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Learn Affiliate Marketing from Rosalind Gardner :: |
I’m very honored to be guest blogging today at eMoms as per the request of Wendy Piersall. At first I started off just spamming the comments section to get some recognition via her Top Commentators Plugin, but then I started to read, and actually enjoy her posts. I think I might have even made a friend in the process.
Wendy wrote an interesting post about her blog becoming successful and getting a bit hard to keep up with recently (I personally think she just wanted to post something in my honor - opinion). Amidst praising me for being so talkative on her site she made an ingenious statement that I would like to elaborate upon.
Write posts in an “approachable voice”, inviting participation from everyone.
10 Ways To Have a Magnetic Blog - My perception on how my favorite blogs seem to suck me in.
1. Love your audience
When you genuinely want to give to your audience, they will feel it. Listen to them, love them and grow with them. It’s a very attractive quality to have as a person, and what is the essence of a blog than an extension of yourself.
2. Sound unique
There are millions of blogs, books and articles out there to read about. Whatever you are talking about, it’s probably been said before. You have to bring it to life in your own special way, with your unique experiences and your unique input. When I write, I take you under my arm, as we walk together and I tell you, buddy to buddy, what I genuinely think is the best course of action. There is no other Alex Shalman; I’m not a faceless article.
3. Use plenty of humor
There really is nothing comparable to humor. Nothing is more magnetic as making a person feel good. Laughing is the fundamental quality that accomplishes this with ease. Use wit, sarcasm, satire or NOT! jokes; do whatever is most natural - just be funny.
4. Establish authority
When you write a top 10 list (such as having a magnetic blog) you must sound like you know what you’re talking about. An example of what NOT to write here would be “I guess everyone likes someone funny, or maybe they like the strong silent type, who knows”. No. Figure out how to express your opinion without announcing to the world that you don’t know what you are talking about or have doubts about what you are saying. It’s okay to not know and pose a question to the readers - but theres a time and place for everything.
5. Be easy to understand
Write your article - walk away from it for a bit - come back and edit it. I try to express myself as clearly as possible and make as few grammatical mistakes as possible. While I don’t always succeed, the least that I do is make sure you know what i’m talking about. Keep your thoughts clear and stay on topic - your readers will love you for it.
6. Be human
I know I just said not to make mistakes, but sometimes it’s okay. Being human is more powerful than having authority. One thing I learned from The Landmark Forum was that it looks GOOD when you look BAD. To use a blogger as an example, when John Chow makes his spelling mistakes, you forgive him because he’s foreign and you sympathize with him. By doing him the favor of forgiving him you are actually becoming a loyal fan.
7. Never deceive your readers
I personally dislike nothing more than a liar and I have every reason to believe that other people do not like liars either. I have no problem reveiling everything to my readers and I feel like I earn their respect by being open. When my blog becomes monetized I have no problem saying that it’s because I want to eat. You want me to eat too, right?
8. Establish a brand
This is how people will recognize you when they see you walking down the street or flipping through a channel. When you are familiar, you bring a sense of security to a person when they are exposed to you. A crude analogy - get people addicted to you.
9. Be easy on the eyes
After you make your blog and slap on 21 ads on it, ask your friends how it looks. It’s the mean friends that will tell you the truth. If they say it looks like crap and it’s all a mess - change it. The first thing people notice is what your blog looks like, not whats written in it. Make your first impressions count.
10. Keep them talking
One thing that keeps people coming back is the ongoing conversation that you have with them. I try to throw in a question here and there into my post or something for readers to think about. I’m always there in the comments section answering questions and keeping the ball rolling. I notice that when there is a little community of sorts around a blogs comments section that I visit it frequently to see who is saying what. You want people coming back, right?
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If you’ve enjoyed this post you can finding Alex writing about self help and personal growth over at his Practical Personal Development site.
I think those tips are very good and useful. It is really hard for new bloggers I’ve found over the years to get their foot out there and most give up. Thats why I created my blog to help them find the obscure things. Niches are nice when you have your own unique one.
“John Chow makes his spelling mistakes, you forgive him because he’s foreign and you sympathize with him.”
I thought that John Chow of John Chow Dot Com was from Vancouver? I mean, from here in Toronto that’s pretty foreign, but still… :p
Great post Alex. I especially like the point about humour. Too many blogs are way too serious.
Scott, you won’t have to worry about any of that serious stuff with me! No sir.
Alex - nice job! I think it is essential to find your voice and talk to your readers instead of at them.
Agreed Char - this is something that evolves, at least for me, as I find my voice.
Alex you really did a good job of grabbing onto your “permalink” to the “Guest Blogger” category, rather than hitting me out of first place with your “spam comments”! hA! Just kidding bud!
Your tips are great!
Honestly, you have your own tone, voice and humor that’s un-duplicatable anywhere here on the web! Keep it up–I’m routing for all your success!
I look forward to learning from your fresh and refreshing new tips; such as your ingenious SEO-fundraiser! Wow! Now, You are an Innovator! And, you *need* to be in order to survive and thrive here on the web. I stand up with awe!
Hands clapping,
Ponn
Thank you Ponn, you are much too kind. The idea for the fundraiser was a culmination of things I have seen around. John Chow was a big part of the inspiration for the SEO part of the “anchor text”.
I still don’t see my name under the guest blogger category, but I forgive Wendy since I know she’s out there getting all of us some juicy info.
Once again, thank you for the kind words and your participation in the donation contest. I’ll put a spammy little link back to it, even though Wendy already mentioned it in a post, but I know she’ll forgive me.
http://www.alexshalman.com/blog/2007/03/15/you-click-a-button-i-donate-a-dollar/
I run my own blog dedicated to finding people real work at home jobs by providing them with leads. I have to say, my audience kicks ass. They are the most helpful bunch of people I’ve ever came across on the web. They literally keep me blogging each day.