Online Relationships are Important

Think about some of the brands, bloggers and public figures you love the most…
chances are that you have some sort of connection with them, whether that
means getting to know the people personally, or sharing a core belief with them. These online relationships are important.

When businesses create a connection with their audience, they set themselves up
for loyalty that can last for years. Even better than that, a real connection means
that their customers will turn into raving fans who happily share their website and
product recommendations with others!

I am a big fan of a number of marketers and bloggers and follow them, support them and buy their products. I love to mention them on social media and in blog posts because they are ethical and offer great insight into building a business online.

If you have your own online blog or business there are a number of specific ways
available to you to connect with your audience, from email to your blog and social media.

How Much Do You Have to Put Yourself Out There?

Building a relationship with your readers means you have to be more than just a
sterile block of text on a website. You have to be human. So that one realization
strikes fear in the hearts of many marketers just starting out online. I know it did for me!

Reasons Why People Want to Stay Behind the Scenes

Some people make an awful lot of assumptions about their target audience. They
have a negative self-talk that goes like this:

“Nobody cares what I have to say…”
“They’ll think I’m stupid…”
“I’m not (pretty, handsome, young) enough to put myself out there…”

You’re making assumptions about the reactions that your audience will have –
and you’re insulting them as if they’re shallow people, too. Stop it!

Whenever someone comes online to learn or find solutions, they’re not caring
whether you’re young and beautiful or have a PhD in the topic. They just want
help, pure and simple. And that’s the truth, thank goodness! I am happy to learn from someone new and young or older like myself.

Regardless of whether you think you’re boring or not good enough, someone out
there will believe you are. Lets be honest…there are people you don’t get, or like, or want to learn from and that’s OK. But others will love your style.

You have to have faith in your audience that you’re going to attract those who are
appreciative of your style. Not everyone wants to follow the flashy guru who slaps
pictures up on his site of his new sports car, his house at the beach, and who uses
surfer speak at the age of 40. UGH!

Some people might want a soft-spoken, caring individual who conveys
information about the niche to them in a way they can relate to. All of the
superficial elements you’re so scared of are all in your head. Others will like a straight shooting kind of personality that motivates them with a kick in the rear. Be yourself.

Analyzing Your Fear Versus Reality

There are some marketers who get online, new to the industry, and they feel
awkward being personal in their career because it seems too self-centered. Who
wants to hear about the small chitchat regarding everyday life when the audience
isn’t there to learn about those details? But they are! Your everyday stories show you are a real person with issues and problems like everyone else.

You have to strike a good balance between the two concepts. Is it true that
people don’t care about you at all, or is it truer to say, “People don’t want to hear
every grueling detail of my life, but opening up to them and being friendly can
benefit my business?”

Some newbies get paralyzed by their fear of mean people online. It’s true that
you’re going to encounter some real jerks on the Internet. For some reason,
people seem to get a lot of false courage when they’re sitting behind a computer
screen – and it’s true they can be cruel for absolutely no reason, too.

So before you get online, you have to ask yourself – who is more important? Is it
the trolls who will stop by your site once in awhile and make a comment meant to
unnerve you?

Or is it your target audience who is desperately searching for a beacon of light in
the niche, looking for the exact kind of insight you can give to them? One of them
is going to hold more weight with you.

Do you let the trolls get to you or are you putting yourself out there and trusting in the process?