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Why I Subscribe to Your Blog, or Not! Bloggers, Pick a Reader’s Brain?

What makes one subscribe to a blog?

 
Every blogger wants more readers, and so when this question popped into my mind last night, as I was about to go to bed, I took notice.  As this kind of thing usually happens while I am already half asleep, I was grateful, and promptly jotted down some notes, hopefully like a true blogger!

Anyway, here are my top reasons which make me wanna subscribe to your blog, or not!

All bloggers want MORE subscribers!

 

What’s in a Name?

Apparently everything? If yours has caught my eye, then I am definitely going to click on it to see if your blog lives up to it. The hardest part is getting readers through the door, and guess what? by choosing a great name that is informative, and memorable – that’s done.

Would you check out 17000days, Men with Pens, the Happiness project, or be more with less , just to name a few?

Looks Matter!!

Never underestimate the power of the design, layout, style, arrangement of posts etc etc. In easier words, if your blog does not look professional, it’s not likely that anyone would subscribe. By professional I mean, by first glance people should see that you the author actually care about it enough to make it look presentable. Having clearly defined categories help immensely as well. Keep it simple, keep it professional.

I love the simple, uncluttered feel of Reading for Your Success, Write to Done and Copy Blogger.

Are We On the Same Page?

This needn’t be said. If I have spent a few seconds on the blog, it’s because I am deciding whether the subject matter is of any interest to me. So for instance, even if I have clicked on to a blog, if it’s a news or politics or technology or business, I am not interested, sorry guys. Its nothing personal. If it’s about fashion, celebrities, cooking, sport, sadly, I am not your target reader again. 

I also like to go narrow and go deep, like most readers. I will subscribe to blogs on writing, blogging, personal development, blogs that have quirky content. (Have you seen Lego a day?) Have a look at my blogroll, and you will see what I mean. I am actually updating that and will be sharing my newest finds with you. How is that significant for a blogger? Develop a niche and people will find you if they are interested in the topic you cover.

Every bogger’s dream, readers clicking subscribe.

 

Who Are You Again?

Most people, after spending a few seconds looking at your blog, (which covers the points mentioned above), generally go straight to the ‘about me’ section, and that is why it is soooo important. While this is not a deal breaker, it is actually quite significant.

I like to connect with people I like. And sometimes its a tad difficult when you don’t get to see the person who is behind all the fabulous writing.

A picture is often a sign of the blogger being friendly and open and – putting themselves out there – as they do with their writing. It’s not easy but it helps. Even face hidden kinda is better than no picture. Blog is not an online magazine, nor a portal of useful articles. People want to know you – picture helps a lot.

Checkout Tsh of Simple Mom here, Suzannah of Write it sideways here, and Katie of Momentum Gathering here. Gorgeous people, hence gorgeous blogs. 

Your style? I Like!

I love it when the author regularly replies back to reader comments, makes me feel needed.

I love it even more when once in a blue moon, they check out my blog, and I worship them if they actually read and comment – I know this has got nothing to do with subscribing, but I had to say that. Not sure about you-comment-I-go-over-to-yours-&-comment-back rule, but sure is nice to have big bloggers having a look at ours once eh?

Go on, click on it!

Sell Me Something?

Ok, I think it’s alright if you are offering an ebook for sale. But do I have to hire you as well? I might, except I am having difficulty finding anything of interest navigating through those 37 ads that are currently on your page. I understand blogs as businesses as well, but do you only want me as a potential buyer of your products or can I just enjoy your blog in peace?

Also, please don’t get preachy on me, doesn’t really help. Go here .. naah, can’t be this rude now, can I? heheh

Perfection is Overrated

Yes, good writing is extremely important, and so is content, there is absolutely no doubt about it. But think about it, who do we connect most with in our real life, the person who is perfect in every sense or people who are beautiful and imperfect like the rest of us? Same goes for blogs: I like to see personality, I like to see ooomph, I do not like perfection. Makes me feel ..not very good.

