Locking in a Blog Reader | Michael Morrow, Freelance Copywriter

Context and Content

The Recipe for Locking in a Blog Reader

Conversation or Monologue?

A blog can still be a conversation even if you’re the only one talking. You are speaking to a reader as if they are responding. But you must see them as responsive. That’s where context is important in your content. Ever notice a person looking away when you’re talking? You lost them. But you keep on talking. You hope they’ll come back because you’re deep into a conversation about yourself. I mean, we’re interesting people, right? Then you hear, “I need to talk to my friend Tammy over there. Nice talking with you.” There was no talking with anyone. She was checking out an escape route. You were busy listening to your amusing adventures. Maybe you could’ve come with something more interesting about yourself. Perhaps you should’ve combed your hair?

Engage with Your Audience

We focus when starting a conversation on ourselves or what we want. It’s not different than a Blog. You want an outcome. Expectation is your worse enemy. The next is your defenses. When you control the conversation about yourself, it is safe. But there are no results in building a personal wall. You create an image that you feel is more interesting than who you really are. Your facade usually shows. Because people can tell you’re not genuine. The recipe for a blog (or conversation) that keeps the audience glued starts with who you’re talking to and how they respond to a particular type of voice.

[[ The Double Date from Hell //]]

My mother set my brother and me up with a friend’s daughters. Just the thought had me wincing. We went to a restaurant. They almost looked like twins. Both had long curly brown hair and dark brown eyes. I sat across from the oldest, who didn’t have any expression. The younger wanted conversation. My brother was perfect for this. He was a sly extrovert. A voice like molasses. I’ve always been a shy guy. But I tried the wrong way. I played myself as an expert in knowing people. Get ready for this. “I’m studying Political Science and History at the University.” “I don’t go to school. I work.” “I’m more into cowboy stuff. Wearing boots and listening to country music.” She jumped on it, “I thought cowboys were more into Rock.” Her voice was snide. It was a challenge. It didn’t stop there. Her sister knew she didn’t want to be there. That’s why she kept talking as much as she could to my brother. I guess she didn’t get out much. But the sister wasn’t leaving. She wanted more out of me. I shut down.

Make an Effort to Know Your Reader

When a person challenges you, they know you’re not genuine. Yes, it’s rude, but so is not being yourself. And so is not including them in the conversation. Don’t take it personally when you’re called out. Know you made a mistake and put the conversation back where it should have started, in their court. The only way you’ll build rapport in a conversation or with a reader is to know them. Had I challenged her back, there would’ve been a conversation. But I was always taught that was impolite. Get over being polite. Thrust yourself back into the conversation.

UUU Drop Your Guard UUU

Everyone, not just blog writers, wants to come off as an expert. They’re a Rock Star. Got news for you. Groupies and fans aren’t attracted so much to the Rock Star as they are to the lifestyle. Ordinary people find something in a Movie or TV star they admire.

• Mary Ann of Gilligan’s Island was wholesome with a killer body.
• Ginger of Gilligan’s Island was the movie star who oozed sex.
• Clint Eastwood took no guff.
• Tom Hanks was a goofball even when he played straight.

Who do you see as relatable and admirable? The bottom line is this. You’re not a big shot if you want a specific audience. You’re one of them.

Building rapport happens when you are real. You must be IMPERFECT. Show your flaws, or no one will believe you.

That includes any product you are selling. Ever heard the phrase, “That’s too good to be true.” That’s because whatever you’re pushing is too perfect. Get off your high horse and be one of us. Humility was seen in history as inferiority. After the teachings of Christ, it is seen as a virtue.

A Key to Relating to Others

You want people to see you in them. The best three ways to do that is:

1. Share something embarrassing about yourself
2. Feel their pain – politicians use this to their benefit
3. Know what you want to do for them and state it

Pick out something in your life that is awkward and fits the subject matter. Let it out. You’ll be surprised at the reaction flowing back to you. Experience what they’re feeling and share your experience with it. Go over each moment that matters to them and that you understand. Know what you want to do for them to make it better. There is no point in the conversation if you don’t want to help them. How are you going to give them a Call to Action?

Keep in mind that you are not better than your audience, even if you are a professional expert in your field. You want to relate and gain trust first. You can help when they know they can believe in you.

*= SEO and What You Say =*

More than keywords – it’s what the blog is about. Tell everyone from the beginning: Your title, your sub-title, your lead sentence. Just don’t stuff the blog with them. You only need them at the start and lightly sprinkled through the body. State the obvious in what you are trying to get across. Do not hold your audience in suspense over the main subject. Don’t be witty about your title. Don’t be mysterious or trick your reader. Honest, they won’t like it. Just like a bad movie, they bounce out. The target market is your friend. Treat them with respect as you would your childhood sweetheart. Don’t play games. Be straight with them and help them.

Tell everyone what your blog is about–from the beginning.

😀 Get Into Their Heads 😀

How do you find out what they’re thinking?

• Research.
• Your own experiences as one of them.
• Staying in contact personally with them.

I know your first question. “How do I get to know all these people?”

• Books and blogs (especially from some of your competitors).
• Facebook groups.
• Live social events.
• Chat rooms.
• The magazines they read.
• The TV shows they watch.

You can use Facebook insights to discover the above ways to connect.

But most of all you must have your own experiences like theirs.

Use the same language. If you share the same experience, you should know the vernacular. Jargon is used only with those who understand it. Do not use words, especially an expanded vocabulary, on those who don’t understand it.

