Jenn Whinnem is a regular here, and she brings a perspective I love with relish (dill, not sweet). She’s back in betwixt her recent gig at the Connecticut Health Foundation where she’s the muse for social media innovation. See what you make of Jenn’s view as she re-visits our neighborhood.
Jenn Whinnem Says:
Fellow bloggers, I want to know: who are you blogging for? Can you tell me right now who you’re writing for and what they can get out of your most recent post? What if your writing is turning readers off?
It’s something that’s been on my mind ever since I’ve been running around like a mad woman with my kicking new job. I’m a lot less active in the part of the blogosphere I previously called home. In fact, I’d say I’ve moved.
When I visit the old neighborhood, though, I get kind of confused. When I saw these blogs every day I didn’t question a lot. But now I see these blogs less often and I really notice what’s going on, kinda like the friends you only see every couple of months. And, I have to say, every time I dip back into my Twitter stream and read the posts that are being shared, I have a huh? moment.
See, lately blogs are making me flash back to pre-2009, when blogs felt like this to me (Lyle not Teodor). Honestly, who cared what I or you or anyone else was thinking about? The navel-gazing flat out didn’t interest me.
Then in 2009 I woke up and realized blogs had shifted into providing real business value, and I got into it. There was an exchange of information, not just opinions. Cool.
But recently some blogs are feeling, well, pretty self-indulgent. As a reader I’m not getting much out of it. I’d like to pose this question — what are bloggers getting out of it? In my defense I’ll say I’m trying to avoid the echo chamber just like the rest of you. I definitely read new bloggers who have moved in, and I’m getting a similar feeling. Are they getting business out of it? If not…what’s the point?
So let’s talk about this. Do you know who you’re blogging for? What have you written for them lately, and is it something they want to hear? Or, am I completely out of whack? Wouldn’t be the first time!
Jenn,
Hi, I’m way too new to have met you before you moved, so I’ll say “hi!”. I’m Amber-Lee (there’s waaayy more, but we just met!) I really appreciate this post. I guess I’ve grown enough / learned enough I’m ready (or at least hearing) for these types of questions. Because I am loving this new world and I do want to make it work for us, as a company as well as be such a pleasure.
Who am I writing for? I am writing for the people who are hesitant to go into a place so remote, so distant, into an area quite naturally dangerous, to spend an incredible amount of money to do so with class, fun and safety with experienced and knowledgeable guides…..because they #1 don’t know we exist and #2 don’t KNOW us. (I am sharing US)
What can “they” get out of my most recent post? Recent? Hopefully they’ll see into their own mis-interpretation of what “experience really is… this is a very difficult stage newly licensed guides all go thru…”Oh, you just received your State of Alaska Big Game Guide License, you must not know anything.”…..uh, how does that work? okokok….the one that will be coming out on Friday, I finished today will hopefully help those who may think “yee-ha!” truly understand… it can really suck, that’s part of the Adventure! LOL
I guess I am still new enough I don’t know what you mean, exactly by Pre-2009, and I liked the cartoon (I feel this way! LOL)…but, I don’t get it. Now, I have only recently began to find my courage with Twitter, but other than having Alltop ads to try to read around (! I have to figure out “filters”!) I love what the folks are posting! I’m not being rude or ignorant on purpose, I promise, I really do want to understand. I ABSOLUTELY in NO way want to turn people AWAY, I’ve been bustin’ butt to FIND them!
I really am interested what you think. ~Amber-Lee
Welcome Amber! How are you liking blogging? It sounds like an interesting topic for a blog although I’m definitely not your target audience – as I admitted in the comments once on this blog before, I won’t even go camping.
I have to say , “pre-2009” isn’t a thing, it’s just that I had no interest in blogs before 2009. It’s pretty specific to me. But I’m glad the strip made you laugh, it’s one of my favorites.
Jayme and I were just talking yesterday and we were talking about how it’s hard when you’re new to blogging – it seems to take a good year to gain your footing. So stick with it! And I didn’t find people I liked on Twitter for the first 6 months easily, so stick with that too.
Let’s have a link to your blog!
Jenn! Here is my link, and I hope you enjoy it. https://pioneeroutfitters.com/AlaskaChickBlog/ (I counted this morning for @margieclayman:disqus and I have written over 70 posts! OMG!!) I know I am getting better (you’d have to be a nim-rod not to! LOL), but I feel like I’m still searching a bit for my right voice (check out My Identity Crisis- a button on the left side bar!). I hope to see and chat with you again, since I have finally met you. Take care and enjoy the new place you are in!
