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The ONE Person Who Can Give Your Blog Clarity and Increase Engagement

Oct 29, 2014 By Mandie Sanders

one-person

What kind of an audience do you want for your blog?

You want a mob of fanatical fans who eagerly check their inboxes for your latest post, right?

Fans who are actively engaged, leaving comments and sharing each post.

Fans who send you emails from time to time just to let you know that you?ve inspired them.

Fans who get so excited over your blog that they forward your opt-in link to their friends without even being asked.

(No, that doesn?t make you a big, ego-maniacal jerk-face. After all, you want people to get that excited about your stuff because you?ve genuinely helped them, right?)

So you sit down with a cup of coffee, determined to write the post.

The one that will go viral, generating buzz throughout the blogosphere.

The one that will reach all the people you want to speak to, making them go, ?Oh wow, this chick knows what she?s talking about. I?m pretty sure if we met in real life we?d be friends because she just gets me.?

But?you?re drawing a blank.

What exactly should your message be? What should you write in order to get tons of comments? What kind of a brand identity do you need to cultivate in order to inspire tens, even hundreds of thousands of people to become your fanatical fans?

If you?re struggling with clarity over the direction of your blog, you?re probably missing one crucial element.

The good news is that you can get it in under an hour and it won?t cost you a cent.

What is it?

An imaginary friend.

That?s right, I?m telling you to dredge your imaginary friend out of childhood retirement and get his or her help in making your blog a raving success.

How can an imaginary friend help me find clarity?

You already know the importance of finding your niche and having focus.

(If you don?t, I?m sure Kevin has some fantastic posts about it.)

What?s the first step in finding your niche? Defining your target audience, of course.

You can?t create content without a clear understanding of your audience.

You might think you know your target audience, but if you?re still grappling with clarity, chances are you don?t know them as well as you think you do.

So tell me, right now, who is your target audience?

Since, unfortunately, someone has yet to invent a device that grants me omniscience, I?ll go ahead and pick on myself here.

When I first started my travel blog, this was how I defined my target audience:

?Someone in their late 20?s to early 30?s who doesn?t like their job and wants to travel more.?

According to LiveYourLegend.net (and a Deloitte?s Shift Index survey), 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs. 72% rank travel as more important than buying a house or a new car.

So, basically, my target audience was half the population.

If you are a “blogger’s blogger” you might define your target audience as:

?Someone who wants to become more successful at blogging.?

There are approximately 156 million blogs on the Internet. I don?t know the exact number of owners who want to be more successful, but suffice to say, not many people are starting a blog with the intent to be terrible at it.

In both cases, that?s a whole lot of people. In fact, it?s waaaayyyy too many people.

You might think that?s a good thing ? after all, if you want 100,000 raving fans you need to speak to as many people as possible, right?

Wrong.

Being that vague is like hopping in a boat and heading out to sea with a map of the world as your only navigational tool. Hope you enjoy chatting with a soccer ball for the next 3 years.

The more people you try to speak to at once, the more diluted your message is going to be. And the more diluted your message is, the more ineffective it is.

Instead of thinking in terms of ?target audience,? try thinking of the ONE person that you exist to serve with your message.

You don?t need to be a lot of things to a lot of people. You just need to be insanely inspirational to one person. If you inspire enough of that one person, you will rise to the top of your niche.

So, let?s try again.

For a travel blog, I might say:

teacher-teaching?Natalie. 27 years old. Elementary school teacher who enjoys teaching but hates the politics that come with the job. Recently dumped her jerk of a boyfriend. Dreams of traveling the world but doesn?t have a lot of money saved up. Environmentally-conscious. Loves working out but has a weakness for apple martinis.?

Doesn?t Natalie seem a lot more like a real person? Isn?t it much easier to come up with things to talk about with her?

For a blogger?s blog, we could go with:

man-in-suit?Pete. 36. Investment banker. ?Enjoys his work but doesn?t like the company he works for. Recently started a personal finance blog to help supplement his income when he found out his wife was pregnant again. Dreams of blogging full-time in order to spend more time with his family. Has the knowledge and technical skills but isn?t sure where to go from there.?

Isn?t it so much more fun to think about helping Pete than ?person who wants to be a more successful blogger?? When you don?t feel motivated, just think about the baby on the way. Pete needs you!

(In business class, we would refer to this as a ?customer profile? but that sounds SO dry and boring. I don?t like to think of my readers as mere customers; I like to think of them as friends.)

