Write For People To Earn Your Audience

They Have The Internet For People Now

On the surface this sounds like a Homer Simpson comment, but it's really much more than that.

Of course, it was always meant as a tool for people. But somewhere along the line sleezy business owners hijacked the front page of Google by writing messages that no person actually cared about.

The only common characteristic to these pages was the use of the same keyword over and over and over again. People came to the business's website because of an interest in what they sell, not a history of the town that they live in copied and pasted from somewhere else for no other purpose than the use of the same word repeatedly.

They're also not interested in carpenters who provide carpentry services for people who are interested in carpenters. That day has passed.

Google wised up. Sites are more quickly penalized for spammy content. Readers want actual, real value.

So here we are.

How do you blog? How do you produce strong content?

Write For People

Write for your readers. Think about it. Think about them.

What do they want to know?

What is standing between you, them, and a sale?

What are you telling them?

What's going to make them remember you?

Are you making your website easy for them to operate?

Can your readers easily find or contact you?

These are the things that matter. Not a hard sale or spammy keyword usage for the sake of grabbing the top spot. Interact with people, instead of spamming them.

If You're Using Your Social Platforms For Sales And PR Only, You've Missed The Point.

It's probably been a little while since you actually connected with someone via this strategy. That's because it's actual value that your readers and customers are after.

I participated in an interesting conversation on one of my G+ communities the other day about what customers are really looking for. The consensus of those who participated was actually quite simple:

If your copy is filled with product specs, but fails to convey the true benefit, you've missed the point.

That was worth bolding.

Chances are that you know more about your industry than your customers. Congratulations. I'm sure your mother is proud. That knowledge alone won't win you any prizes.

Think back to the school. We all remember the kid who was the smartest in the classroom, and knew it. Nobody liked him. Is that really the presence you want?

Instead of being a Sheldon Cooper-style know it all (Big Bang Theory reference), try showing people true benefit. Show them how their problem can be fixed. You'll get a lot further that way.