Antalya Turkey
Kelli experienced a headache recently.
We wound through the imposing Western Taurus Mountains of Turkey for 4 hours via bus as the dull pain set in, drumming triumphantly on her dome.
Up and down. Left and right. Curving. Bending. Dropping. Rising. I felt a little woozy as a seasoned bus rider with little to any motion sickness.
She purchased a Turkish version of Ibuprofen in Antalya to address her malady.
Westerners; look closely at the box. For Turks – in Turkish – the solution looks perfectly reasonable. Westerners who read the “R” word mindlessly may react in offense. At the very least, reading this word raises eyebrows in much of the Western world.
Why?
In the Western version of English, using this word is a no-no. In Turkey, it does not mean the same thing. One person perceives the word one way. Another person perceives the word in different fashion.
Speaking to people in their language makes all the difference in the world.
How About Your Readers?
Do you speak your reader’s language?
Do you speak to them with every blog post?
Do you see yourself in their shoes before writing blog posts?
Do it. Readers need to understand content in their language. I do not mean this literally; many Blogging From Paradise readers are ESL bloggers. I mean this metaphorically. I need to use English words that our readers understand. I keep things simple for readers to:
- understand
- use
- benefit from
blogging advice on Blogging From Paradise.
Otherwise, I lose readers.
Losing readers is not a good thing. Loyal communities promote blogging success. Sky high bounce rates promote blogging failure. Readers need to stick around for a while. Speaking directly to them in an easy to understand fashion keeps readers around for a bit. Why would anyone leave if you speak directly to them in a way that they can easily understand?
How to Speak to Your Readers
Keep these ideas in mind:
- write as if you address a small child
- craft simple to understand blog posts
- lay out practical steps that any reader can seamlessly use for their benefit
- listen to reader feedback; do more of what resonates with your blogging community
- stop doing what does not seem to hit the mark
Practical Example
I would not address a Western audience with any social media post making light of the above featured image. Doing so means I would not be speaking to them in their language since most view the word above in less than respectable fashion.
I read the room before publishing anything online. What do my readers want? How can I speak their language? How can I communicate directly to them the point I wish to get across?
Is This Post About Not Offending People?
Nope.
I wrote this post to help you connect with your readership. Not offending people is a different end than connecting with people by reading the room. I do not fear alienating anyone. I am happy to include everyone; potentially, at least. I mean this as far as communicating a message. Exclusively comes into play as far as tribes for quality control.
I connect with my readership by sharing light humor pretty much anyone resonates with. I read the room before publishing anything to connect with our community versus losing the chance to connect.
In reality, anyone can perceive any statement as controversial. No one controls how others think. But being mindful of others lets you communicate with them effectively based on how they best understand you.
Observe
Observe reader feedback.
How can you simplify your message to make content easier to understand and consistently apply? Perhaps your clear message already hits the mark. Maybe you need to get clearer by observing reader feedback closely.
Slow down. Calm down. Think deliberately. Consider what your readers really want. Give it to them in simple, easy to understand steps, tips or tactics. Lay out simple reasons. Create a seamless blogging experience with each blog post. Think through your blogging process. How can you speak directly to your perfect reader?
Publish What Your Readers Want Not What You Want
Most new bloggers publish what they want because the masses write about what’s on their mind.
But is it on your reader’s collective mind?
Do readers want you to cover that topic?
Or do you want to cover that topic?
Beginners typically struggle, fail and quit because few understand their blogging audience. Who in their right mind would blog about what’s on their mind when your reader needs determine blog traffic and blogging income? Readers’s needs tell you:
- what to publish
- how to publish it
On a literal basis, all organic traffic and every penny of blogging income begins and ends with the needs of the people who visit your blog. What is on their mind is your blogging business. What is on your mind is an individual ego desire that may or may not resonate with their needs. Why take that chance? Why throw darts at a board?
Speak directly to your readers.
Listen to their needs.
Create content-solutions to solve their problems.
Communicate with readers in simple, plain fashion. Make it easy to understand your blog post. Simplify everything. Leave no trace of complexity in your blog posts. Create simple content to scale effectively. Most exit your blog the moment content becomes difficult to understand for its complexity. Most stick around to enjoy simple, easy to understand and seamless to follow content.
Write for a little kid.
Guarantee that most adults can easily understand your blog posts.
Speak to your readers.
Build a loyal blogging community by simplifying your blog.
Communicate with your readers in their language.
