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September 19, 2007

4.4: The 7 Secrets to a Fiercely, Loyal Community of Readers

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 10:30 am

Reading Is My Life

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We all learned to read and kept on reading. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be here. I went on to learn about readers and literacy — how folks interact with text and ideas became my field.

Knowing about reading is a tricky thing. People think that because they can read they must know how it all works. Just underneath the surface are secrets they don’t realize . . . Why would they, unless readers have been their customers for years?

I’m going to share those secrets with you.

The 7 Secrets to a Fiercely, Loyal Community of Readers

Ever been to a great restaurant or club where the mood is right; the service is grand; and every offering is spectacular? When the whole experience comes together in just the right measure, we leave a place already thinking about when we’re going to go back.

Written information, when it’s presented well, has the same effect. It’s a great fit that’s so satisfying, we’re thinking about the experience as a whole and the feeling that we came away with.

These secrets have been researched with every age group from pre-school to graduate school and every reading level from pre-literate to way over my head. But I know you’ll know they work, not because I said so, but because when you read them they will totally make sense.

  1. Be interesting. Be entertaining. Be silly. Be informative. Be controversial. Be anything but preachy or boring. Contrary to popular belief, you CAN tell. You DO know. Take the time to look. If you don’t, you’re lost before you start.

  2. Be simple. Put away the big vocabulary words and the long sentences. Only use that incredible word once in an entire piece. Elegance is understated. Impact is quiet. Take away all of the words you can without losing meaning. Extra words get between your message and me.

  3. Be positive. Know what you’re saying and show me how to get to a positive end. No one wants a problems without a solution. No one wants to live every day reading about doom. Think about how you invest your time with friends . . . do the downers really get more than the ones who help make your world better?

  4. Be trustworthy and respectful. Be who you say you are. Deliver on your tagline. Make sure your headlines tell the story of what you write. Answer comments. Most of all, know what you don’t know and invite your readers to share what they do.

  5. Be consistent. Let folks know what to expect of and from you . . . and in like manner, what you expect of and from them. Every relationship is based on an exchange. Readers and writers exchange the same way. It’s okay if folks don’t like one of your features, if you are consistent about how you label things or when you offer them, you make it easy for folks to get to the content they appreciate.

  6. Be readable. Make sure that every word you write is readable without distraction in every browser that your readers use. Configure your content to serve readers. Some folks get confused and try to do it the other way around.

  7. Be generous and satisfying. Care passionately about what you write. Care even more about the folks who come to read it. Know that readers want to like you and what you write, just as diners want to like the chef and the food in a great restaurant. Let us look smart. Let us help. Let us feel important, connected, and a part of what you’re doing. In other words, make readers the stars.

Readers and a writer work have a relationship like diners and a chef. Only part of that relationship is what is served up from the menu, the rest is the experience. Every successful chef . . . writer . . . first grade teacher knows that.

That’s how we’ve been getting folks to come back for years.

Got more to add to the list? I’m thinking you do.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Is your business stuck? Check out the Start-up Strategy Package. Work with Liz!!

Related
To follow the entire series: Liz Strauss’ Inside-Out Thinking to Building a Solid Business, see the Successful Series Page.

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36 Comments to “4.4: The 7 Secrets to a Fiercely, Loyal Community of Readers”

  1. September 19th, 2007 at 11:28 am
    syam said

    thanks for this tips! I will try it!

  2. September 19th, 2007 at 11:30 am
    syam said

    I would to inform you…
    Mmm, I found your blog from technorati.
    And… your blog is my fav in technorati.

  3. September 19th, 2007 at 11:54 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Syam
    Welcome and thank you!
    It’s nice to have new friends around. :)

  4. September 19th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
    Dan and Jennifer said

    These are some great points many bloggers should learn from. For example, being consistent and always positive are huge.

  5. September 19th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Dan and Jennifer!
    How great to see you!
    You’ve got two good points there. I’ve been thinking about those two in particular for a while. :)

    Thanks for coming by. :)

  6. September 19th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
    Codswallop said

    All hail the empress of blogging :)

  7. September 19th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Ah Codswallop,
    Thank you! :)

  8. September 19th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
    gp said

    Ah the “empress has spoken” :) Seven habits of highly effective readership :)

    I go back to my “be interesting AND interested”… which u seem to have covered

    gp in montana

  9. September 19th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
    ME Strauss said

    GP . . .
    Interested and interesting.

    You are right and first. I could have done this post in two words.

    (I’m not sure everyone would have got it.)

    Empress of blogging . . . is that an appropriate name for a horse?

  10. September 19th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
    Garry Przyklenk said

    Good suggestions. I have a hard time not talking about the negatives so much. Although, some Blogs focus on that because it’s their “thing”. I don’t particularly like making doom and gloom of everything.

    BTW: When I told my wife about how I wanted to be an SOB, she laughed and said I already was one.

