How Authors Can Grow a Large Audience and Connect With More Readers
Have you ever looked at your social media outlets or your blog and realize that your friends and family are the only ones liking or commenting on your posts or reading your blog?
It’s a frustrating place to be - especially if you’re trying to grow your audience and reach more people.
I recently received an email from a woman named Lydia and she’s facing this exact situation. This is a question I’ve gotten before and I thought it would be helpful to everyone if I addressed it.
Here’s Lydia’s question:
I'm a blogger, trying to increase my number of followers in the hopes of submitting a book proposal to publishers in the near future. When I read your posts, I feel like I'm doing a lot of the things you say, but I can't seem to move past the people who read my posts being people I know in real life. I get some followers on Instagram that I don't know, but I'm not sure any of them ever interact with my actual blog. A) How much does that even matter? and B) do you have any specific advice for growing your audience larger than people you know?
To address this question, I’m going to break it up into two parts:
Blogs (which also applies to podcasts and video blogs)
Social media
Creating Great Content
Blog posts, podcast episodes (with good show notes), and video posts are the best ways to drive a steady stream of traffic to your website. Social media is not destination you want your readers to stay on - your website is! Your social media posts are just the connection tool that lets your followers know you have new amazing content for them on your website.
So your website content you create on a consistent basis plays the biggest role in turning mere connections into true fans. But that’s easier said than done, right?
Here’s the key: you need to create content that your ideal reader is interested in and what they are looking for online. It’s all about your reader - not you, the author.
That’s why knowing who your ideal reader is essential to establishing a strong online presence.
Think about someone who is close to you - your partner, your best friend, or a family member. You know a lot of details about them. You know what they like and dislike, what they are interested in, what their hobbies are, their beliefs, and so on. Because you know so much about them, it’s easy to find things to talk about with them, and what makes them light up with excitement.
The same goes with knowing your ideal reader. When you know them as a person it will be so much easier to write blog posts and create content that they are interested in and that they want to read.
If you find that people are not reading your blog, here are a few easy things you can do:
Identify your ideal reader. Pick a specific person at a specific age. This can be someone you know or someone completely made up. The key is to think about the ideal person for your book. Think about their interests and hobbies - chances are you share many traits and interests that are similar to theirs.
Change up your content. If you’re a fiction writer, I know this can be difficult, so I came up with 100 blog topics that can get you started. If you write non-fiction, think about specific problems you can help your ideal reader solve based on what you know they struggle with the most. Make your list and those are your blog topics.
Create headlines and descriptions that really grab your reader’s attention. “Read my new blog post” won’t be enough to get people to click on your link. Your headline is the first thing they’ll see that should make them want to click to read more. Use keywords you know will catch their attention and that they look for. Make a note of the best line from your post to use with that link. Make it really clear why they should take time to read or listen to what you have to say.
Share your blog posts more than once on your social media accounts. This is a HUGE mistake that I see so many authors make. They only share their blog post when they publish it and wonder why no one is reading it. You have to share it multiple times. I share blog posts that I wrote three years ago because the content is still relevant and not everyone sees it the first time you post it. Especially those new followers you will be getting every week.
Making Connections on Social Media
The thing to remember about social media is that it’s a two way street. If you’re expecting to simply post your content and people will come flocking, you’ll be disappointed. The key to getting more eyes on your social media and your blog content begins before you even share your post.
During my first days as a freshman in college I was incredibly lonely. As a complete introvert I didn’t have any friends, so I just stayed up in my room. I called my mom and she said, “Have you gone out to introduce yourself to anyone?” This idea completely flipped me out but she said, “You can’t expect everyone to come to you! They don’t know that you’re hanging out in your room by yourself - you have to go out and meet them.”
And she was right. I started slowly by knocking on my next-door neighbor’s door and introducing myself. She introduced me to someone else and it snowballed from there.
It’s exactly the same way with social media. You have to make the first move. But how do you do that? Here are a few options:
Like, comment, and sharing posts. This is how you introduce yourself to new people on social media. If you’re only using hashtags on your posts, you’re like me my freshman year waiting for people to come to you. As an author, you have to reach out to others and interact with them on their posts as well.
Hashtags. Using hashtags in your post is one thing - they make your content discoverable and it categorizes your post so people can find what they are looking for. But hashtags are also the best way to connect with people you want to reach. I walk you through how to find the right hashtags and how to connect with others in this post.
Use Reels. Creating Instagram Reels is one of the best ways to grow your audience and connect with more readers. If you’re looking for how to get started, grab my 10 Instagram Reels for Authors - it’s free and will also give you a walkthrough of how to use Reels.
Starting these conversations and reaching out to others doesn’t need to take over your life. You can do a lot in just 10 minutes each day.
Keep in mind that making meaningful connections with people is not going to happen overnight. It requires consistency and patience. But if you stick with it, create content that speaks to your ideal reader, and initiate conversations on social media, you will see amazing results.
If you want to go a step further and get all of the tools, resources, and help that you need to market your book, grow on social media, and sell more books - join The Author Circle membership!
