SMO/SMM: Have you ever missed the mark on connecting with your audience?

You have been following some good advice from a friend or a consultant about promoting your website or blog such at this one. You’ve started a blog and are updating it regularly. You’ve got a small following on Twitter, Facebook, etc., but are you still feeling like no one’s really listening to you. Sounds familiar?

Well, to start with, it can take a while to get to the point where you have a “true following” because people are still “watching you”. They haven’t really gotten to know you, and they aren’t really sure if you’ll be around for a day, week, month, year, etc. Keep this in your mind: Time can be your biggest enemy when you get started. Things start changing usually after about 3 months or so. Once you’ve overcome that time barrier, but still facing the same problems, there may be some new reason why people aren’t really listening to, or noticing you online.

Here are some of the top reasons that no one is listening to you online:

1. Everything (or mostly everything) you post online is a request for people to buy stuff. People don’t like being sold, and that’s the quickest way to shut down interaction between you and your audience. Let them buy from you because they like you, not because that’s all you ever talk about online.
2. You don’t provide anything of value. Have you ever heard of the acronym WIIFM? If not, it means “What’s in it for me?” By nature, humans are selfish, and if you aren’t giving them what they need/want, you’re useless and not worthy of their time — online or otherwise.
3. You don’t play well with others. Could people feel put off by what you saying online? Are you being derogatory or insulting in any way? Make sure you are being sensitive to the issues of your audience and worse yet, don’t get into online arguments with others.
4. You’re off when they’re on and vice versa. Are you posting at a time when your audience is actively online? Are you sleeping while they’re browsing? Unless you are scheduling your updates (which is highly recommended), you are missing your audience. You want to be most active when they are.
5. You’re not connected with the right people. Are you missing the boat altogether? Make sure your audience knows that you’re out there. It’s fine to connect with others who may be outside of that demographic. However, you want to make sure you are reaching the people who could buy your book.

All of the above can be summed up into one simple sentence:

Be where they are when they are, be nice, and give them what they’re looking for.