Years ago, I had an acquaintance who regularly dropped his friends’ names into conversations without providing any context. As I got to know him better, I came to realize that he enjoyed letting others know that he had a large and rich existence in which they would never be invited to participate.
In a recent edition of The Marketing Minute, Marcia Yudkin says “Whether it’s your blog or your weekly/monthly magazine, avoid relating to your readers as if they’ve known you for years.” Her reasoning? Some of your readers (customers) know next to nothing about you and may be annoyed or even offended by your apparent assumption that they do. Clearly, such pieces aren’t meant to annoy or offend. In fact, they’re probably well-intentioned efforts to communicate and engage.
Still, as Ms. Yudkin puts it, “ … always provide enough context so whether it’s a first contact or the thousandth, it makes sense and connects to your relevant business identity.” I think it’s the better part of wisdom to assume that many of your readers are drop-ins who will peruse your offerings on an irregular basis. So much the better to offer an experience that entices them to return often.
Photo Credit: Dmitriy Shironosov (123rf.com)
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