by Scott McIntyre
It is a little daunting to be out here for the first time, writing in front of you all. But I’m not too nervous because I know that you’re friendly folk. You see, I’ve been waiting around these parts for a few months now, watching what’s been going on with great interest. I’ve mostly remained in the background, only once or twice venturing out into the open space of the comments section.
Then, one day, Liz posed a question on the search for the non-blogging customer, and I just couldn’t stop myself — I bolted from the sidelines and let my presence be known. At last, I had something to add to the conversation! This was an issue that I knew about first hand — for I am one of that apparently rare breed — the avid blog reader without a blog.
When Liz invited me to share with you my non-blogging perspective on the blogosphere, I readily and gratefully accepted. While exploring many blogs, I have studied both the ‘art’, as well as the ‘technical’, aspects of blogging.
I have educated myself on the often bewildering, unique features of blogs. I can speak the lingo — I know what a ‘post’ is, I can explain ‘RSS’ and the benefits of ‘subscribing’. Heck, I even get what a ‘trackback’ is!
It’s been rewarding to spend time browsing and stumbling through a diverse variety of web pages as part of my active use of Social Media . . . and I’ve done this without the vehicle of a blog.
Over the coming weeks, I’d like to pass on my observations
- to help you identify issues associated with targetting offline customers
- and to offer suggestions on methods you can use to connect effectively with this group.
Together, we will highlight the challenges involved in finding and attracting the non-blogger back to an online business and find solutions for success.
But, first, let me explain on how I became such a passionate advocate of blogs.
Discovering The Blogosphere: My Journey Begins
Though I’ve always been a keen Internet user, I only clicked on my first weblog in March, earlier this year. Ironically, my introduction to the blogosphere wasn’t by way of a gentle, general interest blog but via the ultimate in “How to Blogs” — problogger.
I was fascinated to read Darren’s clear explanations and advice on blogging, and those of his readers. The more I delved into his archives, the more I realised the tremendous value of blogs. It was like finding a never ending supply of constantly updated magazines, delivered daily to the letterbox of my feed reader.
The biggest revelation was to witness how the audience is able to interact with the blogger, and with each other, through the community of the comments section. By doing so, readers are shaping and influencing the very content itself. I soon went searching for countless other blogs, subscribing to many as I went.
Certain blogs have made my experience easier to our mutual benefit. For example, I am more likely to hang around, or sign up to, a blog that has
- a user-friendly design,
- first class content,
- a lively comments section,
- and other elements which embrace all readers — bloggers or not.
It is clear that Liz works hard to ensure that the S.O.B. community here is accessible to everyone regardless of their familiarity with blog ‘netiquette’. That’s the reason why I felt compelled to contribute in the first place.
Back then, little did I realise how enthusiastic I would become about this dynamic medium, and by how much I would want to learn about the ‘mechanics’ of blogging. Nor could I ever have anticipated how strong my desire would be to encourage as many other non-bloggers as possible to discover blogs for themselves.
Why Don’t I Blog?
After espousing the brilliance of blogs, you might reasonably ask why I don’t blog myself. It’s a valid question. The more I read blogs and see their potential, the more I am drawn to becoming an active participant as a means of expressing myself. It just hasn’t happened yet.
In many ways, the very fact that I am writing this post today is a novel idea on Liz’s part. Usually, only bloggers do guest posts.
The best analogy I can use to describe my interest in blogs is to compare it to that of an automobile fan who can drive, but doesn’t yet possess their own automobile. There’s no reason why he or she, can’t become au fait with how a classic engine works or travel round automobile shows, admiring the gleaming models on display.
Just as you don’t have to write for, or own, a magazine to be able to read one, you don’t actually have to be a blogger to enjoy browsing through blogs.
I’m Scott McIntyre. I’m an avid blog reader without a blog.
If you’re a non-blogging reader, leave a comment to let me know you’re out there. If you’re a blogger, what advice do you have for non-bloggers, who want to be part of your blog?
