Blog Tip #3: Engage with Your Readers

Recently I wrote a post titled Content is NOT King! What is??? If you’re not familiar with the bloggers mantra “content is king,” it means that creating quality content is the most important aspect of blogging. But in that post, I make the case that while quality content is still important, it’s no longer the most important thing for a blog. Relationships are king.

I believe that there is so much quality content being created that we can’t read it all, not even just in the subject areas that interest us. So, more often than not we choose to read and engage on the blogs where we have made connections.

Think about your own blog reading. You skip a lot of good quality blog posts because you don’t have time to read them all right? Now think about the blogs you’re most likely to read and engage with. More often than not you have some personal connection there, don’t you? You’ve probably exchanged emails, replied to each other’s comments or maybe even met in real life.

So, let’s turn that thinking around and apply it to our own blogging. If we’re more likely to read and engage with the blogs where we have a personal connection, don’t we want be the kind of bloggers who forms personal connections with our readers?

This is why blog tip #3 is to engage with your readers. Here are… 10 ways to engage with your blog readers:

1. Ask a question at the end of every post.
2. Reply to comments.
3. Post your blog posts to Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to reply to comments and @replies there too.
4. Follow your best commenters on Facebook and Twitter and develop those relationships even more. If you follow a lot of people on Twitter, put those readers on a private Twitter list that you read regularly and engaged with them there.
5. Ask Facebook and Twitter followers for input on blog posts. For example, last week I asked my Facebook friends and Twitter followers for their top blogging tips and then included the replies in a blog post.
6. Read and comment on the blog posts of the people who read and engage with your blog.
7. Read and comment on the blog posts of the people you wish would read and engage with your blog, other bloggers in your niche.
8. Invite your most engaged readers to guest post on your blog.
9. Write guest posts for the blogs of your most engaged readers. Be sure to respond to comments on your guest posts.
10. Meet offline with readers and other bloggers anytime you get the opportunity. Go to conferences and meet-ups, meet one-on-one for coffee. Nothing takes an online relation deeper than an offline meeting.

How important do you think engaging with readers is to the success of a blog? Which of the ideas above have worked best for you? What other ways can we engage with readers?

If you haven’t already done so, please complete the State of the Blogging Universe Survey and check out the other posts in this series.

9) Blog Tip #2: Plan for Consistency <– State of the Blogging Universe Series -> 11) Blog Tip #4: Lead Your Niche

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication.