I was working with a client’s blog design. As I was putting it together I asked where they wanted their subscription button and social media buttons. The client said they didn’t need those and I suggested that we come back to that for a discussion. Yes, they now have these buttons as well as other ways of embracing readers.
When you start a business blog it’s usually not just for giggles, rather the plan is to convey information or a story to prospective clients or customers. Bloggers don’t post once and that’s the end of it. Bloggers write and post regularly and want to develop and maintain a group of readers. Readers aren’t going to Google your URL and come back to read frequently, nor are they likely to simply bookmark your blog page. Successful blogging requires a way to deliver blog posts to your readers so you and your business stay front-of-mind.
RSS Feed is the power behind blogging. It stands for Really Simple Syndication. The little orange blog symbol is seen on blogs all over the internet and a click of the button allows readers to add your blog feed (all your future blog posts) to their “reader” of choice. I like to subscribe to blogs this way, reading updates in the Google Reader (that’s my reader of choice).
Perhaps the most powerful way to connect the blog with readers is to import the RSS Feed to your business page on Facebook. Well, there’s an app for that! Twitterfeed, RSS Grafitti, Feedblitz are a few of the apps that can bring your blog to your business page. A caveat about feeding your page through an app– it can be slow. The feed isn’t instantaneous like texting, but rather coordinates with Facebook, thus in some cases taking hours or even a day or two to appear on your page. However the real up side of the apps is that your blog is your page and each post will be seen by those who “like” your page.
One of my favorite methods to deliver blog updates is Feedburner. It’s a Google company so it’s free and reliable. An advantage of using Feedburner is that it delivers the updates in an email to your subscriber, meaning people who like email delivery can get your blog. It also means that if you’re a savvy blogger you can probably skip those email marketing services — saving on costs any your time in prepping a separate e-newsletter.
Subscibers are your blog followers, so give them a way to keep following.
