You’ve put money into the development of a content strategy, incorporated an amazing writer and you’re publishing fresh blog posts on a regular basis. There’s a lot of traffic coming to your website, you’re turning some of it from a casual user into a customer , and things are looking up.
Have you ever thought about what the reason people read your blog?
I’m not talking about the place the visitors come from The fact is that Google Analytics will tell you that – but the reason they’re to your website.
No this isn’t about keyword phrases and clickbait headlines. Nor am I talking about the SEO strategies the team and you created to draw clicks.
Think about it this way What is it that draws readers to check out blogs on a regular basis and why do they prefer to visit your blog in particular?
It’s a completely different matter and one which content marketers seldom think about, but instead assume that people are going to search for information and that quality content will entice many of them.
But it’s actually more complicated than that, and addressing the question on your blog will assist you in creating more engaging content, engage your readers better and keep them returning.
In this article, we’ll look at the reasons why blog readers are interested in – which one is the most appealing to your readers?
The Science behind Reading Blogs
In the factors that draw users to blogs, the best research has been conducted by Prof. Barbara Kaye at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In 2010, she published an article peer-reviewed to the blogs: Toward the development of a Uses and Gratifications Scale for Blogs. Scale for blogs within the Atlantic Journal of Communication where she detailed the nine reasons why readers look for information on blogs.
This research, which has been frequently cited in the online and academic discussion on blogs revealed the different motives behind the clicking of visitors to blogs. It was the first time that, blog owners, including business owners could be aware of why visitors visited their websites and what they were expecting to find on their first visit.
But what it did not attempt was to categorize the readers into nine categories. In fact certain of the reasons readers came to blogs in search of information were conscious and connected to their usage of the internet and other reasons were more unintentional and related to the general habits and lifestyles of the users. Furthermore certain reasons were clearly close (having something related to the particular act of looking for information on a blog at this particular moment) however others were more general in nature, the blog is a popular source of information regarding the subject, in contrast to other media sources.
For marketers, acknowledging the nine reasons that a user decides to look for information on blogs , and an understanding of the particular factors driving people to their blogs is a vital step in designing, launching, and continuing to maintain a blog or content strategy.
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We’ll go through the nine reasons why people go through blogs, one by one.
1. Convenient Information Seeking
Blogs are frequently updated and are easily found by search engines and are usually managed by experts of the specific field the blog is dedicated to. This makes blogs an ideal sources of data for those who are looking to learn what’s happening within a particular domain since the most accurate and most up-to-date information is only the click of a Google search and a mouse click away.
2. Anti-Traditional Media Sentiment
Blogs are a type of media for the people. They could be funded by a business or serve as the sole source of revenue for a blogger on their own however, they are far away from the multi-billion-dollar businesses that make up the mainstream or traditional media. When a blogger is hesitant to trust conventional sources for information, they fill in the gap.
3. Expression/Affiliation
Blog readers typically associate themselves with and recognize as members of a group that is associated with specific blogs or theme. If a blog is organized around a particular theme, sports team, or even a political party, for example bloggers visit not just for the content on the blog , but as well for the chance to become a part of the world that the blog represents.
4. Guidance/Opinion Seeking
Bloggers are part of citizen media, however they’re more in line with the op-ed section than is the precise, straightforward news gathering arm of traditional media. Because of this, bloggers are more likely to voice their opinions without fear of reprisal. Some readers are not just there to learn what they believe and the reasons why they believe it. The mixture of reasoning and opinion is what drives this.
5. Blog Ambiance
If bloggers create an environment that is warm, pleasant to browse around in and positive for the targeted audience, readers will come and then stay. The general atmosphere of a blog may not be obvious for those who are avid users of blogs, it’s easy to differentiate blogs they frequent into ‘information-only and information and community’ sites, each with distinct ambiances.
6. Personal Fulfillment
There is less emphasis on the satisfaction which comes from getting the right information. by the term ‘personal fulfillment’ Kaye refers to enjoyment and entertainment. Many blog readers enjoy browsing blog posts because…reading blogs is a pleasure. If a blog is enjoyable or amusing and the writer or creator provides something that readers will enjoy who come back.
7. Political Debate
For certain kinds of blogs that specialize in specific specialties, politics is the place to be. If it’s red state versus blue state, conservative versus liberal or even democratic youth and autocratic autocrats with ingrained roots and political debates, whether you are watching or participating is a key reason for people to read blogs. The liberties that blogging offers in comparison other media sources just amplify this discussion.
8. Different Opinions
If you visit the editorial pages of the New York Times you know what you’re receiving. Similar is the case for MSNBC as well as, in a way, to Fox News. The blogosphere on the other hand, is many opinions and opinions that the traditional and mainstream media can not provide. If you are looking for a single opinion, you can read the Times If you’re seeking all opinions, check out blogs.
9. Specific Requirement
Another reason that people visit blog sites is when they are looking for a specific answer. Perhaps they’re seeking an exact fact, searching for details that Wikipedia could not provide or an opinion from an expert provided for free by a well-known expert in the subject. No matter what the case, if someone has an inquiry in particular it is likely that there will be an answer on a blog.