How to Get a Blog Noticed by your friends
How to Get a Blog Noticed (by your friends)
As blogger, learning to thrive in the online environment, I've found it interesting to note that my readership is global. Most of my support for my website comes from people not here in South Africa.
No Prophet is Accepted in his Hometown
It's also interesting to note how few of my offline friends (and NONE of my family) have left a comment on any of my blog posts. I'm not saying I don't have their support offline, but I seldom see it online.
Isn't it funny how we develop these amazingly supportive online friends but sometimes our NEIGHBOUR doesn't even know what we do?
Thank heavens for Wealthy Affiliate's Site Comments tool, otherwise I'd probably have very few comments at all on my blogs!
I've thought of a few reasons for this. Perhaps it could be because...
- My older family members are not very active online (read: clueless)
- My friends and family don't realise how valuable comments are to a blogger
- My friends and family don't know how to leave a comment
- They are too busy with their own lives to actually read my blogs
- What I'm writing about doesn't interest them
Yesterday, all that changed for me.
I wrote and published this post and this morning I woke up to a flood of comments - well, 3 comments from personal friends of mine. Which is a lot when you've had NONE for aaaages.
I did all (make that most) of the usual things I do when publishing a post.
- I chose a low hanging fruit keyword first. It wasn't the best keyword I've ever found but it hit the sweet spot (more than 50 searches and less than 50 competition). The Keyword was Hand Hand Parenting (399 searches and QSR of 24).
- I used the keyword as my Permalink.
- Oops... just couldn't bring myself to use this keyword naturally in the first paragraph or as a Headline - SEO Fail.
- I added a Pinterest pin and named it "Hand Hand Parenting" and shared to a number of Pinterest boards.
- I created a Twitter post and shared on Twitter.
- I created an Instagram post and shared on Instagram.
- I then shared from Instagram to Facebook.
So why was this post different?
Well, it was partly luck... Instagram accidentally shared my post to my personal Facebook profile instead of my Facebook Page.
Must mention here, that finally joining FACEBOOK (after resisting for sooooo long) has made a huge difference to me, as a Mom blogger.
Here are a few reasons why I think my friends actually READ, enjoyed and commented on this particular post.
- I created a catchy headline in my social posts: "How one talk at the Mom Conference Changed my view of Parenting FOREVER" Maybe I should change my actual blog title to that too. Maybe. It's a bit long.
- I wrote from the heart about a personal experience.
- I showed vulnerability: I told the world I am making parenting mistakes.I told the world I was in tears listening to the video.
- I inadvertently discovered something my avatar (target audience) is struggling with - turns out I'm not the only distracted parent, addicted to their smartphone. :) This paves the way for my next post: will start researching keywords and strategies on how to switch off from technology and be present with our children.
Now I totally understand that not everyone has a blog where they can show this kind of vulnerability.
If you're blogging in the online marketing space, your vulnerability would look different.
You'd perhaps talk about mistakes you made when you started blogging. Or how you felt when you looked at you at Google Analytics after 6 months and you still only had xx visitors... the point is, once we're chugging along down this track and accepting guest posts and sponsored posts, our message can sometimes become diluted. Our personality can disappear from our blog.
We can sometimes forget how important it is to BE HUMAN.
To show our humanity.
In showing our humanity, we become relatable. People feel us. They identify with us. And BOOM... suddenly you have readers, you have followers, you have a tribe.
To Your Success,
Recent Comments
37
Authenticity is definitely the key, as you have shown. It reveals self-acceptance of all that one is. Thanks for sharing.
You are so right. Being authentic and showing our vulnerabilities makes people want to connect. You've hit the nail on the head and inspired me to write my next article differently.
Erica
Lauren the articles when I have gotten very vulnerable and real are the ones that get the most responses. I still have to read your article, I did see it on Facebook and wanted to have a look but well time just slips through my fingers and I hardly ever have a spare moment to read other mommy blogs...but that one caught my eye because well it looks like something I need to read.
I get so caught up with work and I struggle to find the time to really interact with my kids and just play with them like I want to.
I am busy with creating a new schedule for myself that will have kids time set aside every day!
PS I am so glad you are on Facebook now and seeing how incredible it can be for business!!
Thank you so much for that lead today, I am just finishing up their first article!
Oh yay!! That's so cool, Lynne (responding to your last sentence). My pleasure. :)
Hope you enjoy my post if you ever get a gap to read it.
Thanks for encouraging me to go on Facebook! Xxxx
Oh Lauren! Your gorgeous heart as always just radiates! This was an outstanding blog and commentary of how when we use our heart light amazing things happen.
I am so grateful for this blog and as always your fabulous magic!
I think you did a super job of outlining what an excellent blog post is..and I for one will really use this as criteria for each blog I write.
I so look forward to hearing more of your voice, for there is only one of beautiful YOU!
In peace and gratitude and big hugs,ariel
Aaaw... thanks for your enthusiastic complements, Ariel! You already write like this every time. I think you inspired me!
That makes such good sense Lauren and in the busy, it is so easy to lose sight of that thank you for sharing a very good reminder.
I read your whole post it attracted me from the first word to the final one, I loved it and enjoyed reading it, I left you a comment and it's a very honest one.
I totally agree that we need to add that sense of humanity to our blogs to attract more readers, I myself usually feel more attached to blogs that show that the blogger is not sent from above, it makes me more comfortable and more excited to read more blogs for the same writer.
thanks for this post and for your site post, you added a lot to my parenting and blogging experience.
Wow... Rawan, what a wonderful thing to say! Thanks for the huge compliment. Much appreciated.
This is a beautiful post Lauren. Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability in sharing this. I can certainly see why your post would have been so popular with your friends and family ... and a WHOLE lot more besides. You have a beautiful way of writing and I can see how it comes from the heart.
Thank you for sharing. The post means a lot!
Gary
Aw, thanks for your kind words, Gary. Much appreciated. Really happy to hear this post meant a lot to you.
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Recognizable. My family and friend do buy via my affiliate links, but never leave a comment, they simply don't know the importance of leaving comments, they are not in this world
Yes... that's exactly as I see it, Loes. Only once you immerse yourself in this world, do you truly understand it.