Much of the talk we hear regarding blogging is related to “connection.” We’re told to connect with our users – through interaction and discussion. Honestly though – do we really know how to connect with our readers? In my opinion, connecting with readers is accomplished through the use of powerful blog emotion.
Let’s start with a little exercise in identifying what emotion truly is.
Think of a special piece of memorabilia or trinket you have from a relative or close friend. For me – an example would be a very old Bible that has been passed down through the family. It’s extremely old, falling apart, dusty, and held together by a ribbon. Anyone to come across such a book would think it junk – but to me, it’s special. It was passed down to my grandmother, whom gave it to me many years ago. Over time, I’ve developed a strong emotion towards this inanimate object – and now I feel connected to it.
According to the dictionary – an emotion is any strong feeling. The greatest of blogs tap into this resource by enticing you to generate a strong feeling for their writing and information. Whether that feeling be one of disgust or praise, they still work with emotion to draw your attention.
How can we use emotion to strengthen our blogs? The following are some of the tools I use.
5 Steps For Generating Blog Emotion
1. Real Life Examples – Use examples from your own life in your writing. Share circumstances where you’ve learned from your mistakes, or ways in which you’ve found success. This allows your readers to become further connected with you, through the use of strong emotion.
2. Develop Controversy – I wouldn’t suggest producing a blog where every post is controversial (although some have found success in this arena), but I would suggest promoting controversy in some posts. This helps your readers to join in on the conversation, and will surely draw some emotions from your readers.
3. Share Your Photo – Although some like to hide in the depths of cyberspace, I’d recommend sharing a few photos of yourself with your readers. This will allow them to place a face with your name, and develop an even further relationship with you and your writing.
4. An Awesome Theme – Choose a theme for your blog that helps to create emotion. Force your readers to fall in love with your “space-on-the-web” by producing excellent content and a kicking design. The fondest of memories – usually have some form of imagery attached.
5. Contemplate Emotion – Before publishing any piece of writing, think to yourself. “How can I create emotion in this blog post?” You’ll be surprised at the wonderful writing you’ll produce – if you keep this goal in mind. The best writers don’t need the use of emoticons or exclamation marks – as the writing is what conveys their powerful messages.
Conclusion
Many of the most successful establishments in today’s society have used emotion to generate a larger reach. We’re emotionally tied to Facebook because of our friends, we enjoy purchasing from Zappos because we follow their employees on Twitter, and many other interesting examples.
Just as I love my antique Bible – I also have my favorite blogs – because of their uncharacteristic, quirky, and entertaining ways of keeping my attention. In it’s purest form – I’m emotionally connected to these blogs.
It’s important that we, as bloggers, must remember that generating an emotional tie with our readers is the only way to establish a long-lasting, viral blog.
