Writers: How do we gain followers for a blog?

Hello Ebi! Hello Fam!

I’m still relatively new to the “Promoting via social media game.” I restarted my blog about a year ago.  My wish was to develop a following for my book and to make connections with other writers. To date, I must say the result has been disappointing.

I realized that posting is only a small part of the process. So, I decided to do some research on increasing readership for my blog. There are plenty of websites/blogs out there sharing tips on just this topic. The suggestions that stand out to me are:

– Guest blogging

Writing a blog post for another writer or site can help draw attention—not to mention following and commenting on their page. Reciprocation = Reciprocation! 🙂 And don’t forget to share your blog post on all your social media outlets: IG, Twitter, FB etc.

– Keywords

When certain words are used in your blog, it makes it more “searchable”—especially when you want to connect to readers/writers who share similar interests to your own, e.g., genre.

-Networking

They say that bloggers should not restrict themselves to one umbrella. Meaning you shouldn’t only talk about your experiences, your work, etc. But also share info about other bloggers and their content. Networking with creatives can also help you connect and build your following. I believe I’m guilty of the umbrella issue—it’s something I plan to work on.

– #Hashtags

Just as keywords are important, so are #hashtags. Researching the appropriate hashtags and including them in your post is also a big help! I created a hashtag for my book #AmachiIsHope and use the tags #writingcommunity, #writerlycreatives, #writersnetwork whenever I post my blog. To draw local readers I also use #RVA and #RVAwriter. Obviously I need to add more varied…

There are plenty of blogging suggestions out there. Some businesses help with developing one’s blog (for a fee of course). But moolah’s tight during a pandemic. I think I’ll try my luck! LOL! Are you struggling with gaining followers for your blog? Have you found that specific tips have worked better than others? If so, I invite you to share!

Ibukun! Blessings!

Sharon-