As a blogger who is using said blog as a platform, I believe that you should have a very specific attitude towards your reader. You should always try to over-deliver. When it comes to blog content, you should be trying to give as much away as possible. You should do everything that you possibly can for your reader.
Always Try Harder
Get a grasp on how hard you think you are trying at the moment in terms of satisfying your readers. Now try harder.
Think that isn’t possible? Believe me, it always its. If your next article would pay out $1,000,000 if it were deemed good enough, would you try harder? That kind of thought process puts your content creation strategy in a whole different perspective.
How You Can Be Self Serving and Selfless At the Same Time
So that’s being selfless. How can that be self serving? Simple – the more great content you put out, and the more it becomes exposed to the right people, the more people will want to pay you for your expertise. It might seem illogical – why would anyone pay you if you have already blown your “good stuff”?
Because you haven’t. And there are three reasons why.
1. People Are Willing To Pay For a Packaged Solution
If you were really interested in investing in stocks and shares, would you rather read a blog written by Warren Buffet, or buy his book? You might start by reading his blog, but if you were really keen on the topic, you would end up buying his book.
Although blogs are a great format for easily digestible content, they do not function well as well-ordered and comprehensive guides. Your free content will always be desirable to a percentage of your readers if it is repackaged and reedited into an easy to follow guide.
2. People Are Willing To Pay For Coaching
If you were really keen for guidance, would you prefer to read Buffet’s book or be personally coached by him? Nothing is ever better than the “personal” approach. Why? Because you will always get more out of the process. Reading is passive. Coaching is dynamic.
3. You’re Always Creating More Value
Do you not think that you are always growing and developing? That over time, you will become far more educated on that topic you wrote about a year ago? You should always be improving your craft, which means that people have to buy your most recent product, or hire you, to get the best advice that they possibly can.
Don’t do yourself the injustice of presuming that you have already given all that you can. Because unless you stop learning, you will never be able to.
Never Stop Giving
So don’t be afraid to give the farm away when it comes to your content, because you can’t ever possibly give away too much. As long as you can generate a large enough pool of the right type of readers (i.e. those who are ready, willing and able to buy), giving away huge amounts of quality content will only ever be a good thing for you.
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Very well written!
Though the first tip is relevant only to the beginners as I see it. I mean, now it has to be like a really-really impressive book about blogging so that I’ll buy it. I prefer visiting people’s blogs and read their newest tips&experience.
Plus, the chance they will answer your question about today’s topic is higher than about a certain theme which is in a book that was written a year ago. 🙂
You are right – there are plenty of people who will never buy your book, and many more who would have to be marketed to in just the right way to make a purchase. But there are also others who become big fans of blogs and would jump at the chance to buy the author’s book. I personally can think of many bloggers whose books I would buy if they brought them out.
You’ve hit on something very important too – “fresh” content. That is one the huge advantages of the blogging platform. But you can actually use fresh content as a means of promoting your products.
I’d buy every time! I prefer in-print to online. So I’ll read enough to get the taste and then run to B&N.
And it’s so true – let me give you everything and you’ll still want more.
Not just because of the three reasons you’ve given, but also because people want more of YOU. It’s not just the content, they want to feel more connected with the person they’ve become attached to.
Thanks again, Tom!
A lot of people always look at things from THEIR perspective, and never stop to think how other people view the world.
Bookstores may have taken a big hit in the last few years, but there is a reason why many are still in business – plenty of people still love to visit and browse bookstores. Although I mainly buy eBooks these days because it is quick and easy, I still love to while away an hour browsing in (and buying from) a B&N.
Thanks for your comments Bon – it’s great to hear from you!