Do you remember when J.R got shot?
What about Scott and Charlene's wedding?
Or when Ross and Rachael FINALLY got together?
Or how about when Ted, after so many seasons, at last "met your mother", standing under her white umbrella on that empty railway platform in the pouring rain?
You recall moments like these and you laugh. You smile. Or you remember shedding tears. These are all stories about fictional people, yet we remember these moments as if they were real life.
Why is this?
Why do we care so much and feel so strongly about the lives of these fictional characters on our TV screens?
Because we got sucked into the goings-on of their made up lives, we knew their characters and their quirks and their positive/ negatives traits so well. We knew them like they were friends or colleagues. Something about them resonated with us, to the point where we cared about them
Yes, the producers milked it for all it was worth, drew it out waaaaay longer than it should've been- all to keep the TV networks signing up for more seasons so the sponsors would keep sending more trainloads of cash their way.
We were being milked for our attention- but we just HAD to know! So we kept watching every night, eagerly waiting to see what happened next to those characters we loved or absolutely couldn't stand.
But this doesn't just work for the sitcoms and the soaps. We don't only care about well-crafted characters.
Do it right, and people will care about you, too. And it pays off...
The thing I've seen so many blogs missing is a unique "voice", a sense of the writers' individuality. I see lots of useful information, but it's often hard to discern between reading the distinct voice of the writer and a quick Google search.
If you want to develop priceless relationships with your readers and keep them hanging on like your blog is their favourite soap- dare to boldly go where few step forward...
And share yourself.
Dare to tell them about your life. Share with them why you do what you do. Why you love what you do. Why you stick by certain principles. Don't make the mistake thinking if you share current hardships (strategically of course- the last thing the world needs is ANOTHER professional victim blaming everybody but the person in the mirror for their problems) that your standing will slip in the mind of your readers. Admitting that you don't know everything, or that years of expertise still aren't a forcefield against unexpected troubles, errors or accidents? That's what transforms you from words on a screen to a real, 3-dimensional person with a story to share, that people want to stay in touch with.
It's not enough just to share what you know or what you sell. In an age where people crave authenticity, your target audience, no matter who they are, would love to discover how all of that information relates to you.
While the majority of my posts are 'Notes From The Scribe', I still ensure that they're balanced with 'Stories Of Ben'.
The trick to make your audience care about what you write- to the point where they stop what they're doing when they see a post of yours they haven't read- is to strategically share stories about what it's like to be you- to know what you know, to have lived your life and what you've learned and how that's affected you.
Trust me, your target audience, no matter how old they are, what they do or what they want- would love to find somebody they can relate to like those notable characters from the prime-time soaps and sitcoms.
The advantage you have over those characters? You're a real person. Getting people to invest in your story and hook them into your latest episode is so much easier than it is with an artificially created character.
The bonus that comes from this? It's in the people you get to know, the relationships you build, the leads and referrals that come, and the ramp up in sales you make, as a result.
If it all sounds too difficult- dare yourself to re-consider...
You can discover how to make this happen for your own business and make your story sell, at my next 'Introduction To Blogging' workshop.
In just half a day, you'll discover how to tap into that never-ending well of authentic, story-telling gold that your key customers and referrals cannot WAIT to hear...
So secure your spot today!
What about Scott and Charlene's wedding?
Or when Ross and Rachael FINALLY got together?
Or how about when Ted, after so many seasons, at last "met your mother", standing under her white umbrella on that empty railway platform in the pouring rain?
You recall moments like these and you laugh. You smile. Or you remember shedding tears. These are all stories about fictional people, yet we remember these moments as if they were real life.
Why is this?
Why do we care so much and feel so strongly about the lives of these fictional characters on our TV screens?
Because we got sucked into the goings-on of their made up lives, we knew their characters and their quirks and their positive/ negatives traits so well. We knew them like they were friends or colleagues. Something about them resonated with us, to the point where we cared about them
Yes, the producers milked it for all it was worth, drew it out waaaaay longer than it should've been- all to keep the TV networks signing up for more seasons so the sponsors would keep sending more trainloads of cash their way.
We were being milked for our attention- but we just HAD to know! So we kept watching every night, eagerly waiting to see what happened next to those characters we loved or absolutely couldn't stand.
But this doesn't just work for the sitcoms and the soaps. We don't only care about well-crafted characters.
Do it right, and people will care about you, too. And it pays off...
The thing I've seen so many blogs missing is a unique "voice", a sense of the writers' individuality. I see lots of useful information, but it's often hard to discern between reading the distinct voice of the writer and a quick Google search.
If you want to develop priceless relationships with your readers and keep them hanging on like your blog is their favourite soap- dare to boldly go where few step forward...
And share yourself.
Dare to tell them about your life. Share with them why you do what you do. Why you love what you do. Why you stick by certain principles. Don't make the mistake thinking if you share current hardships (strategically of course- the last thing the world needs is ANOTHER professional victim blaming everybody but the person in the mirror for their problems) that your standing will slip in the mind of your readers. Admitting that you don't know everything, or that years of expertise still aren't a forcefield against unexpected troubles, errors or accidents? That's what transforms you from words on a screen to a real, 3-dimensional person with a story to share, that people want to stay in touch with.
It's not enough just to share what you know or what you sell. In an age where people crave authenticity, your target audience, no matter who they are, would love to discover how all of that information relates to you.
While the majority of my posts are 'Notes From The Scribe', I still ensure that they're balanced with 'Stories Of Ben'.
The trick to make your audience care about what you write- to the point where they stop what they're doing when they see a post of yours they haven't read- is to strategically share stories about what it's like to be you- to know what you know, to have lived your life and what you've learned and how that's affected you.
Trust me, your target audience, no matter how old they are, what they do or what they want- would love to find somebody they can relate to like those notable characters from the prime-time soaps and sitcoms.
The advantage you have over those characters? You're a real person. Getting people to invest in your story and hook them into your latest episode is so much easier than it is with an artificially created character.
The bonus that comes from this? It's in the people you get to know, the relationships you build, the leads and referrals that come, and the ramp up in sales you make, as a result.
If it all sounds too difficult- dare yourself to re-consider...
You can discover how to make this happen for your own business and make your story sell, at my next 'Introduction To Blogging' workshop.
In just half a day, you'll discover how to tap into that never-ending well of authentic, story-telling gold that your key customers and referrals cannot WAIT to hear...
So secure your spot today!