This week we published a moving story on ProBlogger from Naomi Dunford from IttyBiz.
When Naomi sent me the post a few days before we published it I immediately knew that it was going to be one that would do well and it was. 100+ comments within 4 hours of publishing – and not just any comments – they were comments that were heart felt (I’ve never seen so many readers admitting being moved to tears by a post), in depth and engaging.
Read them for yourself – the comments section is as compelling as the post itself.
These posts don’t happen every day and I feel honored to have witness it first hand here on ProBlogger and wanted to take a moment or two to reflect on what I saw.
So what was it about the post that connected with readers so deeply?
Here’s a few reflections on why I had a hunch it would hit the mark (feel free to add your own):
It was a Story – almost every ‘story’ post that I’ve published here on ProBlogger has connected with readers. Read more on Why stories are so effective on blogs.
It was Relevant – right from the opening line (‘I’ve sat where you sit.’) Naomi strove to connect the situation that the readers of ProBlogger are in with her story. She showed an awareness of one of the needs of readers and the empathetic way she told her story showed an understanding that just connected with people.
It was Relatable – one of the things that I felt reading the post myself was that parts of it reminded me of my own story. The comments section shows I’m not alone – many of those who read it seemed to just find it comforting to know someone else had experienced the things Naomi shared. It’s powerful to know that you’re not alone.
It was Honest – this story is raw and honest. She shared an experience from one of the hardest times of her life in a way that many of those leaving comments admired and related to.
It was Inspirational – the story was honest about the tough times but also about the good ones. Naomi shared some of what hanging in there through the tough times brought her to – personal success but also being able to do some inspirational things for the world. She gave those reading the story hope for their own situation which many needed to hear as they face their own tough times.
As a result of that above we see a comments section that is filled with honest, engaging, raw and heartfelt stories.
Some felt compelled to comment for the first time, others were moved to tears, and others felt moved to share some of their own stories.
The post ‘connected’.
Why do you think it was so powerful?
