How to blog better by answering this one question.
Have you ever sat down to write a blog post only to stare at the screen and then somehow wake up a third of the way down your Facebook feed? Don’t worry, you’re not alone and through this article we’re going to work together to fix that.
There is a way to blog better and it starts with asking yourself a simple question.
Who am I talking to?
Many small businesses try to be all things to all people. And when you’re sitting down to write a blog post, this can cause a problem. What do you say to everyone that will keep them all interested?
To solve this problem you have to focus on exactly who you want to help and how. This is what we call defining your ideal customer or a buyer persona. Hubspot, a leader in marketing software, defines a buyer persona as “a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers.”
Said another way, you have to learn about who buys from you and why.
A lack of focus can hurt your business and your brand because “everyone” wants something different. By creating a clear picture of who buys from you, you can start talking directly to her in a way that not only keeps her attention, but has her looking to you for more.
Your business has a sweet spot
Your ideal customer is that sweet spot. To write better blog posts, we need to discover who she is - this person that wants what you sell.
Here are some questions to ask to get a clear picture of who you sell to:
- What’s important to her right now?
What keeps your customer up at night? Or what gets her excited, eager, pumped for the possibilities? - What does life look like before your product?
Are things harder without your service or product? Paint a picture of life before you. Capture the emotions. - What does life look like after your product?
You’re not just selling a Widget or a new look. You’re selling the experience of life with your product or service - what does that life look like? Capture these emotions too. - What might hold her back from buying?
Write down some reasons why she wouldn’t buy right now. Address these reasons as you develop this clear picture of your ideal customer.
Did you write down your answers to the questions above? Great! Now that you have a better idea of who your ideal customer is…
Give your customer a name
Have you seen the movie Avatar? Your client probably isn’t blue or 8 feet tall, but she does have a name, a way about her that makes her ideally suited to buy your stuff.
Create an avatar for your ideal customer. Give her a name and write down everything you know about her. Use your answers to the questions above to give her a personality. Really get to know everything about her as a person. Even something as simple as the color of her car.
Now decide what each blog post will do for your ideal customer
Now that you know who you’re communicating with in your blog posts you can start to craft messages just for her. Before you start any blog post, think about what your avatar needs right now and how you can help.
Now you write. Sit down and start a conversation with Olivia or Oliver or Chloe or Cliff. Write like you’re having a conversation and offer as much help as you can. People love to feel as if you’re talking to them, not just telling them things they don’t know.
By addressing a problem that your perfect customer already has, and helping to solve it, you’re moving her along their buyer’s journey, which ultimately turns them from prospect to loving (and paying) customer.
Want to know more about building buyer personas and creating the best buyer’s journey?
Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an actionable tip that will push your marketing from good to great.
Talk to us today for help on SEO and Content Writing or see our Knowledgebase Help Articles