From Sarah, With Joy

*Poet * Author * Wanderluster*

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Little Spiders, Strong Webs: Blog Stickiness for Newbie Writers

Today is another other-blogger inspired post, this time from the wise, down-to-earth and totally sexy Roni Loren. She gives a great overview of making your blog sticky, i.e. keeping people with you for longer and enticing them to come back. Definitely worth the read. In fact, go read it and then come back, okay?

Back? Good. So. Roni's article has gotten me thinking about the goodies that keep your blog sticky and interesting. I want, however, to focus on how this can work for us aspiring/newbie/unpublished writers. It's still vitally important for us to start building up our own little crowd of friends and supporters, and part of that is keeping people interested and coming back. But we don't have the previously published extras type goodies to work with. So, what can we do? (Sorry for doing lists two days in a row. What can I say...it's a listy week?)


  • Frequent updates: On projects, life, everything. Dynamic is way more sticky than static.
  • Mini-pieces: If you have short stories or poems or any other artsy stuff going on, make sure you have that available. It's sort of like an hors d'oeuvre. It gets people ready for the entree. 
  • Best Of from your own blog: good way for new people to get right to the heart of you.
  • Links to other social media profiles: these are like the outer strings of your web, potentially just as sticky as the hub. Or more so.
  • Links to the wiser: I know sending people to other places seems counter-productive, but if people know you're a good moderator of the collective wisdom out there then you become a logical first stop.
  • Pictures and music: Pinterest has made having your own personal art gallery a matter of point and click. You can post character pictures, book covers, general inspiration, anything you want. And I know I'm always looking for music recommendations. Everyone loves music and pictures.
  • Videos: Book trailers, funnies, informative, whatever.
  • Recipes: Since the Food Network, everyone's a foodie. Post recipes of dishes from the book your working on, or just good soul food that keeps you going.
  • News and Events: Your own personal news and events, as well as general interest. Book club meets, author readings, publishing news (which happens all the time these days). Lots of options.
  • Quizzes, polls, and contests.
Ok, those are the ideas I can think of right now. What other things can you do to make your blog sticky? Be prepared for some of these to start popping up in the tabs right up there :)

Sarah Allen



13 comments:

  1. I am stuck!! Great list, and, I think you are absolutely right.
    Ok...I read you first, now I will read the link.

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  2. Sounds like you are doing great in finding out what makes blog readers stick!

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  3. Great suggestions! I have some of these things in the works already--I'm doing a rewatch of Avatar: The Last Airbender on my site every Monday, and this week I had a nice little surge of people commenting. I'm also shooting to put up a post on my favorite villain archetypes tonight. I'm aiming for a three-a-week posting schedule right now: ATLA rewatch on Mondays, something writing/fun links on Wednesdays, and my progress report on Fridays.

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  4. Hi there. Thanks for the comments you left on Sarah Pearson's blog today.

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  5. These are some great ideas to hook your readers! I definitely enjoy when blog posts contain funny pictures, favorite songs, or silly video clips. It helps the bloggers personality shine through just a little bit more!

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  6. @Audrey-I love Avatar the Last Airbender (cartoon not the movie). I'll have to check out your blog. :)


    @Sarah, Great advice. I've never thought about stickiness.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  7. I do a few of these things. Actually, I do almost all of them, but spread them over two blogs, whihc doesn't make it as effective. It might be rethink it time.

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  8. Well, I've got the music down anyway :-)

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  9. Thanks for this! I will be re-evaluating my blog!!

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  10. I do the majority of what you've suggested on my main blog, although the occasional flash fiction will go on my non-PG13 rated blog.

    Stickiness is always a tough thing to have with a blog. I've been blogging for almost four years, and the one thing that I've found that works for on consistent basis is this:

    Honesty.

    Be honest about what you do on your blog and people will always hang around.

    If you're honest with your readers, they will stick around.

    Over the years, I have changed the frequency of my blog posts, and each time before doing so, I would let my readers know that I was doing so and why I was doing so.

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  11. Great job, Sarah! Something else I've noticed is "engagement"--in real time (not a week later), two-way conversations help to build that reader/author relationship!

    Cheers,
    Anna Soliveres

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  12. Excellent advice. Thank you. I'm just getting into blogging and will be using many of your suggestions.

    @everyone else - great comments!

    ~MW

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  13. Thanks for sharing! Have a Best Of list is a great idea. :)

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I absolutely love hearing from you! Thank you so, so much for your thoughts and comments, they really do make my day. Consider yourself awesome. Also, I do my best to respond to every comment within 24 hours, so I invite you to come back and continue the conversation :)

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