~Amber-Lee
Good Morning, Amber! All good questions, and please know that everyone’s journey begins at a different point, and that’s what makes it “fraught with danger” or littered with clutter…if I may be so bold.
Because everyone’s goals and objectives for blogging are different, we, the readers, will see a plethora of topics, styles, themes, messages, content. And, not all blogs have distinct goals.
Sounds like you’re very aware that you want to grow your Alaska wilderness expedition business; I’ve been seeing this language on others’ blogs from you. Keep on, Amber-Lee. You may not be knowledgeable today, but you’re learning for tomorrow. All of us have had to.
Ugh. Is this a hint?! LOL!! Am I still too littered?! I want it to be AWESOME!! I love my spot here in the little (ok, not so little!) corner I found with you all. I HAVE learned so much. I hope (truly, with all my heart) not one of you, ever, would think I don’t want to KNOW if I’m not cuttin’ it! (or if something is just butt-ugly!) I love your pic, Jayme, it ALWAYS makes me smile in return! ~Amber-Lee
Amber-Lee, let me be absolutely square — I’d never tell anyone their blog is littered with clutter! Especially yours! That would be horrid form; not something I’d ever do to directly offend someone. Tell you a secret — my other blog is on hiatus due to design issues; it’s a never-ending struggle to keep up with the times and create a blog that is creative. But, first comes content and then comes design (I just sung the “first comes love, then comes marriage” nursery rhyme/kid song in my head!). You’ve got some real chutzpah, and it shows. Keep on!
I blog first for me and then for everyone else. I write because I am compelled to write and I find it cathartic. I write because I know how to make words sing for me and I like to try to make them sing for you.
Mr JackB, my question for you is – if you find it cathartic, and you write primarily for you – why do you publish it on the internet?
Now, feel free to tell me to shut up. My sister and I have argued about this for over ten years. She was an early blog adopter. It is something of a triumph for her that her big sister had to eat crow. But for her, she has friends all over the world, and she regularly visits them. Free lodging. She’s a smart girl.
Hi Jenn,
I wouldn’t tell you to shut up but I might ask you why I shouldn’t publish it on the net. The people make blogging interesting. They provide the spice in the stew I am cooking (which is hoischmahzeh I might add) and that is worth something to me.
I think my comment to Hajra might apply here – my post is really about blogs that would appear, from their content, to have shifted objectives. If you run a personal blog, and that’s what you’re doing, more power to you. I admit I might not be interested in a stranger’s personal journey, but please let me quickly say that who the heck cares if I’m not interested, because I’m probably not the target audience. I have gotten interested in strangers’ personal journeys before though. Heck, I read The Bloggess’s metal chicken story (first time reading her) and laughed so hard I cried. I’m so glad she shared that story!
As I said, I primarily read blogs for business information. If I’m reading a blog that started off teaching me things/sharing thought leadership, and then it turns into something else, I’ll probably stop visiting that blog. As @twitter-29827578:disqus said, I do like a bit of that personality now and then. I love getting to know the people behind the blogs and making friends – I just don’t have time for a lot of it. I’m scrambling to make time for long-time friends at this point. So if I borrow your metaphor I’d just say, I like some spice, but I probably won’t eat a habanero whole.
Morning, Jack. Jenn does raise a good point we’ve touched upon in conversation. Your poetry, stories, family situation, and catharsis on your blog are for you.
When you begin to engage the reader first, that’s when you know you’re ready for the next phase of blogging. You may never be ready, but perhaps you’ll slowly grow in that direction and challenge yourself.
I know for a fact you’ll find a new universe of reader out there just waiting for you to take them along for a wild ride.
Hi Jayme,
My blog traffic quadrupled last week and has remained consistent for six days now. That leads me to believe that it is not an anomaly or a one time spike. I have been doing this for seven years now and still love it. Most bloggers won’t come close to touching that. They’ll fold and close up shop in far less time.
But that is neither here nor there.
So let’s take a slightly different tack and I’ll pose a question. What makes a blog successful? Is it traffic? Is it comments? Is it money?
For me it has never been about being the biggest. I don’t need to have more traffic or more comments than any one else. I have made business connections through my blog and earned money because of it. I have found clients and never gone searching for them. That is all a bonus for me.
The real value in my blog comes from that release and the joy of writing. That makes me happy and to me that is success.
You’re absolutely correct; what has worked for you for 7 years has been highly successful. And, if you’re able to sustain the energy and motivation to carry on with the rapidity with which you publish — it’s truly amazing, Jack.
Hi Jayme,
My blog traffic quadrupled last week and has remained consistent for six days now. That leads me to believe that it is not an anomaly or a one time spike. I have been doing this for seven years now and still love it. Most bloggers won’t come close to touching that. They’ll fold and close up shop in far less time.
