If They’re Not Listening, Are You Listening Back?
Written by Alice Seba · Print This Article
A lot of blog and content site owners tell me they feel like their target market just isn’t isn’t listening. No matter how hard they try to deliver content to their readers, it just doesn’t seem to be consumed or appreciated.
In some cases, it’s a matter of reach – and not effectively making contact with one’s chosen target. Better marketing, link building and strategic advertising can fix a problem like this, but many times it’s a disconnect between the owner and the market itself.
The thing is, in order to get your market to listen to you, YOU have to listen to them first. You need to know what they’re interested in, what problems they have, what they want to know. And I don’t mean just superficially know it. If you want a strong connection with your market, you need to have a deep understanding of all of this and to do that, you’ve got to start listening.
Here are 8 ideas to help you with more meaningful listening:
1. Keyword Research: Many people will tell you start with keyword research when starting a new project, trying to build traffic, etc…so that’s why I list it here. It IS a crucially important activity, but realize that keyword research only gives you part of the puzzle. It tells you what keyword phrases/information people are searching for, but it doesn’t tell you WHO is searching for that info. If you have a target market in mind for your blog and want to foster a meaningful relationship with them, you need more than random searches made into a search engine.
2. Comments and Correspondence: Pay attention to what your own readers tell you. Even if you don’t have a large audience, the feedback, information and commentary you receive now is very telling.
3. Link Tracking: Track links on your website and emails to see what people are clicking on and taking action on. Sometimes people tell you they want one thing, but they act on is completely different.
4. Ask for Submissions: Create a way for your readers and customers to submit questions to you and tell you what kind of content they’d like. Set up a form and let them know you’ll try to accommodate their needs. Look for trends and popular requests.
5. Message Boards: Now, I definitely don’t suggest you get immersed in a bunch of forums and spend hours their daily, but you can certainly keep your finger on the pulse of some of the more popular boards and what your target market is talking about. Just search on your favorite search engine for “XXXX message board” to find what you’re looking for.
6. Twitter, Facebook Groups: Again…let’s not get lost here. Keep your focus on your own market, your own virtual real estate and delivering the content they want. But keeping an eye on what your market says on Twitter, in Facebook Groups and other social networking sites will certainly give you insight into what you should be focusing on.
7. Their Blogs: Let’s face it, everyone’s got a blog these days and they’ve all got an opinion. Create a new category in your feed reader just to scan the headlines and read select posts of your target market.
8. Competitors: Watch what your competitors are talking about and how their audience responds. Again, a new category in your RSS reader will go a long way to help you quickly keep tabs on what’s happening.
When I’ve shared similar suggestions before, people seemed concerned about the time this would take. But by no means, should listening consume a huge chunk of your time outside of regular business activities. Listening happens throughout your day and doesn’t even need to be a conscious thing. Keep your eyes and ears open…and you’ll learn so much about your intended target.
About the Author
Need a way to get your target market to pay closer attention and buy more stuff? - The Target Market & USP Blueprint includes practical tips and a workbook to better reach the people who want to buy your products. To get yours, click here
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