    Garry

  11. September 19th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
    Michael said

    Some great tips, and now I have to go and look at my writing and makes some changes to the way I write.

  12. September 19th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Michael!
    Great to see you again!
    Make the changes moving forward. That’s how we grow. :)

  13. September 19th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Garry,
    Welcome!
    This time of year it seems we’re all having trouble staying away from the negatives. It’s worth if we can. :)

    PS That’s half the fun of call it an SOB :P

  14. September 20th, 2007 at 3:58 am
    Joanna Young said

    Hi Liz, you have it already, but for me it’s the key, and a good test to ask myself before I start to write.

    Respect your readers.

    Joanna

  15. September 20th, 2007 at 4:00 am
    ME Strauss said

    Ah Joanna,
    I can’t even imagine that you would think that you would have a chance of crossing the line there. You are more than respectful. You’re so aware of those you write for. :)

  16. September 20th, 2007 at 4:23 am
    Karin H. said

    Hi Liz

    I’m sure you won’t mind we (friend Lesley and I) will send our new students over to this post?
    We want to give them the best of starts into the blogging community and this will surely help!

    Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

  17. September 20th, 2007 at 4:42 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    What fun is that!!! I can’t wait to meet them. Please tell them to leave a comment. :)

  18. September 20th, 2007 at 4:45 am
    Karin H. said

    :-) That’s item three on the blog workshop agenda: learning how to leave comments, so - your wish is our command (comment?)

    Karin H.

  19. September 20th, 2007 at 4:47 am
    ME Strauss said

    Oh my!
    Won’t this be fun? I wonder how they’ll respond to my responses. :)

    I suspect you had better prepare them for the unusual. [grin]

  20. September 20th, 2007 at 4:54 am
    Karin H. said

    Of course Liz (they are by then already - hopefully - used to my double Dutch English unusuality ;-))

    Karin H.

  21. September 20th, 2007 at 4:56 am
    ME Strauss said

    Poor students.
    In between you and me . . . they’ll be more than ready for what the blogosphere might have to throw at them. :)

  22. September 20th, 2007 at 5:00 am
    Karin H. said

    Yes but, no but, yes but… will the blogosphere be ready for what they will throw at it??

    ;-)

    Karin H.

  23. September 20th, 2007 at 5:03 am
    ME Strauss said

    Well, Karin!
    After us, probably not . . . but then, the blogosphere has survived you and I so far. :)

  24. September 20th, 2007 at 5:16 am
    Alina Popescu said

    Liz, I think your list kind of got it all covered. I have a little more to work on consistency. I guess your habit of marking different areas with their own little logo does it so much better than labels and tags :)

  25. September 20th, 2007 at 5:19 am
    ME Strauss said

    Alina!
    I need those labels and tags because my brain refuses to write on any one consistent topic. So I have to shout out which kind of post each one is. :)

  26. September 20th, 2007 at 5:29 am
    Alina Popescu said

    From a reader’s point of view, no matter what the reason is, it’s working :)

  27. September 20th, 2007 at 5:31 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi alina!
    Thank you for letting me know. I love living with my readers. You make me so much smarter. :)

  28. September 20th, 2007 at 5:57 am
    Char said

    Liz - you do all 7 items so well and as a result have built up one of the most loyal readerships I know of. These are definitely great tips.

  29. September 20th, 2007 at 7:02 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Char!
    I guess I left out number 8 . . . love your readers to death. :)

    Some folks seem to think that one helps. :)

  30. September 20th, 2007 at 10:45 am
    gp said

    Empress of Gallop would describe Picken
    Empress of Show Queen would describe Alle

    They are both highly interested and interesting creatures :)

    gp in montana hopin’ to hang on for the journey today !

  31. September 20th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi GP!
    I’m thinking that I like the Empires where you spend your time. :)

  32. September 23rd, 2007 at 9:43 pm
    The Best of the Internet 9-22-07 | steve-olson.com said

    […] Liz makes a blockbuster post - Seven Secrets to Fiercely Loyal Community of Readers. […]

  33. September 24th, 2007 at 4:37 am
    » Secrets of Blog SEO: Conversation said

    […] at Successful-Blog has a great entry on how to create a strong community of readers for your blog. And if you didn’t know it by now, the community is the lifeblood of your blog. […]

  34. September 24th, 2007 at 9:13 am
    Anybodysmoker said

    Good tips! :)
    I think its very important to be true and honest in what you write about. We all have different experiences in life and knowledge and the more we share and learn, the better we will make the world! Keep on blogging! :)

  35. September 24th, 2007 at 11:23 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Anybodysmoker!
    Welcome! Every experience is one to learn from. You betcha!

  36. October 10th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
    Lynda Lehmann said

    Wonderful post that applies to every kind of writing and other human interactions, as well. It’s so easy to miss the forest for the trees.

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