Okay, so you’ve made a blog and you’re adding content regularly. Where do you go from there? It’s time to create awareness about the blog and attract a reader base. Getting people to read your blog regularly is easier said than done, but there are a number of things you can do to at least pique their interest and make return visits more likely.

One of the main ways to start getting people to notice is to get involved in the blogging community. Collect a list of other blogs that talk about the industry and make it a habit to read them. Comment on these blogs when you have something to add. And when something of interest is mentioned, talk about it on your company blog. If you become aware of the blogs in your industry, they will start to notice you too.

Another way to gain blog awareness is to create increased interest within your own company and your customer base. Do things within the business that will support the blog effort. Consider including news about the blog in customer newsletters and let everyone in the company know about the blog so that they can help spread the word. Also, include a link to it at the bottom of press releases. Not only is it good for the search engines, but reporters read blogs too. Any additional attention that can be paid to the site can lead to more dedicated eyes reading what you have to say. And be sure to do the easy things that will attract visitors too, like linking to the blog from your homepage.

The blog itself can also generate more readers. Offer an easy way to sign up for the blog’s RSS feed. People will be more inclined to continue reading if getting a subscription is convenient. Squarespace has the ability to let you know how many people are signing up for the RSS feed too, so you can keep track of exactly how popular your blog is getting and see if people are coming back. If they’re not coming back, there are some things you can do. You can add posts and polls that will attract comments. This can create a participating community and will attract more regular readers.

Also, give the audience reasons to come back and remind them how to get there. There are a lot of blogs out there and yours may be forgotten, so try to put the link to your blog in front of your audience often. That will get interested readers in the habit of coming back. To offer some readership incentive and spur on word of mouth, consider having a promotion just for blog readers. It can even be valid for only a few hours to reward frequent readers and give them a sense of urgency to act on sharing the site with friends.

After that, people will decide if they like what you have to say. There are things you can do to bring more attention to your blog, but in the end content is king. Good luck!