Successful Blog

Blog Hooks that Bring Readers Back

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Since this is Building Readership Week at Successful Blog, I have to share this with you.

Some posts are a 10 out of 10. Darren Rowse’s post Blog Hooks – Elements that Draw Readers Back is one of them. In it he lays out the qualities that hook readers into becoming devoted fans. He says

We are blogging in a context where there are literally millions of blogs, in some niches there are hundreds (if not thousands) of alternatives for people to read. Successful blogs do something that makes them distinct from the rest.

They are not ‘just another blog on ((insert topic here))’ – they are ‘the blog that….((insert ‘hook’ here))’

He then lists what he thinks are the seven most intriguing hooks for readers.

  • personality of the blogger
  • design element
  • readers participation and community
  • thought leading content
  • latest news
  • practical tips
  • readership levels

Some appeal to readers who are thinkers. Some appeal to readers who are feelers. All tell readers that their time is well invested. Every one in some way tells readers this is a quality experience.

Imagine a blog that has 3 or more of Darren’s “hooks.” How could a reader leave without planning to return?

Sometimes you have to say, “I wish I wrote that.”

–ME “Liz” Strauss

What Is Content that Keeps Readers?

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Everybody talks about content, but nobody actually defines it.

What is content and how can content keep readers?

Content is more than ideas, more than words and pictures on the screen, more than links to articles and data. Content is everything we communicate to our readers. Content is . . .

  • Information Quality content is both fact and analysis. It offers meat and potatoes that anyone can find together with something original–analysis, predictions, interpretation–that comes only from the writer. Everything is relevant. There’s no time waster anywhere. The writer’s decisions are the “value-added”–the secret recipe. If we have the best recipe, readers will keep coming back to us.
  • Presentation Quality content is top-notch presentation. Simple is elegant. The best information is lost, if nobody reads it. Too many long sentences; too many bullets; too many links interrupting the text–these get between the reader and the ideas. If it looks hard to read, it is. Like a great wine in a crystal glass, great presentation makes great content inviting.
  • YOU We saw from our interviews last week, how readers respond to the intangibles Indie brings to his blog. Our presence, our voice, our respect for our readers, they are the nuance, the one-of-a-kind sauce on the expensive meal. Too peppery, too sweet, too salty, too bland, and readers will think this dish isn’t worth having again. On the other hand, get the right balance and they’ll be back every night.

When a blogger provides top-notch content with something extra, readers can see it. They appreciate the writer, and they enjoy the experience. Readers notice that “value-added” difference. They’ll be back to see whether we can do it again.

And that’s when consistency is the operative word. 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles:
SEO–Five Traits of Relevant Content
Turning Reluctant Readers into Loyal Fans
Audience is Your Destination

1.6 Thanks again, Indie

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Syncornicity title image

THANKS INDIE, for sharing your blog and yourself with us this week. The Synchronicity of Indeterminacy has so much that makes it a successful blog, but I’d say the key is the care and tending of a man named Indie. . . .

These are three of my favorite story links from The Synchronicity of Indeterminacy for pleasure reading this weekend.

This Would Be an All-Nighter

Stop Treating Me Like a Baby

Evelyn Had Been Granted Three Wishes

Of course at Indie’s blog, there are hundreds more. If you have time, you might jump to the Index–it’s organized both by story and by week.

Made enough decisions this week? Try the Read Random button which will choose a story for you–one more cool detail about this memorable blog.

    synchronicity random read image

If you do get a chance to read a story or two, be sure to leave Indie a comment to let him know you were there.

Indie also suggests these sites for some other fun reads.

saddlesore review

Retarius
Retarius was saved by its fans the search archives when the writer had decided to delete it. Also upon the announcement that the writer was quitting one fan organized a memorial in which his fans all contribued a post. The follow post was Indie’s contribution to that memorial.

I’m Here with Professor Ernest

deep dark blue strip A
Thanks again, Indie. It was great having you around. 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss

1.3 Audience Synchroncity

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Interview with Indie
His Blog: The Synchronicity of Indeterminacy
URL: indeterminacy.blogspot.com
His audience: persons from all walks of life who like to read quality fiction–bloggers, high school and college students, people in the creative arts, and people who work with language in their jobs–his blogroll reflects his audience
Thing to note when you visit: the interactivity; the connection between Indie and his readers; the quality of the content; the special features and unique ideas

1.3 Audience Synchronicity

1.3 Audience

Indie has two English-language blogs and a Polish-language blog. Click the screen shot to see his satellite blog–Indeterminacies of Synchronicity. It’s this second blog that provides the venue for the feature that engages his audience in writing their own flash fiction stories each week. Each story posted there is rewarded with a link. The Polish-language blog offers translations of selected stories for a smaller segment of his audience.

Indie’s respect for his readers shows whenever he talks to or about them.

Indie, who is your audience?

I’ve been greatly surprised by the type of people reading my blog. In a nutshell I think of them as the blogging elite. I’ve received feedback from artists, musicians, authors, editors, stand-up comics, company CEO’s, psychotherapists, lawyers, professors and other high level professionals, many of them authors of intelligent blogs themselves. This is, for me, another sign of success. Not too long ago I noticed I had some referrals from an online university class in which the professor asked the students to analyze a flash fiction story of their choosing. He had included my URL as an example of flash fiction, a genre which I incidentally knew nothing about until long into the existence of my blog.

All this attention has been especially gratifying, but also intimidating. I hope I am able to keep up whatever it is that caught their interest.

How do your readers find out about you?

People have found me by accident, through links, random referrals, by word of mouth, using search engines and probably other ways I can’t imagine. I followed all the instructions for promoting one’s blog. I entered myself in all the directories and search engines, I use several traffic exchange programs, I comment at other blogs I find interesting (though these days I have hardly any time left for reading other blogs), I have a description and keywords list included in my blog template, which probably helps improve my search rank for various terms. Lately I’ve been presenting my blog at Blog Explosion’s blog battles. Also, many visitors seem to show up through image searches, which probably goes with the territory of having so many photo posts.

What do they like best about your site?

According to the feedback I receive, people like the idea of what I’m doing (pairing found photos with stories), even if they do not enjoy my writing. Others seem enthusiastic about the pace at which I post stories (five a week at the moment), as well as enjoying the stories. Others enjoy the interactivity or the fact that I try to answer all my comments. On weekends I post a photo without a story and invite my visitors to contribute their own story. I then post my take on the photo the Monday after. Those stories have all been collected at the companion blog indeterminacies.blogspot.com, including links to their respective authors. A few bloggers have been kind enough to write reviews about my project. I’ve linked to them on my front page, and would refer you to these for a feeling about what other people see in my blog.

Indie’s audience is made up of blogger readers from all walks of life. They could be the same people who read our blogs. It’s hard to miss Indie’s connection with his readers. I suspect that even with the great photos, stories, interactivity, and sense of community that the biggest attraction for readers is Indie.

What brings readers to your blog?

–ME “Liz” Strauss