PhotoBiz Magazine // Spring 2017

logging 101
BLOGGING 101
How to Get More Readers
Written by HOLLY H.
You have a fantastic blog. And your readers are out there…
but sometimes they just need a little nudge.
If you’re not impressed by your numbers, it’s time to take
a look at your content and promotion. By optimizing your
content and making it more accessible to your potential
fans, you’ll notice a boost – fast.
Write What Readers Want to Read
Seems like a no-brainer, but the best thing you can be
is helpful to your readers. Whether that’s keeping them
abreast of industry news, sharing tips & tricks, or keeping
them flush with cool new photos, make sure you excite
readers with the kind of content they want to read.
In the beginning, try lots of different topics and angles.
Then start analyzing which ideas stick and which fall flat.
Once you know what your audience is reading, you can
develop a content plan that will maximize clicks and shares.
Write Baller Headlines
Your article may be the best you’ve ever written, but so
much depends on its headline – especially if it’s found
on search or social media. Here are some quick tips for
creating an irresistible headline:
08 PHOTOBIZ MAGAZINE
As a general rule, your headline should be about 6 words
long, or about 55 characters. (That’s also about the length
that shows up in search engine results.)
If possible, frame your post as a How To, List, or Question.
• How To Write An Irresistible Headline
• 5 Secrets To Writing Irresistible Headlines
• Does Your Headline Fly Or Flop?
Use powerful, emotional words. Don’t be afraid to promise
that your article is the BEST or to challenge a reader.
• 5 Best Headlines For Blogs
• Top 5 Headlines You’d Never Think Of Using
• Knockout Headlines Your Customers HAVE To Read
Our best performing blogs are framed as HOW-TOs and
LISTS – and they all focus on topics that are really helpful to
our readers. If you’re looking to attract more local clients,
include your location in your headline, too. (It’s great for SEO.)
Update Regularly
An irregular blog is a dead blog. Consistency is key for
maintaining a strong following. When people know that
you update regularly, they’ll stop by more often to read.
Search engines also reward websites that update
often with more favorable rankings, so you’ll appear
higher in search results. In addition, your customers will
know that you’re active and will view you as an authority
(which is good for sales).
So, how often should you update? There’s no magic
formula, but we recommend at least once a week. If you
can post three times a week – go for it! What matters is
that you pick a schedule that works for you and stick to it.
Set the expectation with your readers and follow through!
A good strategy for staying consistent is to build up a
bank of posts when you have time to blog, then schedule
them out. This will help cover the times when you’re just
too busy to write.
Cross-Promote on Social Media
Use your social capital to pull in more readers. When you publish an
exciting blog, share it on social media to encourage more of your
followers to read it.
If it’s particularly interesting, your reading public can share the post to
their own network, giving you even more visibility. (This is where having
an uber-clickable headline is really important.)
If your blog references other people (like when you’re posting about a
session), TAG THEM in the post. They’ll more than likely share it, too,
which could double or triple your reach.
Offer a Subscription
Hand deliver your blogs by letting your biggest fans subscribe to your
newsletter. Here’s how:
• Create a Form that allows people to add their email to your list.
• Tag the Form #blog, so subscribers are automatically added
to your blog list.
• Add the Form on your blog so you can start collecting emails.
• Create an Email template and link to your new articles.
(You can do this easily with your free Email Marketing Tool.)
• Send the Email to your #blog list.
Voila! Now your blog is in your reader’s inbox.
Remember: write helpful articles, title them well, update often, promote
online, and let people subscribe for updates.
If you follow these steps, you should start seeing better traffic and
higher engagement on your own blog.