How Do You Serve Your Audience?
Think about your blog’s purpose.
Maybe it’s to empower kitten foster homes with education and a sense of community. Maybe it’s to make people laugh with stories and anecdotes about your multi-species household. Or maybe it’s to be a resource for dog lovers who compete in agility.
(Not sure about your blog’s purpose yet? Take a minute to read: What’s your blog’s purpose?)
We all know that we can’t be all things to all people, so focus on your purpose for a minute and think about the person sitting on the other side of the computer screen, excitedly awaiting your next post.
Imagine that person reading your latest post. What does he or she look like sitting at the computer? Are there foster kittens climbing her desk chair? Is he reading on his phone while his dog takes a break between runs at the agility course? Is she decompressing with her favorite blogs and a glass of wine after a stressful day at work?
Once you have that person in mind, ponder this: How can you serve that person?
What can you do to be of service, to delight, to engage that person today?
Our blogs and our social channels are built by our readers. Without them, yes, a blog can still be great, but none of us are striving for a great blog without any readers, right?
What are some things you can do to serve your readers?
- Host a free webinar
- Create a printable, like a checklist or workbook
- Write a thank you post
- Or, write thank you emails to your most loyal readers
- Add a resource page to your blog that compiles the most-sought-after info in one easy spot
- Host a giveaway that doesn’t require tons of hoops to enter
- Create downloadable desktop or device wallpapers
- Host a live Q&A
- Start a sharing thread on Facebook (I find readers love to share pics of their pets as much as I do!)
No matter your purpose and no matter your definition of success, serve your readers. When you find ways–big or small–to show your readers that you’re grateful for them being there, they’re likely to keep coming back and reading your words!
There are endless ways to delight your readers with some piece of added value. How do you serve your audience? What value-added services can you add to the list above?
Maggie Marton serves as the BlogPaws senior editor. When not hiking with her two pit mixes, Emmett and Cooper, or playing with Newt the Cat, Maggie writes about them (and the pet industry) at ohmydogblog.com and maggiemarton.com.
