Successful Blog

Dear ANYONE, If You Want a Blogger’s Attention . . .

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Spam Ain’t the Way

Recently, I received the 4th unfortunate, attention-getting email from the same PR firm in NYC. I took the following screenshot of the subject line.

Expert Available Email Headline

To the first email in the series, which ran about 6 pages long, I responded,

“To a blogger, this is spam.”

The reply was stunning.

“We only want to help, not hurt

I will read you more often

Please give me your url”

What?

How could you have read me at all, if you didn’t have my url?

If You Want a Blogger’s Attention . . .

If you want to get someone’s undivided attention, here’s what you do.

  • Make it personal.
  • Make it valuable.
  • Make it relevant.
  • Make it clear that you’re not going to waste time while you say it.
  • Make it your message about them, not about you.
  • Make it short and say thank you.

In this case, here’s a message that might have worked.

Subject Line:
Social Media and Successful and Outstanding Boomer Businesses

Dear Liz,
I know you write about social media. I also know you’re passionate about small business. I’d like to offer an idea.

If you’re looking for a guest post written with wit and insight, we have a client who helps boomers use social media to save their small town businesses. She’d jump at a chance to tailor a blog post to your audience. I’d love to talk to you about it. Email me or call if you think this would bring value to your readers.

Thanks for what you do on Successful-Blog,
PR Person
Title: She who wants to write to 5 bloggers rather than blast 500

I’m sure I missed something. What would you add to the list?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Useful Conversation, Relaxation, or Time Spent?

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I've been thinking . . .

about conversations with friends.

Last night I had a conversation about social networking with a good friend, it went something like this.

My Friend: On August 1, I had 166 followers and now I’m over 400.

ME: So?

My Friend: Surely you’ve heard that in sales it’s all about the numbers. But you’re saying numbers aren’t the only thing.

ME: So, these people, your followers, are the people who are going to buy from you?

My Friend: You’re saying the key is to convert them into buyers. That’s why I’m networking — having conversations like this one.

ME: What’s the purpose of collecting a higher number of followers? Are those followers the right people for “networking”? Do they move your story forward? Is it useful conversation, relaxation, or just time spent?

My Friend: You’re saying “go after the ones I want to be my clients.” Qualified leads would raise the level of my business. I see your point.

ME: I like this dialogue. You find the answers and give me credit for saying them.

My Friend: You’re saying I’m a good friend to have a conversation with. . . .

— That’s not exactly how the conversation went, but it’s MY story.
He can tell it his way on his own blog. —

How would you tell my friend to adjust his networking time spent to make it a more purposeful investment?

Liz's Signature

Offline Customers: Do You Build Relationships With Non-Bloggers?

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by Scott McIntyre

Scott McIntyre — The Avid Blog Reader Without a Blog

Last week, I offered a few ideas on how you can make commenting a little easier for your non-blogging reader and asked whether you make room for non-bloggers to comment? Having a lively, inclusive conversation with all of your readers- whether blogger or not- is a goal that many of you are working towards.

To recap briefly, I suggested that your blog comments section can be made more user-friendly by including guidance that describes what ‘Having your say’ is all about. I also mentioned that welcoming a non-blogger’s first ever comment with an acknowledgment email is likely to encourage them to come back again. Finally, if you offer a little coaching on what makes an ‘ideal’ comment, you can draw in the offline customer and encourage them to become fully involved in your community.

I was delighted to read in your own comments that so many of you are passionate about building vibrant communities. It was great to hear from those of you who recalled your perspectives as non-bloggers. After all, even the most seasoned blogger was once a fresh-faced non-blogger!

It can be a very enlightening exercise if you consider your blog and its content through the eyes of that information hungry, inquisitive but tentative, first-time visitor…

If you intend to connect with offline customers as part of your blog’s strategy, it is useful to research what this target audience is looking for. For example, what are their specific needs and how can your blog satisfy them? What questions might the non-blogger have and how can your online offering answer them?

While one-off visits are fine, the ultimate aim is to build an ongoing relationship with the non-blogging reader.

Today, I’m going to consider what the offline customer is likely to be searching for in a worthwhile relationship with you. I’m also keen to learn of the kind of things you, as bloggers, hope to gain from these mutually beneficial interactions. It would be great to hear from you in the comments section below.

What Benefits Are Important To Non-Bloggers?

By spending some time working out what your ideal non-blogging audience wants, you will be in a much better position to first attract- then win over- this target reader. Alternatively, you may come to the equally valid conclusion that your content is not suited to this demographic. Of course, deciding this sooner rather than later will save you from investing resources without any decent return.

