While traffic to a blog is usually top of mind for a blogger, the real gold is when you create recurring traffic from loyal and engaged fans. It’s all very well and good to have lots of numbers in your stats, but if nobody is interacting or sticking around, it actually doesn’t get you very far at all.
With this end goal in mind, you’ll find that it’s creating content that creates memories in your audience that’s important. And it’s important for a few reasons – your content becomes your brand, it’s what you become known for, and it’s what others tell about you when they share your content or your blog with their friends and family.
I find that when I go to conferences and blogging events, there is always someone who will come up and tell me about a piece of content I shared that resonated with them. It means that I’ve made a connection in some way, a left a lasting impression on a reader who has carried that impression with them as the kind of blog I have and the kind of content I provide.
In today’s episode of the ProBlogger podcast, I want to talk about all the ways you can make this kind of impression on the people who come to your blog. Whether they’ve searched for key terms, found you on Pinterest, were recommended your post by a friend, it doesn’t matter. What you want is for them to hang around.
- story posts
- playful posts
- emotive posts
- inspirational posts
- opinion pieces
- personal posts
- vulnerable posts
The times when I’ve opened up and shared something are usually the times when it strikes a chord in the reader and they feel as though they’re not alone.
The impact of most of these kinds of posts is that they hit the heart, not just the head. It makes the reader feel something, and you’ve succeeded in making a connection. It makes you human. It makes you relatable.
This is what people remember.
You can find today’s show notes on ProBlogger.com, and I’d love to hear – what posts do people remember on your blog? What have you written or shared that has struck a chord?
Further Reading:
- Why My First Blog Failed … and What You Can Learn from My Mistakes
- Hey Bloggers! Is it Time to Focus a little Less on Your Blog and A Little More on YOU?
- ProBlogger Podcast 39: What is Your Why?
- How to Write in a More Personal and Engaging Tone
- ProBlogger Podcast: Turn Blog Surfers into Loyal Readers by Building a Sticky Blog
I agree with you so much. It is your willingness to share the truth of your blog and the truth of blogging, that keeps me coming back here.
When people just relay facts, they are helpful but not inspiring. The biggest struggle for me is writing those stories. However, I am working on it and rewriting and rewriting over and over again. It is a muscle right?
Thanks so much Renee! It’s definitely a muscle – keep working out! :-)
I completly agree with your post, I think that being a blogger is much more that just trafic and ranking, I personally do it because is one of my passions. When you do what you like it reflects on your work, not only writing, in every single detail of your life. I started a bussines about how to makke moccasins not too long ago, it has been hard, I’ve cried over and over again but finally I’m getting some results, some designers wants to work with me and hire me to help them to make their outfots for different occasions, and I see that everything I was sufering and still sufering I do it because I love it. Love what you do!!
Thank you for the post, it inspired me!!!
Nice article. Keep it up Darren
For off-topics, this can work. How about technical articles?
Hi Darren,
All of your memorable posts – as shared by you – emit a higher energy. Stories, inspirational pieces and the like grab our attention. My most memorable posts are stories. Hands down. People dig diving into my life. Living vicariously through me. Or maybe they want to blog from paradise as I do. Either way, we recall stories because TV, the movies and books are prime forms of entertainment. We’re drawn in. We love them. I love telling stories so if I dig weaving tales and my readers dig my stories on the road, we’re both vibing higher, and we meet on my blog ;)
Ryan
Again as the title of this post suggests….Perferct blog Post :)
What great reminders when trying to keep blog traffic consistent – It’s so important to remember that we as human beings crave connection with other human beings.
That simple fact can often get lost in this world of technology that we live in.
People crave inspiration, emotion, and vulnerability to know they’re not alone, and blogging can be the perfect platform.
As a few other comments have said, emotion really does connects with people.
I mean, we’re only human after all?
The posts that I enjoy reading and importantly remember, are where the writer gives us their opinion, their take on something, or they give us a glimpse into who they are.
A great example is news articles or hot topics. Sure big news sites provide you with unbiased (not always!) facts about the issue, but it’s much more enjoyable finding out someone else’s opinion on the issue, what it means and how it effects them.
But you’ve given me some great points to think about here Darren.
Thanks Darren for your post.
You’re totally right, as you said, one of the main reason is to create something that connects you with your audience, and mostly that thing should be emotional, a personal truth or a event you want to share. I’m thinking to do the same, even if I’m not ready to share some of my “emotional”, “vulnerable” pasts; Maybe to start with few general posts with a bit of personal history might help,… then to move into more deeper posts when you feel your audience understands you better and deserve to see your human side, the weaker one.
Excellent post.. Keep it up Darren