So from now on, don?t talk to your target audience, talk to your friend.

Think of what he/she is struggling with right now. How can you help them get through it? What are they dreaming of? How can you help make it a reality?

Won?t talking directly to one person alienate everyone else?

This is what scares a lot of people. They don?t want to ?niche themselves? because they?re afraid it will limit their prospects and make them less relatable.

If I only talk to one person, won?t that shut everyone else out?

Nope.

Let?s take a look at Facebook. When Facebook first came into existence, it was targeted towards college students. More specifically ? ivy league college students.

For the first few years you needed an email address ending in .edu to even sign up. Instead of trying to market to as many people as possible, they actively excluded people from using their service.

Well?we all know how that story goes. Facebook exploded into a multi-billion dollar company, and these days everyone from grandparents to dogs have a profile.

In fact, it?s become so mainstream that it?s actually lost cachet among its target audience.

How about Apple? Who do you think their imaginary friend is?

22 year old, urban, hipster, tech-savvy, on-the-go. That?s probably what pops into your mind when you take a look at their advertising.

Are those the only people carrying around iPhones? Ummm, hardly!

Your ?imaginary friend? isn?t going to be the only person reading, commenting on and sharing your posts. (Actually, if your imaginary friend does start commenting, you might have bigger problems…)

They?re just the one you should be speaking to at all times in order to:

  1. Stay consistent with your message and branding.
  2. Come up with relevant, useful content for your readers.
  3. Help you find and keep your voice as a writer.

When you?re clear on who you?re talking to, you?re going to attract other people who feel an affinity with that person.

Maybe they want to be ? or not be – that person. Maybe they share a similar struggle. Maybe they admire what that person represents.

Those people are your readers. They are your advocates. They are your potential raving fans.

(In my case, most of my fans are already raving, but that?s a whole other story?)

Back to picking on myself here for a moment.

My imaginary friend happens to be a woman, which means I sometimes write posts like ?10 Reasons Every Woman Needs to Travel Solo at Least Once.?

I?ve been asked a few times why I wrote that post only for women ? surely men can benefit from solo travel as well?

Of course they can. I actually had a number of men comment on it. And share it. I even had one guy email me to tell me he had forwarded it to his sisters who were nervous about traveling alone. Wow.

What might have seemed exclusive ended up being my most viewed/commented-on post to this day.

In fact, since I clearly defined the one person I was talking to, I went from 5-6 comments /post to 40-50 comments a post.

So how do I define this one person?

I thought you?d never ask. This is the fun part.

Think back to when you first started your blog. Or, when you first decided to transition from a personal blog to a purposeful blog. Who did you have in mind that you wanted to help?

If your answer is along the lines of, ?I just wanted to dispense my general awesomeness to the world,? you?ve got some homework to do.

Here are a few questions to help you define your imaginary friend, because I?m nice like that:

  1. Are they male or female?
  2. Are they single, married, dating??
  3. Do they have kids? Pets? A cactus?
  4. How old are they? (Pick an age, not an age range)
  5. What?s their level of education? What?s their degree in (if they have one)?
  6. Where do they work? Is this a career or just a job? Do they enjoy it or want to stab their eyeball out with a fork every morning?
  7. What does their 5-year plan look like? Do they have one?
  8. How would they define themselves?
  9. What are their ?vices?? Do they drink? Do they swear? Do they struggle with anxiety or depression?
  10. What is their deepest desire, greatest dream, or most pressing issue?
  11. What?s the number one thing holding them back or standing in the way of their dreams?
  12. What does their typical day look like? What habits do they have? Which ones are helpful and which ones would they like to get rid of?
  13. What do they like to read? What movies do they watch? What music do they listen to?
  14. Where do they get their info from? Who do they trust?
  15. What excites them so much that they forget to eat or sleep?
  16. What do they find annoying? What sets off their BS detector?
  17. What are their values? Spending more time with family? Traveling the world? Gaining financial freedom?
  18. What?s their greatest fear?
  19. Are they religious? Spiritual? An atheist?
  20. Finally?what?s their name?

This may seem like a lot of work, but it doesn?t have to be.

My imaginary friend is really just a combination of myself from a few years ago and two of my closest friends who struggle with different aspects of job dissatisfaction.

Want to meet her?

