Tag: bloggers

Looking to Increase your Blog’s Audience? Some Dos and Don’ts

Published on by J. Kelland Perry16 Comments

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Hello, fellow bloggers! This little post was written just for you.

I want my blog to reach as many people as possible, and I’m sure that you’re no different. Whether your blog is personal or lifestyle, an author website or a commercial site, once your blog audience increases significantly, you may find that many opportunities will open up.

This applies to noncommercial blogs too; you will meet more people, share ideas, and learn new things. You might even get companies approaching you about sponsorship.

So how exactly do you increase your blog’s audience? Well, it’s not just about the content of your blog posts (although, of course, that helps!). To give you a helping hand, here are my chief dos and don’ts for improving your blog’s audience.

Do: Improve The Design Of Your Blog

More and more web users are browsing sites on their smartphones and other mobile devices. That means your blog needs to be designed so it can be viewed on these smaller screens. If you aren’t sure how to do that, you can always enlist the help of a web design agency.

As well as being easily viewable on a mobile screen, the site also needs to be easy to navigate. If it isn’t, users might not find what they want and could move onto a different blog. Again, you can use a design firm to help you improve the navigation on your blog.

Do: Give Readers A Chance To Engage

There should be a number of ways that your readers can interact with you on your blog. For instance, leave a comments section underneath each article that you post, where your readers can leave their thoughts and opinions. You can use this feedback to tell which topics are the most popular.

You should also leave social media buttons on each article. Then readers can engage by sharing your content onto their social media profiles, which is a great way to reach more readers. Make sure your blog posts are fun and unique so that people will feel compelled to share them.

Don’t Spam Followers

You need to publish a lot of content to your blog, however, it is important that you don’t spam your readers and followers by posting too much. Otherwise, they may end up getting frustrated and could unfollow you. You need to get the balance right when it comes to posting.

Frequency depends on what type of blog you have and what your goals are. Try and aim to publish a new blog post every other day, or as I choose to do, about twice a week. That way, you’ll be giving your followers lots of fresh, new blog posts without overwhelming them.

Don’t Forget About Social Media

Social media is extremely important in the blogging world. It is crucial that you create social media accounts for your blog and share your updates on them, and be sure to use hashtags so more people will stumble across your updates.

One of your tweets or Facebook updates may go viral, and then you will be opening up your blog to thousands of people across the world! Try to follow as many bloggers who write about the same things you do. If they follow back, you’ll be able to create a network of bloggers where you can find support.

Hey, it seems to be working for me. 🙂

Are you actively trying to grow your blog’s audience?
Any tips you’d like to share?

Photo credit

Blogger Bouquet #40

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

blogger bouquet springAndy1076 over at The Wandering Poet is a prolific blogger, poet, and photographer, and one of my first mutual follows on WordPress ever since 2011. I’ve enjoyed many of his posts as a single dad living in Vancouver. I have no idea why I haven’t thrown him a bouquet sooner. My sincerest apologies, Andy!

Andy speaks of the beauty of nature and finding love – two of my favourite topics – and he captures both exceptionally well in his pictures and in his writing.

From his About page:

Who am I? I am a wandering soul who has finally found his answer after so long. I dedicate all my poetry to the one I deeply love, Glaiza. She has given me more joy and warmth than I have ever known. I hope you will share our journey together.🙂

I chose to share his About page with its short video, The origin of my blog, because it perfectly illustrates what a sweet guy Andy is. Yes, he found his true love through WordPress! How cool is that? Give it a watch, and you just might decide to hit the follow button as well.

A Little About Me

Comments are closed here but you can leave one on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring weekend, everyone! ❤

Blogger Bouquet #39

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

blogger bouquet spring

Anyone who has followed my blog for even a short time knows how much I adore cats, and how much our two felines, Maisie and Vivian, mean to my man and me. So naturally I follow other blogs that feature articles on the love and care of our favourite animal.

The Blog Team at Katzenworld is one such wonderful site. Here’s a blurb from their About Page:

“We are a group of friends that are united by our passion for (you guessed it right!) CATS!
Because we loved reading about cats on the internet we were really keen on putting together a portal not just for our own cats but also as a one stop source on all things cats for our friends and fellow cat lovers.”

Because I read this local article yesterday about a surplus of kittens at the St. John’s animal shelter and a half-price sale on adoption, I thought what better article to share than the one below? I only wish I could take more of them into my home!

How to Prepare Your Home For a Cat or Kitten

Comments are closed here but you can leave one on the bloggers’ page.

Have a purr-fect weekend, everyone! ❤

Blogger Bouquet #38

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

blogger bouquet spring

Tara of Tara Sparling writes is an established writer and award-winning blogger from Ireland.

From her About pages:

Tara writes fiction and screenplays. Originally from the west of Ireland, she now lives in Dublin. She spends all of her spare time with words. The writing of them and the reading of them…
…This blog offers a reader’s perspective on traditional and indie/self-publishing, book sales and genre trends, writing and publishing follies, marketing tips, author success stories and spectacular failures.

