Who doesn't love traffic?
No one.
I imagine no one (unless you have too much traffic, but I haven't experienced that, so I can't say much about it).
In any case, I want to start off with a simple question:
Are your readers loyal?
Loyal to your blog? (meaning they are returning visitors/clients/subscribers).
Let's forget that for a moment…
…..Do you know why I am writing this?
I do love writing on other blogs, but beyond that, I love the traffic that I get from my guest posts.
After reading this post, some of you may visit my blog, which is what I want. But, my ideal goal is to convert you into returning visitors (Hey, I love new visitors as much as the next guy, but I prefer returning visitors. Don't you?).
So, let's talk about commitment (or loyalty. Call it whatever you want, it's valuable and very powerful).
Power of investment
Never underestimate the power of investment!
I am not referring to your investment – you spend your time polishing your blog posts, your blog, your strategies. That's all nice, but why does it matter to your visitors?
If I were to visit your blog, would any of these matter to me? It does have an effect indirectly.
Take for instance: If you spend enough time tweaking your design to make it more user friendly, I may like it. Then again, if I am a new visitor, I probably wouldn't know about the recent changes you made. So, as far as I am concerned, you haven't improved).
In any case, I am more likely to return to your blog if you convince me to invest in it (we will talk about how we can do this later on).
For now, let's focus on the different kinds of investment (or investing).
To me, there are three different kinds:
Invest too little and investing too much (the last one is the balance – investing the right amount).
Investing too little
Too little of anything – whatever it is – won't help ya. Want to improve your persistence (and learn more)? You gotta have more challenges…too little of them can make you weak (I don't mean, weak in a physical way, I mean weak mindset). Life is interesting because of the challenges we face 😉
Anyways, allow me to give another example:
An article Psychology Today talks about an incident that occurred in the 1950s. It was the time when General Mills launched easy to make cake mixes.
The marketing folks at GM estimated that the product would be an instant hit, since it saved people a lot of time and effort (I haven't made a cake, but I have seen people do it. And, it takes a lot of time, especially without any cake mixes!).
Anyways, it didn't work out as they expected.
Can you guess why?
Because the product was too efficient. Well, that's not the big reason…because the investment was too small. The cakes were delicious and it was considerably easy to make them (So, people, in this case, housewives, felt that they were deceiving their husbands and guests; they got compliments for not doing much).
How would you feel if you were complimented for something you didn't do? (Sure, you may like it at first, but as time passes, we start to feel guilty, like we are cheating).
In the end, GM fixed the problems by making the process a bit more harder – increasing the amount of effort needed to make the cake (So, they made it less convenient – and look how it worked out!).
Note: It worked out really well (in fact, I have a few cake mixes in my pantry. How about you?).
Now, let's talk about the other end of the spectrum:
Investing too much
The best example I can think of is my own blogging career. In the second and third years of blogging, I really felt an urge to quit blogging. I wasn't getting the results I expected, but I still persisted. Granted I did quit blogging later on (for about an year)…but hey, I am back at it now 😀
I persisted because I felt that I had invested too much into blogging – too much work, too much time etc. I couldn't just let it go.
Have you ever felt like that?
Anyways, I personally feel that both of the above aren't good tactics (investing too much or too little). We need to encourage our readers to invest just the right amount.
They need to feel that they have contributed to our blog, that they have invested something (meaningful).
So how can we make your readers loyal?
Firstly, follow the basics:
and so forth. Basically, it comes down to providing a memorable experience.
Of course, that shouldn't discourage you from trying loyalty programs. They have proven to work (you might find the best examples in your own life).
When I was young, I used to stick with just certain brands of nutritional drink mixes. Why? Because those guys kept on rewarding me – from Yo-yos to Tennis balls 😀
We can apply the same strategy with your blog:
Loyalty programs/systems
So, there are several ways to implement it: Punch Tab, Raffle Copter are some examples.
- Rewarding visitors for returning
- Rewarding visitors for liking/following/subscribing
- Rewarding visitors for commenting
Commenting is perhaps the best of all. If I comment on your blog post, it usually means that I like the content you wrote (usually goes for most of us who are genuine bloggers).
And, commenting unlike the others, takes more time (so, I am investing more into your blog). So, your best chance is at convincing me (new visitor) to comment.
Remember the vibrant community part I mentioned earlier? It would really help if you had a vibrant community (who wants to comment on a blog without any ‘activity'? I certainly don't.
Plus, not having a community may end up hurting you (new bloggers may become overwhelmed..since they are the first to comment. Of course, you don't have to worry much about that if your target audience isn't new bloggers).
From there on, the journey will be a lot easier.
Bonus tip: Comment luv is an awesome incentive 😀
Of course, you could go the extra mile and giving something else too, perhaps a preview version of your eBook or a demo version of your product?
This is a win-win because you may be able to get a new customer out of me.
