How to: Increase your pride by growing your Followers Widget Box

I'd be lying if I said I never hope for my Followers widget to expand with new faces. What enthusiastic blogger doesn't? The point is to share your thoughts with anyone who'll read them, right?

But how does one go about finding new readers? It certainly isn't all about your content. Of course, you must have something of interest to write about so you're readers will keep coming back, but you have to first find the readers.

Best place to start is with your friends. If you know someone who's got a blog - follow each other. Makes sense. That's just a start - most of us don't have 40 friends who blog. If you claim you do, I'd like to hear your definition of 'friends'. Joey & Chandler don't count. If you have friends who don't blog, tell them to sign up anyway so they can follow you. It doesn't hurt to use pursuation either.

Dear Friend,
You need to sign up to follow my blog in the next hour or I will never awknowledge you on Facebook again. Don't forget to comment! :)

You could also go the "I have no idea what I'm doing route" and pay for some advertising. If I ever need to hire an advertising agency, I'm gonna hire the same guys who run the Krispy Kreme account. Those guys know what they're doing.

The best and most effective way to gaining readers is to be one yourself. We find this answer in Luke 6:31. The Bible really does have all the answers! There's more to it than just reading another's blog. You must comment. Leaving comments on other blogs will start you on the path to new readers.

Please take your seats - Blog Commenting 101 is about to begin.

• Find a blog with a fairly large group of followers. You're aim is to steal some of them.
  
• When you leave a comment on someone else's blog it is important that you actually have read the entry.
• If there is a question, answer it.
• If there's not, feel free to agree or disagree with the opinions of the writer.
• Keep it fairly short, this is NOT your blog.
• Be funny or wise - double score for doing both.
• Make yourself human by telling of something humiliating that you did - keep it relevant.
• Find another popular blog and repeat the process.
  

You have a few short words to coax readers to ponder more about you. You have to think smart to get them to say something like,

"LOL. What a clever and witty comment, I wonder what other kinds of insight this reader has. Let me click their profile and see if they have their own blog that is just as clever and witty as this comment that knocked my socks off."

That is the exact reaction I go for when I comment on other blogs in an effort to grow my readership. Make sure you don't over do it though. One too many 'smart' comments and you're likely to get the stink eye.

Follow these simple suggestions and pretty soon you will find you exist in new worlds you never dreamed of. As soon as you get a new reader, you exist in their world. It's like traveling, only you can stay in your PJs and no one can complain.

**Proof that the system works: Before I even finished writing this post I had gain a new follower! Welcome aboard Kyle!**