A Successful Blog that connects with your Target Audience
I don’t have to tell you that the internet is packed full of blogs. Many of these are not so great, are repeat generic tips and inundated with money making ads. It’s because of these not so great blogs that quite a few people have stated loudly that blogging is dead, but is it? The truth is that a well done blog still has incredible value, and when done well with the right focus in mind, it can connect you to the people looking for exactly what you have to offer. So tune my friends and let me share with the secret behind a successful blog.
Understand your WHY behind the blog
When I ask my clients, “why do you want to start a blog” I usually get a laundry list of “whys” that aren’t going to set them up for success. Here are the most common…
- My business coach says I need one.
- I need to boost my website SEO.
- I want to monetize my website.
None of these reasons is going to connect you to your target audience.
Sure you can make an argument as to why these are good reasons, but these “whys” can also hurt you more than help you. If you don’t have a passion to share something of value to your target audience, a generic blog isn’t going to help you with your readers or your SEO. And monetizing is not a money maker. In fact, you will probably chase away your dream clients with the ads that pop up, which isn’t worth the few cents you will make.
A “Why” that works…
Sharing valuable knowledge that is well-sourced and verifiable is at the very core of a successful blog today. This means…
- Sharing content your audience is going to enjoy
- Content that is informative, engaging, and helpful
- Writing content that is accurate
- Doing your research and citing your sources
When you create content that is trustworthy and solves your audience’s problems, answers their questions, or inspires them, they will be more likely to keep coming back for more.
Want more about current blogging trends? Check out Neil Patel’s blog: 6 Blogging Trends to Capitalize on This Year
Writing value-driven content
Know your audience.
You have to know who you are talking to before you start the conversation, and a blog post is the start of a conversation. So spend some time thinking about what conversations you LOVE having with your dream customers? Here are a few questions to help you get the conversation started…
- What challenges can you help them with?
- What are their pain points?
- What value can you bring into their life?
- What experience can you share they will relate to?
- What are they interested in learning about?
Once you know your audience, you will discover an endless supply of conversation starters!
Don’t be afraid to show your personality.
Your blog is a great way to connect with your audience on a personal level. Let them know who you are and what you’re passionate about. This will help them to relate to you and trust your expertise.
Choose Relevant Topics
Don’t just write about things that you’re interested in. Write about things that your audience wants to read about, and that helps them start to connect with you on a more personal level.
You want to build a relationship with your audience that sets the stage for how you can help and what it’s like to work with you. For example, if you are a luxury high end interior designer your audience isn’t interested in DIY Interior Design projects to do over a weekend. But they would be interested in the art to creating lighting plan and why they may need one. This topic would inspire the reader to think of their own space in a whole new way, while also highlighting your expertise.
Do your research.
While conversational blogs can be more fun to write, having verifiable research to back up what you are sharing is a win-win. By doing your research you are showing that you are up to date on relevant information, and sharing your sources of research proves this without you having to say, “I stay up to date on industry trends.”
Furthermore, citing your sources and providing links to additional information offers additional value as well as a real beneficial SEO boost to your blog.
Write in a clear and concise style.
This simply means using language the average person is comfortable with. When we rely upon industry jargon and technical terms that are clear to us, we often lose our audience. Avoid this when you can, and if it is necessary to introduce these terms, take the time to define them with a simple easy definition.
You also want to organize your sentences and paragraphs in a way that helps your writing flow easily. Long lengthy sentences and paragraphs can be overwhelming and uncomfortable to read. So keep you content clear and to the point.
Proofread and Edit
While minor errors in spelling and grammar are not the end of the world, you do want to do your due diligence to proofreading and editing before you publish. This goes back to being clear and concise in your content, and it can help your blog shine.
Having an editor is always best, but also not always available. So if you are the writer and the editor, here are a few tips to help ensure your content shines…
- Proofread your content a few days after writing it. This little break will give you a fresh perspective.
- Read from the bottom to top. By reading each sentence on it’s own from the bottom of your article to the top you are more likely to find confusing sentences and errors.
- Use tools such as Grammarly to help catch the most common grammar and spelling mistakes.
A few more tips…
In addition to writing value-driven content, there are a few other things you can do to launch a successful blog:
- Design a professional-looking blog. Your blog should be easy to navigate and visually appealing.
- Design for Mobile First. More and more readers are connecting from their phones!
- Promote your blog. Share your blog posts on social media, and reach out to other bloggers in your niche to collaborate.
- Be consistent. Publish new blog posts on a regular basis. You can choose the frequency, once a month, once a week, or whatever feels right to you. Just make sure you are showing up consistently.
- Interact with your readers. Respond to comments and questions, and participate in social media conversations.
- Use imagery to help enhance the look and flow of your blog. Pictures really do tell a story!
A successful blog is within your reach…
By following these tips, you can launch a successful blog that attracts readers and builds relationships with your target audience. Most importantly, have fun with your blog. Don’t look at as a painful chore to do, but a fun new way to connect with your dream customers.