The following five basic questions will help you to focus in on what benefits the offline customer is likely hoping to gain from your blog. In any relationship, however, knowing what you both hope to achieve is the first step to building a mutually beneficial interaction. Anything less than a two-way engagement is likely not going to end up in long-term satisfaction for either of you.

  • Do you offer the non-blogger quality content?

    The most basic need for someone looking for valuable information online is that it provides first class answers to their questions. With the sheer volume and variety of pages on the internet, it is inevitable that a large proportion of these will be sub-standard and unlikely to satisfy. By ensuring that what you offer always seeks to be well researched, informative, and reliable, those non-bloggers being inundated with places promising to give them what they require, will recognize the obvious value in what you are providing.

  • Do you supply the non-blogger with a fresh source of information?

    The internet is awash with second rate, cloned articles and boring posts which offer no new points of view. It is not enough these days to simply repeat and copy the opinions of others. The quality conscious non-blogger is really desperate for some original thinking around those topics which interest them. If you can be the blogger who speaks to them in an original voice, you will definitely stand out in the crowded blogosphere by regularly giving innovative articles which offer consistent value over time.

  • Do you create an attractive place for the non-blogger to visit?

    I’ve mentioned previously how important it is to have a well designed, easily navigated, and user friendly website. Should your online offering have features which are difficult to understand and negotiate around, there is a risk that the non-blogger with little prior knowledge of blogs will be confused enough to just click away and continue on to somewhere else more sensitive to their lack of expertise.

  • Do you build a welcoming community for the non-blogger?

    As you’ve probably realized by now, I personally believe that a vibrant comments section and lively readership are two of the main factors which distinguish a blog from any other type of media. It is a very powerful benefit to the offline customer if you can demonstrate that it is possible for them to play an active role in shaping the content they are reading. Non-bloggers are excited at the potential offered by blogs- if the blogger takes the time to point out the advantages and helps to make their participation easier.

  • Do you encourage the non-blogger to return?

    A one-time only customer is never ideal for an ongoing, profitable business. Whatever you might be offering online- be it information, products or services- the perfect scenario is to create such a positive buzz that the first-time visitor returns again and again. A good way to do this is to promote upcoming content and special features you are planning to run on your blog. Having a series of articles, for example, is a perfect way to stimulate the interest of someone and get them to come back. No one can resist the benefit of a promise of good things to come!

The above questions can help you begin to assess what it is that the offline customer hopes to gain by embarking upon a relationship with you. If you are, in turn, able to provide these benefits, your blog will become a much desired destination for repeat visits. Along with this, if you decide your own aims for connecting with the non-blogger and can communicate these effectively, your first meeting will most probably be the beginning of a worthwhile engagement for you both.

If you’re a blogger, leave a comment to let me know what you would like to achieve from a mutually beneficial relationship with a non-blogger? What do you believe to be important considerations as you seek to build these two way interactions?

If you’re a non-blogger, tell them what you are actually looking for in a long-term relationship with their blog.

–Scott McIntyre

Related
Last week: Week 9: Offline Customers: Do You Make Room for Non-Blogger’s to Comment?

See the entire Blogging for the Non-Blogging Customer Series on the Successful Series Page.

Loss Aversion: Should You Charge Hourly Rate or a Flat Fee?

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Hourly Rates

I took my first freelance job in the 80s. It didn’t take me long to realize that charging by the hour works against us in a three key ways:

  • It takes time to keep track of the hours.
  • If we are are more productive in one hour, we run into comparative rate issues.
  • Most importantly, over the course of a single job, we get paid less as we get faster and better.

Very soon, I decided to negotiate a flat rate for any work I took whenever I could figure out an appropriate algorithm.

This week in the book, Sway, The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior,
I got new insights into the buyer’s view of flat rate fee structures. Now, I’m even more convinced that when I can define a task or an operation clearly, I’ll be choosing a flat fee for a scope of work.

Why People Opt for a Bundled Minute Phone Plan

iPhone

Think about your phone plan . . . have you ever bought more minutes than you need, just in case . . . ?

Who want’s a huge unexpected bill? We don’t want to worry. We don’t want to worry so much so that we’re willing to pay a more for the peace of mind. Even when those minutes rollover, the phone company has already sold them to you.

That’s called loss aversion.

Loss aversion is what gets us to buy insurance on a rental car too.

