OMG Can YOU Relate To This Juicy Killer Concept?

Oh, the sweet sound of coffee made fresh daily, amplified by the lovely scent of my family still asleep (ie, there's no hint of the usual 201 psuedo-elephants that generally stampede through my home at a moment's notice!).…

You *do* know what that means, right?

'Course right!  It means it's time for me plunge earlobe-deep into my morning 4am routine of checking me emails, answering my comments, and all sorts of other deeply soul-satisfying routines.

Thus, imagine the following, gentle reader. 

You've finally managed to gather unto yourself the most critical implements of blogging survival – your morning cup of coffee and tea. 

You're wrapped up in your favorite warm and fuzzy housecoat (mine happens to be a fluffy blue LL Bean housecoat that my parents gifted me with 20+ years ago).

And you read…..*this*.

"…And I think you nailed it when you said, "No matter where you are, you're ahead of someone." So true! I think this is why journey-style (my passive income journey, my problogger journey, etc.) blogs are getting to be so popular. People like to read things from people they can relate to.

Thanks again for the mention and the great post! You're rocking it, Barbara, you're rocking it!…MORE…."

This was a comment from the ever-insightful Tristan of Blogging Bookshelf , writer of a most fantastic blog indeed!

I truly think he really hit the nail on the head with the above insight, don't you?

Think about it! 

Let's say that you're writing an article about, oh, lessee, lemmee pick out something nobody sane could understand…hmmm…..I gots it!

Imagine the following, if you would, okay?

—————————————————

You've just come home from a tiring day outside.  My gosh, the amount of exertion you expended…it could have powered up several mid-sized third world countries during their annual National Pushup Day!

You stagger to your door and let yourself in.  Ah, the joy that suffuses your very being as you realize, "Jeepers!  I'm home!  On my own turf!  I can finally relax!" 

And you happily pour yourself a freshly brewed cup of that Beverage of the Gods when reality descends….no, reality does NOT descend, instead it viciously *crashes* upon your mundane existence with a monstrous force worthy of those 201 hyperactive rabid stampeding elephants who spied that hidden cache of Mr. Peanut peanuts you had secreted behind your computer monitor.

In other words….

 

It was a reality you from which you simply can *not* escape.

But giving up and not attempting your responsibilities…*no*.

That's just not *you*. 

No indeed, even though your weary body cries out for gentle peace and quiet relaxation, you steel yourself with the steadfast, flamboyant courage which your friends have always admired.

Making a mental commitment to yourself, you courageously heave yourself out of your comfy chair and bravely drive to the destination that's calling.  And 10 minutes later, it's *time*.

It's the unavoidable time where all of your strength and skill simply has to emerge if you are to barely survive the next urgently and desperately painful and agonizing 60 seconds.

How are you feeling now?

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Well, how are you feeling?

Did I draw you into the story?

Betcha I did!

And here's how I did it.

Notice how I did not share any detail to which you personally could *not* relate. 

For example, I wrote:

You've just come home from a tiring day outside.  My gosh, the amount of exertion you expended…it could have powered up several mid-sized third world countries during their annual National Pushup Day!

That mental image can relate to working at a 9 to 5 job, or your last gym workout, or visiting your in-laws…..it's abstract enough that all readers could simply imagine themselves living it.

Plus, I gave not a hint as to what the final activity would be…but I painted the stage well-enough so that fact….it just didn't matter.

You kept reading, right?

You wanted to know what I was about to encounter, hmmm?

Now, let's take the above scenario, and write it like this.

—————————————————

Wow, I'm a 44 year old woman getting ready to karate spar with the 6th degree 20-something black belts in my adult class!

Betcha you can relate, huh?

—————————————————

I didn't think so.  🙂

See, most individuals who still retain the barest fraction of their sanity would think that karate sparring against kids half your age who regularly pound you into the ground…. is something to which they can NEVER EVER relate.

Because quite frankly, it's sheer insanity.

But….(for me at least while I was earning my black belt)…it was glorious beyond belief!

'matter of fact, the day I earned my black belt during the black belt testing, I found myself taking a near-tournament level kick to the chin, being flung over backwards, and then rolling to my feet and coldly informing the sensei who had delivered that kick, "I'm going to f*cking kill you." 

Glorious it was, glorious. 

But how on earth can normal readers…sane readers…readers like you….really relate to that?

I have to flesh out the storyline beforehand…and ensure I create enough analogies and normal-world experiences that by the time I get to the meat of the matter (44 year old woman becomes one with the mat 18 times) … I do *not* lose my readers by them thinking:

"My gosh, this woman is insane.  Next!"

See?

In a nutshell, like Tristan commented on my blog:

People like to read things they can relate to.

And what's your takeaway from this post?

Wait a sec, didn't I just write?  Let me try once again:

People.

People like you.

People like me.

People.

They like to read things they can relate to.

They will not be half as interested in things that bore them.

Or confuse them.

Or make them yearn to visit Home Depot and watch a paint-drying exhibition.

They want to be drawn in.

They want to read things they can relate to.

And how can you enliven your blog or site with this concept?

Here's one easy way!

Go outside and pick up a rock.

A nice shiny sparkly rock.

Bring the rock back to your computer.  Name it Fluffy.  Or perhaps Stone (be warned, it will talk to you in a gravelly voice).

Write your blog post.  Then read the first few sentences and ask yourself:

Would Fluffy want to keep reading it?

If you've written well enough that an inanimate object would bonk you on the head if you fail to complete your story, then chances are….

Your readers won't be able to put it down.

So tell me now.

OMG, can you relate to this killer concept:

Write so your readers can relate!

Hmmmm?

Guaranteed…when you've mastered this, your readership and community simply can't help increasing.

And you can take *that* to the bank.

Enjoy!

Grow strong,

Barbara Ling