Blogging

I posted this thread on Twitter and Linkedin, and I figured I would cross-post it here as well, as it makes it easier to find whenever I need to point someone to it. I get this question still once every quarter at least: I started blogging, podcasting, and/or a channel on youtube, how do I grow my audience? It seems that everyone is always looking for that magic formula. But there really isn’t a formula if you ask me. There are a couple of things that will help to grow your blog/podcast/channel or social profile/following though.

First and foremost: content and authenticity! You need to make sure you are passionate about the topic, and of course that it is a topic that others are interested in. if you are not passionate then that will stand out in your content, and if others are not interested in the topic of course views will be relatively low. The content will also need to be delivered in an authentic way, whether that is in writing or recording.

Then there’s consistency and perseverance. You don’t need to post every day, but there needs to be some kind of consistency in terms of content publishing. Once a week, three times a week, twice a month. Keep going, even if you don’t see the numbers going up. This is what definitely helped me grow my blog readership in the early days. I had a goal of one update a week, but don’t force it. If there’s nothing to post, don’t post…

Then there’s timing. If you want to capture views from social media channels, you will want to post the content around the time most people will click it, or see it. As things like RSS readers are pretty much dead, two things will drive your views: social media and search engines. So make sure to pick a day/time where you feel you would get the most traction (look at your stats).

That leads me to the next thing, search engines. Make sure you optimize your content (title, body, keywords, images, video) and platform (wordpress etc) for search engines. Most blogs these days, as an example, will get their views via Google. If Google doesn’t rank you high enough… I guess that speaks for itself right. Most platforms also have plugins to optimize your blog for you, and of course, with youtube/podcasts your shownotes/description and title are absolutely key!

Then there are the social channels. Make sure to grow these organically. Be active on the various platforms, be responsive. Don’t overdo it, don’t try to stand out, but try to be helpful instead! People appreciate the responsiveness, people appreciate the help. Even though my inbox/DMs are swamped at times, I always aim to reply to everyone. Not only reply, but I have a few search columns open on twitter always, if I know the answer to a question I will reply. This not only helps you grow your following, but it also helps with finding new topics for content!

The last thing I want to mention, be unique in terms of content. There’s no point in being blog number 78 sharing release notes. Look for that detail and try to elaborate on it. Dig deeper. Whether it is a blog, a video, or a podcast. People appreciate unique solid content! That is why they will follow you, that is why they will return to your blog or subscribe to your channel or podcast.

Get started!