Sometimes it’s better to be silent: 5 readers to ignore
Copyblogger editor Stephanie Flaxman thinks audience feedback is helpful, but not always audience dependent
Writing with an audience in mind takes a certain amount of strength. This is not for the faint of heart.
Because knowing that your audience is the source of your business success, you are ready to listen to many opinions.
But sometimes these opinions diminish the energy you put into your business.
For example, you might get completely opposite reviews. Some people complain that you sent in too many emails about your special offer. Others complain that you should write more often so they don’t miss this sentence.
If you don’t have a solid strategy, this can be confusing. As a result, you get nervous after every post, and it forces you to dilute the content in an attempt to please everyone.
Do not do that.
You can’t please everyone, but it’s easy to miss the chance to captivate the right people. It’s important to learn to notice helpful suggestions and ignore others.
Here are five types of audiences you can ignore in order to focus on people who truly value your work.
1. The person who got mad at the typo
Yes, text without typos is perfect.
But while we at Copyblogger value quality editing and correct punctuation, we still understand that typos can happen. And if they happen only occasionally, this does not necessarily mean sloppy work on the material.
So if someone says your content is untrustworthy because of a typo, they are going overboard. Most likely, this person just wants to express their sense of superiority.
Thank him. Correct the typo. Move on.
2. The person who doesn’t want you to have a point of view
This person has good intentions. Obviously, he likes your content, but he will certainly indicate that you did not take into account everything: “It may work for you, but not for everyone else.”
Well, of course. Do not worry. Just thank you for your active participation.
3. The person who was in the wrong place
When the wrong people find your content, they may ask why you wrote it. They don’t understand your niche, so they bombard you with questions as if they suspect something.
After my colleague Sonya heard that I was looking for the perfect nail salon before the pandemic, she told me about the Simply Nailogical YouTube channel. Simply Nailogical has over seven million subscribers, but is “unlike any other nail art channel.” A person without a sense of humour looking for expressive nail art lessons may not understand this channel’s sarcastic approach to video content. But this is not a channel problem.
4. A person who is not in the subject
Like a person in the wrong place, this visitor seems a little confused. But he won’t ask tedious questions. Instead, he will comment on the blog or send an email with information unrelated to the content. He may even ask for cooperation but will demonstrate that he has no idea what you are doing.
When their comments are publicly available, there is no need to show hospitality. Your job is to shield your loyal readers from anyone who wants to offend your platform. Likewise, you protect your family from intruders.
Delete. Block.
5. The person who just wants to argue
It’s difficult with him. Sometimes you are wrong and someone corrects you. The natural reaction is to respond. It is noble to admit your mistake and how correctly the reader has noticed it.
However, sometimes this person just wants to argue. And even if you respond rationally to his comment, he will keep coming back to your answer or text. In this case, it is reasonable to admit that you will not please this person and any further interaction with him is a waste of time.
If you find it difficult not to answer, just remember: you are wasting energy on someone who will never be happy, instead of coming up with new ways to be useful to people who value your content.