–Scott
__________________
Scott is a freelance writer based in Scotland, who only recently discovered the wonders of the blogosphere. A former policy manager with the Scottish Government, his background is in business and Human Resource Management. Scott’s interest in writing developed when, at the age of just 15 and still at school, he edited and wrote for a newspaper column. He is on a personal mission to live a colorful life, and to write about it along the way. You can find out more at LinkedIn, or be one of the first to follow Scott on Twitter.
Hi Scott
How nice to find you here! And what a well written article – lots of great food for thought.
You have been making me think recently about people who leave comments, because although I have some comments from people without blogs they’re mainly very short questions or feedback. You’re the first non-blog commenter I’ve known to leave such thoughtful and (if I might say so!) blogger like comments.
I suppose part of my challenge is wondering how to thank and include non-blog commenters – with other bloggers you might start to do this by visiting your blog or linking out to them, or leaving a comment on their blog.
Are there non-blog alternatives I wonder?
(Well, I’ll follow you on Twitter as a start.)
Joanna
Welcome to the blogosphere
Blogging is a time commitment, so it is no surprise to me that there are readers who do not have blogs. Actually I believe there is a huge silent readership out there of people who do not have blogs. That is one of the reasons I have turned on the option to allow anonymous comments rather than requiring readers to leave their blog address when commenting.
If youââ¬â¢re a blogger, what advice do you have for non-bloggers, who want to be part of your blog?
– leave comments, and if you don’t have a blog, use some other social media identity such as twitter or linkedIn or flickr to help us recognize you when you return to comment again. Part of the building of community is the recognition of the participants, find a way to show us who you are, it doesn’t need to be a blog.
Thanks to Scott for adding some perspective for those of us who blog. Understanding our users is imporatant to be successful.
Belcome to the blogging Scott, I look forward to more posts.
I am a non-blogger. I too have been doing a bit of research as of late. I just don’t know if blogging is the right thing for me though. And Twitter & Plurk…I don’t really understand it. I just don’t know if I want to be that open.
Thanks, Scott for the great article!
Hey Scott,
Excellent post. I’m going to be following your posts with interest over the next couple weeks.
I have to say that I found it a little strange (or unusual) when I couldn’t find any information about you when I went searching after you wrote your comment and subscribed on my blog earlier. It was actually a refreshing change to see somebody interested in blogs who isn’t a blogger. 🙂
Jamie
Hi Joanna,
Indeed, we meet elsewhere! 🙂
You make a visit to your blog rewarding in itself by offering the engaging content which, to me, is bundled into the concept of “quality” which I refer to.
I guess that only you, as the blogger, can judge what constitutes “engaging” for your own specific target audience.
Coupled with an interactive comments section- where you take the time to respond to every commenter- this contributes to a welcoming atmosphere, conducive to encouraging participation.
You also raise the two basic issues of connecting with offline customers:
– where, and using what methods, does the online business find these customers?
and
– once found, what unique incentives can you offer to encourage them to come back to your online offering?
I’m interested to learn what tools and techniques you, and other bloggers, use that work effectively to achieve these results.
Hello Jamie,
I actually found my way to your blog after clicking on the signature in your comment on Liz’s “Fence” post this morning 🙂
Scott,
I appreciated your comments in the search for the non-blogging customer post, so I’m glad to see you writing a post here — welcome to blog writing! Problogger was my first introduction to blogs, too.
As for non-bloggers reading blogs, I would say:
“Jump on in, the water is fine! Consider the comments open to you and offer your thoughts. We’d love to hear from you! By chiming in, you help bloggers grow as writers and thinkers. Every voice adds value to the conversation, so feel free add yours.”
Hi Scott;
I too am a non-blogging reader. I am very active in the social media world as it sounds you are but i am more interested in how to use social media for my business as opposed to creating a persona of my own. Now if only i could find the retail technology conversation i would be happy. i think i am finding that there really isn’t one, i which case, i may have to start blogging afterall. I look forward to following your comments.
Hey Joanna!
It’s great that you were here to welcome Scott. He’s fabulous. Isn’t he?
Hi Judy,
Thank you for the welcome!
