3 Simple Tips to Boost Reader Engagement

As an independent creator, your readers are everything. They are the reason you do what you do, and the ones who will ultimately determine your success.
Keeping readers engaged can be a challenge in today's fast-paced world with endless distractions vying for our attention. So what should we be doing to keep our readers engaged?

#1 — Understand your readers

It's up to us as creators to know what our audience is looking for and create in a way that resonates. A lot of this comes down to doing extensive research and having a deep understanding of your topic, but you can also use data to your advantage. Try sending a quick survey, or using tools like audience feedback to gather information on each newsletter you send.

#2 — Be consistent

Your most loyal and engaged readers are the ones who have built a habit of reading your content, and the only way to encourage these reading habits is to be consistent.

• Set a schedule and stick to it, or at the very least keep readers in the loop when it's going to change (even if it's temporary).
• Be consistent in distributing your content to the right places and show up where your audience expects you to show up, whether that's in their inbox, in their Twitter feed, on LinkedIn, MySpace (jk), or all of the above.
• Make your email subject lines consistent so your readers can quickly identify your content in their inbox (with this newsletter, we always use short subject lines that start with an emoji 👋).
• Set clear expectations so your readers know what to expect from you. Your about page and welcome pages are great places to set the correct tone and make sure readers know what they're getting into. You can also be more transparent with your audience by including their subscription details in your newsletters.
• #3 — Build a community
• Creating a space for conversations to happen around your content is a great way to increase engagement because it gives your audience the opportunity to their thoughts or questions with you, or connect with other members of your community. It also creates a space for you to connect with readers, adding a human element to your content.
• Whether these conversations take place in a forum or Discord server, or in comments directly on your posts, readers who feel like they're part of a community are much more likely to come back

#3 — Build a community

Creating a space for conversations to happen around your content is a great way to increase engagement because it gives your audience the opportunity to their thoughts or questions with you, or connect with other members of your community. It also creates a space for you to connect with readers, adding a human element to your content.

Whether these conversations take place in a forum or Discord server, or in comments directly on your posts, readers who feel like they're part of a community are much more likely to come back

Bonus tip — Use a read more section

Surfacing recent or relevant content in your posts and newsletters is a great way to encourage engagement and boost the amount of time readers spend on your site. We just released a new feature to add a "Keep Reading" block to the footer of every email newsletter. Neat!

Keeping your readers engaged as an independent creator requires a combination of research, consistency, community-building, and experimentation. By focusing on these areas and continually striving to provide value to your readers, you can build a loyal following that will support you for years to come.

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