Be cautious
Loyalty programs are great, but they can back fire, if you aren't cautious. The best example is what happened to Star Bucks (You can read more about at Forbes).
Always be careful on how you make you customers feel…they will always remember that.
Take super bowl for instance. I don't watch it, so I am not a fan. But, there is always something to learn from Super bowl commercials (especially with how they make you feel):
Conclusion
Alright, that's about it.
So, let's get back to our original qn: Are your readers loyal?
What strategies do you use to make them loyal (i.e. convert them into returning visitors)?
Always invest in your readers; readers and a loyal following over everything else.
I believe there is never too much investment in the people who love what you create and are always willing to share your content.
Having a professional look (content or website design) shows you actually care for the visual aspect of your business.
Make your readers feel some type of way, of course always positive. 🙂
Above everything, I think your constant and high-quality content is going to be your most important factor in gathering more followers.
Thanks for the post Jeevan.
– Sam
Samuel!
How are ya? Haven’t seen you in a while (then again, I haven’t been active in a while).
Yes, indeed! And, of course, don’t forget to convince our readers to commit to our blog – make them invest something, because there is a much better chance that they will come back 😀
Yes, of course.
No problem, Sam 🙂
Triple J,
Super! You hit on the basics.
Create value persistently. Interact daily. Build new bounds. Be all in, commit, and interaction will increase, as will your blogging audience.
Thanks!
Yes, indeed 😀
We can convince others to invest on our blog only if we are willing to do (well, willing is the first part…second is taking action based on that will).
No mention!
Quite interesting! Investing in the reader rightly can bring about commitment. Loyal customers can be encouraged by our actions. The list presented here:
Quality content
User friendly design
A vibrant community
Interact with your readers
Ask & give!
are on track. Its time that marketers or bloggers take cognizance of these more to build more loyal followers!
I have left the above comment in kingged.com – the content aggregation, syndication,social bookmarking, and networking community for Internet marketers, where this post was found, shared, and “kinged”.
Sunday – kingged contributor
Hey Sunday,
Yes, indeed. Focus on what’s important and do it!
I think more and more marketers are realizing that, and changing their ways (which is good), but in the long term, it means more competition for us (which might be bad, depending upon how you look at it!).
I accept as true that you can put up a good relationship with your audience if you will respond to their comments on your blog posts. By doing so, they will feel special and why not follow them so that you can bring in their loyalty.
You have to put efforts and love/passion, just like courting a girl.
Hey Metz,
Yes, indeed. Responding to comments is important, but don’t stop there – go the extra mile!
Hahaha 😀 Nice analogy…it fits perfectly. Going the extra mile, of course, is going to make a much better (and long lasting) impression.
We can’t blame our readers entirely. Everything depends upon the content we share and the website’s physical appearance. And then the way we communicate with the readers….
Yes, indeed.
Anyways, we can’t blame our readers for anything…if they don’t stick around, it’s our fault, not theirs (we are probably not providing what they expected to get…or perhaps our design isn’t too good. There are lot of websites that still look like they were from the 90s and early 2000s – which doesn’t make a good impression upon the readers).
Hey Jeevan
Great to see you here!
You know how hard it is to get a loyal following but it does come with time and care.
I find my commenters are pretty reliable. Although it does require reciprocation for sure.
I am also thinking of doing a little giveaway when I launch my new site. Something to help with the buzz!
great post my man
ashley
Hey Ashley,
Same here. I do love the concept of reciprocation, but I realize that I can’t always rely on it…so, I am trying to build an audience outside of my friends 😀
That’s a great idea 😀 Good luck 😉
Thanks!
Hi Jeevan – good to see you here at Ileane’s blog 🙂
Oh yes…I think your loyal readers are always committed to you, and that just goes to show the relationships you have build with them along the way.
I am pretty happy with the little blog community I have managed to gather on my blog, of course you being part of it, and I think all of that’s only happened over time. It does take a lot of time, effort, patience, and being committed to each other – but it does happen – our blogging community rocks!
All of this has happened through blog commenting and a little of being on the social media too I’d say, and I think comments that ways, thanks to CommentLuv play a major role.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead, both of you 🙂
Hey Harleena,
Good to be here!
I wouldn’t classify yours as a little blog – yours is one of the best medium sized blogs out there (I prefer medium sized blogs such as yours and Ileane’s to the big ones – so, it’s all good, at least for me :D).
Yes, indeed. It takes time, and of course, a lot of patience (not a lot of that to go around these days!).
Comment luv has changed blogging – more than anything else (I say it’s the most valuable plugin out there – and thanks to Andy for developing it!).
Thank you, Harleena 🙂 You too!
