Successful Blog

Engaging the Offline Customer: Do You Talk with Non-Bloggers?

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by Scott McIntyre

Scott McIntyre — The Avid Blog Reader Without a Blog

Last week, I considered which features of your blog itself can create a positive first impression and be welcoming to the offline customer.

To briefly recap, I suggested that it is of benefit to both you and the non-blogger if they feel at ease on arrival at your site. By making it as simple as possible to navigate your pages, the first-time visitor is guided to your best quality content. This is further helped if you file that valuable information into relevant, streamlined categories.

It is also worth avoiding the use of too much ‘blog jargon’ which can confuse and make the blog experience ‘difficult’. And don’t forget to tell the new visitor, in easy-to-understand terms, of the value in subscribing to receive your carefully crafted content!

If you are mindful of all these elements, you will be well on your way to ensuring that your online offering is a place where the non-blogger wants to return.

So, how else might you develop a successful relationship between yourself and the offline customer? How can you begin to involve them in your community of readers? I’d love for you to share your views in the comments section below.

As I mentioned last week, the comments section is where the exciting activity takes place. There, your audience is able to have a conversation with you. The reader can shape the very content itself simply by leaving a comment. It’s a very powerful idea. But, how best can you encourage the non-blogger to participate in this dialogue?

Today, I’d like to consider five methods you can adopt.

Involving the Non-Blogger in Your Conversations

Imagine for a moment that you have come across your blog for the very first time. You eagerly read the articles. Then, you notice that lots of people have left messages with their views. ‘What’s all that about?’, you might ask. Even more bewildering is that box at the foot of the article asking you to share your views. What is the non-blogger going to do? Here’s a few things you can try to assist them to add their voice:

  • Don’t say it all.
    A comprehensive coverage of the issue at hand is one of the hallmarks of quality content. Your readers will be informed, educated, and provoked if you succeed in giving them the fullest background that they need. However, if every piece you write comes across as if you know everything about the topic, what else is there left for the non-blogger to say? Those other bloggers who leave comments know what commenting is all about. They are quick to join in. But, the non-blogger is likely to feel that their lack of expertise will not be considered valuable. If you leave enough words left to be said, then the non-blogger might just be brave enough to say them.
  • Ask questions.
    There is no more effective technique of encouraging a response than to ask a question, is there? There will most certainly be areas upon which your non-blogging reader has much insight to share. How can you assist them to do so? Ask them. This was how I first came to make my first ever comment right here on Liz’s blog. The writer of that article asked a question about which I believed I could help answer: How to attract the non-blogger to your blog? If you’re not used to it already, why not try posing relevant questions in your articles? You may be surprised at who shows up for the party!
  • Answer questions.
    One of the aims of your online offering might be to build your position as an authority within your niche. Being the ‘go to’ person in your industry can have immense benefits to your business. A good way of convincing your readers of your qualifications to be this person is your willingness to share your expertise with them. Ideally, either through your blog or via other communication channels, you can try to answer queries from your audience. There is, of course, a balance between doing this and the other demands on your time, but the advantages in your availability to reply to readers’ queries are considerable.
  • Reply to comments.
    I realise that every blogger has their own approach to this. Whatever method you adopt for interacting with comments is perfect- if it is what your reader expects. Some of you might reply to each individual commenter, while others ‘batch’ reply to comments. And there are some bloggers whose names never appear in their own comments section. Which approach do you think might appear most welcoming to the non-blogger and convince them that you want them to be part of your community?
  • Offer a friendly comments box.
    At the end of this article — and on yours too — there is the ‘Leave a comment’ section. From the non-blogger’s point of view, this can be a potential barrier to drawing them in. When you ask them to leave their email address, it is helpful to state that this will not be used by any 3rd party. When your comment box requires them to ‘Enter your url/ website’, some may leave their email address. I know that the majority of you have non-blogger friendly comments boxes, but with the addition of a few welcoming words, you might just gently nudge the offline customer into having their say.

As with any invitation to talk, encouraging the non-blogger to join in your conversations means making them feel that their input is valued. If you can help them to feel at ease with the idea of commenting, you both can strike up a long-lasting and fruitful relationship.

If you’re a blogger, leave a comment to let me know how you involve non-bloggers in the conversation? What might you do to encourage non-blogging customers to participate in your comments section?

If you’re a non-blogger, tell them what they can do to make you feel part of their blog community.

Next week, I would like to take a reader’s question and discuss it a little further here. So, if there’s a particular issue you’d like me to explore that relates to connecting with offline customers or non-bloggers, please leave a comment and I’ll aim to write about it in the future.

–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?

Social Networking: The Garden Analogy

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Guest Writer: Todd Jordan

Networking withPurpleConeflowers_by_Liz_Strauss

Do you take your network seriously? How do you keep it and treat it? Is it cared for like a well maintained garden, or is it overrun with half grown connections and weeds? When’s the last time you bothered to nurture and prune it?

Sounds funny at first, but the truth is our social networks are an extension of ourselves. They speak volumes about us and our attitude towards ourselves and others. Like flowers, your contacts can wither and drop off. A once vital connection, bringing you many interesting tidbits or even work, can stop bearing fruit if you don’t pay attention to it.

