Who’s Gonna Read? Target Audience Need Not be Guess Work
As you continue your blogging journey, you will encounter the term “target audience” quite frequently. Then your mind will be muddled up with the terms “SEO“, “Title Tags“, “Links” and many other internet marketing jargon. Before you go on initial blogger’s info overload, STOP.
The main concept of blogging is sharing thoughts on a specific topic, and that’s what you are going to do. Sure, people you don’t know (from search engines etc.) will be visiting your blog to gain information about your niche and will MAYBE return in the future or follow you by subscribing… but at the very onset, you basically have a picture of the person who’s going to read your blog inside your mind already.
I. The “Model” target audience
This person is your “model target audience” and he/she need not be faceless, it could be someone from your old company, someone who tells you “get a real JOB, gadamit!” everyday, or even that person who keeps mailing you about her personal LOVE problems.
At the lower left side of this blog, I have a sort-of disclaimer. I delineated who I’m writing for but I’m extending the invitation to those passers by who want to join in the conversation. It’s a lot easier to talk with authority on a topic if you have a real person before you who you know can relate to your topic.
Analogy: Imagine yourself the teacher in a class with a handful of students. If these students are “freshmen”, should you start the lecture with topics that are fit for “masteral” students? No, because the “lesson plan” you have prepared is tailored specifcally to your attendees. However, those who want to sit in may sit in for the duration of your lecture…if they want to.
II. Invite People You Know to Read Your Blog
Unless your blog is about something that NO ONE should know about you, it’s highly recommended that you tell people about it as soon as you publish your first few articles. Email them, print business cards, or simply tell them about it via chat/text.
Examples:
1. a girl blogger to her former high school classmates
“Hi. I just put up a blog about our old high school (her only blog topic), maybe you should come read some of the stories I remember from way back. Here’s the website address ….”
2. a guy overseas Filipino worker to an old friend back in the Philippines
“Guess what, I’m teaching now about how to migrate successfully as a nurse to the USA [his blog's primary topic]. You should visit because I posted some photos of American women during summer time at the beach [his secondary topic]. Here’s the website address….”
When you’ve invited everyone you know and their moms, it’s time to figure out how to attract those you don’t know… namely, the people who are looking for a particular topic in your niche.
Happy blogging!
