Why aren’t more people reading my blog?

I’m often asked by new bloggers why they aren’t seeing more people reading their blog.

Sometimes, it takes just a quick trip through their site to determine the cause.

Problem: One post a month (or less!).

Solution: Blog more frequently. If you don’t have the time, make the time or drop the blog. What’s our motto at Birmingham Blogging Academy? “Blog like you mean it.”

Problem: No link (or well-hidden link) to the blog on the site’s front page.

Solution: If you want first-time visitors to your company site to see your blog with all the latest news, perhaps you should make it very easy to spot. Incorporating an automated feed on the front page shows the headline from your latest post and invites people to explore your site more fully.

Problem: No linking to other sites and blogs.

Solution: Link to other sites and blogs. Why? Because it’s good karma, and it lets other sites know you exist. They come check you out, and you build your relationships online.

Problem: Lack of promotion.

Solution: If you’re going to blog, you need to let people know about it on a recurring basis. Use the tools you have: e-mail newsletters, Facebook fan pages, traditional advertising (“Read more about it on our blog at …”), blog directories.

Problem: You aren’t providing value.

Solution: Your posts need to be useful, or entertaining, or thought provoking. If not, why should they ever come back to your site? Compelling content makes a big difference.

What are other common problems that keep people from discovering or returning to your blog?

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Want to learn more? Check out our class on
“Beginning Blogging for Business.”