If the overrun garden sounds like it might be your network, then it’s time to get to work on it. It won’t be pleasant at first, but the work soon pays off.

  • drop everyone that’s not following you – this is the hardest but most productive of all the steps you can take. Yes, you love following that news anchor but when was the last time he chatted with you? Like removing the undergrowth.
  • stop following anyone whose stuff you bypass or ignore – this one often feels awkward. Chances are these are folks we actually cared about at one time or another. This one also greatly improves your network. Like removing those trees that never bear fruit.
  • eliminate the spammers – oh, you think you’ve removed all the weeds? What about Jack, that guy that sends out endless messages about his kids, but has never sent you a reply. Or Joan, the lady from work, who friended you, doesn’t reply, but manages to talk to a hundred other friends. This is the weeds of your garden. They too choke off what you really want in your network.
  • move contacts and reduce redundancy – huh? this means don’t follow the same person on half a dozen networks where they post the same thing over and over. If you follow Bud on Twitter and FriendFeed, drop him on Twitter. It’s like having two busy gardens next to one another. You’ll only really tend to one. This last one reduces the clutter, freeing up the rest of your network to breathe and be usable again.

Yes, the analogy seems silly but these simple steps are no joke. If you can implement these in your networks, you’ll see things begin to change. With the dead weight gone, the rest of your contacts will begin to stand out. Good growth will begin again. You might even find some old friends you’d forgotten. But once things start blooming, don’t forget to keep the pruning sheers handy. A good garden requires consistent tending.

How’s your garden?

Social Networking: — Who’s in Your Business Conversation?

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The Living Web

As I work on a research project that has me going through blog archives, an interesting pattern has turned up. Things we were talking about in 2005 and 2006, still apply to what we’re doing now. In particular, the conversation about social networking hasn’t changed as much as all of the new communities and places to meet might make us think.

If you click through on this this Social Networking graphic you’ll see that it was posted to Flickr in May of 2005. The information refers to cell phone networks, but I think you’ll agree that it applies as easily to today’s social networking site.

Social Networking User Segmentation Model

The graphic shows that people at social networks break into four quadrants or types. They divide first by their need to know about the world or other people, and they divide again by the group with which they want to share what they know.

The four quadrants become these:

  • Content Consumers want to know about the world and share what they know with their friends.

    Content consumers consider close friends a priority, but they have an interest in everyone. They share their lives with friends and family, but enjoy reading about the lives of others. Content consumers go wide finding information — these are the folks who read hundreds of feeds — but they go narrow when they pass it on. They prefer , messaging, and cell phone to stay connected. These are the keepers of information we think of a mavens. They know where to stay, where to eat, when to plant our gardens, which car / computer / camera to buy, and where to find out more.

    If you find Content Consumers on Twitter, they’re probably listening more than they’re talking. They’re the masters of LinkedIn. They’re the one’s you want to plan your next personal conference meeting agenda — they get you the most for your investment. Some also make great “Stumblers” and “Diggers” because they filter content well.

  • Relationship Builders want to know about the people in their lives to and want to share what they know with them.

    Relationship Builders are power networkers. They keep a small group close and know them each well. Relationship Builders see no need for hundreds of connections in their life. Ask a relationship builder to be your “friend,” and he or she might ask how you think connecting will help you both. Relationship builders might take longer to know, but they also invest the time to know you. They’re the fiercely loyal, brand evangelists we all want, but their small social circle can also make them hardest to reach.

    You’ll recognize Relationship Builders on Twitter by the small list of people they follow — no matter the number of people who follow them. They plan a conference around relationships they want to extend and partnerships that have mutual goals. On Twitter, they look for ways to showcase their friends. On SU and Digg, Relationship Builders review content they find useful to pass on to their friends.

  • Social Networkers understand the value of being tapped into a network of connections.

    Social Networks connect openly and with enthusiasm, thinking that, if we cannot directly help each other, our connections probably can. As part of their open networking, Social Networkers are generous with help and share what they know as often as they can. Social Networkers want to be where the people are and the action is happening. They understand what makes a party fun and how to engage and inform hundreds of connections.

    On Twitter, you’ll know Social Networkers by the thousands of friends they have and by the fact that they usually friend back everyone who friends them. You’ll find them at most important conferences and on most social sites. They’ll be the ones with the crowds of friends. On Twitter, it might seem that everyone is talking to them. On SU and Digg, you might find them in huge networks that share content regularly.

  • Content Creators would be those we call thought leaders.

    Content Creators like to connect with close friends, but want their thinking to be heard beyond their own group. Content Creators value the ability to publish their ideas. They believe that knowledge gained is valuable and worth sharing. They use the Internet to discover information, solve problems, and share new thoughts.

    On Twitter, Content Creators will be discussing ideas in longer conversational threads and pointing to useful information they’ve found. At conferences, they’ll be speakers or the first to ask questions. On SU and Digg, if they are there, what they share will reflect their thoughts.

