I remember as a new blogger how HARD it was to get a blog audience. After all, I was producing content, but people just didn’t seem to want to show up.
That makes it really challenging to want to continue blogging!
But, I noticed that when I started to communicate with my blog audience, they started coming. And, it wasn’t by the thousands or the hundreds, but there were people who consistently showed up for me.
The best ways to effectively communicate with your blog audience are blog posts, social media, video, email, text messages, comments, and in-person meetups. You don’t have to communicate in all these ways, but you have to commit to connecting with your blog readers.
Now, I don’t pride myself on having a large audience, but I do have an engaged audience.
I also have an audience that comes in clutch for me when I need their help.
That’s what blogging is about — helping people.
So, let’s explore communicating with your blog audience in a little more detail!
7 Easy, Simple, and Effective Ways to Communicate With Your Blog Audience
There are thousands, if not millions of new blog posts published daily.
So, how do you stand out?
Well, I’ve found that the secret to gaining loyal followers is to communicate with your blog audience with more dedication than other bloggers.
To make them feel valued.
And respected.
Here are seven ways to communicate with your blog audience so that they stay dedicated to reading your blog:
- Blog posts
- Social media
- Video
- Text messages
- Comments
- In-person meetups
You may already be doing some of these, but that doesn’t mean you can’t amplify your efforts.
Let’s dive into a little more detail!
1. Blog Posts
Blog posts are the pinnacle, I believe, for communication with your audience, which is why I listed it first.
When you create your content, it’s an opportunity to:
- Show off your personality
- Help readers out
- Respond to their questions
- Find your tribe
I firmly believe that the content I create has a direct correlation to my audience and why they trust me.
And, I’ll be honest…
Now that I’ve started to publish more content than I used to, I’m finding my audience comes to me and seeks out my help.
This month, I’ll probably end up publishing more than 15 blog posts, which I think is incredible! Especially when you compare it to previous months of 4 or even ZERO.
Shhh…don’t tell anyone!
The simple truth is that if you want to communicate with your blog audience, it starts with creating epic blog posts that captivate your readers and make them want to read all the way through.
If you don’t view your blog as the top of your marketing funnel, take out your glasses and look again.
Your blog may be the first interaction between you and a potential customer, so don’t screw up your first impression.
2. Social Media
Yes, social media is already SATURATED with content.
I won’t ignore that.
But, social media is rapidly becoming an extension of your blog, whether you want it to be or not.
Readers may be finding you on social media and engaging with your content there long before they ever read a blog post of yours (you know, just to see if you know your stuff).
Some would argue that you really can’t have a strong blogging presence without a strong social media presence.
By social media presence, I mean being active on these platforms:
Now, you certainly don’t have to be active on ALL of these platforms!
I most definitely am NOT!
While I’m not active with my Facebook page, I post almost daily in my amazing community of intermediate to advanced bloggers.
I get more brand awareness there than I would with Facebook’s now limited organic reach for pages.
Instead of just posting on social media, consider using it as an outlet for customer service or as your main go-to for any giveaways or challenges you might be hosting.
There’s a certain Shih Tzu breeder I follow on Instagram who does this quite well.
She was selling a calendar with her dogs on it and fielding customer service questions on Instagram with a very engaged audience.
Just make sure you follow the rules of the social media platform you’re leveraging so your account doesn’t get banned.
I think EVERY blogger should be active on Pinterest to get traffic and engagement (unless your audience just isn’t there). If you need help getting traffic, check out Carly Campbell’s Pinteresting Strategies.
One of the platforms I’m interested in getting involved on more is Instagram!
One of my good friends (and former interview series guest), Anna McNaught, is an Instagram expert and built a 6-figure business off of it.
I really see Instagram as a great way to ENGAGE with your blog audience, even if it doesn’t bring you traffic.
At the end of the day, TRUST is what brings you sales. You can have all the traffic in the world and not make any sales.
If you need help with Instagram, Anna has a great FREE 5-Day Instagram eCourse you should check out.
