How to Really Engage Your Audience

byAJTrimble1

9.1K followers

5 years ago

“You wouldn’t expect to buy an expensive painting from an Army surplus store and you wouldn’t expect to find much of a bargain at Tiffany’s.” — Joe Sugarman

I just left Wal-Mart. While there I was bombarded with one sale after another. Sign after sign about low prices. Bright colors. Garish graphics. Exactly what you might expect.

A few weeks ago, I was inside a showroom with a friend who was interested in purchasing a new BMW. Dim lighting — except for the spotlights over the cars. Classical music tenderly drifting through the overhead. The smell of fresh cappuccino wafting through the air. Exactly what you might expect.

According to advertising guru, Joe Sugarman, one of the most fundamental rules of selling is putting your potential customer into an appropriate environment. Here’s simple test:

You are selling an expensive product that will require at least one hour to properly explain. Which environment would be the correct one?

1. Lunchtime at an expensive restaurant near the prospect’s office
2. After lunch in the prospect’s boardroom
3. At the gym while the prospect is working out
4. At the prospect’s house while he is playing with his three kids
5. Any of the above

Which answer did you select? Would it surprise you to know that the correct answer is number 5… any of the above. Why? Because the “best” location (environment) for selling totally depends on what you are selling. A new restaurant point-of-sale terminal. A new treadmill. A new child-proof security system. And so on.

Now, what does this have to do with you?

YOU Control the Environment

If the best environment is the one best suited for what you are selling, does it not make sense that the same rule applies online? Think about your site. What does it “feel” like. Naturally this includes more than just the theme or design, although that is a part of it.

But what do your articles say? Is your niche more of the down to earth, looking for a bargain type audience, or is your target market more of the highbrow, where can I get my next Rolex crowd? Are your readers looking for light and whimsical, or are they more serious (or, dare I say, stern?)

And now the million dollar question: Given your audience, does your site’s “feel” reflect that?

This is why it is so important that you identify who it is that you are looking for before you begin working on your site. If you are trying to write for everyone, you will ultimately wind up writing for no one; it will simply be too generic for any audience to pay attention.

Remember, it’s okay if someone doesn’t like your style. Not everyone will. But all that means is that that person is not part of what Seth Godin calls your “tribe”. And that’s fine. You are only looking for those people that can connect with you on a deeper level.

Need proof? Head over to Amazon and check out Harry Potter, arguably the most successful written series in history. Guess what you see. Loads of negative reviews. Now, if the most popular books of all time have their detractors, why should you and I be any different?

The awesome thing about doing things the Wealthy Affiliate way, using the WordPress platform, is that you have 100% control over your own environment. Think about your audience and give them an environment they should expect to find when they arrive. Give them both the graphic elements and the words. Phrase your content to match their expectations.

By controlling your environment, you will create trust and a desire for engagement. And, as an added bonus, your headlines, images, etc. may just put them in a buying mood by the time they get to that affiliate link :-)

Please leave a comment below and let us know how you control your site environment. Thank you.