Content is Nothing, Audience is Everything
Many bloggers think that blogging it is about content, but actually is all about their audiences’ needs. If you get clear on who your audience is, and what they want, then your blog can reach into the hearts and minds of your readers and gain a steady following.
Inspired by a conversation with Breakfast Blogging Club member, Sandra Edwards, I realized that we bloggers can open up to our audience and key into to who they are and what they want in a fun way.
Who is Your Audience?
We have a handout in our free Quick Start Guide to Writing Your Blog to help you map this out. So you may want to register to get it by clicking on the FREE GUIDE link above. I’ll sketch out what you need to get started today on defining your audience a little differently than we do in the guide. (Because it’s fun to approach the same topic from another angle!)
Imagine your ideal reader is sitting across from you at a cafe. You’re sipping coffee and chatting. You’re in sync with your reader. You like her. You breath as she does, your heart beats as hers does. You’re aligned. Now ask: What is important to her as it relates to what I offer?
Quiet your mind. And listen with your whole self. Notice the first answer that comes to mind. Jot that down. Now ask the question again, a little differently: What’s important to her about that?
Note that answer. You can continue to ask, “What’s important to her about that?” until you find a satisfactory conclusion. Smile to her in your mind’s eye, and thank her. You just researched using your imagination what marketers call, Psychographics.
Notice and note also your ideal reader’s age, and other facts about her. — Demographics.
By now, you have a clear picture of who your ideal reader is and what she wants.
Key Concerns List
Set your writing timer for 20 minutes and draft a list of all your ideal reader’s key concerns and how they could translate into blog posts, basically by writing headlines, or short summaries.
Example
Readers to the Writer’s Fun Zone are active writers, always seeking out ways to improve their writing, their writing lives, and discover how publishing and selling books actually works. And they resonate with the fun, passionate underlying theme of the blog. So, what could I blog about? (Yes, this Beth Barany’s blog, co-founder of the Breakfast Blogging Club). Here’s a list of topic, drafted as headlines, that I have yet to write.
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- How to Get Published and Not Sell Your Soul
- Is Blog-to-Book Right for Me?
- Book Marketing for Introverts (Yes, I’m a Writer)
- Writing Inspiration at the Grocery Store
- Fun with Social Networking for Authors
- What do I Say on Twitter?
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Your Turn!
Draft your list and tell us what you created!
Happy Blogging!
c. 2010 Beth Barany
Comments
2 Comments on Content is Nothing, Audience is Everything
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Roger C. Parker on
Sun, 18th Apr 2010 12:02 am
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Beth Barany on
Sun, 18th Apr 2010 12:18 pm
Beth:
I just discovered you today, and I’m impressed by the thought (and brevity) you put into your blog posts.
This one is really good: I like the “exercise” idea.
I look forward to exploring more of your resources.
Roger
Roger:
I’m glad you’ve discovered us and are impressed by my post. (Flattery will get you everywhere! 😉 )
Good luck with your writing and blogging!
Beth