Talk like them. You’ll be immediately accepted.

Before speaking to your dialed-in audience, think this to yourself. How would I react to what I’m going to say? You want to imagine their response but not an outcome. You want to keep their feelings and what they would say in your mind. Playing it like a video in your mind could develop more and better ways of reaching your audience.

How would I react to what I’m going to say?

👄 How to Say It 👅

You want to express senses. This will give your audience an experience of your blog. They won’t just be reading information. You’ll have them living it in their mind. Here are three key senses to activate in your writing:

1. Visual – words that activate what they can see. Not just adjectives. They paint a picture but not as expressively as adverbs. You want action as much as color and shape. The withering flowers. The hawk swoops down. The car flips over.
2. Auditory – words that activate what they can hear. The rustling of the tall grass. The whipping of the wind. He smashed through the glass.
3. Kinesthetic – words that activate feeling in the reader. Her face throbbed. Tears flooded his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Her heart was in her throat.

You can also use taste and smell, but those will only capture a small moment. The three above makes you feel like you’re on a journey.

Give your audience an experience of your blog.

>>> Motivate

The emotional roller coaster provides tension and relief. This is used in books, movies, television, and seduction. It’s why mysteries, romance novels, and horror movies are so popular. Their expectation, not yours, is the focus. You start with excruciating pain (scream) and give them a huge relief (aaah). As you go along in your blog, you still hit points that hurt but at a lesser level. Same with the relief right after. You don’t want to continue agony or massive drops of relief. It won’t be believable. You want them living the problem they have and the solution you offer in their mind. You can now move to the close or another motivator.

You want them living the problem they have and the solution you offer in their mind.

Time Distortion can be used as a rapport maker and a motivator. Dating gurus refer to this as mini dating. You take a date to more than one venue in a single night:

• A wine tasting
• An art exhibit
• Dinner
• Put-put golf
• Bowling

You’re seen in different settings and circumstances. It’s like your date has known you all your life. Well, at least some of it.

But time distortion is about know, like, and trust. You can get a person motivated by taking them back and forth through stories. Outline similar experiences in a few of the same stories.

Before long, they trust you enough to take the next step.

But if you want to motivate them even more, you move to – Inspiration: A big win story that makes it seem possible for them to accomplish. You must overcome the odds. We’re back to the emotional roller coaster. But this time, they’re experiencing yours.

Your accomplishment could be theirs. Make it believable. Don’t be afraid to show your imperfection. You’ll hook them.

)) Now to the Close ((

Picture the objections.

Objections don’t kill the deal. They make the deal. You’re going to hear valid reasons the reader doesn’t agree or feel they can’t do what you’re offering. The rest are veiled excuses they use to avoid commitment.

Go over objections in your mind that they could have before they even come up. Not sure what objections they have? Call people on the phone. Talk to them in person. Message them. Pitch every one of them. You’ll get objections.

Marketing people hate rejection. But this is how you learn all the objections to come up with ways to counter them. And even use them to convince the person why they should act.

Come up with the answers and use them in the blog. Your audience will challenge because they yearn for a solution. Or they want to bring you down to their level to relate better. If they didn’t want a response from you, they wouldn’t answer at all.

Reasons must be answered with genuine care. They want help. You can make this possible with honest understanding. Meet their expectations, not yours. They will be your biggest commenter and testimonial.

The other biggest commenter is the challenger.

Use the argumentative to advance your case. Don’t attack back. You can let your fans do that. The reader will either come around or leave.

The excuse peddler is avoiding but also hanging around to be convinced.

This is the one you can convert with work. You now become the challenger. You can do this in your blog before it ever comes up.

“My wife doesn’t approve of this.”

• • “Do you have to get your wife’s approval on everything?”

“I’m not a salesman.”

• • “You don’t sell your kids on college or getting a job?”

“I don’t have enough money.”

• • “Yet you have a business.”

“I just don’t have time.”

• • “But you’ve been on the phone with me for half an hour.”

Don’t let an excuse see the time of day. Challenge every avoidance in your blog. Make them think. Don’t forget to future pace.

“Let’s imagine yourself in the same position five years from now. Then look back and ask yourself, what if I had done this back then.”

You can even juxtapose this with Time Distortion back and forth. Before they finally give in.

When you’ve got them ready to decide, move to the value ladder.

Here is your biggest converter. Offer them something that has a high value or price tag. They either won’t be able to afford what you’re offering, or they will jump on it. Why? Because your high-ticket buyers won’t want to let it get away.

Those who can’t afford the price (either a lot of work, extra time, or a big buy) will duck out. That’s where the value ladder comes in. You then offer a lower package, activity, or time commitment). This automatically gives relief to the one who wants to invest less.

They may not go for the next lower level. That’s why you keep offering a lower and lower package. That’s what makes it a value ladder.

Don’t go too low. Four levels should be the max. After that, you don’t want a freebie hunter wasting your time.

Follow Up » »

You did it! You got yourself an audience. They are responding with comments, emails, landing on your website. What do you do now?

Respond: There are three ways to do this.

1. Return comments on the blog
2. Send them an email or newsletter
3. Call them on the phone

Why do you need to do this? Letting them know you are real. So much online is now automated. That’s why there is always a response, “Talk to a Human.”

Your content may keep them glued. But your interaction with each audience member locks them in.

Do not avoid your readers. That’s death for a blogger.

Need any more information? Contact me on my website below.