Tara raises an excellent point in this post from June, a topic I have also blogged about. Check it out:

We Were All Young Adults Once: Why Are We Not All Reading Young Adult Fiction?

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

I hope your week is going well, everyone!
❤

Blogger Bouquet #37

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

blogger bouquet spring

Andrea Stephenson is a gifted writer who shares her inspirations on her blog Harvesting Hecate. 

From her About page, A Creative Life:

“My first writing memory dates back to when I was around 8 years old and feverishly re-writing the Nancy Drew novel I’d just read.  Once I began writing, I didn’t stop.  I wrote stories, the beginnings of novels, journals.  Writing was a compulsion, something I felt I had to do.”

I chose the following post of Andrea’s to help illustrate an emotion I too am feeling as of late: mourning for the story that has ended and for the characters that became part of your daily life, as well as the struggle writers experience in finding the thread of a new story. When you read her colourful prose, you may also be moved to click the follow button.

Finding A Story

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring week, everyone!

❤

Sad

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

I have always hated good-byes. They suck.

There are all sorts of good-byes in this world. This past weekend, a blogger friend of mine had to say good-bye to one of her dear little cats, and everyone who knows me at all knows what cats mean to me. I feel your grief, Lois!

And you might think when another blogger friend decides to no longer continue with her blog that it wouldn’t be a very big deal, but to me, it is. A virtual, cyber relationship can be meaningful, especially when it is a relationship that has gone on for a while and you have supported each other in ways other people can’t. She will be missed. 😦

But I am richer for having known her. As a writer, I understand why she needs to do this. And we will still be in touch on Twitter (though that isn’t the same!)

I wish all the best for you, C.R., in your writing career and everything you do.

Try to drop by once in a while, okay?

That is all.

scarecrow goodbye

Blogger Bouquet #36

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

blogger bouquet spring

Barbara Vitelli is a book reviewer and blogger at Book Club Mom here on WordPress. She also shares author interviews, indie author profiles and blogging advice.

In addition to all of that, Barbara is a book-clubber, an avid reviewer on GoodReads, and she has over five thousand followers on Twitter.

I chose the following post from her lovely blog, not because it is her most recent, but because I appreciate that she reviews the well-loved classics by famous authors as well as newer selections by current and lesser-known authors.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring week, everyone!

❤

Blogger Bouquet #35

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

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Pamela Wight is one of the many authors I follow here on WordPress. She writes the blog, Rough Wighting: “Life in a flash – a weekly blog on daily living.”

I enjoy her stories and her engaging writing style.

In Pam’s own words:

“I write because I love the written word…This blog shares that love. Parts of it contain fast flashes of life that I write for the total joy of it.

My last name is Wight, and I teach creative writing for fun – calling it Rough Writing. My students have renamed my class ROUGH WIGHTING, and I think that’s just perfect.”

I chose the following post from her blog because of how it highlights her grandchild’s wisdom and keen observation of people and the world around her. Plus, it’s funny!

The Eternal Optometrist

Comments are closed here, but you can share a comment on the writer’s page.

Blogger Bouquet #34

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

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Nurse Kelly is a sweetheart of a blogger who is working on her first book.

From her About page:

Nurse Kelly is a registered nurse, health educator, coach, speaker, and writer. She holds a BA in Communications, an AAS in Nursing, and numerous certifications. She resides in northeast Ohio with her husband, daughter, son, and beloved dog, Ruby.
Known for her commitment to functional healthcare, she wished to expand her reach to a larger audience – hence, nursekellyknows.com was born.

In her own words:
This blog is authentically me. I write from my heart in a very personal voice, which I hope you will find engaging, enlightening, and entertaining. I can also cause just enough mischief to keep things interesting… so please be aware, as it is never my intention to offend.”

I have chosen the following post because I love finding a poem that makes me smile the way this one does.

Birthday Suit

Comments are closed here but you can share a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring weekend, everyone ❤

Blogger Bouquet #33

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

 

Recently, I discovered and started following Write with Kelly – “writing and publishing advice you can really use.”

Kelly Abell is an author, blogger, and graphic artist whose blog is a wealth of tips for those of us aiming to improve our writing craft. In her own words:

My aim for you is to utilize this blog to help you improve your writing skills, and to educate you on the publishing business. If you need help with writing, want to self-publish a book and need advice, or just want to kick a story idea around to see what works best, that’s what I’m here for. As I gain knowledge from editors and publishers, I will share that knowledge with you.”

Check out this post where Kelly features a fellow author’s knowledgeable views on a genre near and dear to my heart:

Sittin’ On The Porch – Author Fran Orenstein – Tips for Writing Children’s Books

Comments are closed here but you can share a comment on the blogger’s page.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!