerned about identity theft and etc.
How to keep good relationship yet keeping my privacy and personal life? I enjoy reading other blogs and leave comments. However, what you suggested, like chatting on Skype and MSN is a little too much for me. Probably just me.
Just like to hear your opinions on this. Thanks for your time and help ! :)
[...] For the Next 7 Days, Stop Trying to Get New Readers [...]
You got my attention with the title, and the post certainly did not disappoint me.
All too often do we focus on getting the information out to as many readers as possible, but you’re dead on about the current readers relationships towards you and your blog.
Excellent article!
This is a fine idea, but I don’t think I’m going to do it. The reason being is I already communicate with my readers. I’ve included quotes from many of them in my upcoming book and connect with them in other places. I don’t do one or the other because I am constantly mindful of building community and that may be because I’m a community manager so it’s natural for me to treat my blog readers the way I treat the members of the community I manage. But the thing is…I’m not obsessed with numbers either. Based on the comments on this post it sounds like many many people needed this advice. If it’s genuine, it will work. If it’s only part of a 7-day experiment and not incorporated into an overall strategy then it will be nothing more than an exercise. Engagement should never stop.
Great idea! A lot of my readers are fans of my music and/or have seen me entertain. I may have met a couple of them. And I know that they are bonded to me that way.
I find it hard to get people to comment. It seems that most of my blog readers can’t be bothered. I guess you are either a “commenter” or you ain’t - simple as that. Or do you have some infinite wisdom to get more folks to comment? I think it may also have to do with the difficulty to leave the comment… But I write very often in the vernacular (read: cursing and some talk of sex - all in good fun of course!)
Or maybe, if I had more readership I’d get more comments…OY! So much to do!
… forgot to finish my point…” I write very often in the vernacular (read: cursing and some talk of sex - all in good fun of course!)” and so I have a pretty big spam issue, and so my poor readers have to register to leave a comment…
Glad you got everything worked out, I saw on Twitter you were having trouble. :) I also read that you redesigned the comment section? I can’t recall the older style?
-Mig
[...] you can’t stand out from the crowd. One of my favourite new sites for creating relationships (hugely important) and getting website traffic has actually turned out to be Twitter. For the last few months, the [...]
[...] you can’t stand out from the crowd. One of my favourite new sites for creating relationships (hugely important) and getting website traffic has actually turned out to be Twitter. For the last few months, the [...]
[...] you can’t stand out from the crowd. One of my favourite new sites for creating relationships (hugely important) and getting website traffic has actually turned out to be Twitter. For the last few months, the [...]
[...] you can’t stand out from the crowd. One of my favourite new sites for creating relationships (hugely important) and getting website traffic has actually turned out to be Twitter. For the last few months, the [...]
Great information. It will be real helpful for me.
Great post.
It follows the marketing rule that says that is cheaper to keep a costumer than get new costumers…
However in the internet i think we must spend a few more time gathering new visitors that keeping the hold ones - without exaggeration of course
This is so timely! I will put this concepts into use. Thanks a bunch.
Great food for thought. I think I really do need to take stock of what I currently have, and how I can improve upon it for those utilizing it.
Nice idea. It’s about getting something more, not just text and numbers. Nice!