Why do we respect and spend huge sums of money on costly items?
We may not accept the simple fact that a company ripped us.
Many times, we believe the deal was great, just to cover up. If you’ve a friend who just bought a new LCD TV (whatever brand), listen to their words and gestures.
I bet they won’t accept that they were ripped, even if they were.
Just because you spent $10k on that fancy wooden wrist watch doesn’t make it extraordinary. It’s just a time piece – and you purchased it because of the perception you’ve about expensive items.
Let’s bring it to our realm as bloggers. You see, the impression you create would determine whether you’ll ever build a profitable blog or not. We all want to gain traction, get massive comments and free traffic on a daily basis, but we must watch “it.â€
What is perception?
I’d try and make it simple. Perception is the impression you’ve about a thing based on what you’ve observed or seen. So the question is, what exactly are you feeding your readers?
When they come to your blog, do you give them a reason to talk about you outside? As we all know, word of mouth marketing works better in the blogosphere.
Satisfied blog readers can refer responsive people to you. But before they can do that willingly, you need to encourage them, by first changing the impression (perception) they’ve about you.
If 90% of your traffic is from search engines, tell me how passive that is, especially now that Google is no longer reliable (like many people think).
What’s so special about blog readers?
Can I tell you something? Did you know that you can’t give what you don’t have? Now, this is a basic reality in life.
You can’t buy an expensive Porsche unless you can afford it. Well, most people live on debt but that’s not a good way to enjoy this blissful life.
Blog readers are special and to fully win their hearts and make money blogging, you need a change of mindset.
How? Start seeing blog readers as real human beings. Yes I’m talking to you. It looks obvious but it’s the fundamental rule for building a successful blog. You can ask pro bloggers how they managed to grow a hot community – I’m sure the answers would be on the same frequency.
Blogging is the best form of socializing. So, start by loving your readers. You can’t fake or pretend to love people. It’s going to show in the words you use. Even your blog post headline can suggest love for your community or hatred.
You might not see through the words you’re using, but blog readers are intelligent. They can decipher your intentions long before you hit the last paragraph.
Here is a shock: If your blog posts lack the persona attribute, and you’re not providing practical tips to your readers, tell me how loving you’re? Time is precious and if someone must invest a part of their precious currency (time) to you, you must celebrate them.
First impression is powerful
Let’s proceed with changing the perception of your reader. The first impression you create is what really matters – it sets the pace for whatever step a reader would take in the future.
If someone must subscribe to your email list, join your community, buy your latest book or attend your webinar, when they come to your blog, did you tune in to the best blogging radio frequency? Don’t be confused, the frequency I’m talking about is “WIIFM.â€
“What’s in it for me?â€
Your blog design must convey that you’re ready to change lives, which is the first impression you create. Yes it’s that serious because on the internet, “people can buy a book because of the beautiful cover.†They might not read it or use the information, but the ecover had captured their minds, and consequently their purse.
If you use a quirky or free wordpress theme, isn’t it high time you spend $39 on a professional theme? Or better yet, contact designers who can customize your blog design to fully suit your brand and niche. See a great blog design here.
Write epic content all the time
I personally made a commitment to my readers 4 months ago that I’d only publish quality and epic content. I minimized my activities on Facebook and Twitter, because it was really consuming the bunch of my time.
If readers know you as someone who doesn’t joke with every blog topic, just know that you’re in for a massive blog growth. Aha, that’s what I’m talking about baby!
And if you’re the only one managing your blog, it’d be a stress trying to publish daily or few times weekly. I usually publish new content on my blog every Monday.
When I’m not working on writing assignments, I can update twice per week, or carry the topic over to subsequent week.
The truth is, quality content can change people’s perception about you. In the same way, regurgitated blog post on generic topics can discourage readers and they’d tag you badly.
Who are you?
What can your readers say about you? Are you the type of person who truly cares about giving solutions? Your target audience is tired of carrying their problems – they demand answers.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, what do you think about “perception?†Leave a comment below. See you ahead!
Photo Credit: Happy Friends