Her name is Janey. She just turned 30 and is having an existential crisis over what she?s accomplished in her life so far. Single, no kids. Been through a few crappy relationships but has just started dating someone promising. Has a bachelor?s in political science and a job as an account rep for a financial company where she makes $38,000/year and feels undervalued. Thinks about going for a promotion, but is terrified that she?ll end up working there for the next 15 years if she gets it. Does yoga a few times a week, enjoys cooking, and occasionally splurges on semi-expensive wine that she drinks with her small, close group of friends when they blow off steam. Loves cheesy rom-coms. Desperately wishes for more freedom to spend time doing what she loves ? being outdoors, riding horses and traveling. Feels unfulfilled at her job, but isn?t sure which path she should take in order to be happy.?

Whenever I write a post, I ask myself, ?Would Janey like this? Does it help her? Inspire her? Brighten her day? Would she think I sound pretentious or full of crap??

Sometimes if I?m lacking a live human sounding board I?ll even read my blog posts out loud with Janey in mind. She keeps me in check when I try to use snooty-sounding words like ubiquitous.

So how about you? Do you have your one person in mind when you write?

I would LOVE to hear about everyone else’s imaginary friends so I don?t feel like the only nerd here. 🙂

Flickr Creative Commons Images via Endre Majoros, cybrarian77, and Miguel Librero.

Making Your Split Personality Work For You (aka Me, Myself and Them)

Oct 8, 2014 By Jaime Buckley

feature_split-personality

I?m grateful to Kevin for allowing me an opportunity to share what?s left of my sanity with you. Be A Better Blogger is the only blog I’ve joined in nine years of blogging?just because.

Maybe it?s the wit. Perhaps it?s the unique character and voice?I?m not altogether sure. What I do know is, this is a community I?m excited to be a part of and to share what meager knowledge I have. So thanks for that, Kevin!

Chances are, by the time you?re done reading this article, you?ll think me insane. FYI?that?s perfectly alright, and not altogether uncommon. The hope here is to make sure to impart some clever principles behind the madness?then it?s all good.

You see, I lie to kids for a living.

[Read more…] about Making Your Split Personality Work For You (aka Me, Myself and Them)

What the Movie ‘Newsies’ Can Teach us About Blogging Success

Oct 2, 2014 By Brittany Bullen

feature_newsies

Have you ever seen the Disney musical classic, “Newsies”? If you haven’t, stop what you’re doing immediately and rent it, or better yet, buy it! You must have Newsies in your life. You must.

And while we’re on the subject, if you’re not happy with your blog traffic (and who is these days?) it might be about time to start listening to the sage advice of one Jack Kelly — the ringleader of the movie’s gang of paper-peddlers, played by the incomparable Christian Bale.

[Read more…] about What the Movie ‘Newsies’ Can Teach us About Blogging Success

Why Building Connections is Crucial

Sep 22, 2014 By Luke Guy

Connections are everything in life. It takes connections to be successful or to even get a job these days. So as a blogger you should want to achieve connections as much as possible. That process should never end. No matter how big you get, keep the connections coming. It?s the only way to get ahead.

The one with the most connections wins.

[Read more…] about Why Building Connections is Crucial

How to be a Blogger People Pay Attention to

Sep 2, 2014 By Andrew M. Warner

andrew-warner_featured-image

You want to know what your problem is?

You’re not living up to your potential as a blogger. And this is something that you know, deep down, whether you choose to admit it or not.

[Read more…] about How to be a Blogger People Pay Attention to

Writing Sponsored Posts: Where to Draw the Line When Blogging for Passion and Money

Jul 4, 2014 By Irwin Lagman

Are you a sellout?Passionate bloggers are the ones who make it big.

They are the ones who get massive traffic, high conversions, and great engagement on their sites.

That’s because their passion drives them to create valuable content and give their readers what they want. They’re willing to write until the wee hours and spend every waking hour thinking of how they can improve their blog.

Eventually, their blogs will become so good people will start to take notice. They’ll get more views, social shares, and subscribers.

It’s during this time when their blogs catch the attention of companies and get proposals for money-making ventures like banner ads, affiliate products, and paid posting.

The realization that you’ve done a great job with your blog?

Companies are on the lookout for blogs they can use to promote their products and/or services.

If someone approaches you, then it’s great news. That means you’re doing something right.

This is when you realize that all the hard work you’ve put in your blog has finally paid off. You can now monetize and make a steady stream of income through banner ads, affiliate links, and paid posts.

