Week 9 Part A: Blogs, Vlogs, Podcasts & Webinars

Making Your Blog Personal

Who wants to read a boring blog post? Who wants to read anything boring? Unless it's something necessary, like the directions on a box of cake mix, no one. And how do you write something that's not boring? By making it place where people connect. By making it personal. By letting people get to know you or your customers. Sometimes that's easier said than done. What are some tips and tricks to luring in your reader with compelling content? By providing human interest to your content. If you’re trying to establish a personal, welcoming brand voice, you’ll need to write in a way that people can emotionally relate to; to become a member of your tribe. 

 

Share a universal struggle or universal joy.  My business is providing quality golden retrievers to families. I write about my dogs, the pain of losing one to disease, the disgust of cleaning up a puppy who rolled in his own poop, the joy of seeing families with their new puppy.  What do these things have in common? Who hasn't lost someone or something they love? Who has not had to deal with a task they really wanted to run from? And who has not had the joy of a new life to love? 

 

Write in the first person.  I, me, mine, myself.... When people can hear or see your voice, they become more connected to you. By developing a relationship with your reader or viewer, you make them part of your world. Even better is when you you a conversational tone with your audience. They feel like you are talking to them individually. It is warmer and more inviting. 

 

Be emotional (within reason). If you are transparent about your feelings towards the topics that you write about, it can give heart and soul to your subject matter. Nothing can turn someone off more than dry, one dimensional content. 

David Corbett said, "People don’t turn to stories to experience what you, the writer, have experienced—or even what your characters have. They read to have their own experience. Our job is to create a series of effects to facilitate and enhance that experience."

 

Personal life.  Share a bit of real life in your blogs, vlogs, etc. to establish a deeper connection to your audience.

Including references to your personal experiences, if they share a theme with your work or demonstrate an important point, can add authority to your work. For example, if you’re blogging about how to create a successful marketing firm, and you’ve owned such a company, it’s a perfect opportunity to reference those experiences.