This guest post is by Eric Transue of erictransue.net.
“Warning: this post may cause dizziness.”
This is not a warning you want to put at the top of a blog post. But guess what? Many should.
Why? Because some blog posts leave visitors feeling dizzy and confused.
They come in with the intention of either being entertained or learning something. But they leave saying, “What the heck was that?”
Part of the reason readers feel this way is because the author has “Lost syndrome.” What is it exactly?
Well if you watched the series Lost, you probably felt exactly that at the end of many episodes. Lost. Why? Well I have a few theories. But the top one is this. I think the writers were creating the story as they went along. That may or may not have worked for them, depending on who you ask.
But for bloggers, this is not a good idea.
You want to have a focused message that you can deliver to the focused eyeballs on your site.
Focused eyes on an unfocused message? Not only will your readers feel confused, they’ll possibly be a bit dizzy from trying to piece together your message. That is, if you even have a message.
So before you hit Publish on your next blog post, here are some questions you can ask yourself to increase the chances of getting your message across.
Question 1: Who is the target audience for this post?
Knowing your target audience will help you create a clear message that directly addresses them.
It’s far better for a few targeted readers to read your content and take action than it is for many un-targeted readers to read it and do nothing.
Fix your sights on your desired audience and speak directly to them. Address the emotions they are feeling and the questions they have on the subject you’re writing about.
Build a bond with them. Put yourself in their shoes and then speak to them directly. Address the emotions they have towards your subject. And answer the questions that are burning inside of them.
When you can bond with a person to the point that they say, “This person actually gets me,” you have taken a huge step towards getting that person to trust you and listen to what you have to say.
Question 2: Why am I writing this post?
In order for your readers to clearly understand your content, you should clearly understand why you’re writing it.
It’s great to do a brain dump into your notebook or journal, but that’s probably best kept for your eyes. Remember, just because something you write makes sense to you, it won’t necessarily make sense to your reader.
Understand why you are writing the post. Then, as clearly as possible, present the content to your readers.
If you aren’t sure why you are writing your post and want to do it anyway, it might be a good idea to let your readers know beforehand. That way, they aren’t left scratching their heads when they get to the last word of what you have to say.
Question 3: What action do I want my readers to take?
Your readers shouldn’t need a secret decoder ring to decipher what you want them to do after reading your content. Clearly state the action you want them to take. If you leave it up to them to figure out, they probably won’t.
What do you want them to do? Click a link? Buy something? Leave a comment? Share your post?
Let them know in simple terms. People are much more likely to take action when they know exactly what to do and how to do it.
By asking yourself the three questions above you’ll deliver a clear message that your readers can understand and take action on. This will help separate you from the pack of blogs that leave people scratching their heads and wondering what just happened.
How does your most recent post perform in light of these three questions? Let us know in the comments.
Eric Transue is a part-time blogger and product creator focused on showing you how to succeed online without all the BS. Download his free ebook on How To Create Your First Product Online and visit his blog at EricTransue.com to learn more about him.
