How to Get 35,000 Pageviews For Your Blog

Some say I'm just a regular guy who loves to write stories every day.  Others say I'm definitely an irregular guy loaded with all kinds of quirks.  Regardless of your opinions, I know the 35,000 pageview milestone I hit last night isn't because I have a mother who spends her days in retirement clicking on my every syllable.  As a matter of fact, mom only reads my stories when she is visiting one of her dear friends who has a computer and an online connection.  So, if it's not my mom clicking on my blog stories every day, how am I getting so many pageviews?  Here's some ideas to help you get more readers for your blog:

1. Write every day.  People like consistency, like their favorite television shows that appear on certain days and times.  My readers can count on my stories to appear every day at the same time, 8:08 AM, Pacific Time.  When I moved to a new time zone, I decided not to change to time zones to keep everything steady for my readers.
2. Don't be afraid to be yourself.  Yes, I'm a little on the goofy side.  I have a strange sense of humor that can be traced back for generations.  The in-laws even have their own, "I'm married to a Mulligan club."
3. Share the good, the bad, and the ugly.  You would think writing stories about falling down and getting back up would get old.  They don't.  Times are tough and many are experiencing hard times.  Everyone loves to root for the underdog.  I love to compete.  And I don't really care how big my opponent is.  Every time I get knocked down, I immediately want to figure out a way to turn things in my favor.
4. Encourage your readers to interact.  I do my best to answer every blog comment or email generated from my blog stories.  Some readers prefer to keep their feedback private.  For those readers, I respond with private emails and protect their privacy.
5. Offer a "subscribe by email" button.  Readers are busy.  They lose track of you.  Email subscriptions remind them you are in the blog world and this helps keep in touch.
6. Write catchy headlines.  The web is filled with choices.  A clever headline can attract new readers.
7. Include pictures with your stories.  They are as important as great headlines.  Often times, it's the pictures that attract readers.
8. Write your stories from the point-of-view of the reader.  Ask yourself why a reader would want to read your story before you write it and keep them in mind in every paragraph.
9. Keep it short.  We all have limited attention spans.  Make your point in 500 words or less.  If you have a long message, break it up into parts and save the rest of the story for another day.
10. Invite your readers to be a part of the story.  Ask them permission to share.  I've met people with extraordinary stories.  Their stories can be excellent guest posts or you can interview them and share the interview on your blog.

Thank you for reading my stories.  It means a lot to me knowing I'm not alone in the blog world.  Some of you have been with me since I started writing.  Today is the 967th consecutive day of blog writing.  Writing is as much a part of me as my arms or legs.   I must write.  And if you are interested in learning more about writing, please check out my writer's blog, Caveman Reflections Cyber-bistro.  I don't have all the answers when it comes to writing.  That's why I bring in experts every cyber-guest Friday at the bistro to share writing tips.

Would you like to offer your thoughts about how to attract readers?  Thanks for reading my stories.