Top 13 Ways You Can Gain and Sustain New Readers.

You have launched your brand new webcomic, you either self-host it, or maybe you have it hosted on one of the popular webtoon publishing portals (LINE Webtoon or Tapas), now how do you get new readers to become adoring fans of your comic? This article will delve into a few strategies you can use to build and promote traffic to your webtoon/webcomic. Some of the techniques can also be applied to blogs and websites, so do feel free to share this with anyone looking to increase traffic to their websites.

1. Network
   

   Make contact with fellow webcomic creators either on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc.) or in online forums. Introduce yourself to them, offer to collaborate with them, maybe with some guest posts, or offer to promote their comics. When it comes to forums, make a point of creating a signature that includes a link back to your comic and maybe your social media profiles. Also get to know the rules of the forum. Don’t SPAM the forum with posts that are all about promoting your comic. Instead make friends, help out other creators if you can, or just compliment other creators for their work. The career of a comic artist can be a lonely one, so forums are a perfect setting for socializing with a tribe of individuals with whom you share similar interests. The following are some popular forums for webcomic creators:

   https://forums.tapas.io
   https://forum.deviantart.com/
   https://comicfury.com/forum

   Networking with other comic creators is not only an opportunity to learn from others who are already established in the industry, but gives you the ability to recruit an army of like-minded pals who can get more eyeballs on your comic. C’mon, don’t be shy.

2. Trending

   When it comes to social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, make a daily practice to check on what is trending (especially among the webcomic community) and then post something relevant to the trend. Examples include #inktober, #webcomicchat, #toonme

3. Diversify

   Make a point of posting your comic to as many platforms (webcomic portals, social media) as you can. The more places you post to, the more you increase the odds that readers will accidentally come across your comic, recommend it to their friends, and before you know it, you are gaining a ton a of traffic to your webcomic. Make sure that you include the URL link to your webcomic within the comic image. The following are platforms with a proven track record for boosting readership for comic creators. Do a trial of all them, find the one that gets the most audience traction and stick with that platform.

   https://www.webtoons.com/en/
   https://tapas.io/
   https://www.reddit.com/r/comics/
   https://www.reddit.com/r/webcomics/
   https://imgur.com/r/comics/
   https://www.instagram.com/
   https://www.facebook.com/
   https://twitter.com/home
   https://www.tumblr.com/

   You will find that the top 3 platforms for webcomics are LINE Webtoon, Instagram and Reddit. Be wary though of Reddit and Imgur, they are both known to have communities that are a tad bit caustic, more so to comic creators who are just starting out. If you are looking for the most comic friendly environment for a creator that is just starting out, go for Instagram. Make sure when posting on the social media platforms, that you include hashtags that are popular for webcomics e.g. #webcomic #comic #webtoon #instatoon #lol #funny etc.

4. Search Engine Optimization

   So, here is where we get a bit technical. Another way for users to discover your webcomic is by using the ubiquitous Google. But for your comic to rank high in Google’s search engine results, you are going to have to do some leg work, what is referred to as Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

   To understand the best way to go about SEO, first you will need to know how Google ranks websites. Google’s algorithm is based on a couple of factors: the quality of your content (does it have lots of appropriately placed keywords that match up with what is being searched), and the quantity of high authority quality back links to your website. If there are several reputable websites linking back to your webcomic website, the higher your site will rank.

   Armed with that knowledge, what can you do to get your webcomic ranked high on Google? Here are some steps you can take.

   • If you have a self-hosted website, have a blog section on your home page. Google loves text! Topics to consider could be tutorials, film reviews, comic reviews or publicizing events that you may be attending to promote your comic. Post anything remotely related to your comic. Also make a point of including keywords and phrases that are likely to be searched by a comic reader (e.g. Webcomic, comic, cat comics, slice of life). Play around with this. Be careful though not to overdo this with keyword stuffing (i.e. putting in lots of keywords that have nothing to do with the blog post or do not go with the natural flow of the article). Google can easily detect this and will penalize you for that.
   • If your webcomic is self-hosted, try and get some quality back-links to your website. The easiest way to do this is create as many social media profiles as you can and include your website’s URL in your profile bio. If your comic is hosted on established websites such as LINE Webtoon, Tapas or Instagram, they are doing the heavy lifting of SEO for you. So, nothing will be required on your part. Also do some link-exchanges with other webcomic creators. Create a page on your website (or a section on your homepage) where you can feature links back to other creators. Another cool way for to get back-links is, directories, which I will talk about in a few.
   • If you have a WordPress website, then you can make use of the tags feature. Whenever you post your comic, make sure to post as many tags (that are related to the comic) as possible. For example, if your comic is about a boy and his imaginary pet tiger, you can use tags such as: tiger, pet, boy, cute, Calvin and Hobbes, imaginary friends etc.
   • Post Youtube videos. Google also loves videos. You will notice whenever you search for a keyword, Google displays videos related to that keyword right at the top of the search results. So, try and think of videos you can post. These can be tutorials on the craft of cartooning or livestreams of you creating your webcomic. Make sure to include a link back to your webcomic in the video description. Also, subtly, ask viewers to checkout your comic in the video. Be shameless with your plug 😉.