The word *loss* alone, in fact elicits a surprisingly powerful reaction in us. Companies like Avis and Hertz, facing the challenge of selling a product that is both useless and overpriced, have capitalized on this powerful effect. When we rent our cars, our credit cards — not to mention our own car insurance — automatically cover us should anything go wrong with the vehicle. But the rental companies push additional coverage that not only is redundant but also would cost a whopping $5000 on an annual basis. Normally we’d scoff at such a waste of money. But then, as the sales rep behind the counter is about to hand over the keys to that newish Ford Taurus, he asks whether we’d like to buy the loss damage waiver. Sway, p.22

We don’t need to be selling useless insurance to use this fact of human psychology.

Focusing on Gains

Loss aversion can bring negotiating sense to a conversation about charging for the work we’re doing. It’s good business to show potential clients the gains in quality, schedule and budget realized when we clearly define and bundle our services so that they can see what they’re getting.

Comparing an hourly rate versus a flat fee plan is one way to do that. The communcation that happens around that subject is also a great way to get more information about the scope of project. Naturally, defining the work and working roles clearly is critical to this process.

Most importantly, client conversations are best focused on the value of our work, not the cost of an hour. When clients understand what we do, rather than thinking only in terms of time we’re saving, the partnership and our brand both get stronger.

How do you see loss aversion at work in your situation?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
image: Apple iPhone
Work with Liz!!

Related:
The Chameleon Effect: Can Others’ Perceptions Hurt Your Success?

The Chameleon Effect: Can Others’ Perceptions Hurt Your Success?

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It Sure Seems So!

Will an Army officer’s arbitrary opinion determine a soldier’s performance ?
Will the next U.S. President’s productivity be affected by what his cabinet believes about him? ?
Can a stereotype cause you to lose your hearing?

Click the links. According to the studies, the answer is unequivocably yes.

What we believe not only changes our behavior, but it can change the behavior of those we believe it about. It’s called the chameleon affect.

chameleon

The Chameleon Effect

I’ve been reading about the ways people assign values to situations they encounter. The study, “Social Perception and Interpersonal Behavior: On the Self-Fulfilling Nature of Social Stereotypes,” is a great example of the Chameleon Effect.

Fifty male and fifty female students were recruited for a communication study. The women were simply told that they would be having a short telephone conversation with a randomly selected man.

The 50 male students were given biographical information and photo for the woman they would call. What the men didn’t know was that the photos were fake — half were of a beautiful woman, the other half were of a less attractive woman.

The men had time to review the photos and bios. Then they were asked to fill out an “Impression Formation Questionaire,” which had them rate their first impression about the person they were going to be calling. Regardless of the bio information, the beautiful women were expected to be “sociable, poised, humorous, and socially adept.” The less attractive women were perceived to be “unsociable, awkward, serious, and socially inept.”

The women knew nothing of this questionaire.

The researchers recorded the phone calls. Then they edited out the voices of the men. The edited versions were then played back for a third group of twelve ordinary people, who knew nothing about the study or the people who took part.

After listening to their voices, the jury was asked to rate the women using the same “Impression Formation Questionaire.” Based on the women’s voices alone, the jury attributed the same traits to the same groups of women — they matched the traits attributed to the fake photos by the men in the study.

The explanation? Once the men formed their opinion, every aspect of their conversation reflected their perception of the woman as they had the conversation on the telephone. The women gave the corresponding response to the “cues” the men were sending. [Sway, The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior, Braffman and Braffman]

I underscore that the women knew nothing of the photos, or the questionaire, or the impressions the men had formed of them, but the women still changed in response to the ideas the men had about them.

What Can We Do about the Chameleon Effect?

If we unconsciously live up to what other people telegraph, managing expectations takes on a more serious role in managing a career, a business, or a brand. What is a brand if not perceptions and expectations?

If expectations have the potential to change how we behave, how can we keep aware and unhurt by this effect?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Images: sxc.hu
Work with Liz!!
Buy the ebook and find out the secret.

Related:
Diagnostic Bias: Are Your Jeans In Your Marketing Plan?

Offline Customers: Do You Make Room for Non-Bloggers To Comment?

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by Scott McIntyre

Scott McIntyre — The Avid Blog Reader Without a Blog

Last week, I explored the different ways in which your online offering can be the source of exactly the information the information hungry customer is searching for. At the wider level, correctly targeting your potential audience makes it more likely that your blog will appeal to those readers you want to attract. And, more specifically, if you’ve decided to follow a strategy of connecting with non-bloggers, it helps if you do a little research beforehand to work out what the needs of non-bloggers might be.

By taking time to assess exactly what type of information your target non-blogging reader wants, you will be in a great position to begin the process of winning them over. If your blog can meet their needs, either as it exists currently or with some adapting, then your site is more likely to be the destination of choice for the non-blogger.

I’ve previously suggested that the community you and your readers build around your blog is definitely a major draw. A vibrant comments section is a wonderful place to be.

