DocAndersen
Did you ever wonder? Building on the last two days now, its time to consider what to do after your first step. So now you’ve got pithy titles down. (perhaps you’ve mastered the ability like famous authors of the past). You have considered (and no pressure if you do fantastic, if you don’t know still impressive it is wholly your choice). But honestly, a zippy title and a writing group with 300 people don’t generate an audience. Audiences are built over time. Many of us have an audience on this site (good for you building one)! What I have found over time is that my audience is bifurcated. Bifurcated in the sense that my audience is focused on two distinctly different things.
My first grouping I’ve mentioned before, and they read the Waner project. They read it on my WordPress blog, and many of them have done so for quite a few years. How do you pull it all together? You have a great picture or a great picture. You have a snappy title, you have joined a group on Facebook, or have a lot of friends on Instagram or other social platforms, but nobody is reading your posts? Well, let’s take a hard look at your job. One of the problems I often have in my technical blog is the vast amount of industry-specific terms, sometimes called Jargon. Yes, I realize my blogs are often filled with words, and people ask what does it mean in the comments.
Jargon can be a blog killer. TLA and FLA’s or even MLA’s are also risky. Oh, wait, what is TLA’s? Three letters acronym. I was reminded that the TLA ANC used in headsets, also refers to the African National Congress in South Africa. In the tech world, it stands for automated noise canceling. So be careful with Jargon. It is tough to recover from. I try, but I do not always succeed.
*Bifurcated is a legal term meaning split into two functional systems.
Links to others in this series
https://virily.com/virily_poll/will-a-catchy-title-land-the-social-media-fish/
https://virily.com/virily_poll/how-to-grow-your-reader-base-using-social-media/
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Question of
Did you know the acronym TLA?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Do you use jargon at times?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Do you know what an FLA is?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
How about an MLA?
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Yes
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I know nothing, absolutely nothing. Everything I believed to be true has changed.
Let me know if I can help in any way!
Actually what I am doing here is just following the example fo what the admins are rewarding as near as I can tell. I am very excited to report on how well the boys have been doing on their wish-granting but I think putting it on the lot and linking it from here is the way to be safe and still technically obey all the rules. Is that correct?
i would love to see how they are progressing on their challenge!
there truly are no rules for correct now.
It’s even worse when you click on a catchy photo. Sometimes the picture really has nothing to do with the body of the post. I thought there were a lot of rules to follow with photography. These I have never even considered. I tend to write like I speak, and I am sure I break all the rules.
i wonder, the rules as they exist always have addendum (write like Hemingway, short sentences. But Steinbeck never wrote like that and he also won the Nobel Prize for literature. ANd of course, Faulkner wrote Sound and the Fury as one sentence (ok it wasn’t but it felt like it)!
Ah yes. True. I like Hemingway better. I find my mind wondering if the wording is too drawn out.
My wife and I have the Faulkner argument yearly. I love his work. But I also love Hemingway, Steinbeck and others. I was exposed to literature at a very tender age (11) when I lived in Thailand.
all there was to do was swim or read!
I read a lot more when I was younger. Now I tend to read a few pages and nod off.
@Kim_Johnson Rules? There are so many rules.
we don’t need no stinking badges!
Oh my gosh! I am not sure why but that comment made tears come to my eyes from the laughter.
it is a line from a bad movie a few years ago!5
Q: DID YOU KNOW THE ACRONYM TLA?
Yes (1 votes) – 20%
No (4 votes) – 80%
Q: DO YOU USE JARGON AT TIMES?
Yes (5 votes) – 83%
No (1 votes) – 17%
Q: DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN FLA IS?
Yes (1 votes) – 20%
No (4 votes) – 80%
Q: HOW ABOUT AN MLA?
Yes (2 votes) – 100%
thanks to all who voted! Last in the series today!
There was a time when catchphrase titles were hard to create but there are so many tools to get them just right, like this free one here: https://headlines.sharethrough.com/
I have visited there a few times, i don’t always like the end state. Do you use it? i find that catchy titles still don’t always help.
what do you think? you’ve had a couple of huge posts outside of virily. (shared on virily with 500 or more external views).
Really my views come from a very large group of people who share and read together. It doesn’t matter where I put them or where the others put them we follow and read.
i have the same group, for my wander project. We post, share and read each others stuff!
It gets views here but no comments. And now with the new norms commenting on your posts and talking to oneself seems to be acceptable and part of the plan – when in virily do as the virilians. Do you blame me?
conversations are the new thing. The best way to have lots of great conversations with lots of writers. it helps them, it helps you.
I’ll tell you the hardest thing is that eventually, you run out of creative phrases because everything has already been done and said but you know me I keep plowing on.
It is the dance of borrowing! where we pluck part of a known thing and change it so that it fits for us. That way we do both create and recycle!
“Dance of borrowing” is a very cool phrase!
thank you i am on a roll today!
You keep rolling and I will keep commenting at least until everyone else gets up so I can be loud! I using this site like a “true” vilarian, sad but true. We’ll see what happens as I wander by.
i am curious about what a true virilian is.
i do appreciate the conversation!
Oh, well I am not sure what one is either. I figure someone here will define. Let’s watch for that!
i think personally it is all of us, our community!
It can take quite a while to figure out what’s interesting to readers.
it really can, it can be a painful process. The fun thing is, when you do the right thing, you get something amazing (lots of views)
Doing the right thing is no longer my goal. It’s more like hoping for the best.
i have to try it is my nature.
I will really try one day. Maybe I can get more views.
I think we both have the same goal. I don’t even care about internal views anymore, I am back to building my outside audience.
Funny conversation with you and Dawn. Thanks for the smiles.
thanks – trying to make this place fun again!
We all need to help each other now more than ever.
you really do help so many! but you are right, now we need to help more!
@Carol DM I will drop in and do all I can to help you – whatever that means. I might need some instructions.
Share Carol’s posts get her views back up!!!
I am still looking for the instruction book!
i mailed it to you 🙂 oh wait, imaginary mail doesn’t work currently.
Ha, but a nice try just the same.
i am here all week – try the pork chops!
if you trip over a catchy title all you might find is pool of verbiage
if you sink below the surface of a pool of verbiage, will you spit out words when you surface?
Maybe you would puke them out. 😄
i don’t think I have ever puked out a word.
that would give new meaning to the phrase verbal diarrhea!
Sinking is something that I excel at doing ! Right to the bottom.
sometimes we see the best fish at the bottom!