But there are constants, too. Mainly, that my favorite book-bloggers, some of whom I've known since my first month of blogging, remain some of the kindest, most helpful, and most open people I've ever met. I firmly believe that we are mostly here for the same reason: we love books and we love talking about them with people who love books as much as we love them. But we love and admire the people who write books just as much - and we all want to help promote the work of our favorite writers alongside the exciting fresh crop of writers that we are always discovering. The good news is that writers sincerely seem to appreciate all the book chatter that we generate.
My question to you guys is one that sprang to mind when I found a short piece on ProBlogger entitled "15 Ways to Keep Readers on Your Blog." Coincidentally, the post is based on Episode 35 of the ProBlogger podcast, so these guys seem to be using both formats to communicate with prospective and current readers of their stuff. Under the assumption that all of us would like to reach as many readers as we can - and make more friends in the process - I'm going to list my favorites of ProBlogger's suggestions:
1. Link Your Posts - This means linking your current post to similar posts you've made on the same subject in the past. That's the best way to make some of your content into the "evergreen" variety that can give new readers a better idea of what they can expect from you in the future. Recycling is a good thing.
2. Increase Interaction - This is an area that I enjoy most despite the rather limited number of comments I get since my return to regular blogging in May 2019. Comments lead to conversation, conversation leads to sharing ideas and learning from each other, and that is really what this is all about. ProBlogger suggests two-way commenting, challenges, and competitions.
3. Be as Personal as You Can - Or, as personal as you feel comfortable with being. That's where the friendships develop and it's what a lot of readers will be attracted to, and the connections you build with your readers will keep them coming back to your page.
4. Pay Attention to the Parts of Your Blog Getting Traction - Notice what works best on your blog and do those things more.
5. Work on Your "About" Page - Every time I try out a new blog, that's my first stop. I want to see who the blogger is and what they intend for their blog in the future. I want to know who is behind the curtain.
I know that not everyone is at all concerned about building traffic, and I respect that. Many of us, me included, started book-blogging more as a personal record of what we were reading, an electronic journal of sorts. Then we were pleasantly surprised to learn that there are lots of people out there just like us. And I really enjoy meeting and interacting with first-time visitors to Book Chase.
You guys are the real experts out there. ProBlogger has some good ideas, but I suspect you have better ones. What works for you?
There are ten more ideas on that ProBlogger page I linked to, so do take a look at it there.
Yep. I started the book blog as an online journal really, to remember what I've read (beyond just author/title). And then it turned into so much more. I miss a lot of the bloggers who have quietly disappeared, some of them I often think about and wonder why they ceased to write . . . but those of us still here, are in good company!
ReplyDeleteI think that all of us come very near burnout every so often, Jeane. Some of my favorites have announced their departure and held to their decisions, others have just disappeared suddenly, and a few are only posting once a month or so, now.
DeleteSaddest of all to me is that two of my favorite bloggers have passed away in what should have been the prime years of their lives.
I keep all their urls in my feedreader, just in case they do return someday...
DeleteGood idea. I like it. I still have many of the old urls in mine, too.
DeleteVery interesting piece. Some bits of it I agree with some not so much. The most important thing personally is to answer my blog comments. I really do find it disappointing when I leave comments on someone's blog and then discover a week or two later that this is a person who doesn't answer their comments. For me it's all about communication and discussion and if someone takes time to leave a comment then I will answer them. If nothing else it's basic politeness, but I love it when people engage with a post I've taken time to write. I have to say, Sam, that you are one of my favourite book bloggers. Always such interesting and varied posts. I feel that quite a number of bloggers are my friends now and I love it. So yes, it's sad when people stop for whatever reason. I look back at very old posts now and then and see people commenting who have disappeared into oblivion. I can't help but wonder where they are and how they're doing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words about the blog, Cath.
DeleteIt does bother me a bit when I ask a question in a comment and get no response, but I get it that not everyone wants to spend the time (or even has it) to respond to every comment they get. For me, that's the real fun of blogging at all.
I sometimes go back to the early years of this blog and some of the names I see in my comments bring back great memories - and, as you say, a little sadness that so many from the early years have disappeared.
An interesting article Sam. Can you believe I've never listened to a podcast? I guess I'm stuck in time but, honestly, when I started my blog in 2008, it was as an online record or journal for me once I was able to read many more books. I never expected to make so many friends and expand my reading into genres I hadn't previously tried. I love hearing about books that left an impression of the blogger (I'll most likely try that book in the future).
ReplyDeleteI miss the bloggers who have left blogging and saddened when I learned that at least 3 of my fellow followers/bloggers have died. Connections are so important, even more so the older we get. I've rambled a bit here but, I think you get my point.
I do get your point, Diane. My reading world has been tremendously expanded by meeting so many avid readers from all over the world. And that certainly wouldn't have happened without book blogging.
DeleteWe are so lucky that it is easy to communicate with people anywhere on the planet these days. And the conversations we have make the world seem a much smaller, and safer, place, I think. It's good to know that you are all out there - and willing to chat.
Although I welcome new readers, I depend on the same bloggers who have become friends over the years. Generally, we share the same interests in books, but there is also the frequent diversion that will catch my interest and set me on a new reading jaunt. The "community" has been a huge benefit to me in a number of ways!
ReplyDeleteSame here, Jen. Without the core bloggers, many of whom I now count as real friends, I probably wouldn't be doing this. I'd be using an excel spreadsheet and a word processor, instead. That said, I can't but help imagine how many "new friends" are still out there waiting to become part of my reading life. I hope we can find them.
DeleteGood suggestions! I should do a better job of linking my posts. And being more personal, too. When I started my blog I mostly just wanted to find a community of people who love to read and talk about books as much as me. I've never really cared about the numbers. I just like chatting about books with people like you; and I'm always sad when a favorite blog goes away.
ReplyDeleteIt's not really about the numbers for me either (although I suppose higher numbers help you attract the review copies you most want to read). It's more about expanding the community that we've put together already. I think that, in this case, more is better.
DeleteI'm going to try to do a better job of linking to my favorite blogs when I post something that a post of theirs may have pointed me towards. That might help drive some traffic to places they didn't even know they wanted to go. :-)
Linking to favorite blogs when they've been a spark to one of your own posts is always good. Kay from Kay's Reading Life has done that more than once and sent all sorts of wonderful folks my way. I try to do the same thing.
DeleteI think, Cathy, that it's a great way to make some of our own readers more familiar with some of our own go-to bloggers. I'm going to make sure that I do more of it. Sure can't hurt.
ReplyDelete