A great read Jeevan, and wow… GM has a lot to answer for… I’d love time saving cake mixes! Only men can turn a time-saver into feeling decieved about something 😉
Hope to see you guest posting here again 🙂
Thank you, Sarah 🙂
Hahaha 😉
I might, haven’t finalized anything (I will surely guest post, plus BBT used to be one of my favorite sites to guest post, so there is a big chance that I will).
Hey Jeevan!
How great it is to see you here!
This is a great post Jeevan! There have been plenty of times when I wanted to walk away but then I think about all the time I dedicated to my blog and I just can’t walk away now. I’m determined to see this thing all the way through.
I’m actually working on a new layout for my blog to make it more user friendly and removing some stuff that isn’t working for me.
I love interacting with my readers. My goal is to be like Adrienne Smith…she is the queen of interacting and building relationships!
My problem is asking…I read a post earlier about asking for “likes” and asking to share my posts but that’s when I get shy and I’m really not a shy person…so I can’t figure out why I am regarding that. 🙂
I love the idea of rewarding our visitors for returning, liking..etc. I would love to have a giveaway on my blog but my budget is a little too small for that right now, lol.
Which brings up your next point about investing in our blog…:)
In answer to your question…for the most part yes I do believe I have a small following but I sure would love to grow it :).
What you’ve shared is definitely a start in the right direction so thanks for sharing this information with us!
Happy Monday Jeevan!
Thank you, Corina!
That’s great…we have got to stay committed to our own blogs (And it’s better when we feel committed).
Redesigning? Got to check your blog soon…haven’t been there in a while 😉 Well, good luck with it!
Yes, indeed. Actually, she is the one who encouraged me to started commenting more proactively – so thanks to her!
Yeah, I can relate to that. But, these days, I just go with it. I think about how many readers I can potentially lose because I was too nervous to try – so, basically, challenging my ego…and my ego doesn’t like that 😉
Well, you could try an out of box idea (I can’t think of anything right now…something like 1 hour free consulting, although that isn’t particularly out of the box!).
No mention 🙂 And thank you for stopping by, Corina!
The quality of your content will determine if your readers will return or not. Consistently producing high quality content that solves/addresses the problems of your readers will most definitely bring them back to your site.
Engaging with your readers via comment replies, newsletters and social media engagements can ensure their return to your site always. The percentage of your returning visitors will give you an insight into the quality of your blog. If you can attract your visitors to return for more, then maybe you should consider doing more.
Thanks for such an amazing article highlighting the basic ways to get visitors to return to one’s site always. I find this article very informative and resourceful.
I found this article on Kingged.com and also left a comment on it.
Hey Desmond,
Yes, indeed. But, don’t stop at quality content…there are lot of companies that offer quality products, but don’t necessarily succeed (since they don’t invest much into the other aspects – such as providing a great experience for the reader).
Engaging with them is one key….reply back, and connect with our readers, like we connect with our friends (make our readers our best friends!).
No mention 🙂
Hi Jeevan, wow, you are everywhere lately 🙂 I think many readers can be loyal as long as you respond to them and answer questions that they need to know. Interesting about those cake mixes but they have survived many years. I think as long as one provides value and something new readers will return. Great topic Jeevan.
Hey Lisa,
I have to, right? 😉 I don’t want to spend too much time with traffic generation, so I can trying to increase my efforts with all things – commenting (well, everything except for commenting, since I already invest a lot into commenting).
They did change it…..It’s a great thing to learn from – don’t make our product too convenient!
No mention 🙂 Thank you, Lisa!
Great perspective about the science of commitment. Putting a great commitment in a certain things that you love to do is a great kind of thinking because it may lead into success. By the way thanks a lot for sharing this!
Thank you, Desiree!
Yes, indeed 🙂 We just to plan it well and do it (of course, try again if we don’t achieve success!).
No mention. Thank you for the comment!
Hi Jeevan,
Some really useful points, Every successful blog have engaging community and they love to share their views on each topic. This certainly going to encourage new visitors to engage with your content and become regular (loyal) visitor.
Hey Aahna,
Thank you 🙂
Yes, indeed!
Hey Jeevan good to see you here. It happens generally. Once a visitor comes to our blog we expect he should stay regardless of what we have for him. That is why we keep staring at our every-rising bounce rate. Ultimately we feel desperation and blame on various others factor for not having loyal readers. First we must build a deep insight of our target audience. What they want. What they love to get free. What they badly want without paying a dime. After that we can develop an incentive list we can offer to them. It may be a privilege to use our any premium service or a tip that is usually sold by other bloggers. At least we can make them so comfortable on our blog they come back to get the same comfort of getting value without paying something or without paying much. But doing all this we must forget the business goals of our blog and must not offer anything free that may lower our value and people take our blog a spot for freebies.
Sorry, this is because of the impact you created with this post I talked so much. In short what I am trying to say is you well covered all the point to fully explain the science of commitment. It shows your own level of commitment with this science. Thanks a lot for such wonderful info.
