Don’t Bloggers Really Want Readers Instead of Followers?

As you peruse through forums, Facebook, Twitter, and other websites, you see a lot of traffic about, well getting traffic.  In forums, you will see posts that offer to “trade links.”  I’ll-show-you-mine-if-you-show-me-yours type stuff.  I guess that is one way of getting traffic. I am not going to say I have never done that or been guilty of begging myself from time to time.

But, I often wonder after links or “likes” are exchanged, do the two people involved in the exchange ever make a return visit to the website?  Many times, probably not.

So what’s the point?

Create the Demand

I am reminded of a basic marketing principle called supply and demand I learned in middle school.  By applying this to blogs, you can look at it the same way.  If there appears to be a demand, the product MUST be good. Right? (Having flashbacks of Beanie Babies or Cabbage Patch dolls, anyone?)

So, in the same way toy marketers create a large demand with a low supply, having a large following creates an image that people absolutely MUST follow this person since they have such a large group of followers. Stay with me.

How many times have you come across a decent blog, but there was only 4 followers/subscribers, so you immediately vacated the premises.  Or on the flip side, you come across a mediocre blog with thousands of followers and immediately feel the urge to make some type of lame ass comment, just to be recognized on this highly coveted place of blog real estate.

Sure, we don’t all fall prey to these transparent marketing ploys. But, I know some of you can relate. Basic psychology.

Why do we Keep Doing it?

Maybe this is an assumption, but I think in the long run, people actually DO want others to READ their blog, not just follow them.  But to get people to “buy” in to the product, we have to create the impression that it is a quality product.  If many people are buying into it, it must be quality.  The truth is, many times that is the case. But, sometimes, it is not.

At some point, a few of the “followers” actually become “readers.”  You have to pull them in somehow in order to show them how great a product is.  I mean Beanie babies were kind of neat once you actually got over the whole supply-and-demand-marketing-psychology ploy. Kind of.

Eventually, you will not have to succumb to these tactics and your blog will sell itself. People will come back a second or third time.  Maybe even subscribe to your blog.

Cheap Marketing Tactics Become Robust Marketing Tactics

Clearly, marketing your product will never completely go away (just watch the Coke and Budweiser commercials).  But, you become better at.  You stop begging people to do a cheap product exchange (doesn’t it feel dirty?) and you simply let it speak for itself.  The marketing techniques may become more robust or fun.  Just to let your readers know you are still out there.  But, at that point it won’t matter, because now your readers actually come to your site regardless if you market it or not.

Then, they become true fans.

What sites do you read regularly?  Are you a reader or a follower of blogs?

Tagged as: blog readers, getting subscribers, website marketing