I am trying to figure out the direction of my blog, it is something I want to be able to do for a living eventually, something that combines everything I am passionate about – reading, learning, teaching, writing, blogging, connecting with people. So this is a ‘play’ blog for me, and while I am doing this, things evolve in their own imperfect ways.

If you want to join in the journey, please subscribe. Learn alongside me and keep letting me know that I am doing something right.

Marya Jan

35 Comments

  1. bookjunkie Says :
    Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    I do like good photos in a blog as well…as they say a picture is worth a thousand words 🙂 & because my eyesight is not that great I appreciate the pictures…and also huge clear fonts.

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:41 pm

      Hi bookjunkie,

      Thanks for your comment. Yes, no blog is complete without good photos right.
      So I took my own advice and ventured out to your side of the things. Would have loved a photo. :))
      Cheers

  2. Jennifer Says :
    Posted on April 13, 2011 at 8:47 pm

    This is really, really, really great stuff!
    Love it, and Thank You!

    Choose Happiness & Success!
    Jennifer

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:47 pm

      Hi Jennifer,

      Thanks so much. And also my apologies for some typos. Amidst the loud screaming of my 2 kids, and the bigger kid (read hubby), I had REALLY tried to proofread for the hundredth time. Alas, some ones managed to escape me anyway. I will blame it on the family – and imperfection. 🙂

      And yes, I will always choose happiness & success. Thanks for the reminder! Cheers

  3. Keith Stevenson Says :
    Posted on April 14, 2011 at 12:54 am

    As I’ve mentioned before on your blog, Marya, my own blog is written for members of my Family. The whole world is welcome to stray onto it, of course, and I get a nice buzz from browsers comments about how they enjoy what I write and the photos I put on there.
    Nevertheless, I’m impressed by your tips on attracting more traffic to one’s blog. You really think things out, young lady, and pass on your excellent ideas to all those who need your help. Thank you for that.
    Please keep up the good work you do.

  4. Sandra Bell Kirchman Says :
    Posted on April 14, 2011 at 1:52 am

    Really good stuff, Marya. Looks like you are back on track after your hiatus. Keep up the good work!

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 15, 2011 at 1:33 pm

      Thanks very much Sandra. Always love having you over. 🙂

  5. Katie Says :
    Posted on April 14, 2011 at 4:11 am

    Lovely post and such profoundly beautiful advice. If this is a “play blog”, I can’t wait to see how it evolves. I’m honoured to be mentioned. Thanks so much Marya.

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 15, 2011 at 1:34 pm

      Katie, thanks so much for your lovely words. I am so honoured to hear such positive feedback. You’re blog is an inspiration to me and I would tell that to everyone who’d care to listen. Cheers 🙂

  6. Ava Aston's Muckery Says :
    Posted on April 14, 2011 at 4:12 am

    I really thought your post today should be required reading in Blog 101 class. For informative, yet light hearted…because we all know you don’t like preachy.

    Well done.

    Blessings,

    Ava
    xox

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 15, 2011 at 1:35 pm

      Preachy? me? God no! heheheh Atleast I think so. Many thanks Ava.

  7. nkeda14 Says :
    Posted on April 14, 2011 at 8:21 am

    Good point! For me, I think “about me” pages are very important. Like you said we want to know about the person too. Thanks for the tips I will have to apply them on mine 😀

  8. Norbuten
    Posted on April 14, 2011 at 3:30 pm

    Heyyy,
    I m newcomer at this blog so it would be very happy if any one would write me some kind words on how, when, where to blog….
    Thanks a lots

  9. genesismeranda Says :
    Posted on April 14, 2011 at 4:42 pm

    Hi Marya! Thanks for coming by and leaving a comment. One of m favorite things to do since I was FPd is head over and skim what the rest of WordPress bloggers are up too! I LOVE this post. This is really great information. Personally, I love putting a face to each blogger. It makes things feel more connected. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 15, 2011 at 1:37 pm

      Thanks very much. Am happy to help out where I can. Best of luck with repeating FP success – to both of us. heheh

  10. Mara Rose Says :
    Posted on April 14, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    Marya,

    Great post, great advice! Keep it coming. I love your reading pile.