Sponsored posts are one good way to make money. Blogging about a product can make you a lot of money. It’s like being a celebrity endorser. Everybody wins in this situation. The company gets the exposure they need. You get paid. And your readers discover a new product they can enjoy.

Then the post becomes so successful the company wants you to do one more. Of course, you’d say yes.

It becomes another hit: lots of comments and shares, which lead to improved traffic for the company’s website, and more money for you.

Plus, your readers are excited with the new products you’re introducing to them.

You start to think you can get used to it.

Soon, other companies are sending you paid posting requests.

You can’t believe the fortune that came your way. During the next few weeks, you find yourself busy writing for these businesses.

The clients are happy with the quality of your posts and your bank account is even happier.

Empty SeatsThen you start to lose your readers?

But there’s one problem: you start to notice a decline in traffic and engagement. You then wonder, what the heck just happened?

This is a natural consequence of paid posting, or what others would call “selling out.”

Your readers have grown sick of the paid posts you’ve been publishing. It was fine for the first few times, but when all you blogged about was marketing collaterals for companies, they began to get annoyed and eventually fed up.

They miss the kind of content you used to write.

Your blog, which used to be a great resource of information, has become a portal for press releases and paid product reviews.

You’ve sold out.

You’ve thrown your passion away, ditched your audience, and became a messenger for businesses.

You live and breathe for paid opportunities.

You’ve lost sight of the reason why you blogged in the first place because you got excited with the profits.

Selling out is betraying your loyal audience

Selling out means doing something that’s motivated by making a profit. It’s when you discard your passion?the one thing that fuels you to produce magnificent content that changes people’s lives?and blog just because you’re getting paid for it.

You may have heard of this from musicians. Underground bands that hit the mainstream are often accused by hardcore fans as sellouts.

It must hurt to get accused by your fans of selling out. It’s a form of betrayal.

And for bloggers who’ve spent a long time building a quality blog and a great community of readers, to be viewed as sellouts is tough.

Are paid posts bad?

Just to be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing paid posts. When an opportunity presents itself, grab it. Don’t miss a chance to monetize your blog.

BUT make sure that you know how to balance it. There is a fine line that separates grabbing opportunities and selling out. It’s when you step beyond this line when things get crazy.

Selling out will hurt you. You’ll lose readers and hurt your reputation. All the work you’ve done in building your brand will go down the drain. You’ll be left with nothing.

Sounds grim? Don’t think I’m exaggerating. Picture this:

Your followers will stop reading your blog because all you do is publish sponsored content. They’d find no value in your posts since all you’re doing is promote stuff. The obvious next step for them is to unsubscribe and completely stop reading your blog.

Eventually, companies will notice that you’re no longer giving them results they want (your blog doesn’t have the same amount of traffic and engagement) so they will stop sending you work.

There’s no reason for them to pay you when you?re not getting people to buy from them.

You’ll be left with nothing but a blog full of sponsored posts.

BalanceCan you avoid selling out?

So you see how selling out is damaging?

It’s clear that you mustn’t sell out. But what if you want to monetize your site?

The answer here is balance.

If you’re going to post sponsored content, make sure that you don’t do it all the time. Practice the 80/20 rule. For every ten posts, limit the paid posts to just two. The rest should the usual, awesome stuff you provide your readers.

That way, you keep everybody happy.

It helps to always go back to the reason why you’re still blogging: your passion. At the end of the day, it’s still what matters.

Don’t be too focused on generating income because the interesting thing is, the more you concentrate on making money, the harder it’s going to be. Why? I honestly have no idea.

But I know one thing, though. When you focus on quality and providing value to people, when you pour your energy in helping others, things will line up and give you what you want.

So don’t actively pursue money-making opportunities IF it’s going to go against your purpose. Concentrate first on creating value. The money will come later. And when it does, don’t get too overwhelmed and change directions.

Remember what I said at the beginning of this post?

Passionate bloggers are the one who make it big.

Maybe not now or the day after tomorrow, but it sure will happen one day. Don’t rush because that’s one of the reasons you may sell out.

Are sponsored posts something you would consider for your blog? Have you ever written one? A big thanks to Irwin for contributing this post. Let him know you enjoyed it by leaving a comment, and by visiting him at?one of the links in his bio.

Flickr Creative Commons Images via Tax Credits (adapted), drocpsu (adapted) and Kristina Alexanderson (adapted).

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