I believe you have something to say!

Now to blog or not blog…

Know your Audience.

Are you talking to me…? Who are you talking to?

If I don’t know the audience I want to reach, I’m a little bit like the kid in the lunch room who sits alone, in a crowded room, who occasionally blurts out something to nobody in particular.

That’s not a pretty picture.

If you don’t know—your aren’t sure who your audience is, who will listen, or who wants to hear form you—then you must PICK the audience you want to reach.

Go up to that group of people, or a person in the group, and start talking to them!

And when you start the conversation you immediately learn something. For example:

1. You might find out that you have something in common to talk about. As long as they are interested, and you have something important to give to the conversation, keep the chatter going.
2. Perhaps there is something valuable you have to offer the group. Offer it. Tell them about it. Or tell them about the part they are interested in now… based on your short conversation so far.
3. Silence. You might find out that you have no place talking to this group. They are not interested. You don’t like them. You are in the wrong room. Whatever. STOP. Either change your message, change how you approach the group, or simply go talk with someone else.

Life is a big party. Or maybe it’s a series of little parties. Or maybe it’s a work party. Regardless, talk to someone interested in what you are doing. Yes, someone wants to hear your message. And that’s how you find your audience.

So, how does this look in the virtual world?

If you don’t personally know your audience, or your voice yet, here is my BEST advice.

• Find a PHOTO of one single person who you don’t know, then NAME them and print out the photo or save it to your computer desktop as your background.
• Next, write a description of that one person, what they do, and why they need you.
• Whenever you write marketing or BLOG copy, talk directly to them. Look at the picture and know WHY you want to reach them. Know what you want them to do once you reach them.

These creative ideas all seem artsy, weird, or ethereal at first, but they are simply a way to commit to your decision. When you do this, you make choices and stick to them. To use an analogy, picking an audience is like picking seeds for your garden. You don’t know what crop you want, and you don’t know what will grow in the soil yet… but you have to pick something specific, otherwise you won’t know what to do with it. Does it need full sun or part shade? Do I plant it in rich, moist soil or does it need good drainage? You might not even recognize it from a weed when it comes up and you’ll kill it.

Don’t kill your audience by the way. That’s good advice forever.

You have something to say to your audience. You can decide to blog or not to Blog.

But people are waiting to hear form you!

It’s simply a choice you make when choosing your audience. But once you pick an audience, walk up to them, be yourself and start connecting with people.

Oh, and if you’re a wallflower type, your audience doesn’t have to be big. You don’t have to be loud. But you do have to show up to the party and talk with at least one person. Your conversation will go deeper and last longer.