I would bet my car, house and even tennis racket that a bunch of other accomplished people, online marketers and entrepreneurs are trying to find the answer to this critical question.

How do I build, boast and breed my blog reader base?
There’s not one day that I have not pondered this issue with intense conviction. In fact, I’m so obsessed with solving this challenge, that I’ve set a goal of doubling my traffic by year end or I will eat a plateful of mushrooms. In case you don’t know me, I hate mushrooms with a purple, brown passion.

All right, to avoid that foul experience, let’s get on with solving this “How to get more readers to love our blogs” dilemma.

There are lots of new books on the subject of traffic building. These are all getting  solid reviews, we could start there . . .

Mom Blog SEO – 30 Days to Boost Traffic, Readers, Influence and Income (Kindle Edition)

Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs (New Rules Social Media Series)

[Hardcover]

ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income [Paperback]

Or we can do what Tony Robbins, one of my favorite business coaches would suggest, we could observe what the masters are doing, the other popular bloggers, the modern day cyber celebrities.

Tony believes there are always clear patterns of success with high performers in any industry. If you can identify these patterns, apply the ideas to your situation; you will likely make some great new progress toward achieving your goals.

After doing a little research, I identified 3 top –female, A-list bloggers who have earned a high-level of traffic and readership. Congrats to all. Here are their blogs and a snap shot of their brand.

Elizabeth Potts Weinstein
Elizabeth Potts Weinstein empowers solo-entrepreneurs to make a greater difference in the world and become more successful & fulfilled, by doing what is a natural extension of who they really are. She’s also a mom, attorney, author, speaker, coach, radio show host, twitter chat host, video blogging addict, tweetup connoisseur, aspiring adventurer, amateur pole dancer, people loving introvert, and truth evangelist.

Danielle LaPorte
Danielle is interested in liberating truth, raw reality, and grace. She thinks feminine power and progressive commerce will revolutionize how we live. In her experience, if you steer clear of dogma and muster up more love than you thought you had to give, then your vitality increases, satisfaction sets in, sweetness surfaces. She believes in the creative power of good feelings and is convinced that the desire to be real is everyone’s divine imperative. Yeah!

Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen is an author and the brain behind the Happy Project. The Happy Project is an account of the year she spent test-driving studies and theories about how to be happier. On this blog, she shares her insights to help you create your own happiness project.

I signed up for all of their respected emails, followed their tweets, and connected with them on Facebook or Linkedin . I also purchased two products in order to get in their zone, one of the sites did not have a product available now. I wanted to experience their blog world and their point of view. I’ll be reporting back on the products in a later blog post.

Here’s what I discovered, the 10 patterns of action that seem like they can help breed readership and keep the mushroom out of my mouth in January include:

  1. They all seemed friendly and accessible.
  2. They all had easy ways to stay connected beyond their blog. Via email, RSS feed, Twitter and Facebook, an assertive mix of active social media was apparent.
  3. They all had a strong, authentically real person tone about their copy.
  4. They had video on their site.
  5. They all had purposeful, passionate content.
  6. They all were active tweeters.
  7. They all had a branded style (type, graphics, images) on their blog and on all their touch other social media.
  8. They all proudly displayed with social media icons, that others were reading their stuff.
  9. They all offer high value products (books, classes, events) through their brand or affiliates that they have relationships with.
  10. They are all smart chicks (Sorry guys).

Now that you’ve read my take on their formulas, which one do you think is the dominant leader in traffic and readership? And tell me what the #11 action is, the one thing the leader did that is a huge magnet for traffic, readership and income.