Blogger Rehab- Who is your reader?

In yesterday’s blogger rehab post, I asked you to name who you blogged for.  At the very core of all that you are as a blogger, who or what is driving you to show up and put your fingers to the keyboard?

Because that, whatever it is, is powerful.

Who do I blog for? I blog for my own piece of mind.

Five months before I was set to get married to Michael, my mother passed away. It was a sudden and unexpected 3:00 am phone call, police knocking at my door kind of deal.

I didn’t get a chance to pick her brain about motherhood, marriage, or being a real grown up. I’ve had to press on and find my own way. Sure, there have been other great women in my life who have stepped in and helped. But a part of me will always long to have a conversation with my mother about being a mother.

But God forbid something happens to me before I get a chance to teach my kids about parenting and life, at least they’ll have my words in this space. I’m cultivating a mixture of practical advice, heart stories, and ideas surrounding a sweet life well lived just for them.

 Well it is for you guys, my readers too (more on that in a minute).

But really, it is for my own piece of mind that even if tragedy strikes, my legacy will live on through this space.

So there you have it- who I blog for.

Today, I want you to shift your focus ever so slightly from who you blog for to who your reader is.

Who is your current reader?

Currently, who reads your blog?

It is important to know who your reader is because it can help shape the things you write about.

For example, one of the primary audiences reading my blog is fellow bloggers. I know these bloggers want to know tips and tricks about blogging because it helps them on their own platform. If you read yesterday’s post, you know that I love learning about blogging. So writing blogging related blog posts is a natural fit for me.

I also know a boat load of bloggers are stressed out about blogging, which is how blogger rehab was born in the first place.

Additionally if you work with (or want to) brands to provide sponsored content, reviews, or ads,  you need to know your audience well enough to know if it is a product they’d be interested in knowing about.

There are five easy ways to figure out who your current reader is.

1. Look at who’s commenting on your blog and visit their blogs (which by the way is a great habit to get into).
2. Create a reader survey.
3. Dig deep your traffic by using Google Analytics. Wondering how to use Google Analytics? This article from the SITS Girls gives a great overview.
4. Look at who’s following you on social media.
5. Don’t forget about your family and friends (bonus).

Who is your ideal reader?

 Outside of your current readers, who do you want to read your blog?

I am not going to reinvent the wheel today with you about thinking about your ideal reader.

Listen to this podcast from Kat Lee and How They Blog. In it, she breaks down everything I want you to know about finding your target audience and your ideal reader.

Seriously, take the time today to dig into this podcast. While you listen to it, grab your notebook and pen because you’ll want to take notes.

As we move forward through Blogger Rehab, you’re going to be so glad you know so much about who your current and ideal reader is.

This blog post is part of a 31 day series called Blogger Rehab. If this is your first stop along the way, I am so glad you’re here and I hope today’s ideas helped you on your Blogger Rehab journey. This journey is best taken from the very beginning as each lesson and idea builds upon previous ideas. All of the blog posts in this series will be linked together on the Blogger Rehab landing page. Click here to be taken there.