Great points, Mi Muba 🙂 Yes, indeed.
We must convince them to stick around, and for that, we must truly provide value through our content 😀
No problem!
yes i do agree with you that investments plays an important role in every business. two things are very important for every business, time and money. i think almost every person can spent his time for his business but when it comes to money, it’s not possible for everyone to spent a huge amount of money on his business. but i think he can start with a little money also.
nice post and great points covered. thanks for sharing.
cheers,
Gaurav H
Hey Gaurav,
Money is important, but don’t obsess over it either 😀
When it comes to resources, time is perhaps the most important of all…we don’t always put a value to it, but it is more valuable than anything else.
Thank you!
Great point, Jacob. It reassures us little bloggers out there, lost in the long tail…it’s not the number of readers that is so important, it’s the number of quality, targeted, ideal, potential customers and readers who count
Yes, indeed 🙂
Quantity is also important, but not as important as quality!
I am trying to build a community and I have more than 1000 subscribers, how do I know that they are loyal or not?
Well, it depends (mainly, upon your goals).
Do they reply back to your email (that is, if you try to get replies by asking questions and interacting with them).
How are the open and click rates?
Goodness Jeevan, I’m seeing you everywhere now! lol
Getting loyal readers is always a great thing, but there are two things to also take into consideration.
First, sometimes you have go give something back to help keep those loyal readers. A big way to do that is to visit their blogs from time to time and finding something to comment on so that you stay in their minds. For instance, the first comment you got you had the chance to catch up with an old friend; that’s powerful stuff.
Second, sometimes your loyal readers either don’t write all that often or they might go away for a short while. Unfortunately there’s this thing called life that gets in the way, and strangely enough I know that quite a few people felt jilted when Google Reader went away and haven’t picked up another RSS reader in the meantime. So, though it’s nice having loyal readers, it’s also a great thing to try to make sure you have consistent “real” traffic.
Haha, well I gotta be everywhere, right?
Got to build the blog 😉
Yes, indeed. Personally I think we are more likely to give something to our readers, if we already invest a lot into our blogs (another point is that if we do put a lot of time crafting an awesome piece of content…that content itself is the prize for our loyal reader).
Yeah, I think the distinction should be friends and loyal friends (well, friends are loyal…but their motivations are different; they may not always like our content. And, they may not necessarily tell us everything we want to hear – you know, because of the relationship we have).
Loyal readers on the other hand, visit our blogs for the content…I don’t have that many loyal readers, but I do have a lot of friends to help out. Hopefully, I will be able to build that reader base soon 🙂
Yeah it’s true, attracting readers and keeping them interested in your blog is quite a challenge. Rewarding does act like an incentive. But what really matters is what you serve. Thanks for the post..
Yes, indeed 🙂
Sorry for the delay in reply, Deepak!
Thanks for your tips. Who doesn’t want visitors to return? Having loyal returning visitors to your site is always a good thing that is why it is important to make them want to return to your blog. Great advice on how to do this.
No problem, Lynne!
Yes, indeed 🙂 We just have to try (and keep on trying).
Sorry for the delay in replying!
Hii Jeevan, We can track royalty of readers easily by measuring our mail sign up numbers, RSS sign ups and off course the conversions if blog is for earning affiliate commission.
Yes, indeed.
Thank you, Glenn! Sorry for the delay in replying.
Hi Jeevan,
You are definitely one young *daring* blogger.
And I could not agree with you more.
Commitment = Loyalty
Your content must be unique and engaging in order to have a successful blog. BUT…it’s not enough. You must have that commitment and become faithful to your readers and followers. “What comes around goes around.” I think everyone knows this karma.
Anyway, you are doing a great job for being everywhere. And not just being a Guest Poster in some “nobody” blogger. But I see you in some of these well-know bloggers I have known myself, personally. Except Elaine Smith. I only sees her video and read some of her “guest posts” in her blog but I haven’t really interacted with her on a personal level, other than she said “thank you” from time to time when I share her post.
Anyway, CONGRATS to you my friend!!!! Indeed, you are a daring blogger!!
Have a lovely weekend.
Angela
This is so true!
I think it’s important to offer a variety of good content and giveaways so that your loyal visitors and subscribers want to share your content and continue coming back for more.
Great post. Thanks
If a content is good 88% of the time the reader will share it. It’s like when you find a video on youtube that grab your attention, what will you do. you will send it your friend immediately because you want other know about it without thinking twice.
This post was mind blowing Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Jeevan, this was a fantastic post filled with an incredible amount of relevant information. If you want readers to keep coming back you have to give them reasons to do so! Your tips about incentives and rewards is excellent and I couldn’t agree with you more!
So, what is a good percentage of returning visitors to have? Should 50% of your visitors be returning? Is 25% considered good?
Obviously, the higher the number the better, but what is a happy medium?