Creating a reader avatar for your blog helps focus your articles and the information you present. To create your avatar you need to analyze what your readers’ interests lie and what their hopes and goals are for. Once you have established an avatar for each group of readers, you can be more specific and relevant to your content. To build each avatar you should ask very specific questions, and to help you Problogger has a blueprint you can use.
“Why should You create reader avatars? Here are some hints:
It makes your blogging feel more relevant and personal – I find that having a person (real or pretend) in mind as I write reminds me that there are real people on the other end of my posts. There are people with faces, names and needs – I find it inspiring to visualize them reading what I write, and thinking about them helps me to write in a more personal tone.
It informs your writing – having these kinds of avatars in mind as I write reminds me of some of the problems and questions that readers might have. That leads me to write more practical posts that focus on real readers’ needs. Often as I write, I visualize the questions and reactions that these different readers might have to my posts – and then try to build answers to those into what I’m writing.
It identifies opportunities – although it was several years ago now, I still remember writing the first profile above (Grace) and realizing that quite a few of my readers have mentioned their dreams of one day making some money from their photography. As a result, I created a section of the DPS forum specifically about making money with photography … and later, we published an ebook on “Going Pro”. (Note the forums are currently closed.)
It can be helpful for recruiting advertisers – potential advertisers will want to know what type of reader you have. You can simply share your reader avatars with them: no need to think through a new answer each time. This also shows that you’ve thought about your readers and run a professional site.
It identifies ways to connect with your readership – you’ll notice I’ve included details in the profiles on what else the reader does online. It’s really useful to know what other sites your reader uses and which social networks they prefer as this can identify opportunities to identify places where potential new readers hang out.” says Darren Rowse.
Key Takeaways:
- Problogger.com writer, Darren Rowse, has made use of avatars, also known as personas, or reader profiles, in his work, for some time.
- To create this effective tool, Rowse says you must spend some time writing about your customer, describing in detail who she is, and what her desires and needs are.
- Rowse also shares examples of his own avatars and offers a template for those interested in creating their own.
[social_quote duplicate=”yes” align=”default”]”The idea is that you end up with a picture of who you’re writing for that you can then use to create posts that will resonate more strongly with your actual readers.”[/social_quote]
Read more: https://problogger.com/how-to-create-a-reader-avatar-for-your-blog/
Image: Problogger