You might call the four groups by different names than those on this chart — I do — that aside, the ways we act are familiar. People are people now as we always have been.

Who’s in Your Business Conversation?

For those of us in business or looking to increase our readership, the first question that comes to mind is how can I use this information to improve my social networking ROI?

When you’re looking for evangelists and loyal customers, remember relationships get built one at at time. To find more Relationship Builders, keep in mind they prefer in their own social circle. Look within your own business and social circles to find relationship builders with whom you might have strong compatibilities. Encourage relationship builders you know to refer you and introduce you. When relationship builders ask how they might help you offer them ways and words to share what you do with their friends. They might write you a valuable LinkedIn referral or introduce to the ideal client.

When you’re looking to extend your reach, Social Networkers offer all of your friends a reason to pass on your words / work on your behalf. To enlist their support, be sure what you ask them to share is something of high value that will reflect well on them. If you offer a product or service that resonates with their needs, it’s your lucky day. They’re the broadcasters and the buyers.

Don’t discount the Content Consumers. Your subscriber base is likely to have a huge percentage of them. They may check read your blog, check your profile, but you’ll only know through your referral stats. Constantly offer opportunities to subscribe and reach out to them to become friends. When their friends are in need, they will remember your name.

Identify Content Creators you respect and read their blogs. Comment with thoughtful, well-written insights and questions. Trackback to articles that connect their thoughts to yours. Relate to them as a respectful colleague not a fan. In time you’ll be a part of their network and they’ll part of yours as well.

The conversation and the way we relate hasn’t really changed. The people talking are still people talking just the same. The art and science of social media is to understand, which people you want to listen to, learn from, and have as friends.

Have you met all four social networking types? Do you have all of them in your business life? Now that you know, how will you serve them?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Risking My Life

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Take a Risk Your Way

I have a friend who says she’s never seen me walk in a straight line. What she means is that I have to find my path for getting things to work out right. And because of that, I’ll never know what’s right for you. I’ll only be able to say, what’s worked for me and I’ve heard has worked for folks who’ve done some pretty spectacular things.

We all take risks of our own kind. We jump. We veer. We zag. We speak in silent times. Sometimes we win. Sometimes we conspire against ourselves . . .

We land on our butts in the dust wondering why we didn’t just follow the logical path every other person does. That’s when we have to go back and start all over again — but we picked the path and we’re darn sure that we’re alive.

This is replacement picture one . . .

Risktaker1_by_Liz_Strauss50

Will I put my pictures somewhere else? Already have (and now I know why.)

I don’t risk my life, but without any risks I wouldn’t feel alive.

What sort of risks make a better life?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Lost My Way with Hitchhiker’s Guide . . . Did You Have to Be There?

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Another Saturday Night Movie

You know the saying, “Guess you had to be there.” You might have said it yourself, when you told a story of a great experience that doesn’t translate to the audience who’s hearing it.

Shared experience is part of our cultural literacy. It gives context and meaning to the things we find entertaining and interesting.

If you know and enjoy “Lost My Way” from Matthew Ebel’s “Goodbye, Planet Earth,” you’ll feel a connection to this video. If you know the movie, “Hitchhiker’s Guide,” you’ll be connected even more.

Social media connects us with context. We form a community around common experiences. Our experiences with our friends make it easier and easier to predict what they’ll enjoy sharing with us. I feel more connected to Chelpixie because she connected me to this video.

Learning to predict how people will react is a key skill of marketing and social networking.

When you think about it, you probably know someone who’ll like this video. How will you tell them about it?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

When a Hammer Beats a Swiss Army Knife

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One by One by One Thing Well

Working Plans logo

Any tradesperson will tell you, “Use the right tool for the job.”
The same logic applies when it comes to the people we hire.
Get great art and design from the people who went to art school.
Get great writing from great writers.
Get great programming from . . . you know who.

That’s the most efficient way to get the work done well.

In your own shop concentrate on your stellar skills and get other folks to do what they do better than you. Offer your best and nothing else, and smart business folks who value their time will value what you do.

Clean, Clear, Simple: Example 1

e-junkie

At SOBCon this year we were offered a pro account at e-Junkie.com. If you were an attendee and didn’t take advantage the promocode was SOBCon08. Check out their services. They do what they do so well that I’ve set up my affiliates there.

Clean, Clear, Simple: Example 2

How to Start a Business Website logo

Another great example of focusing on what we do well is Michael Martine’s new eBook launch. His book, How to Start a Business Website and Hire a Web Designer focuses in on on specific problems and how to solve them well. The answers he’s brought are the best tools for the job, and his discussion of the product only talks about that. I think his product — content and presentation — is so well done that I’m selling it to you. I don’t do that unless I find the values that I would put there myself.

Click here to see what I’m talking about.

When a Hammer Beats a Swiss Army Knife

People have problems and search for answers. The answers they search for are straightforward and specific. They want the best tool fix what’s broken not an expensive toolkit. If you want to win their attention, solve the small problems before you try to win the big ones.

Be the best answer to what they’re searching for. When we need to pound a nail, a hammer beats a Swiss army knife every time.

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