I was asked a question about building a good readership on a blog. This is my general response on how to get a good dialog going and really understand the people who read your site and connect with them --
I'd look to build great personal relationships with your readers. At this stage, a personal investment into talking on the phone, having a coffee, making friendships, hearing their opinions, getting face to face feedback, taking Q&A, and developing relationships would be very wise. I did this heavily my first couple years blogging, and some of those people are still readers of the site whom I can call to mind when writing a post to see if it serves them. Eventually it'll be unsustainable, but do it and enjoy it while you can. You're not a broadcaster yet -- remember that and don't emulate big companies or big publications. Get very personal and invest the time in some real relationships with members of your readership.
It's a luxury you won't have later, though it's still worth doing when you can. I recommend that universally if you start writing. For the first half year or so I was blogging, I had about a dozen readers total, all people who already knew me. It grew slowly. But that was fine; I was having a good time and I was flattered that a dozen or so people would come spend 5 or 10 minutes with me each day.
As people I didn't know came to read more, I tried to get to know them. I don't have as much time to do so now, and more people read here, but I still try to when I get the chance.
If you ever start on a new form of writing or creativity, you want to do almost the exact opposite of the mass media style of broadcasting. You have the really joyful ability to get to know your readers closely. You won't regret it if you do so.