3 Tips for Audience Development

I have been promoting, not writing. Trying to work on audience development before I post anything else.  I have a backlog of material with that being said, so I want to try and deliver a few nuggets of wisdom that I have come across. I have mentioned some before, but they are worthy for startup bloggers. So here is the latest installment with 3 tips for audience development.

1. If you are not using photos in your blog post and tweets and Facebook posts...stop. Don't do anything else until you check out Canva or PicMonkey or Snappa so that you look like you care and create strong visual content. I don't mean that harshly, but there is nothing worse than opening up a blog post and there is a plain old picture off of your phone with no border, enhancement, nothing. OR worse...I saw one that the writer did not even rotate and it was posted sideways. So why would I want to follow you if you can't even be bothered to care? Mine are by no means a work of art, but I am trying. I read and try to imitate what works for huge successful visual experts like Emily la Grange. She talks about successful, cohesive images that brand you so that people are able to know to whom the image belongs to without having to read it. I have mentioned her before and you really must follow her for all of her weekly tips. She runs various platform tips each day. Here is a sample of hers below from her twitter, property of Emily la Grange. This image holds her fact in her tweet and provides data. People love data. I myself am data driven. This one in particular is a powerful fact that we as bloggers, need to take into consideration.

2. I keep saying this and I keep seeing it not being done...have you defined your audience? If you are a mom blogger, for instance since that is my primary audience, who in particular are you targeting? You can do a mom blog as a broad spectrum, but you'll never make a dent in the traffic. Are you a breast feeding mom who is vegan? Now you are talking a little sweeter to readers; this is niche marketing. We love the occasional anecdotes about family, but really, we don't need your quirky stories all the time. Give me something I need. Try surveying your readers for what matters most to them and post topics based on your readership's answers. We discuss this at length in my interview on the Huffington Post with now, #1 Global Digital Marketer, Sam Hurley. Sam points out, "Obviously the deeper you go, the narrower your audience…but also the more engaged..." You have to figure out what makes your audience tick and why they should choose you to read
Here is an example of both a creative image with data and my niche target:

This sums up my main niche: I am a data driven growth hacker for mom bloggers. Bam! That's my niche. So I tell you in my visuals what my article is about; statistically why you need a more defined niche. Have fun at the park you say chasing the ducks...great we do that, too. What makes you stand out? Did you have to breast feed there and what obstacles did you face? Do you have a special needs child that you do particular interactions with so as to provide the correct outside stimulation or socialization while you are there and how that may help others? Now were are cooking.

3. Lastly, please for the love of all that is holy use HASHTAGS!!!! If you don't have a large twitter following, and even if you do, it can't be searched by someone looking for that topic if you have no hashtags.  Example: say you only have 143 followers and you post a tweet with no hashtags...that is all of the people who will see your topic.  Get creative and find hashtags trending or what is relevant to the post and use it. Don't use more than three or so (use your judgment but it's not Instagram), but use them!!!!! I can't stress that enough. I say it a lot in my posts, but I still see great blog posts that no one saw because they aren't using Twitter effectively. I actually read all that I tweet out because I hate it when people post stuff that is broken or no longer up and was it really helpful or just the same ole regurgitated crap from 800 other people? I like to know it before I share it. The same thing for Instagram, but there you can use up to 30 hashtags. I have gotten lots of audience build up by changing up my relevance of posts with hashtags to get in front of more people.

"When someone clicks on a hashtag on any of these social networks, they’ll automatically be shown all other public posts that include the same hashtag. This is incredibly valuable for a small business because it can expose your content to a wider audience, and help your business get found. If someone does a search on a social network, or Google, for a hashtag you used, your post — and potentially even your profile — can be found by someone you never would have reached without hashtags". See this and the full article by Constant Contact on their blog, here.

I am not trying to say that I am the most perfect at this, but at 4500 followers and steady growth, I feel I am doing something right. But you have to read. You have to research. Twitter is a fickle beast as is Google and Facebook and you have to stay up to date on algorithm changes so that your posts get seen first and foremost. To be successful at blogging, you have to have a game plan, not just throw out lot of posts. Again, read that interview I linked to above on the Huffington Post; a game plan all devised and ready to go...but you have to read it.