    Mary Jane

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 15, 2011 at 1:39 pm

      Thanks Mara. I have been away for a while so I haven’t really read anything, which is extremely strange for me. Can’t wait to the wonderful world of books and see what gems are new on the scene. Always very excited about that.

  11. Tess The Bold Life Says :
    Posted on April 17, 2011 at 2:45 am

    I agree about “perfection” some never get started because their work is never good enough. Welcome to Alist Bloggers Club! You’ll bloom like a flower there and so will your blog.

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 18, 2011 at 8:12 pm

      Hi Tess, glad you agree. Often people mistake competence for perfection, which in turn makes it very difficult to accomplish anything. Thanks for dropping by, much appreciated. 🙂

  12. incertitude Says :
    Posted on April 17, 2011 at 4:29 am

    great post!

    stumbled upon your blog and liked a lot what you write. am myself interested in starting a blog but dont know if i would eventually be able to overcome the fright, insecurity and, of course, the procrastination. but your posts have been great inspiration. intend to keep visiting.

    cheers,
    incertitude
    (ya, thats what defines me the best, at the moment)

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 18, 2011 at 8:12 pm

      Thanks very much for that. Hope to see more of you soon. Cheers 🙂

  13. knot2share Says :
    Posted on April 18, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    You are well and truely warmed up to start writing. Lovely blog and lots of it makes sense.

    I do not subscribe to any blogs. When I stumble upon an interesting blog to read and if I feel that I will visit the blog often (as often as time permits me), I keep a note of them or add them on my blogroll. I like to be able to take time when I log on and visit them each time. It is like personally visiting the blog. I may not be able to visit them all the time or may not be able to visit all of them in one go and may not be able to read all the posts. But I like to take the effort and click on the links and be pleasantly surprised to find some interesting posts. Just like how I came here without a prompt and look what I see!!! 🙂

    To me, subscribing to a blog is just a convenient option of being notified when a new post is published by the author/blogger. The notification comes to your email box. On a busy day, we possibly may not even look at them or we might tell ourselves that we will come back to this some other time – which may never happen. Or on a really cranky day, too many notifications in my inbox could irritate me when I am looking for something else. Or the fact that somebody is else is able to write often when I am struggling to keep it going, could put me off :-).

    Well, these are all my thoughts and I hope somebody might agree with me too :-). Don’t take it in the wrong sense please. For those who have a definite purpose for their blogs or for those who are trying to find the direction of their blog (like you have just said), it sure is a good tool.

    Now coming to adding a picture – Again, nothing wrong with it. But I think I speak when I am behind a mask! Yeah, I know what you think of me.

    PLEASE EXCUSE FOR MY LONG FEEDBACK. I WILL BE CAREFUL NEXT TIME.

    • knot2share Says :
      Posted on April 18, 2011 at 9:50 pm

      I meant – PLEASE EXCUSE MY LONG FEEDBACK. Sorry!

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 18, 2011 at 10:33 pm

      Hi knot2share (since you won’t share your name :), I was just signing off for the day, good thing I checked my email. Actually, your comments about subscribing to blogs are very interesting- and valid. I, in fact did not subscribe to many blogs mysef, and exactly for the same reasons. Just recently, I have subscribed to all the blogs on my blogroll and then some more. Reckon might follow my own advice. But what I do is save my subscription emails to go over later. I also like to click on the link and go to the actual site to read the post. More fun that way.

      Hey, have you noticed the changes I have made to my blog? I have updated ‘about Marya’ and added ‘about Marya’s blog’ at the top. I have also changed the text box at the top of right panel that used to read 300 words. I am soooo excited about this… what do you think? Can I make this work???

