Ask any top bloggers—even ones who have landed book deals— how they achieved their breakthroughs in traffic. You won’t hear them talk about pay-per-click ads or getting lucky when an old post suddenly found an audience.
Instead, you’ll hear something like this: “One of my posts got shared on X or Y site, and all of the sudden, I had an audience!”
It sounds like that sort of visibility or readership breakthrough is out of your control. But it isn’t.
You can engage your readers and get them to share your work either via word of mouth or direct link. And learning and using that skill is one of the most powerful things you can do as a blogger—especially if you want to develop a base of raving fans ready and willing not only to share your blogged book posts but to buy your book when published as well.
What Makes You Worth Sharing?
Before we delve into the topic of getting your readers to share your posts, let’s address one fundamental characteristic shared by every blog post that people share: something in the post makes it worth sharing. But that quality isn’t always the same. It could be
- Controversy. A controversial post—the kind that resonates with some but angers others—is difficult to force in practice, but it can be a tremendous way to attract new readers.
- Value. A long guide that includes plenty of tools, links, or tips for accomplishing something is the kind of writing that gets you either shared on social media or saved to a reader’s bookmarks. Either way, it’s good.
- A unique perspective. Being original is difficult but valuable. When you create a post worth sharing, you have had the fortitude to go out on a limb with a private belief and see if your insights resonate with your audience.
However, it’s crucial that you don’t try to force the issue of becoming “shareable.” You merely want to put in the effort it takes to create content that’s worthy of sharing. It’s a subtle distinction, but it will make all the difference in your writing.
Building a Reputation for Share-Worthy Content
At first, you may have to do some of the sharing yourself. You’ll have to self-promote. Additionally, you occasionally may have to post your writing online and at social outlets so people see the content you produced that was worth sharing in the first place.
But as long as you dare to tackle topics in an original way—in a way that gives value to those readers who clicked through to your site—you’ll likely find that your content gets shared.
Why It’s Important for Your Readers to Share
Why bother trying to get your readers to share your posts? For the compounding effect. Studies have found that someone is far more likely to approve of something if they see someone else has already “liked” it first—including online.
If you are having trouble finding an audience for your blog and blogged book, it may be because you simply haven’t taken advantage of the compounding effect yet. You haven’t written the kind of posts or book installments that make you worth that first share, which is why the second and third shares aren’t coming, either.
It’s important for your readers to share your posts because doing so speaks to the strength of your content. If your writing isn’t worth talking about, why should anyone share it?
What will it take to make your posts or book worth talking about in a substantial way? Asking—and answering—those questions will make you a better blogger—and a better writer. And that’s when your readers will start sharing your posts.
Have you had a breakthrough in readership or traffic? Tell me about it in a comment below.
About the Author
Dan Kenitz is a freelance writer and ghostwriter from Wisconsin who helps individuals and companies build their brands through valuable content. www.empirewriter.com
Image copyright: bloomua / 123RF Stock Photo
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