Blog Marketing: 4 Best-kept Secret Strategies To Double Your Blog Subscribers

Despite the popularity of RSS feeds, it seems as though many blog readers still prefer to get blog updates via email. I know that I do, if the 21,000+ unread blog posts in my Bloglines account is any indication. Plus, I have no idea of how many people read my blog through an RSS reader, as there is no way to track that number. Having realized these facts, I began to do some research on how to better harness my blog subscribers and increase my subscriber base.

Here are the 4 strategies you can implement to double the number of blog subscribers to your blog:

1. Blog newsletter. Your blog's success depends largely on your ability to drive visitors to it to read your posts, click on your ads, and purchase your products and services. With a blog newsletter, you can merge the best of email and RSS and convert your blog's RSS automatically to an email newsletter. You can schedule your blog newsletters to publish on a regular basis, or as you publish new posts. You can also track web site clicks using your own domain name, and see who clicks your links and opens your messages. The most powerful feature is the ability to segment subscribers based on who clicked (or didn't click) on a link and send followup emails.

2. Blog subscribe page. Just like the subscribe (or squeeze) page for your ezine, your blog needs a squeeze page, as well, to sell visitors on the value of your blog. Some visitors will get to your subscribe page from one of your posts, and others will arrive there from your signup form, where you link to your subscribe page for people who want more info before deciding to subscribe. You might even throw in a freebie for subscribing.

3. Opt-in form at end of each post. One of the most effective strategies is to place an opt-in form at the end of each post. If someone reads to the end of an article, she must have been particularly impressed with the content. So, why not make it easy for her to subscribe at the end of the post?

4. Share function. When you ask your current subscribers to share your blog, you're likely to get new subscribers just like your current ones, who then share your blog with other people in your target market. A quick way to do this is to have a sidebar in your blog newsletter asking your readers to share the post, and then request readers to visit your blog squeeze page to receive future posts.

These four strategies for increasing your blog's readership aren't widely discussed, yet those who have used them have experienced significant gains in their blog subscriber numbers. Discover how your blog readership grows by implementing just one of these strategies today!