I am so excited to share my new adventure with you!
I have decided to start a series about blogging and what we can do to improve our blogging skills. I am going to call this series Blog Speak and will include a button on my side bar that will take you directly to all of the posts in this series.
I have been blogging for over 4 years and have learned a lot along the way. The more I learn about blogging, social media and online, the more that I LOVE it. The last 6 months I have had the opportunity to teach some classes about blogging and have really enjoyed it. Then it dawned on me, why aren't I sharing with you what I have learned as well?! Thus, Blog Speak was born.
Today I want to talk about writing to your audience. Every blog has a different target audience and it is really up to you to decide who you want your target audience to be. Once you have a target audience then you will have a better idea of where to go and find them.
For me, I have found the best way to sum up who I want my target audience to be is by creating personas.
A persona is a fictional person who represents the type of person you want to read and engage with your blog. I suggest having a couple different personas so your blog is more rounded.
I give each of my personas a name and have gone into Google Images to find them a face as well. In the description some of the things you want to include is their age, education level, experience, online aptitude, financial status, relationship status, the types of products they like to buy, and really anything that will help you narrow down to your target audience.
I give each of my personas a name and have gone into Google Images to find them a face as well. In the description some of the things you want to include is their age, education level, experience, online aptitude, financial status, relationship status, the types of products they like to buy, and really anything that will help you narrow down to your target audience.
I have 3 personas and even though these women are fictional, and don't really exist, I think about them whenever I am writing a post because they are the type of woman I want to attract to my blog.
I would like to introduce you to my 3 friends personas.
Having your personas also helps in the editing process of blog writing. Try reading the post as one of your personas and ask yourself "Did I explain this well enough or would Sammie need some clarification?" It helps to put you in a different state of mind and make yourself the reader not the writer.
How do you decide who your target audience is?
Do you do something different then personas to help you keep your focus on your target audience?
Great reminder! It is so nice to actually "see" how you do this. I have read about making up a person to write for, but your method is much more concrete and visual. Good job, and I look forward to the rest of the series.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!! would have never thought of doing this. When I first started reading this post i was like, what?! why do I need to make people up? But it makes perfect sense!!! This is a great way to reach more of your readers as like you said, you need to include information that all 3 persona's would read and relate to . Thanks you so much for writing and sharing this post!!
ReplyDeleteNatasha @ www.serenityyou.com
Great idea for a series. Looking forward to your next posts.
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea - I have not done this! I will add it to my (long) blogging to-do list :) Looking forward to this series - just signed up to follow you so I won't miss any. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you wrote this blog! I am new to the blogging world but when I write I had a persona in my head as well. I am glad to hear that this is normal. I have lots of growing to do as a blogger and developing a few more persona's would do me a great deal of good. Thank you! If anyone would like to check my blog out it is http://justinawho.blogspot.com/ I know it's not perfect BUT I would love some more followers :)
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fabulous blog post. Thank you for sharing it at the LINKY party at http://www.fineCraftGuild.com
ReplyDeleteThis is great information. I have a link party called Wednesdays Adorned From Above Blog Hop and would love to have you share this and any other posts with everyone. It runs from Tuesday night through midnight Sunday. Here is the link to the party.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.adornedfromabove.com/2013/01/wednesdays-adorned-from-above-blog-hop_22.html
Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above
That is an interesting way to look at blogging and to help find your voice! Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteVery informative! Up until now I thought that it was best to zero in on only one type of reader. This makes me feel better!
ReplyDeleteHai Katie, surprise for you here: http://www.finecraftguild.com/party-50/
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this practical tip. Blogging 9 months now, I've begun to notice who my readers are....but I hadn't thought of creating my reader personas....and what the results of doing that might be.
ReplyDeleteThis statement perked my interest: "Once you have a target audience then you will have a better idea of where to go and find them." Will you be speaking to this soon?
P.S. I found you via Fine Craft Guild.
Brilliant tips!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing on Tutorial Thursdays.
x
Natalie
www.marigoldsloft.blogspot.com
That is a nice unique suggestion to think about when editing blog posts. While most blog tips mention considering what others want to read this is one of the more detailed methods.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great post, Katie! Now I'm thinking who my personas are gonna be! Got you from Petals to Picots link up. Pinning this!
ReplyDelete