I completely agree that there is a large number of non-blogging readers who are around, but just don’t take part in the conversations, for whatever reason. Why do you think this is and what can be done to draw them into the dialogue?
In these days where everyone can have an online identity (e.g. social media profiles),
I guess that it is possible for even the non-blogger to be able to identify themselves within the comment sections.
Perhaps, bloggers need to educate their readers on how to do this?
Hi Judy!
Great advice about leaving an identity link. It makes a difference. I know it’s the first thing folks do on open comment night when someone new comes to visit — click through to see who they are . . . It gives us something to talk about. 🙂
Hi Marc & Sheila,
Welcome!
Sorry your comments waited until I got home from my meeting.
Marc,
Thanks for being here for Scott. I agree — that’s why I asked him to do this weekly column.
Sheila,
Hang around here for a while, maybe the other stuff will start to make sense. 🙂
Scott, your post gave me Christmas in July. I was brainstorming this week on ways that I could introduce this wonderful medium to non-bloggers and embrace them as part of the community. Having non-bloggers actively participate enriches the experience for everyone. It is akin to a writer conversing with readers who are not writers. Your post is excellent and I anxiously await the next. Thank you Liz for once again being at the forefront of a key issue. Thank you Scott for piping up and joining the conversation!
Hi Scott, it’s nice to “meet” you. For someone without a blog, you do have a flare for writing, so I wasn’t surprised to discover that you freelance.
It’s been interesting to see the number of comments I receive on my blog from non-bloggers. A lot of people doing online searches for articles relating to their interests find themselves on my blog, leave a comment or ask a question in the comment section, and I reply and others engage in conversation back and forth within the comment section.
I’ve found some non-bloggers don’t understand exactly HOW to subscribe to a blog, or HOW to leave a comment. For example, when a non-blogger attempts to leave a comment and doesn’t understand what the “URL” section is for (Or on Liz’ comment section it says Website), some readers have put yahoo.com or gmail.com because that’s where their email is hosted, because they don’t really know what URL means.
As bloggers, we need to be sure we make leaving comments and subscribing to our blogs a simple and appealing process for everyone and anyone, perhaps putting “optional” next to the URL/Website box and offer different subscription options (RSS or email) in plain sight rather than assuming visitors will know what a subscribe button is for.
Hi Marc,
You make a good point that knowing who your readers are is a key part to success as a blogger, in any case.
If you have a technical, “How to” blog then I can understand the audience will be 99% fellow bloggers.
However, if your online offering isn’t related to blogging services, it is, I believe, a good growth strategy to target non-bloggers as your ideal customer.
Sage,
You always make the smartest observations with heart and welcome. Thanks for that.
Hi Lee!
Gosh I wish you were a SOBCon, a couple of guys there would have loved to know you were out there.
Let’s see whether we can shake the bushes to see who surfaces. 🙂
Hi Karen & Lin,
It’s great to hear you are actively seeking to draw in the non-blogger. Having this as a set goal will help you focus on exactly what actions you need to take to win them.
Lin,
Overuse of “blog jargon” is definitely a potential barrier to the non-blogger. I’ll be exploring this issue over the coming weeks.
Karen,
Looks like you’re right here with us!
Hi Lin!
Thanks for adding to the conversation. Yep, it’s so human to assume that other folks know at least as much as we do. . . . When there’s often no reason they’ve encountered the information.
Hi Scott!
Glad that you had a chance to make over after I got the comments out of moderation! Great post!
Scott, I’m looking forward to reading the entire series from the perspective of a non-blogger. Pssst, hurry up with it, I’m anxious! 🙂
This is one of the coolest posts I’ve ever read.
This is a clean well-lighted post! Fresh. Open. Best of all: unexpected.
Your story sounds faintly like my own. I never actively participated in blogs or even had a blog of my own until earlier this year.
Then I just plunged right into the experience, and so far I’m finding it fascinating.
Well, I hope you find yourself more interested in blogging. I think you’ve got a unique perspective, and we need that. I suspect you’d really enjoy the experience and would probably learn very very fast.