But that is neither here nor there.
So let’s take a slightly different tack and I’ll pose a question. What makes a blog successful? Is it traffic? Is it comments? Is it money?
For me it has never been about being the biggest. I don’t need to have more traffic or more comments than any one else. I have made business connections through my blog and earned money because of it. I have found clients and never gone searching for them. That is all a bonus for me.
The real value in my blog comes from that release and the joy of writing. That makes me happy and to me that is success.
Hey Jack, Jenn and Soulati,
First time here and I have so much to say about this particular conversation. I think the ‘why’ issue is always connected to people with personal blogs; blogs that talk about personal journeys and the likes. I too have a personal blog and I started it for the joy of writing and for “getting into the blogging world” Also, I thought maybe sarcasm and humor can be put to good use. Also, my personal blog got me a job! (Yippeee!)
For example, when I read Jack’s blog or any other similar blog, it is interesting to read about other’s journey and their experiences. Asking them why blog; is like asking everyone why read a story book. Did we really want to know why Cinderella was treated so badly, but we do find hope in the happy ending right? So, I think the issue that why are we blogging is a tough one to choose; but to each his own!
But Jenn, you do have a point. Like one discussion on another site I blog for is that people don’t want to listen about one thing over and over again. Like a reader tells us that she is tired of reading an alcoholic’s journey to de addiction through her blog. It was like she kept saying the same thing over and over again. Keeping readers interested in one thing and keeping the “why” part in mind is another; having a balance of both is quite a task and it is for the author to decide what is more important for them.
P.S: Don’t attack me; I just spoke my mind 😉 Have a lovely weekend!
Thanks for joining us here at Jayme’s blog – we’re not in the habit of attacking anyone, I’m happy to say.
My post was more about shifting objectives and what that can mean. If you start off courting one audience but then neglect that audience in future posts…that audience might stray. Have you given up on that audience, or do you need to take it out on a date? How much farther can I extend a metaphor?
Congratulations on landing a job through your blog! That’s great news.
Warm welcome to you, Hajra! I’m thrilled you decided to speak up here in my house. For someone to adopt the very personal side of blogging and put themselves out there for all the world to see takes boldness. I admire those who do it. I blog for business (with a smattering of the personal side, although it’s uncomfortable).
I think it bears saying, you can have a blog with personality or a blog that’s personal. These are two entirely different styles, and people will gravitate to one over the other depending on their needs and interests.
And, anyone who is offended by a blogger’s style can unsubscribe, never visit again, decide not to comment, or just ignore! Right?
Great points, and thanks for making them here. ~Jayme
Thank you for the warmest welcome! Ya, really, if you hate a blog, just stop coming to it…simple!
Great to be here… plans to be here more often, get used to me…I talk way too much! 😉
Perfecto! And, if your first name is NOT Hajra, please correct me so I may address you appropriately. See you soon! (And, by the by…please share your blog if you’re writing!)
Sitting on my feet so they won’t slip into the shoe that just might fit, Jenn. I think at first I was writing more about what interested me and other writers on my own blog, but I’m trying in recent weeks to shift to write for client interests (businesses that need marketing content written and business communications edited) as I narrow my niche down. So pardon if I’ve been all over the place. Testing, testing, 1… 2… (insert high-pitched mic squeal).
Ah, my friend Shakirah, there is something to be said for evaluation & re-calibration. Now that I’m in charge of my organization’s blog I understand even better the importance of being able to learn and change direction.
I tried to contextualize my comments through the admission of having been out of the loop for awhile. Things change and maybe I haven’t been aware! Maybe people are consciously shifting their focus and for good reason – it’s definitely why I asked instead of throwing d’s. I’m still gonna read your blog.
I think many are shifting their focus, not only in their blogs, but in their lives. At times of great change, we can either protect or proceed. As the online world shifts and changes, it’s even more important for “evaluation and re-calibration”. I write for my readers. I write to inspire, to get people to see things perhaps from an angle they hadn’t thought of, to empower, to support, to educate and to entertain. That’s my intention in my writing, my work and my life. I succeed only when those I interact with tell me so. Cheers! Kaarina
Sounds like you’re confident in what you’re doing! And as Jayme wrote previously, blogging takes confidence.
You must be a mind reader, my dear friend! Strangely, I’ve been wrestling with this issue in my head for the past few weeks as well.
I think it’s so gosh darn easy to get caught up writing things that will cause a stir or to get your friends to come over and comment and tweet like mad. The thing is, your blog friends who comment are likely not your TRUE audience. So, for me, for instance, I might be writing about marketing and social media basics that many of the smart folks here would never find useful. But, it’s not intended for them. It’s intended for small businesses who need help and are still trying to figure all of this out.
