I was a sailor. Spent nearly nine years in the US Navy – fifteen full months under water.
Have you ever heard the phrase, curse like a sailor?
Even though I spent what seemed like a lifetime around other guys that did, I don’t curse like a sailor. On a few occasions when I did use a choice expression, I can recall a few raised eyebrows.
The reason I don’t often swear is that I considered who my audience would be if I slipped up and let my bad nature show. I really didn’t want to be sitting down for Christmas dinner with the family only to blurt out something in front of my Mom that would embarrass both of us and others.
It was a conscious decision to take into consideration possible audiences and change bad habits that were already developing before they became very difficult to alter. It’s worked.
I believe the same concept goes for blogging, whether it’s for blogging for money or blogging for fun. Will your blogging voice, your blogging personae attract your audience or will it drive your audience away? There are some internet income related blogs that I have tried and then left because of what I perceived to be the attitude of the authors.
For me, it comes down to:
- Be yourself,
- Be nice, and
- Be family friendly.
In the last few months, I have decided to really be myself.
I’ve stopped being anonymous online. I use my name when I blog and when I comment. My family, friends, and former co-workers are welcome here, though they may not agree with some of the opinions expressed here.
While I’m not a blogging expert nor an expert about making money online, this tip is just good old fashioned common sense. You are a part of what you are trying to sell online.
Check out Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger 31 Day Project page for more tips from Darren and other bloggers.
Comments on “A Tip – Think About The Audience That Reads Your Blog” »
August 5, 2007
You are a part of what you are trying to sell online.
Exactly! Unfortunately, I think some people forget this fact. I agree you have to think about your audience. I will include this in my weekly roundup it will work perfectly with my theme blogging tips.
Mike Goad @ 8:51 am
That’s cool! Thanks!
August 7, 2007
Mary @ 9:27 pm
I was cruising your blog after clicking on it from Problogger comments. You have a good attitude with blogging! I am 57, I don’t have my OWN blog published yet but I’m workin’ on it.
I see you were a sailor and thought you might like to see the blog I am creating for my dad. (He sits about 10 feet away from the computer and tells me what to put on it! lol)
Don’t you think we need more “seniors” in the blogoshpere?
PS Denny’s has a senior discount too!
[…] A Tip – Think About The Audience That Reads Your Blog by Mike Goad […]
Rose @ 11:31 pm
One does not need to be a blogging expert to share tips and let me point out that this is an excellent tip.
Internet income blogs really do seem to encourage arrogance from their authors — yet those that have been successful all have something in common: modesty.
Thanks for the tip Mike. I’m sure you’ll get many readers from the link at ProBlogger. I’m one of them! 
[…] A Tip – Think About The Audience That Reads Your Blog by Mike Goad […]
August 8, 2007
Mike Goad @ 12:59 am
Mary – I checked out ” USS LSM-427.” It looks really good. One of my great regrets is that I don’t have many photos of my time in the navy. Thanks for for stopping by and commenting. Yes, I think it would be nice for more “older” folks to be blogging; however, most of the “older” people I know really don’t have a clue about blogging, though some of them do check in here on occasion.
Rose – Thanks for the very kind comment.
Skellie – I don’t know if Karen, my wife, would agree with the modesty part of your comment. However, that’s an interesting interpretation of what I was trying to communicate. Thanks!
Jim @ 3:51 am
One thing that many bloggers forget is the first rule of writing…think about your audience.
Bottom line, who are you writing for? If it is for yourself and you don’t need readers…
Sweet, simple and packed with so much wisdom. What we say in the blogosphere never disappears. Great post.
Exactly how does this tie into thinking about your audience? It seems to be more of a reflection on how you want to appear to your audience. I like this article though. I just can’t see the connection to thinking about your audience which is what I have been doing a lot of lately.
Mike Goad @ 6:44 pm
Mark
I agree that the article is on how you want to appear to your audience. However, as I said in the article, “You are a part of what you are trying to sell online.” People who are overly aggressive or who talk down to me are not going to have me in their audience and they won’t be selling me anything if I’m not there. I also will not linger long on a blog where there is an excessive amount of swearing – there’s usually no good reason to swear on a blog – or where the author purports to be an expert on something that he obviously knows little or nothing about.
Here’s an actual example of my taking into consideration a potential audience:
With my interest in the American Civil War, I’ve been considering writing an article on the national flag of the Confederate States of America based on some of what I’ve learned over the last couple of years. However, yesterday, when I considered that my audience might include people who feel very strongly either against or for what is today perceived as the confederate flag, I decided that I didn’t know enough about the subject and shelved the idea. I may resurrect it again some day, but if I do, I will be more of an expert on it than I am today or it will very clearly be identified as an opinion piece.
Mike Goad @ 6:46 pm
Jim and Dee – thanks for stopping by and for your comments
Starfeeder @ 8:30 pm
I agree 100%
Its just as in starting a business or anything. If you love what you do or are doing, and you get to naturally be yourself, the quality in the work will show.
August 9, 2007
I agree with you about remembering your audience, but about being completely yourself? Very, very few of the people I know outside of the internet know about my blog, and I’m happy that way. It probably wouldn’t interest them, and it means I don’t have to answer a million “how do you do this” questions when they take a notion to start their own blog. xD (That sounds very unhelpful, but it’s more the fact that I don’t have it in me to say no to people. They ask, they get. 
Mike Goad @ 7:26 pm
Michael – fortunately (I guess) most of the people I know outside of the internet don’t have a clue about blogs – many of them can just barely use the internet and one or two haven’t even made it to the point of owning a cell phone. I don’t see any reason personally not to be myself when I blog. Other people with other blogs and audiences may have a good reason for people not to see them as they are – it may suit their blog better.
August 10, 2007
Thanks for the reply Mike. I agree with you there, it all depends on the situation and the blogger.
I suppose someday I’ll be as open as you are. (In the beginning, I suppose it’s also a safety net. If the blog dies in a month from now, no-one will ever know.)
August 11, 2007
Really enjoyed this post. Makes me think of how much social leverage there is in a friendly demeanor. Thank you.
August 14, 2007
Blogging Monetization – The Truth As I See It at Money Making @ 11:16 am
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August 21, 2007
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A lost Exit78 post, recovered from Internet Archive WayBackMachine; March 2011
