So because I'm such an old hand at this now *snort* I decided to give new bloggers or, dare I say, some old ones my views as a new follower! That's right! You want to know what a new blog reader wants and and does not want, right?
Buckle up, buttercup - here you go.
Clean up your blog. This is mentioned over and over out there by good blogs giving useful tips. I couldn't agree more and I can't stress enough how important it is to keep your site readable.
Badges. I don't need to see 34 badges in your sidebar(s). Put up a few that are important to you and are relevant to your content but keep it minimal. Guess what? No one is looking at them anyways. Unless it has a picture of Copernicus and says "I'm The Bloggess's favorite blog EVER" and we know it came directly from Jenny Lawson, or you are a contributor to HuffPo, I don't care.
Post Frequency. I've seen a lot of advice dispensed regarding how many posts you should write. What I've learned as a reader is that it's not important whether you post every day or twice a day so long as it's funny, interesting and/or useful. If you write one good article and then later on post a great photo, that's awesome. If you post 9 times a day with just your kid in a different spot in your house each time then I probably don't need to see it. If you churn out one great post a week, that's fine too.
Post Regularly. However many posts per day or week you decide you have time for, post them regularly. Write some ahead of time and then set them to auto-publish if you have to. Again, as a reader, if I know that your new posts come out every morning at 9am or every Wednesday at noon, I will remember to read them.
If You Stop Blogging, Then Stop Blogging! If you find you don't have time or find it's not worth your effort to continue your blog, then let people know. Write a post letting your subscribers/followers know that you are going to be gone for either a specified amount of time or forever. I don't want blogs crowding my reader or blogroll that are kaput. Don't leave me hanging. I'll get pissed at you and then if you are only gone for a month you will have lost at least one reader and probably a lot more. I have limited time available for reading so if you screw me over I will stab you.
Your Blog is Not For Everyone. Blog Hops are a great way to gain followers/subscribers as well as to find new blogs that you want to read. PRO TIP: Not everyone on that hop will want to read your blog and you will not want to read the blog of everyone on that hop. You have to decide/accept that not everyone will like your style, your humor or your content. I accept that 25 year old guys aren't going to give a rat's patooty about being a stay at home mom. Not all moms will care what I found on Reddit. Do you really want 'false' followers who don't actually ever come and read your blog or bother to comment? Which brings me to...
Not All of Your Best Readers Will Comment. I follow several great blogs and read them regularly. Sometimes I just don't have time to comment right then or else I don't really have anything to add. I try to at least say 'hey, great post' but I'm not going to say it on every single post on every single blog I follow. So remember there are a lot of blog trolls out there who are reading you faithfully but not commenting.
And finally...
Write From an Honest Place. Blogs are rarely completely unbiased, I find they are more often than not a soapbox for information and personal opinion. So don't write what you think people want to hear. Don't make it your only goal to find readers. Write from an honest place, with your honest thoughts and opinions. You will be more likable and more believable and your readers will find you. I'm not telling you not to market your blog - do that, just do it to people who will actually like and want to see what you have to say.
Okay, that's about it. I hope these thoughts of mine help you out somehow! Don't be mad if I don't follow your coupon site. I'm too lazy to use them or print them out or find them or go to 37 different stores to get one load of groceries. I admire the service you provide but I have the attention span of a puppy.
Oh - one other thing - in my opinion (I know some people with disagree with this) you do not have to pigeonhole yourself to just one strict genre. If you are a working mom who likes to travel, you can write about working moms and travel. If you are a stay at home mom/nerd/ballet dancer - then you can write about being a sahm/nerd/ballet dancer. If you breed squirrels and like rollerblading...well, you get the point.
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