If you’re a serious blogger, you want readers who will visit your site frequently and leave comments and suggestions for you. You want lots of people to check out your content on a regular basis and to recommend you to their friends and family.

That’s where subscription to your email newsletter and/or RSS feed comes in handy. When users subscribe to your blog, they get instant updates when you post something new on your site, so they can immediately check it out and share it with other people if they feel like it.

However, getting readers to subscribe to your blog is not as easy as it sounds. There are certain stumbling blocks you have to get past first in order to get a healthy readership that will stay loyal to you for a long time. You might say that you’re in the blogging business for the fun of it, but the fun factor comes in only when you actually have someone to talk to. A blog needs an audience to grow and make money.

Make your message loud and clear

The problem with convincing readers to subscribe to your blog lies with misunderstanding what “subscription” to a blog means. Most Internet users will immediately think that you will charge them something to visit your site in the future, just like the subscription coupons tucked in between magazine pages.

Now who would want to subscribe (and pay for viewing a site) when you can browse for free as a non-subscriber? No one. And yet, blog subscriptions (whether through RSS feeds or email newsletters) don’t mean the same thing as your old-fashioned magazine coupons.

To get readers to subscribe to your blog, you should emphasize first of all that you are offering them this service for free. Make it clear to them that subscribing to your blog is actually for their own good because they will be the first ones to know about your new posts, videos, photos, games and gimmicks. In the information age, knowledge is everything, and if you’re the first to get it then you’re definitely lucky.

That kind of positive spin to subscription is a great way to encourage them to subscribe to your blog and be your constant follower.

Convince your readers to click that button

After you’ve made it absolutely clear that subscribing to your blog won’t cost your readers even a single penny, you have to make sure that they will have an easy time signing up to be your subscriber.

Put the subscription buttons and forms in a prominent spot on your page so that they can click it right away. The button should be really eye-catching and the signup form simple enough to be filled up in a few seconds. Don’t ask for too many information because that will make your readers feel that you are overstepping the bounds of their privacy by getting more than their name and email address.

Some blogs feature a pop-up screen that displays the subscription box first before you can view the site. You can also use footers and hover ads, although they can be a little annoying as they move along with your cursor as you view the pages from top to bottom.

It’s all about crafting ways to ensure that your readers know you’re offering subscription services for free. If they don’t know what an RSS feed or email newsletter is, include a link to explain to them exactly what you mean when you ask them to sign up.

It might also help if you avoid saying “Subscribe to our RSS feed/email newsletter” and replace it with something a little more imaginative like “Get instant updates now”. The second line sounds better and sweetens the deal by letting your readers feel that subscribing to your blog is actually for their benefit and not yours, when in fact it is a win-win situation for both.

Don’t forget your content

Now that you’re ready to receive subscriptions, you should make sure that your content is nothing but top-notch and genuine. You can easily lose subscribers once they realize that you have nothing useful or entertaining for them on your website. What you actually post on your blog is the number one thing that your readers are after, so don’t short-change by offering low-quality articles.

Every blogger needs a reader and fan club. As your blog matures and you gain more readers, you should also see a similar increase in your subscription rates. Your career depends on the people who enter your site and converse with you through constant feedbacks.

Sources:
http://www.mikeslife.org/content/how-get-your-blog-readers-subscribe
http://www.copyblogger.com/increase-blog-subscribers/

This article was written by Justin from Life Insurance Finder, offering advice on the best life insurance. He blogs about what you and your family needs to know about life insurance.

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