      Heyy, keep the long feedback coming, cuz I am loving it! 🙂

  14. mesulli Says :
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 6:44 am

    If your blog posts continue to have the friendly voice you’ve managed so far, I know I’ll continue to enjoy reading your insights….

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 7:29 pm

      Actually its very important for me to ‘connect’ with my readers. This is one of the primary reasons why I started this blog. Life is too short to go on without knowing kindred spirits, and sometimes you cannot find these people in real life. I am not very lucky in the sense that my family (they are my best friends) lives in a different contintent. Although I have a few really close friends, sometimes I just feel so alone -it’s hard to find people who are willing to listen to you go on and on about blogging. Its nice to have people coming over to my blog and saying nice things, loneliness doesn’t seem too big an issue then. Hope to see you again soon. Many thanks 🙂

  15. samyak Says :
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 7:39 am

    Hi Marya.

    You write from the heart. I like your posts. But I am sorry, if the aim is getting people to subscribe, you are missing the point. Whereas, if you are writing from your heart, people will scribble your web address on the last piece of paper left with them.

    So, I believe, it´s all about content, content and content.

    I like your writings and am already a fan. You are on my blogroll.

    cheers,
    ThoughtTavern

    • maryawrites Says :
      Posted on April 23, 2011 at 7:41 pm

      Hi TT. First of all, I must say I think your photography is gorgeous!

      Secondly, no I don’t think the aim of writing is to ONLY get subscribers. Actually, for a person offering some product or services through their blog, it is crucial – no subscribers, no business.

      That being said I completely understand where you are coming from. Its totally about the content, however it is nice to have people subscribe or atleast bookmark your blog to keep coming back. I blog because I love writing, sharing whatever knowledge I might have with others and thus try and help them out. I love to have like minded people come to my blog and its amazing they keep coming. The list keeps growing! Thanks for putting my blog on your blogroll, I am deeply honoured. 🙂

  16. samyak Says :
    Posted on April 23, 2011 at 11:11 pm

    couldn´t agree more with you.

    btw thanks for the compliment. my photography skills are miserable, it´s just that i happen to be at the right place at the right time and that´s all about it!

    your blog has been a great push for me to finally go ahead and put it out in the public what were thusfar only my very personal thoughts. but you are right, its amazing to share these with likeminded people and yes, there are so many likeminded people around just waiting for us to waive our hand.

    So, thanks again.
    cheers,

  17. Give Your Blog a Complete Makeover - 18 Action Steps to a path of Blogging Success - Writing Happiness Says :
    Posted on August 26, 2011 at 11:16 am

    […] What sort of readers do you expect to attract to your blog? Why should they subscribe? […]

  18. Cara Stein Says :
    Posted on September 7, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    Hi Marya, I just discovered this post. You make a lot of really good points, especially about the ads. I think those popup subscription boxes are even worse.

    Thanks for the mention–I appreciate it!

    • marya
      Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:58 am

      Hi Cara. Its good to have you here, I am familiar with your blog, you are doing a fantastic job. 🙂 I agree with you, those pop ups are sooo annoying – just too much in your face. Plus, when you actually visit a blog for the first time, and within 3 seconds BAM you are hit with one, would you ever – I mean seriously – ever subscribe? Literally,after 3 seconds. Are these people serious?

      • Cara Stein Says :
        Posted on September 13, 2011 at 4:31 am

        Exactly! People say they get 3x more subscribers with them. I always wonder what kind of people they must be. Do they just automatically type their email address into anything that pops up? I don’t get it!

  19. Lynne Says :
    Posted on July 8, 2014 at 12:46 am

    Good advice. I’m just beginning to blog and am enjoying the experience so far. My photography skills have a long way to go, but I’m working on them.

    Like so many blogs, yours included, I’m striving to provide helpful advice. My best feedback so far was from my sister who said my blogs sound just like me…so my personality is apparently coming through them.

    Best of luck in finding a direction for your blog.