10 Ways to Chase Down Your Visitors

Let me give you a reality check. What you write is really not that important. Now before you go off and pout in the corner, let me explain.

There are a zillion blogs out there all vying for attention. No matter how good you write, or how funny you are, there is someone better than you. So what is a blogger to do?

Chase your readers!

1. Meet Your Commenters

   Meet Your Commenters is simply an awesome WordPress plugin that allows you to, well, meet your commenters. It displays web pages and social network profiles of your commenters in the dashboard. You simply go through and click to their Twitter, Facebook, Digg… profile and make friends. This is by far my favorite.

2. Disqus

   Using Disqus to handle your comments will allow you to see where else your readers are visiting. This is kind of like stalking without fear of getting arrested. This is also a great way to find new blogs. Then take a look around on your new found blog and leave a good comment or two. Your reader will see you there along with other potential readers.



3. Leave a comment on their website

   Nothing flatters a commenter more than having the owner of a blog they commented on go and comment on their site. Make their day!

4. Follow them on Twitter

   While you’re poking around on their site keep your eye out for the blue bird, and follow them. This is cool because you can learn a lot about your readers, and a reciprocating follow from them is pretty nice too.

5. Subscribe to their RSS feed

   This one takes a little bit of common sense. If you subscribed to every commenter’s feed, you wouldn’t be able to keep up with them all. Pick the best ones and subscribe.

6. Promote your readers blog

   Now that you’re subscribed to your readers RSS feed you’ll be able to post replies to their exceptional blog posts. Share the love, and spread the weath… or at least the readers.

7. Reply to the comments

   This is your best way of interacting directly on your site. Let your readers know you appreciate them. Answer comments, and mingle. Develop those social skills… it’s never to late.

8. Keep up with your posts

   Follow your stories on sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, and Delicious. Befriend those who voted and submitted your post. Repeat customers are easier to get than new ones, and they can help promote future posts.



9. Use a Gravatar

   Gravatar stands for Globally Recognized Avatar. Using one will let your readers easily recognize you on other blogs they read. Keep yourself in front of them, and your blogging niche for that matter.

10. Find stories submitted on Twitter

    Use Twitter’s search to find stories that were tweeted by your readers. All you do is search the post title, and voila you have new people to follow. The law or reciprocal follows kicks in and you have new followers. Next time you post… tweet it. Remember repeat customers.

Never forget the value of your readers. The truly successful bloggers are the ones that took the time to promote others. Take the time to toot the horns of your followers, and don’t forget to chase your visitors. Remember you’re building a community. Nurture it, and watch it flourish.

Happy Blogging!