5. Directories

   Another strategy you should seriously consider is listing your comic’s home page in comic directories. These are websites that many casual readers use to discover and bookmark their favorite comics. They are therefore perfect for promoting your webcomic. The following are a list of a few that will drive traffic to your website:

   https://new.belfrycomics.net/
   https://piperka.net/
   http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/
   https://archivebinge.com/
   https://www.comic-rocket.com/
   http://topwebcomics.com/

   I should also mention another website called TV Tropes(http://tvtropes.org/). It is a website kind of like Wikipedia, but for pop culture. TV Tropes rank very high on Google since it is seen as a website with very high authority. Create a comic page for your webcomic here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Webcomics

6. Advertising

   There are several platforms where you can purchase advertisements for your webcomic website, including Google’s Adsense, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I would avoid paying for advertisements though at least until you gain a good amount of readership. The reason being, the return on investment for loyal readership is not worth the cost. More often than not you will get a bunch of one and done visitors.

7. A Responsive/Mobile-friendly Website

   If your webcomic is self-hosted, it’s a safe bet that most of your potential readers use mobile devices to access the web. If you force your readers to pinch and scroll their way around your comic, you are basically telling them, ‘Don’t read my comic!’ Make sure your website is accessible and easy to view on all mobile devices (both smartphones and tablets).

   Do you need a free mobile friendly WordPress theme for your webcomic?

   Checkout Toocheke

8. Frequency

   If you have a self-hosted website, Google favors websites that update regularly with fresh new content. It’s therefore advisable to update your comic on a regular interval of at least twice or thrice a week, when starting out. As for web portals such as LINE Webtoon and Tapas, the more frequent you post your comic updates, the more you increase the odds of new readers discovering your work.

9. Comic Schedule

   Make sure your readers are aware of when you post your comic. Choose a reasonable schedule that you are not likely to miss. Readers hate it when creators fail to deliver their dose of humor on time. So please choose something that you can stick by. It can be once a week, once a month, heck it can even be if once every six-months! But be aware though, that you are unlikely to gain a loyal readership if there is a large gap between updates. Especially when you are starting out. Established creators can get away with posting on a haphazard schedule.

10. Have a Buffer

    Heard of the dreaded H-word in the comic world? Hiatus? It is a fairly common plague currently wreaking havoc in the online comic creator community. It discriminates against no one. Both established creators and novices have been known to suffer from this awful malady. The causes are usually disappointment that result from impatience and unrealistic expectations. But more often than not, the culprit is simply, burnout which is the consequence of unmanageable posting schedules, resulting in exhaustion and frustration. If you have chosen a posting schedule of, say, seven days a week, and you have a regular 9-to-5 day job, it is very unlikely you will sustain that for too long. How can you prevent a hiatus? By making use of a buffer.

    The comic buffer is a backlog of comics that you create ahead of time, so that you are not left scrambling to come up with ideas for a comic that is due up the following day! It’s always a good idea to have at least a month’s worth of comics ready to go. This will also help you in case of unforeseen occurrences like an illness, or travel. Once you develop the buffer, make sure you maintain it by drawing and creating your comic every day!

11. Compelling Content
    

    Strive to create quality comics that will drive readers to come back again and again. Make it as visually appealing as possible, including using color.  Make the comic is easy to read. Cut down on grammatical mistakes. Check your spelling. Make the characters relatable to year readers. Let them have flaws. Create conflict between your characters. I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. Just work on creating a comic that will be hard to ignore and that will compel your readers to share it with others.

12. Be weird

    The webcomic landscape has become a highly competitive, cutthroat competition for readers. There are so many out there, and they cover a large spectrum of styles and genres. How do you stand out from your competition? By being weird. In other words, by being true to yourself. Adopt a style and subject matter for your webcomic that is uniquely you. You could choose to copy other popular comics such Shen Comix or Adventures of God. But nobody likes knockoffs. You are more likely to draw new readers in, if they are struck by the unique voice you bring to the table. Be true to who you are, and readers who love your authentic storylines will follow.

13. Practice, Practice, Practice
    

    This goes without saying. If you are going to create good quality, compelling content, you are going to have to develop your craft as a cartoonist. It’s going to require an all-consuming dedication to improving your drawing and writing skills.  Plan on setting aside 30 minutes of your day, every day, to practice writing and drawing. Your readers will thank you for it!
    
    

14. Patience

    “An overnight success is ten years in the making.”

    ― Tom Clancy, Dead or Alive

    If there is one thing you take away from this article, it is that your webcomic will not gain thousands of readers overnight. It takes months, sometimes years, of sustained application of the above-mentioned steps, and some luck, to get you a large and loyal readership. You therefore have to be in it for the long haul. It is not going to be easy. So be patient, love the process of developing your craft, and when all is said and done, you will reap the full rewards of your labor.