Speed Dating: 7 Users You Should Meet -- Part II
In the last episode of “Speed Dating: 7 Users You Should Meet,” we explored the profiles for “Ms. Cut-to-the-Chase” and “The Informer” as well as how to get your content in front of them. These folks are critical, because they’re the type you need to lure to your site in 2010 if you expect to grow your audience.
Your content needs to be original, searchable, subscribable, customizable and pushed in front of those who need it … before they know they need it. The web landscape now is about meeting users where they live and congregate. Sure, they loved your egg rolls, but they forgot the restaurant’s name, the street it’s on and when you’re open. All they want is it delivered … the next time they’re hungry … without having to call.
That’s your challenge. And that brings us to our next two users to target …
Mr. I. Need-Validation
He's a careful sort. Mr. I wants advice from a knowledgeable source or a second opinion before making any major decision. And that's why you need to become an expert. Create a blog or content that highlights the authoritative content you have on topics that interest your target audience. Whether it's coffee house reviews or matching people with the right dog breed, establish yourself as an expert and provide that expertise as a complementary service. It's something Mr. I. will value and make him more likely to forward, share or recommend to friends.
A good example is undershirtguy.com He offers insightful reviews and snarky comments, but the true value is in the Q&As. That's why you should always answer people's questions. Show examples of questions you’ve answered and tag those responses with an invite to submit more. Don't take your expertise for granted. Share it and leverage it to gain more exposure. It makes your content more link-worthy. The reader may not need a recommended hair style for a woman over 40, but he could share it with his wife who does.
Plus, their questions and your answers combine to form valuable, searchable, linkable content. It has a long shelf life and can serve as the focal point for engagement like comments and discussion. And that brings us to ...
Wally Joiner
During my days with Belo Interactive, we called our most frequent visitors "super users." They represented about 5 to 10 percent of our audience, but consumed 30 to 40 percent of our pages. They joined in the forums, signed up for news alerts, entered our goofy contests and were honest evaluators of the site. These people had value far above the normal visitor. They were our joiners, and every site needs more of 'em.
The tool below lets you play with the types of engagement users of various ages and gender are most comfortable with. Please note that women in all age groups are more likely to "join" than men.
So how do you find those likely to engage?
One way is to play to people’s egos – every one’s got one and it’s hard to resist. Give people an opportunity to be famous and build incentives that speak to your target audience.
If it’s moms, try showcasing the top 20 Halloween kid photos on your home page. If your audience is coffee drinkers in St. Louis, solicit a panel of coffee enthusiasts to decide the Best Coffee in the Gateway City. Post their photos and reviews online and let users vote/comment on the reviews. Make invitations to participate wherever moms or coffee drinkers gather. That includes commenting on relevant stories with a link, Tweets with #hashtags that target your audience and e-mailing bloggers who write on those topics.
Incentivize sharing among the joiners. Users who submit a coffee review will forward it to their friends for votes or positive comments. Moms will do the same once their little Pooh-bear appears on your site. But in both cases you need to alert them via e-mail, IM, SMS that they've been featured and then encourage them to share that link.
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