Interview on Blogging with Sam Hurley|Recipe for Success

In defining who you are on social media, networking is key as much here as it is in any type of business. I recently had the privilege of interviewing a leader in social media marketing. The ultimate digital marketer and entrepreneur, Sam Hurley, Top Ranked Digital Marketer, Owner and Founder of Optim-Eyez (more below).  A powerful social media influencer, SEO and Content Marketing expert whose tips I implement regularly with proven success.  Sam’s knowledge and demeanor can help anyone, anywhere. Sam has been featured on the likes of Adobe, Search Engine Watch, Salesforce, MarketingProfs and StartupNation while casually popping up on the BBC, Global News, Social Media Examiner, John Rampton and The Next Web to name just a few.

Anyone can ask the stereotypical questions regarding Sam’s background and knowledge; I could not go down that road as you can find that information anywhere online about him.  This would an interview on blogging, tailored toward my parenting blogger readers. It was with great honor that I am granted this insight on that which he has to offer.  Please read on to see how Sam’s business recipe for success and dominating the digital marketing industry has formulated huge growth for me that I am very proud to share.

In an interview you gave in January of this year, you spoke on influencers, including yourself, and how interacting with top influencers can become a win/win for both parties.  I put that theory to the test and only one other does moderate interaction…one other than you, but you blow it out of the water. Fostering these relationships takes time.

I want a little deeper answer as to how do you manage with everything else you do and why do you do it so consistently? Being ranked the #2 Digital Marketer, you certainly have bigger fish to fry. Why help the little fish; why an interview with a virtual no one in your world?

SH: I am a firm believer in both humility and karma. I see it so often – ‘influencers’ who never engage with their audience or take the time to help anyone out. Is that really somebody who is influential?

You only get out what you put in. That is the same for life in general. I’m so laser-focused on what I want to achieve and won’t stop until I’m there at my destination, no matter how much work it takes…and by then I’ll have created more destinations to reach!

But how can anybody arrive at their destinations without the support of others? Very rarely. Relationships are the key to success. It’s often been said that ‘it’s not what you know; it’s who you know’ and this is certainly true to some degree.

You can’t make this journey alone and everybody you come across has their own sparkle that becomes mutually beneficial. Each person can help in ways the next (or previous) can’t. So, tot this up and 500 connections equals 500 unique opportunities. Next, compound that with the connections you’re likely to make as a result of that initial relationship...

You can see how these bonds quickly grow to become powerful networks which can be leveraged both ways – and that is important. It must be a two way street. Give to receive, but never expect to receive. Just like birthdays!

Back to your question…how do I manage it all? With great difficulty! It is extremely time consuming to maintain relationships and grow presence simultaneously, in addition to the work which directly pays an income.

That said; the direct income is always a result of the relationships I nurture. So I shall continue!

Not your usual line of questioning, because I know you get asked all of the stereotypical things about content and digital marketing; we know what you do and that you do it well.  I am taking this from the view point of the Average Joe like me who is trying to build and grow on a restricted budget or even no budget at all, looking for free tools and such.  That is who my readership is catered to; bloggers with families out there starting up. If you had to tell them 3 key things about firing up their blog to build their audience, what would it be?

     SH: Unfortunately, nothing in life is free these days. Be prepared to spend to create something of real value. Don’t start your domain as newblog.genericfreedomainservice.net – this will instantly put people off visiting or reading. Buy a domain, fast hosting and a mobile responsive theme. Ideally, you’d pay a web designer to create a custom site. It’s all about credibility and this needs to be presented at every touch point. If that means being patient for a few more weeks until you’ve saved the funds, so be it. Mediocre creation will give you mediocre return and only lead to frustration further down the line.

         Secondly, ensure you enjoy your blog and offer something of real value to your audience. Do you enjoy writing about the topic you have chosen, or are you trying to write 100 articles on dishwashers because you heard you can make a lot of money through affiliate marketing in that industry? If it’s the latter, this will show through and you will find it difficult to gain the interest of others if you aren’t feeling it yourself.