But imagine that you’re a non-blogger stumbling upon your comments section for the first time. You’d like to join in the conversation, and you might ask yourself, “What am I supposed to say?” or, even more importantly, “What am I not allowed to say?”

So, how do you help the offline customer understand how to comment on your blog? What do you do when they say things that you’d rather they didn’t? I’m keen to learn of your suggestions in the comments section below.

Today, I’m going to look at how you might best explain commenting to your non-blogging reader, and what you can do if the comments they leave aren’t quite the ones you’d hope for.

Helping Non-Bloggers Understand Comments

Once your strategy and hard work has been a success and you have attracted the offline customer to your online offering, this is the first step in encouraging them to become part of your community. It would be an ideal next step if you could draw them even further in by having them leave a comment on what they’ve just read.

In most cases, it takes quite a few visits before the non-blogger is comfortable enough to leave a comment of their own. By observing the nature of what your other readers say as part of the conversation over a period of time, the non-blogger can see what is acceptable.

While leaving comments on other blogs is second nature to those of you who blog yourselves, it can be a daunting thing to do for the offline customer visiting a blog for the first time. They might be concerned that what they have to say won’t be regarded as important Or, they may not want to join in for fear of being embarrassed.

The following few questions might help you come up with answers to how you manage comments in a way which not only encourages the non-blogger to have their say, but also allows you to deal with inappropriate comments and so promote an attractive, positive comments section- for both bloggers and non-bloggers alike:

  • Do you have guidance on comments?

    I know that many of you have a Comments Policy that you use to help your readers understand what is, and isn’t acceptable. This kind of information can be of immense use to the non-blogger trying to understand the concept of comments. In a Comments Policy, you can describe the comments ‘culture’ you aim to promote and suggest how the reader can add their own unique voice in a positive way. Similarly, you can also highlight what you view to be ‘unacceptable’ comments. The type of comment you judge to be undesirable is very much specific to your own blog and its audience. There is a balance to be struck between allowing free speech on the one hand, and not permitting offensive and negative remarks on the other. I’d be very interested to hear of your views on having a Comments Policy, and how effective you find them in encouraging positive comments.

  • How do you follow up first-time comments?

    Once a non-blogger leaves that all-important first comment, do you send them a message to let them know you value their contribution? Receiving an acknowledgement for having made your debut contribution is a very friendly touch and one that is likely to be well appreciated by your non-blogging reader. The very fact that you took the time to welcome them to your blog, can encourage them to comment more often. While contacting every reader after they’ve made their initial contribution might seem to involve a lot of time and effort, you only have to do it once… that first time commenter could become a very valued member of your community the next time they have their say.

  • What is an ‘appropriate’ first time comment?

    This can be a tricky issue to deal with. I’d guess that nearly all of you have some moderation on your blog to filter the first and, perhaps, second time comments that someone leaves. There are certain comments that you will, quite understandably, not allow to appear on your blog. The reasons can relate to factors such as: the use of negative language, profanities, or trolling (there may be other factors specific to your own blog). But how do you handle a first time comment from a reader who may not be familiar with the ‘etiquette’ of commenting? Perhaps, they haven’t said anything offensive but ,instead, they haven’t said it in the ‘right’ way. How would you deal with that kind of comment that may be from the reader who is a novice to commenting?

The questions above can act as a starting point to help you work out the best way to assist the offline customer to understand your blog community as demonstrated through your comments section. If your non-blogging reader has a clear understanding of what kind of comments are ideal and which are not, then all members of the community, blogger and non-blogger alike, will benefit from the positive aspects of a vibrant blog conversation.

If you’re a blogger, leave a comment to let me know what you do to help non-bloggers understand your own comment ‘culture’? How would you encourage non-bloggers to leave the ‘right kind’ of comment?

If you’re a non-blogger, tell them what they can do to help you to contribute to the conversation.

–Scott McIntyre

Related

Week 1: Connecting with the Offline Customer: A Non-Blogger’s Perspective
Week 2: Targeting the Offline Customer: Do You Blog for Non-Bloggers?
Week 3: Reaching the Offline Customer: Do You Promote Your Blog Offline?
Week 4: Attracting the Offline Customer: Why Do You Promote Your Blog Offline?
Week 5: Top 10 Social Media Tips for Connecting With Non-Blogging Customers
Week 6: Welcoming the Offline Customer: Does Your Blog Create A Good Impression?
Week 7: Engaging the Offline Customer: Do You Talk With Non-Bloggers?
Week 8: Offline Customers: Do You Meet The Needs of Non-Bloggers?