Blogging: The Importance of Being You
Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night wondering how successful bloggers get to be successful? Well, probably not, but I’ll bet you wonder in the daytime. Everyone wants to know how to make money from blogging and people like Jeremy Shoemaker, Darrell Rowse, and Brian Clark have certainly proven that it can be done.
What sets them apart?
Them.
Their personalities. Their ability to connect with their audience with their writer’s “voice.”
Do you have a voice? Or, are you stiff and just posting factual articles to your blog with little editorial comment or personality? If that’s the case, you’ll probably get some readers, but overall people will be bored. They want to know you. They want to know what you know about your niche, and they (above all) want to be entertained.
In my case, I just write like I talk and maybe that can be your solution, too. When you’re writing, picture that at the other end of your screen is your best friend. Tell them what you want them to learn or experience or have fun with and BOND with your audience. Let them know you’re real.
Just be a little less real about some things. For example, if you swear a lot (and come on… admit it… some of us do), try to tone that part of your personality down just a little… unless, of course, that’s where you want to be seen. I’ve quoted some great bloggers here that have swear words in their domain. And that’s cool, if that’s the audience you want to attract.
However, if you want to attract people who are serious about business, you might not be taken as seriously as people who control their language a bit tighter. If you’re selling trucker’s gear, lots of adjectives that begin with “f” might be just what you need to get guys to relate. (Of course, not all truckers swear a lot, but hey…). What I’m trying to get at is to meet your audience where they live.
If you read my blog, I’m guessing you’re an online business owner who’s looking for some information to help you, but also that you know me or know of me. So, if I pretended to be anyone else… anyone serious and sedate, you’d know that I was lying. If you know me, you know I’m anything but. Therefore, you have to put up with my silliness and my occasional off-topic remark, and if you come back, I’ll know that we could be great friends.
I hope you will.