Sure, my stuff might still have appeal to my blogging friends, but it needs to be for my target audience first. That’s why, some posts likely don’t get as many comments or tweets (that or some of my posts just stink!).
At the end of the day, we have to be mindful of who we’re talking to. And, often, it’s not always who we think. This is an important reminder – one that I need to tell myself regularly.
Laura, yes. I think you’ve summed me up better than I did – I’ve felt like we’re writing more for each other than we are for customers. I’ve been wondering if there are any bloggers who take that “how to be a blogger” advice and use it to do something ELSE.
Your posts do NOT stink, crazy.
I know how you feel, Jenn. I really enjoy getting to know my online friends better, but I also have limited time and am pretty focused on finding and sharing good content for the larger, business-focused audience I’m trying to build. The posts that are more personal are great for the relationship-building aspect of being online. And I do LOVE that. But I do wonder about people doing a lot of personal, introspective writing on blogs that they have positioned for business. I think doing so occasionally is fine. We’re all told to be personal and that this is more compelling. But I know when I follow blogs for business purposes, I don’t want them to be mostly personal. It’s hard. I think we are all enjoying the personal aspects of blogging and commenting lately, and it’s kind of taken over.
Miss you out here, Jenn!
I miss you too Neicole!
I, like you, like a little bit of personal with my business.But that’s the proportion I like it in. As I thought about this more this morning I realize I should have made this post a little more utilitarian – as in, how you can tell if you’re missing your target, or how to get back on track. I’ll have to think about that for next time.
Excellent points; simply stated, Neicole! Thanks for stopping over.
G’Day Jenn,
I really think that you should blog as if you had only one reader. Work out who your “ideal” reader is and write just for that person. I have a backgrund in direct mail/telemarketing. That’s one of the first things you learn. A narrow and specific target’s very important. you can’t be all things to all people. The harder you try, the less relevant you become to any of them.
There’s one other thing about writing that I learnt years ago. Writing’s about the reader not the writer.
And, of course, make sure you have fun.
Regards
Leon
I hope peep are taking you seriously in betwixt and between your dry humor, Leon. Your lifetime of accomplishment and experience are wondrous for all of us to glean. Thanks for being here! And, please know since you graced Gini with a GP, may I have one sometime?
This is such good simple advice – which I can tell because following it is hard work!
Your second point touches on a theme of my life since 1997, when I took a poetry writing class. I was toying with the idea of writing a followup post based on that experience because I met someone who was trying to keep her writing “pure” by never caring what the audience thought. I still struggle with that idea because I’m more in your camp.
Jenn, you’re inside my head with this one. I’m actually doing a bit of woodshedding on the blog this weekend, trying to get a more focused direction. One thing is clear, if I am writing for my audience my engagement will be less. Certain topics are more geared towards an SEO strategy than community engagement. Some can straddle between the two.
It’s easy to write about Google+ or Klout — and for some that is their niche — but for many of us, we are not writing for our target audience with those pieces, we are writing for each other.
Great points Jenn and very timely for me! 🙂
It’s tough to sacrifice that engagement isn’t it? Likes, comments, follows – those are the merit badges of social media. The blog I write for work is so new that getting those are few and far between, and when we get them, I’m known to YAY and rush around the office (sad but true).
Still, I hope the blog survives the woodshedding (is it bad that I laughed at that?).
Well, certainly good questions that I’m not sure I’m ready to answer. I think I’m probably everything that has been turning you off from blogs. I’m essentially saying nothing; my target audience is whoever comes by; and I have no plan.
Why am I writing? I guess because it’s been kind of fun. I started out as just a commenter and had a blog just because I thought it was what you were supposed to do. People started to show up so I’ve had to pay a little more attention to what I’m doing.
I network; in real life and online and out of all the things I do, this is probably what I do best. Can I quantify every single in real life encounter into dollars? Nope, but at some point that person might know someone I want to know and help with an intro. Same thing online for me.
Yes, I need to be more strategic w/ my networks but for now I’m still trying to find my way. One thing I do know is it has the potential to be a very powerful tool. If people stopped showing up at my place then that would probably be a pretty good sign I’m starting to suck, huh?
Thanks for sharing; I don’t disagree with you, I’m just not sure I’m ready to change direction yet.
I be you don’t know, Bill, that when you read these pieces, they are helping to define your own journey. These comments and discussions are helping to form your own writings and thoughts. You’re forever saying you’re not ready for change, but you’re changing without knowing it.
