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3 Ways to Keep Readers on Your Blog Longer

• Craig Wilson
• May 26, 2015

You’ve overcome the biggest challenge, driving traffic to your blog. But getting people to really read your blog posts and other content can be another roadblock. Luckily there are a number of easy strategies to help keep them on your page by encouraging engagement.

Here are three ways to keep your readers on your blog longer.

Polls

One strategy for engaging your readers is using online polls. People love to share their opinions on a subject and see how their views compare to others. You can easily embed a poll in your blog post. The key is to have a poll that is directly tied into your subject. Maybe you asked a question or brought up a controversial point. Asking your readers to weigh in will encourage them to think more deeply about your post. It will also motivate them to share your post because they want to see what their friends think as well.

Slide shows

People love visuals when reading blog posts. But slide shows take it to a whole other level. If you have compared products in your blog post, having a slide show is a great way to organize and illustrate your points. Or you might use the slide show to explore a topic related to your blog post. You don’t have to use just images with your slide show. You can incorporate YouTube videos as well by embedding them. This will keep people on your post even longer. The great thing about slide shows too is that they can be pinned on a Pinterest board, giving your blog even more exposure.

Comments

Comments are a mainstay for keeping people not only on your blog, but coming back to see how others have replied. Asking questions in your blog post is a great way to encourage comments. The key is to get a conversation going by replying to these comments. However, be careful not to try to defend every point in your blog post if you are challenged. Let others support what you are saying as well and encourage readers to have differing opinions. Being respectful and welcoming in your comments will go a long way to keep people engaging with your blog post.

If you would like to learn more ways to grow your business with a smart content strategy, contact us. You might also be interested in Sticky Strategic Blogging, where we do all the work for you.