Why You Should Build Loyal Readers Before You Sell Stuff Online

Some people go into blogging with the intention of making money immediately, and others start blogging because they already have a business and want it to grow. Of course, there are those people who just love what they’re writing about, and all of us have a lot to learn from them. Why? Because you need to build a loyal group of readers before you will be able to profit from your following.
Here are a few other things to focus on before you start making money, and some reasons that you should stay focused on your readers instead of your sales.

Get to know your niche

Blogging also gives you a chance to follow and learn about other, more established bloggers in your niche. Watching the best blogs on your topic can show you what people want to learn. You can also check the comments to find out further questions that people are asking.

Interacting and building a relationship with other bloggers can also give you an opportunity to do some guest posting, which is great exposure, especially when you are targeting the same audience. You can also see what kinds of products those bloggers sell, to see the products that work well, or the gap in the market that you can fill.

Establish your authority

Writing informative, useful blog posts is one of the best ways for you to let your readers know that you are an expert in your subject. Giving away helpful information will help people trust you enough to invest money into products you have created, knowing what quality to expect. You can even create free videos, ebooks, and other materials to get customers accustomed to seeing more from you than just short form blog posts.

Grow relationships

It can be much easier to grow a readership when the readers see that you are going out on a limb and really investing in them, even with nothing in return. This can also help them feel indebted and want to find ways to help åyou in the future. Once you build a large enough readership, it won’t matter if the majority of them never become paying customers, because even a small percentage will be able to provide significant profits.

Remember, relationships aren’t grown out of ulterior motives. You need to be genuinely interested in connecting with your readers, not just paying attention to their wallets. People are generally cautious online, and will detect insincere connections quickly.

Start your sales ladder

Getting readers interested in what you have to say is the first step on your sales ladder. On your blog, you can promote your newsletter, to offer more value as well as opportunities to purchase products. Once customers express interest in less expensive products, you can create a list of interested, engaged buyers. This list of contact information for paying customers is one key to selling products.

Meet a felt need

Probably the most important reason to have a blog is to hear the questions that your future customers are asking. You don’t just need to sell a product that they need, you need to sell a product that meets a need that they want to have solved. Half of your work is already done if customers know that the need whatever you are providing for them.

Listen to people’s questions, and notice how the questions fit together. Survey readers about their deepest fear, largest frustration, or biggest stumbling block. Ask them directly what kinds of products they would want to buy, and what the ideal price point would be. Encourage readers to comment or email when they have a problem they think you could solve.

Stay in contact

As you continue to stay in contact with your readers and your niche, you can find out how your products can fit in and sell themselves, instead of forcing people to get interested. Then you can leverage your existing network of readers and begin to pick out the readers who are willing to pay you for your time and expertise.

What are other reasons you might build loyal readers before selling products? Have you experienced this challenge in the past?