Bill, I’ll tell you a secret. I didn’t exactly know what I was doing when I started off in social media either. I knew I wanted to “learn” it. That was it. I could have been more structured, but I think it’s worked out fine that I wasn’t, because I’ve gotten out of it what I wanted: met GREAT people who I learn from regularly, and I’ve managed to make money from my knowledge. Perfect.
I have refined along the way for sure. I think you’re going to follow a similar path. But knowing when you’re not ready is great!
So, because I’ve had numerous tweets about the image here, just wanted to share with those not in the know what it represents…Jenn mentioned “navel gazing.” So, here’s a navel gazing at you, which can also be construed as offensive. I found it a perfect representation of what Jenn’s writing was all about.
Here’s the thing…I originally started out writing for my audience (small biz owners and potential clients) and found that I had decent traffic, but very little in the comment department. I shifted a bit to writing so that my audience understood it, but writing the stuff that my colleagues (you all here) would also get and want to comment on. When I did that, the traffic went up and so did the comments. I think that my target audience is still listening and reading, but I also have to make sure they SEE it, which means I cross post it on Facebook and engage with folks that way. I just recently had a “lurker” who is small biz owner jump into my blog when I wrote a very personal post (the odds and ends #nicheamnesty post). I know this person reads all of my posts because she has told me; however, she’s never commented until that one. Was that a small biz focused post? Absolutely not. It actually was very difficult for me to write, because as you know, I’m a tad serious and business focused at times.
I agree with @lauraclick:disqus , just because we think we know who we’re talking to and what they want to read about, doesn’t mean we do! That’s why I invest time into understanding my analytics and where people come from and what generates the most traffic. Triberr is still a topic that generates a LOT of traffic for my blog; however, my pay to play post is the top post to date…a business related post if ever there was one.
Erica, thanks for weighing in – I so get that struggle. I guess I’d ask next, so you get traffic, so you get comments – so what? (I have to admit I feel like I can ask you because I met you and you know I’m just being a nerd, not an attacker.). What does the increased traffic & comments get you? I feel like the answer is – it helps increase the likelihood that a potential customer will find you. But is there more?
Thanks for humoring me on this.
That’s an excellent question and one that I’m working on. I feel like overall, it gets me more exposure and builds my brand position in the market and my reputation in my field. It gets me up the food chain in a google search, esp now that Google + is on board. It has gotten me business (ahem, @soulati:disqus ). HOWEVER, there’s SO much more to do. @Rdempsey:twitter is my mentor in that department…turning those leads into sales! The sales cycle is so long in this business; that traffic and commenting may be just the thing to push the lead over the edge into a call for business. So, in that regard, the traffic and comments are helping my funnel…feeding it if you will.
On a cerebral level, the comments, more than anything else, push my growth and development, which in turn, pushes my blog, my business and my brain! Almost becomes a chicken and egg scenario at that point, huh?
I agree with you Jenn on a number of thoughts; there are times I wonder about posts, if it’s just me in love with the sound of my own typing, not doing much to contribute. And I know I should share more info vs. opinion, but don’t want to fall into the trap of a dime-a-gagillion list post on how to do something, or do I? Also in the “it’s fun” camp w/ @a76049f6a32a1e633a732b81bafb98c9:disqus and others, totally get a kick out of making online friends. It’s been a Catch-22: writing what you like vs what may help you, writing for the audience you have vs the readers you want — see also, @lauraclick:disqus comment.
I try to provide valuable info to all readers but it’s tricky. Attracting business, so that’s what “how to get free publicity” and “5 affordable ways to brand your SMB” posts? I like to think I’d do it differently, better than a ho-hum list but there’s no guarantee. Think there needs to be a mix – I’ve got some things drafted – to spice up the SEO and inbound marketing, the content would-be clients may be looking for yet still have something to share for readers I have. Not sure if that’d would get me more business, more referrals, etc.
Blogging is a lot of work and the other catch I’m discovering is that I’m spending too much time servicing the blog rather than the blog working for the business. It’s why I’m sticking to the twice a week schedule – and considering dropping down every other week, why I’m cutting back on comments all over the place.. I need to focus attention elsewhere. As to turning off readers… WYSIWYG and my blog serves as an ‘about me’ and a warning to tire kickers and looky loos, show them what I’d be like working with; if someone is really offended or turned-off, then odds are we’re better off without each other. FWIW.
I think the part I’m nodding along to the most is the part about it taking so much time! And how servicing the blog should have some financial pay-off. Hard to imagine Ms Queen o’ the Comments Davina commenting less though!
Good point about letting potential customers know about your work style. Thanks for taking the time to comment, busy lady.