PB115: How to Get More Subscribers, Follows and Connections From Your Blog Readers

Note: this episode can be listened to in the player above or on iTunes or Stitcher. Getting Blog Readers to Subscribe, Follow and Connect Welcome to episode 115. Today we are continuing our series on warming up your readers. This series began in episode 112 where I presented 4 stages of warming your readers up. Taking them from being completely unaware of you and your blog to taking them to becoming highly engaged readers. In episode 113, I talk about getting the first eyeball on your blog. Getting the visitor to your blog for the first time, and I talk about some practical techniques to do that. In episode 114, I talk about how to get people to take a second look and become interested in your blog. I gave some techniques for getting readers to pause and take that second look. Today I am talking about building a connection with your readers. Even when you get that first eyeball or a second look, chances are, they will leave your site and never return. Today I am giving some practical tips on how to get them to subscribe or give you permission to connect with them again. In Today’s Episode: How to Get More Subscribers, Follows and Connections From Your Blog Readers Think carefully about where you want them to connect with you For me, the best place to connect with blog readers is email Social media is important too, but it is secondary and there is more risk Have prominent calls to action on your blog to get the reader’s email Have at least a subscribe form in the sidebar or in the navigation somewhere Find other ways to get the reader’s email (some of these may be controversial) Use popups or welcome mats Lead Magnets, content upgrades, or op-tins Cutting edge bloggers are moving away from having one lead magnet or op-tin and are creating multiple op-tins depending on the content the reader is browsing Get an ongoing opt-in like our 6 months of blog post ideas Create inspirational posts, like image posts - these seem to get more subscribers - add stronger calls to action if they are getting higher subscriber numbers Create a series like this we are doing now - daily, weekly, even yearly to keep readers wanting to subscribe for the future content series Promote your secondary connection points - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Where ever you and your readers are most active. Secondary connection points can be promoted in your emails, put links in welcome email Promote secondary points in blog navigation, sidebar or blog posts Promote from other social networks, use a tool like SumoMe or Hellobar, cross promote Opportunity to get the connection even when someone has left your blog - retargeting - Facebook Advertising using a facebook pixel on your blog which enables you to retarget with an ad that goes back to your blog Examples of Content Upgrades and Lead Magnets Amy Porterfield Ian Cleary from Razor Social Screw the Nine to Five Facebook Group Checklist Screw the Nine to Five Sales Funnel Emails Further Resources on How to Get More Subscribers, Follows and Connections From Your Blog Readers Our ongoing Opt-in Example of Inspirational Content 21 Surreal Levitation Images (Inspirational Content) SumoMe HelloBar OptinMonster Episode 68: How to Increase Your Email List Subscribers By 100% Or More Today Episode 69: Create an Opt-In to Increase Your Email Subscriber Numbers Episode 35: Turn Surfers into Blog Readers by Building a Sticky Blog How did you go with today’s episode? We love to learn from you. Let us know what you have done to connect with your readers and get them to subscribe. Never miss an episode - Subscribe to the ProBlogger podcast on iTunes Full Transcript Expand to view full transcript Compress to smaller transcript view Hi, there. My name is Darren Rowse and I'd like to welcome you to episode 115 of t...