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A loyal following is an important aspect of any online space, but it can be hard to achieve if you don’t know where to start.
Whether you’re a blogger, a freelancer or an online user- there are a few ways to ensure that your readers stay engaged and trust your content from day one.
Why is it important to build a loyal online following?
Building an online following is one thing, but building a loyal online following is something entirely different.
A loyal follower comes back to your content again and again, choosing to read your blog posts or social content because they know that they’re getting quality content that they can trust.
As I think we all know, there is a lot nonsense online!
From boring articles to pure misinformation, we all crave authentic voices in our lives- and your blog or social media channel could be the place to offer that.
A loyal online following can help you too! For freelancers and bloggers, loyal followers are more likely to connect to your content.
Depending on your goals, this might mean more genuine views and shares, or it might mean more clients will approach you for work or to buy your services.
A loyal online following can help people in all professions, from freelance translators to lifestyle bloggers.
In this post, I’ve put together 4 top tips to build a loyal online following, including ideas that you can use on your blog, in your writing or across your social media channels
Quality not quantity
You will hear this again and again, but quality always trumps quantity!
If you run a blog, choose to write posts that make you proud, producing content that you know will interest your readers.
I’ve been in a position before when I’ve not had chance to update my blog- and so I’ve rushed a blog post to try and get something on there. However, there’s no point creating content just for the sake of it.
You might end up with articles that are full of errors or that don’t really resonate with your readers.
Take time to write content that inspires you, and when you don’t have the time or motivation to write for your site- stop and pause for a bit!
Think about your audience
If you’re trying to build a loyal online following, it is so important to think about your audience.
For example, if you write about light-hearted lifestyle topics, a long, informative post about something technical probably won’t interest your readers.
Or if your followers include lots of readers, writing a post that is negative towards books probably won’t resonate with them.
Think about what your readers might want to read, and they will be more likely to relate to your content.
This is central to building a loyal online following, including an audience that comes back to read your words again and again.
Pick and choose your opportunities
It can be so tempting to take all the opportunities that come your way, especially when you’re a blogger.
However, picking and choosing your jobs will help you maintain a loyal following and a trusting relationship with your readers.
If you decide to take a sponsored opportunity, make sure it is a good fit for your site.
This also means declaring any paid or affiliate posts, making your readers aware that there may be links in your post for which you receive money, but all thoughts are still genuine.
At the end of the day, your followers will appreciate that any content they consume is honest, and you will go that bit further to ensure their support and trust.
Get honest!
Get honest with your followers, and help them see you as a trustworthy content creator.
Readers want to see relatable content that engages them. You could write about how a certain issue affects you, or simply offer a fresh perspective on a relevant, current topic.
This can help readers understand that they are not alone- and people are much more likely to come back to your site if they know they will get honest, relatable content from you.
For example, you could write an honest post about:
- Becoming a parent
- Why you’re struggling with your career plans
- How to balance kids and your job
- Your honest thoughts on a popular TV show
- How you’re trying to save money
… it could be about anything that relates to you personally!
At the end of the day, none of us want to read a post that is dishonest or that offers a perspective that no one can relate to- so get honest with your readers, and they will soon turn into loyal followers.
Do you have any advice for building a loyal online following? How do you like to engage with your readers? What is your top tip for anyone starting out in the blogging world?
Let me know all your thoughts in the comments!
Happy reading x
Not-So-Modern Girl 
I think one of the most important aspects to gain loyal followers is interaction. I’m more likely to become a loyal follower if someone is leaving positive comments and genuinely wants to interact with me. It can get very lonely in the blogosphere if no-one is commenting on my posts.
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I think interaction is so important, that’s a great point! I completely agree, commenting on other posts and finding your people is a great way to show that you’re a loyal reader- and encourage others to do the same x
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Nice post which gives some food for thought. It takes a lot of work but keeping these tips in consideration is very helpful.
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Thank you! I hope these tips can help others 🙂
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Good and useful tips! I’m grateful with the loyal followers I have now. And I’m trying to grow my followers as well. Thank you for sharing your tips.
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Thank you! Me too, it’s lovely to connect with new bloggers everyday xx
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It’s so important to build a loyal online following. I like how you mentioned about quality or quantity and listening to your audience, those are such good points x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
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Thank you Lucy! Finding a way to build loyal followers is so important x
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I definitely agree with you! Best not to pick opportunities that don’t align with your blog/values. And I’m all for quality over quantity too x
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Yes that’s so true! If you don’t have time to update your blog, that’s okay- it’s better to update it with quality content than force yourself to create posts that aren’t your best x
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I just think the main thing for me is to engage with people who engage with my content etc. These are some good tips! Thank you for sharing.
Lauren.
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Thank you Lauren! I agree, engaging with others is such an important idea x
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This is such an interesting post! I am forever thankful for the online community and those who read my blog.
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Thank you! Aw me too, I love connecting with old followers and new readers x
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The important thing other than writing about things that are relevant is interaction and responding to any comments and questions.
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I completely agree! Lots of people have mentioned interaction here, I think it’s such an important aspect. Thank you for sharing x
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Great post! I like to think that my honesty around my past anxiety disorder and everything that entailed has helped me build a loyal following over the years!
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I think that’s so true Jenny, your experiences have helped people realise that they are not alone- and maybe get some advice too. Thank you for sharing x
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These are some great points Eleanor, especially when it comes to writer’s block and quality of content! We have been blessed so far, but taking a step back soon to kind of refresh ourselves and our brains!
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I would love to get a bigger following, I’ve been working on my current and previous content so hard. The competition is tough though and there’s so many of us out there now.
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Yes I agree, there are so many people out there! It can be so hard, but I think continuing to create quality content and engaging with other bloggers is the key x
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I love this and the fact you mentioned quality over quantity. For a while now I’ve taken a step back from pressuring myself to constantly produce something and I am focusing on quality which (for me) is much more beneficial. Thanks for all the other tips and info too; I’m going to be making sure I nurture things a bit more.
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Yes I think that’s so important- especially when work picks up or life gets busy 🙂 Thank you Molly, I really hope the post was helpful. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience x
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You definitely benefit from
honesty. People come to us for our opinions and first hand experiences.
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Yes that is so true 🙂
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This is such a useful post Eleanor. I struggled with this for a little while because I was dealing with anxiety issues. Now I’m getting that under control, I feel
I’m connecting more honestly. Hopefully my following will reflect that in time. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you so much! I’m sorry to hear that you struggled with anxiety, I’m the same, but you’ve definitely got this. Reaching out to people honestly is the most important thing- and every single person that connects with your writing is a win 🙂 x
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Ah thank you Eleanor. Sorry to hear you struggle with it too, but it’s nice to know I’m not alone. Thanks for the positivity 🙂 slowly learning to accept myself as I am x
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Thanks for this honest post! I think you are so right – there is really no point in creating content for the sake of it, or what doesn’t feel true to yourself or your readers. It is so obvious when that has been done. As I left social media several years ago, I’m really trying to focus on writing quality content on both my blog and Substack newsletter that I think readers and subscribers are actually interested in – and that’s made me a lot happier, too! : )
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Thank you! Yes I agree, finding the content you love to write is so important. We can all get bogged down by social media and trying to fit writing formats that don’t suit us- but we should try and stay true to ourselves. I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed creating content on Substack and your blog 🙂 thank you for commenting!
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Totally agree with you. We need to provide credible, informative and interactive post to connect with our readers. And most importantly, it should be delivered continuously. Great post. Really appreciate your thoughts.
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Definitely! Thank you 🙂
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