3 Mistakes Bloggers Make When Trying To Grow Their Audience
When I first starting blogging I made a LOT of mistakes. Tons, in fact. But I don't look back on those mistakes with regret... I mean, I do, but I'm also really happy with what I learned along the way. Trial and error played a large part in getting me to where I am today, and I wanted to share a few of the BIGGEST mistakes bloggers can make when trying to grow their following.
1. They focus on growing their audience in the wrong places.
If you're solely trying to grow your audience on social media, that's bad. Why? Because you don't - and never will - own that audience. It's awesome that you have a huge Instagram following, but you don't have the information you need from that audience to reach them when you really need to reach them. Maybe you have a really amazing blog post that you want people to know about, or you're launching a paid course that you're super proud of... If you're just trying to grow your audience on social media, then you have no way of getting in touch with your followers exactly when you need to.
So where should you instead grow your audience?
EMAIL!!!
Email lists are the absolute best because you totally and completely own your following. No algorithm or company can take it from you. And, with an email list you have a real opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your audience.
Remember. You're email list is precious. Nurture and appreciate it. This means no spamming, and only sending out emails that are relevant and valuable to the people who have trusted you with their inbox, which is basically their virtual home in the online world.
And because someone trusts you and your site enough to allow you into their inbox, it also means that they are more likely to buy from you now and in the future. Seriously, there are SO MANY studies out there that prove this is true. Your email list is literally a gold mine. Emails convert at a much higher rate than social media posts. Fact. This means that if you post an offer on your social media and you send that same offer to your email list, more people are going to buy/click that offer via email.
Having an email list basically ensures that you're fully optimizing your audience/site traffic, which is especially great if you intend to monetize your site. Having an email list ensures that your messages are actually being seen by the people who you knoware interested. Think of it this way; Instagram doesn't notify each and every one of your followers every time you post something new. But if someone opts into your email list, you know that they'll see your message every time you send one to their inbox.
2. They don't have a strong lead magnet.
A lead magnet is often a freebie of some sort that you give to people who opt in to your email list. This freebie should help them in some way and provide value. They're giving you their email, so you need to give them something awesome in return to show them that you appreciate their time and trust.
For example on this site I offer a totally awesome, free branding guide. It took me about a day to put together, and it's valuable because it walks you through creating a cohesive brand from start to finish. This does really well for my site, because most of my readers are new bloggers and/or aspiring makeup artists who are trying to build and grow their brands. And to grow a successful business, your branding needs to be on point.
Your freebie should be hard to resist, and align with the needs of your audience. Not sure what to offer? Just ask. You'd be surprised what you'll learn from doing a few quick polls on social media.
3. Their opt-in forms aren't strategic.
Would the form shown above grab your attention if you scrolled by it in someone's sidebar? I know that I probably wouldn't give it a second glance. That's because I have no idea what I'm going to get when I enter my email. Be sure to tell people straight away what they'll be getting and why it's awesome.
It's also important to have multiple opt-in forms around your site, not just in your sidebar. For example on this site I have opt-in forms in my sidebar, in my footer (on every single page), sprinkled throughout my blog posts, and on my contact and about pages. And I do also use pop-ups to collect emails. I know that the word "pop-up" is a bit icky and we automatically think spammy thoughts, but honestly, they work. Like, they really work. Just make sure they're classy and don't bombard your users.
Something else to keep in mind is that not every opt-in form needs to offer the same freebie. On this site I offer a few. This is because some people might land on my homepage and not be interested in my free branding guide, but they might decide to subscribe when prompted in the middle of a blog post because they're interested in my free Brand Visibility Checklist (which contains 24 suggested daily actions that will definitely help you grow your blog! wink wink).
So why do you need so many opt-in forms? You'd think one would be enough! But it really isn't. Research shows that on average, we need to see something 7 times before taking action. Plus, you put some real effort into making your lead magnet awesome and valuable, and you want to give your audience several opportunities to nab it.
A COUPLE WAYS TO INCREASE EMAIL SIGN-UPS
Here are two strategic and efficient ways of increasing email sign-ups!
1. Include an opt-in form in your most popular posts. Head over to Google Analytics to see which of your posts have been receiving the most traffic over the last 30 days or so and be sure to add in an opt-in form at the bottom of each of those posts.
2. Create a Pinterest Pin to incentive sign-ups. Add vertical "pinnable" images to your blog posts that promote your freebie. Then pin those images from your blog to Pinterest. When someone clicks through from Pinterest it will be because they are already interested in your freebie, and they'll see your opt-in form and sign-up. Done and dusted.