Wow, a very cool post. Did I say cool?
Scott
Glad I found this through Twitter. I too, until a couple of months ago, was a non-blogger. Just the word “blog” gave me fits. Ive had a music myspace for my band, and no blog with it, tho folks have asked. Then I got my RE license in two states and figured if I wanted to break into a static, competitive market, setting myself apart was necessary. Thus, the birth of the blogger in me 🙂
Cheers!
Hi Scott,
I KNEW you had that writer ability in you. Your comments on my blog were too eloquent for you not to. Plus, you answer comments, too.
I love this post and am looking forward to the rest of the series.
Great job Scott. Now I can say I’ve read my first post written by a non-blogger. And a fabulous one it is.
I’m so happy you shared the link to this post with me, Scott.
Thank you Liz for sharing Scott with us.
Hi Scott,
Followed you over here from your comments on BWAB! You are a sneaky one! 😉
Congrats on your first guest post — very well thought out and written. Looking forward to reading more on this important topic. As a new blogger, I want to embrace my non-blogging readers as well.
I think Barbara Swafford will have to agree that you truly are “Blogging Without a Blog” – – so far!
Welcome to the blogosphere!
Hi Lin!
Scott will be back next Thursday!
Hi Phil!
Great to see you here! I agree with your review. 🙂
Barbara and Heather!
Welcome. You’re not strangers anymore! 😉
Hi Scott – this is really kind of you to do this. I’ve often wondered if we’re leaving non-bloggers out, when they arrive at our blogs and see conversations between regular visitors.
Do non-bloggers subscribe to RSS feeds, or do they just see our blogs as another website that they might add to favourites, or never return to again? I would love to know these things and I’m looking forward to reading the series.
Hi Cath,
RSS and email subscriptions is a key point I’ll be exploring in the series.
Let me say for now that, if the blogger doesn’t:
– clearly explain somewhere what RSS is
– or the benefits in subscribing
there’s no reason to assume the non-blogger even knows these things.
Scott,
Great piece! I think there are probably more of us out there that read blogs, rarely or never comment, and don’t blog ourselves. Like you I get it, understand it and see the value. I have even helped setup blogs for others. I even have a blog I created for myself, I have just never posted to it. I actually start ideas for posts on my own laptop, but thus far have just handed off the ideas to others for refinement and posting. Again, great piece! I would love to read your writing along with the other blogs I read.
Liz,
Thanks for having Scott write! I loved the Elusive Non-blogging Customer and all its comments, and it’s great to see Scott’s name up top on this one.
It’s a nicheââ¬âthe non-blogging guest poster! Could be Scott’s USP!
Scott,
Good to hear from you! One bonus to being an avid blog reader/commenter without a blog (that was me until I jumped last November) is that you have more time to enjoy other blogs and really contribute in the comments.
Still only 24 hours in a day, lots of other stuff to do, now blogging has to share time with reading and commenting, so my adventuring out has become more limited. I’m often late to the party; though I still read a ton, I comment less. (Something to think about before you jump. Like married people telling their single friends they should do it, many bloggers can’t resist saying “C’mon, Scott, you’d be so good at this!”)
Once again, love your thinking on this topic, something I spend a lot of time dealing with as one whose target is in large part non-bloggers.
As you said, community at a blog can be a great draw. I do find, though, that many readers who aren’t bloggers would rather drop me an email than comment. For some there seems to be an identity/ security issue about being so public with their comments.
Very much looking forward to this series of posts as part of the SOB mix!
Regards,
Kelly
Hi Lynn and Kelly,
Thank you for the comments.
Kelly,
You make a great point about non-bloggers, perhaps, prefering anonymity. In effect, commenting is, quite literally, standing out in public- even though it’s in text form.
The option to email you sounds a good way round this.
Being accessible on a number of communication channels is very helpful to anyone wanting to feel part of the blogger’s community.
Hey Scott, great article for a non-blogger. I am thinking that you may be a blogger by now! 🙂 If so hit me up, I’d love to read more stuff from you.
-Robbie