How to Find Your Readers and Keep Them

1. get crystal clear on your target market before writing

2. start with your real relationships. even if you only have a handful of readers, they will spread the word

3. email signatures with blog post links

4. you have to grab people immediately with titles and headlines: a compelling story, emotional pull

5. use jargon free conversational language 

6. social media is essential, but where your specific readers are: don't try to maintain all

7. SEO is crucial. Forums can tell you what your potential readers are looking for

8. If readers stay on your page more than 3 minutes, that's a good sign

9. Personal recommendation is the best form of marketing

10. People are more prone to share about something if it is actually helpful; if they learn something or find that it validates their beliefs of something

11. Consistent posting is key: quantity over quality. Depth over breadth. 

12. Interacting with readers makes more engagement

13. Site speed and design is important. If it doesn't load in 3 minutes, and mobile optimization is not working, then they will leave.

Most successful authors didn't get a solid following until six months to a year. Write valuable content and the readers will come.