       Thirdly, take the time to grow your personal brand and email list. A personal brand is      infinitely more powerful than any faceless company – let your character shine through. People  want to listen to people, not companies. Growing a social media presence will in turn generate  interest in your blog. Guest blogging for other websites will greatly aid your notoriety so I also  recommend pursuing this. With a clear call to action on your site, you will begin to capture email  addresses to build your list – I can’t stress enough the importance of this. Nobody can take your  list away. Google or Twitter could change in a heartbeat…

I see a lot of bloggers out there not defining their target audience, what tips can you provide these parent bloggers who are my key audience?  For example, you helped me define my niche better to focus on the growth for the mom blogger, not just a mom blogger, and I have seen great success.

SH: It’s just as important to ensure your audience exists as it is to ensure you enjoy what you write.

For instance, you might really love dark green fencing. However, you may be the only one…

Use a combination of Google Keyword Planner and Rank Tank to confirm there is search volume on Google for your chosen niche. I thoroughly explained this entire process in one of my articles, including lots of technical SEO tips which will be helpful to anyone starting a website.

When selecting a niche, think of it as levels of granularity.

- A mom blog – millions of them

- A growth hacking mom blogger – hundreds?

- A data-driven growth hacking mom blogger – one?

Obviously the deeper you go, the narrower your audience…but also the more engaged. Think about it, they can’t find your information anywhere else if you go so deep. However, this needs to be finely balanced with adequate search volume (audience interest) of your niche.

In building a brand and digital marketing, what can you do with your new company, OPTIM-EYEZ, and how is this beneficial to the smaller company or startup?  Can you fill us in on that launch yet?  

SH:  OPTIM-EYEZ is set to become the go-to solution for business owners serious about their success, to learn about new digital marketing techniques and most importantly; to discover how to turn their website visitors into paying customers.

                I plan for it to be a hub of information like no other – one without BS and silly words. I like straight talk and the brand will follow this trait. There’s no need to try to appear too clever.

For smaller companies and startups, the blog will be the main point of interest. I am also planning insightful video courses and a series of eBooks.

In addition, I also offer premium services for larger brands. All will be unveiled soon!

Expect launch to be within the next couple of months…there’s still a lot to do and some fancy extras are currently being worked on. Exciting stuff!

What does a growing blogger need by way of your expertise in regards to growing digital marketing trends for the rest of 2016 to set them apart from the herd?

SH: Three practices stand out:

1. Video Marketing – It was relatively easy being a blogger 10 years ago. Times have changed. You NEED to implement video as part of your strategy; whether that’s as a training course, webinar or even videos on every page of your blog. From what I’ve seen, nobody else is doing that...yet!

Live streaming is another biggie right now, although not everyone’s cup of tea. If it suits you, get to it. Facebook Live is the place to be.

2. Marketing Automation – It’s only getting bigger and as the buyer journey advances, so are brands in engaging them appropriately. Customers are learning to expect a completely personalised journey. As a blogger, you need to be able to provide a similar experience by delivering certain content at the best time to the right leads (people interested in your products or affiliate connections). Learn about the complexity of customer journeys and how to intercept them here.

3. Social Media Advertising – It’s not going anywhere. Facebook is colossal and with an audience fast approaching 2 BILLION you cannot afford to ignore this beast. Advertising on Facebook is a must for any blogger. You can apply some clever techniques including retargeting and advertising to custom audiences, uploaded from your email list spreadsheet for example.

You can control certain ads to show to those who may have bought from you, those who have completed a set of actions or those who haven’t taken any action at all! Many smaller bloggers aren’t running such clever ads yet. Experimentation is the key to success.

Thank you for your time in answering. This is very exciting and I appreciate your taking this time to answer these questions for me. This is exactly what I want for my readers to know, as well as myself. I cannot wait to check out your new site when it is launched. Best of luck to you on this new adventure!

SH: My pleasure!!! Thank you for having me…

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Sam Hurley is a lateral-thinking digital marketer holding 6+ years' self-expedited experience in both agency and client-side settings before launching his own digital consultancy venture: OPTIM-EYEZ.

He has achieved success for both agency and client-side businesses from SME, national to international blue-chip organisations while being ranked as the World's #1 Digital influencer by Webinale and the #2 most influential marketer by Onalytica.

Catch him on Twitter for heaps of helpful tweets on entrepreneurship and marketing.