Turning Your Blog Into an App

 

With the number of Internet users expanding and technology adapting to meet their instantaneous needs, there are multiple ways to make yourself and your presence more available to an ever-growing audience. I am sure by now that you have connected your blog to Facebook and Twitter and have probably made it Pinterest friendly as well, but there is more you can be doing. With smartphones on a rampage, many people go to apps before they go to a web browser. By turning your blog into an app, you could expand your readership by an unimaginable quantity. Find out why making your blog into an app is a great idea.

1.    Expand Your Readership

OK, I may have already touched on this one, but it is kind of a big deal. Isn’t the whole point of writing a blog to get your ideas and thoughts out there for everyone to read? Of course it is, and the best way to get everyone reading your stuff is to put it where everyone is looking. Not only will more viewers find your blog when they are doing typical 40-times-a-day app searches, but there is also the option of them recommending that app (your blog) to friends.

2.    More Engagement With Readers

If you update your blog, you may have it automatically post a twitter status that gets lost among the millions of other twitter posts occurring every minute. By having your own app, your updates go straight to the top of the list and will be seen by everyone using your app. There is no risk of it getting covered over by the .gif of the worst belly flop or images of kittens. Whether it is your personal blog or that of a drain repair business, you won’t get lost in the crowd. You also know that those users are specifically looking to read your blog; it is not something they accidentally came across when searching for something else. The overall connection between you and your audience is that much stronger.

3.    Do Something Special

With an app, you have the opportunity to do something unique with your readers; you can include push content. You can include special promotions or inside stories and text that only get forwarded to and seen by those using your app. In a way, it is like you are rewarding your readers for their interest in your work. It gives you a new way to engage your audience and another reason for them to keep coming back to your app and your blog. It also allows you to give every follower immediate updates on anything new. You can maybe provide your users with information to your plumbing repairs Syracuse company by offering them live interaction for them if they have a problem. Think about your niche or industry and work around what people would find helpful, and go from there.

4.    Get Feedback

With an app, you can request reader feedback. If there is anything your readers want to see or perhaps don’t like about your app, they have an open forum to share their opinions with you. Whether you agree with their comments or not, this gives you the opportunity to make sure you are giving your audience exactly what they want and expect from your blog.

5.    Make Some Money

Most bloggers aren’t in the business to make millions, but if you are looking to make a little money from your writing, you can charge a download fee for your app. While many people search for the free stuff before paying for apps, there is lots of evidence out there that people are willing to pay for anything. Just look at Candy Crush and Angry Birds. By charging a download fee for your app, perhaps you will see a piece of that digital pie.

Making Your Blog Mobile Friendly

Now that you have decided it is a great idea to turn your blog into an app, you need to make sure your blog is mobile friendly. There are plugins you can install as well as a free mobile app creator, Conduit Mobile. Conduit can pull in the information already established on your blog and turn it into an app for most smartphones. It allows you to customize your blog as well, so you aren’t stuck with a platform that is the same as everyone else who may have used Conduit.

Have you thought about making your blog an app? Have you tried it, if so, how did it go? If you didn’t, what’s holding you back? Share your stories in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Daniel Y