I’ve written previously that one of the primary objectives of a blog is to engage readers. Unfortunately, we sometimes get so focused on our message and making our blog stand out that we forget about our audience, the people reading our posts. These folks bring new insights and ideas to our posts and provide us with the opportunity for dialogue and feedback .
Here’s an idea: Why not recognize a reader and give them their 15 seconds of fame.Yes, you heard me right, make it about them.
If you create a space or regular column highlighting some of your readers, you accomplish both the benefit of acknowledging that your readers have something to contribute, but it also shows other readers that you value their opinion as well even though you only recognize a few.
A recent post by Darren Rowse, Pay special attention to a reader, outlines 8 ways to highlight your readers. Here are some highlights:
- Promote a comment to a post. When a reader makes a good point, recognize them and talk about their comment.
- Write a post about their blog. Check out some of the blogs of people who share your ideas and write an unpaid review of their blog on what you like about it.
- Send your readers to comment on others blogs. Write a post that links people to another site and ask them to comment on the other person’s site.
- Give readers opportunity to promote themselves. Run a contest/project that gives readers an opportunity to promote themselves.
- Reader of the week. Highlight a reader once a week, say on a Friday.
- Projects/competition. Invite readers to post blogs and share a link with others.
- Run a reader poll. Then highlight it in a follow-up post.
- Invite guest posts. A great way to get another perspective as well as giving someone else the opportunity to have an impact on your blog.
Those are some ideas. What have you found that works?