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7 Secrets to a Fiercely, Loyal Community of Readers

September 19, 2007 by Liz 43 Comments

SIMPLE SALES SERIES

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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Filed Under: Community, Inside-Out Thinking, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, building-readership, getting-customers, Inside-Out Thinking, Liz-Strauss

Comments

  1. syam says

    September 19, 2007 at 11:28 AM

    thanks for this tips! I will try it!

    Reply
  2. syam says

    September 19, 2007 at 11:30 AM

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

    Reply
  3. ME Strauss says

    September 19, 2007 at 11:54 AM

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

    Reply
  4. Dan and Jennifer says

    September 19, 2007 at 3:52 PM

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

    Reply
  5. ME Strauss says

    September 19, 2007 at 4:22 PM

    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. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Codswallop says

    September 19, 2007 at 5:25 PM

    All hail the empress of blogging 🙂

    Reply
  7. ME Strauss says

    September 19, 2007 at 6:07 PM

    Ah Codswallop,
    Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
  8. gp says

    September 19, 2007 at 9:14 PM

    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

    Reply
  9. ME Strauss says

    September 19, 2007 at 9:17 PM

    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?

    Reply
  10. Garry Przyklenk says

    September 19, 2007 at 9:31 PM

    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

    Reply
  11. Michael says

    September 19, 2007 at 10:04 PM

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

    Reply
  12. ME Strauss says

    September 19, 2007 at 10:06 PM

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

    Reply
  13. ME Strauss says

    September 19, 2007 at 11:01 PM

    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 😛

    Reply
  14. Joanna Young says

    September 20, 2007 at 3:58 AM

    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

    Reply
  15. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 4:00 AM

    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. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Karin H. says

    September 20, 2007 at 4:23 AM

    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)

    Reply
  17. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 4:42 AM

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

    Reply
  18. Karin H. says

    September 20, 2007 at 4:45 AM

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

    Karin H.

    Reply
  19. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 4:47 AM

    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]

    Reply
  20. Karin H. says

    September 20, 2007 at 4:54 AM

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

    Karin H.

    Reply
  21. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 4:56 AM

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

    Reply
  22. Karin H. says

    September 20, 2007 at 5:00 AM

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

    😉

    Karin H.

    Reply
  23. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 5:03 AM

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

    Reply
  24. Alina Popescu says

    September 20, 2007 at 5:16 AM

    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 🙂

    Reply
  25. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 5:19 AM

    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. 🙂

    Reply
  26. Alina Popescu says

    September 20, 2007 at 5:29 AM

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

    Reply
  27. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 5:31 AM

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

    Reply
  28. Char says

    September 20, 2007 at 5:57 AM

    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.

    Reply
  29. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 7:02 AM

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

    Some folks seem to think that one helps. 🙂

    Reply
  30. gp says

    September 20, 2007 at 10:45 AM

    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 !

    Reply
  31. ME Strauss says

    September 20, 2007 at 12:00 PM

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

    Reply
  32. Anybodysmoker says

    September 24, 2007 at 9:13 AM

    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! 🙂

    Reply
  33. ME Strauss says

    September 24, 2007 at 11:23 AM

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

    Reply
  34. Lynda Lehmann says

    October 10, 2007 at 8:30 PM

    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.

    Reply
  35. Audrey says

    June 22, 2010 at 1:37 PM

    Great points. I recently started blogging, and have found it difficult since I’m a designer/developer and have forgotten the skill of writing all together. I’ll definitely be using your advice :o)

    Reply
    • ME Liz Strauss says

      June 22, 2010 at 1:40 PM

      Hi Audrey,
      Take your time and don’t worry about what other folks are doing. 🙂
      You’ll be fine!

      Reply
  36. Becky McCray says

    June 22, 2010 at 5:57 PM

    Ah, I remember you telling me these stories at SXSW.

    Did I miss the part about be interactive? You answer all these comments, you invite people into the conversation. That’s a big part of what drives the fierce loyalty you get from us.

    Reply
    • ME Liz Strauss says

      June 23, 2010 at 8:27 PM

      Ah Becky,
      Yep being here, showing up is so important. 🙂
      I only with I had as much time as I once did to interact. Darn if work doesn’t get in the way. heh heh

      Reply

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