There is nothing more cumbersome than having a blog with no engagement. You have worked so hard researching for your articles, meticulously crafting the most relevant content your audience will ever get to read, and for what? A few clicks, a worrying bounce rate, and no comments.
When you are given the silent treatment even when you know you followed all the best practices, it means there is something about the way you are creating and marketing it that needs to change.
Why is no one reading my blog?
Let us first reflect on what gets people to engage with content they see online. What makes them read the whole article and react to it?
A common misconception bloggers have when it comes to engagement is they think there are techniques that can force a reader to start commenting. The truth is, there are no fixed tricks to make it happen because readers must choose to engage with your content, they must want it.
The answer is evocative content. Whether it makes them happy, sad, or even angry, the reader must feel strongly about it. You only need to look at the nostalgia ridden content being churned out today, or the opinion columns that get either flak or praise to know this is true.
In addition, it must be outstandingly relevant to them, regardless if it is a post about the latest addictive meme sweeping the Internet or a serious article on politics or the economy. This is fuel to get them to argue points, comment their admonition or support, or simply have a conversation within your page.
Another effective approach is by asking yourself if the content you are creating is something you will share on your own Timeline. Almost at every minute people are bombarded with a barrage of content, most of which become viral as soon as they are posted. If you are not confident about sharing your own content, then maybe it really is not worth reading.
Tips on how to get people to read your blog
Let us explore what you can do to get people to engage with your blog.
Improve site speed
The effect of having so much content available to digest is people get restless when it takes too long to load. Avoid bounce rates because of site speed problems by checking whether you website loads at least within 3 seconds upon clicking. Google’s PageSpeed Insights will tell you which elements on your site needs amending so that your website loads fast on all devices.
Check the commenting system
Start auditing your website’s functionality next by checking if it is navigable and user-friendly. Pay close attention to the commenting system and see whether it is to do. If not, then that is probably one of the major reasons why little to nil are commenting on your site.
Usually, Captchas, log-in and avatar requirements, and moderator approval are friction points. The solution is to just remove these elements and use the default commenting system of your website.
Make sure your page is mobile responsive
A majority of people use tablets and smartphones when surfing online. This means that most of the time, your content is going to be viewed on mobile. If your website is not mobile adaptive, users are going to have a hard time viewing your content because the text is smaller and the webpage is going to look cramped.
Subscribe to email hosting
It may sound like a hard sell technique, but it is one that certainly works. Email hosting allows you to create weekly newsletters to remind your subscribers that you have content ready for their viewing pleasure. You can add CTAs like “what can you say about this?” or “do you agree?” so that you can prod them to leave their opinions on a post.
Fix your writing style
Sometimes the problem is not technical, rather, your blogging voice might just be too boring. To amend this, you need to make sure your content is exciting for your readers. You will have to look at the language and voice that they use when they interact with each other and with you. Try to emulate the same vibe on your content, and your readers will definitely feel like this is content specifically made for them.
Additionally, your content must have a strong headline. No matter how well-researched your content is, if the headline is weak, it will not get read. Conversely, if you have an awesome headline, make sure your content can give it justice. As a tip, think of a winning idea first, write the content, and then create the headline last so that you know fully well what the post is going to promise readers.
Consider a website redesign
All it takes to turn people off is a bad website design. If they do not like how your website looks like, they are not going to make an effort to digest what is written anymore. So consider revamping your website to make it look more inviting. This means removing distractions like harsh colours and misplaced CTA buttons for a more polished, functional, and minimalist look. Make sure that when a visitor enters your website, navigating it is intuitive.
Ask for comments
If you want to get more comments, just blatantly request for it. Just make sure that the discussions remains polite and civil. The last thing you want is an argument that will harm both parties.
Respond to the comments
Especially when your content is being directly addressed, do not forget to respond to the comments. This tells them that you read what they have to say and that it matters enough to warrant a reply from you.
An active blog makes your content valid. It generates public excitement and encourages other readers to interact with you, too. Plus, the SEO benefits you get from constant activity, feedback, and backlinks just cements your authority online. All it takes to enjoy those benefits is to remove the friction points in and churn out the most relevant content for your readers.
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