3. Video
Video is a highly interactive way to communicate directly with your blog audience in a way that helps them to get to know you better as a person.
Most of the time, when we’re reading content, we read it according to our personal filters and biases, whether we acknowledge them or they thrive in our subconscious.
When you have a chance to listen to and watch the person who created the content you’re consuming, you relate to what he or she is saying in a different way.
Some of my favorite ways to engage with video are:
- Starting a YouTube channel
- Replying to customer questions with a Loom video
- Facebook and Instagram lives
These are all simple communication methods and you often don’t need more than 5 to 10 minutes to execute them.
If you don’t already engage with your audience by video, definitely try it out. I find it builds trust more rapidly, which can then help you sell your digital products.
4. Email
Email…
How many times have you heard a blogger say that the money is in the list??
I’ve heard it one too many times.
But, the truth is that it is.
Your emails will convert into sales much better than your social media posts, so you should dedicate effort every week into emailing your list.
Don’t have an email list?
You can start for FREE today with ConvertKit and get all the bells and whistles for up to 100 subscribers.
If you’re more experienced with email, you might want to consider investing in a course that focuses on copywriting and how to make money from your email list even if it isn’t huge.
I’m in a class right now called Love Your List by Kate Doster and it’s amazing!
Really helping me rethink my approach to email marketing as a way to connect with my blog audience.
5. Text Messages
Texting is one of those newer blogging ways to communicate that I haven’t experimented with as much.
Using text messages to update your readers on your latest blog post is a creative way to directly communicate with them on the device they likely use more than their computer.
You might get a quicker result by leveraging text messaging.
But, I typically use text messaging in another way.
I’ve been known to have prospective clients or people I meet with provide their phone number via Calendly and then Calendly will send them a reminder via SMS.
Texting can be an effective tactic in reducing the number of no-shows that you have.
This tactic works for:
- Strategy sessions
- Discovery calls
- Client calls
And, more!
Texting can be a great way to communicate with your blog readers, but you might have to be a little creative has to how to implement it.
6. Comments
Have you ever viewed your blog comments as a way to communicate with your blog readers?
Honestly…
For a long time, I used to NOT get comments on my blog posts.
But, when I started publishing more blog posts, I started to see more blog comments coming my way.
Like this one, for example:
I took the time to personally respond to my reader because she showed her gratitude to me for the article.
That reciprocity gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
And, it even gives you ideas for what else to write.
Since she said she’s surprised with the thrifty ways I came up with, that means that writing a post on ways to save money as a blogger was probably a good bet.
But, even just providing a personal touch can mean the world to a reader and excite them as a member of your audience.
7. In-Person Meetups
Getting a chance to hang out in person with somebody that you follow online is a perk that many blog readers will jump at the chance to have.
Now, I’m not saying that you have to host the next FlynnCon (or FinCon, which I absolutely love!), but you can give your readers opportunities to meet with you in person when you’re traveling to a new location.
This will create loyalty to your blog and brand because they’ve had a chance to get to know you one-on-one.
Another way to implement this is by having a training or educational session with customers readers in your local community or that can travel to you.
Here are a few examples of this from my interview series guests:
- Susie Moore: co-hosts Pitch, Please! with Farnoosh Torabi where they bring prospective guest posters to meet with media editors
- Natalie Bacon: is hosting Design Your Dream Life Live this year for readers that need some in-person training and help
- Kayla Sloan: is hosting an in-person training for people wanting to become virtual assistants in her home state
- Tracie Fobes: used to host couponing sessions for readers in her hometown
These don’t need to be the most elaborate events!
You simply have to open yourself up to meeting people in person, which I think is SUPER COOL!
I’ve definitely got a live event on my list of things to do for the next five years 🙂
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed ways you can communicate with your blog audience, including:
- Blog posts
- Social media
- Video
- Text messages
- Comments
- In-person meetups
But, these are just some of the ways to increase communication with your readers.
What ways are you going to try? What are you already doing?
Let us know in the comments below 🙂
To your communication success!
