Knowing Your Readers

Successful blogging lies in attracting new readers and having those readers come back for more. The more you know about your readers, the better chance you stand of delivering for them. The people who actually visit your site and/or subscribe to your posts may be different from the audience you had in mind originally, so it’s a good idea to do what you can to get a better idea of precisely who is dropping by and why.

At one of my clients blogs, they go far beyond the brochure ware of most ski resort Web sites. Several resort managers i spoke with told me that more than anything their visitors want to “feel like locals,” which is something traditional market research had missed as a marketing opportunity. Their intimate understanding of their clients’ needs enabled them to post on subjects that helped people be more a part of the resort community.

There are a variety of tools and techniques at your disposal that can help you get to know your audience better. Most of these methods are free or inexpensive, but require time and effort if you want to get useful results.

People who leave comments are a great resource. If you can keep the discussion going, try to learn more about who these visitors are, and why they came. You may want to email them in order to ask these questions. If you’re new to the game and not receiving many comments yet, hang out at popular blogs that write about subjects similar to yours, and engage with people who comment frequently on those blogs.

Posting is about more than just providing meaty information. The best bloggers make sure there is some sizzle on the steak as well. Timely, targeted information that gets your audience involved can eventually get you the broad readership that will drive sales, enhance your corporate image, and help you achieve your other goals for the blogosphere.