I watched Spider Man 2 this morning.
Super heroes get away with being masked men and women. Protecting your identity does indeed protect those you love. If you are a super hero.
If you intend to become a professional blogger, hiding away is the last thing you want to do because if people cannot see you as you are, something seems fishy.
Would I wear a trash bag over my head if we met on business at Starbucks?
Probably not. Unless donning trash bags becomes the “in” thing.
Having spent 2 weeks in NYC early last month I don’t see the trend picking up.
Now I’m living in Doha, Qatar for the month with my wife Kelli.
We saw some wicked wind storms earlier this week. Fabulous for branding in terms of videos and pictures. Not so hot for my sinuses.
I have to wear a surgical mask to keep out pet dander and dust and particulates for a few days to allow my system to find equilibrium with the dry, dusty conditions of the Middle East.
Wearing a mask clued me in to this blog post idea.
Now that you have an idea that hiding away can kill your chances at being a successful blogger let’s discuss how you can inspire your audience to trust you.
Oh yeah; you want readers to trust you because all meaningful connections are rooted in trust.
All blogging success roots itself in meaningful connections.
1: Do Not Hide Your Face
See me in the video above?
If you wanted to learn more about me as a blogger you would be a little wary about some guy who runs around wearing a surgical mask. Unless he was removing spleens or creating humorous, informative blogging videos.
Do not hide your face. Ever.
Post smiling head shots on all of your social media accounts. Be transparent. Allow us to see you so we can form a strong human connection with you.
Scrap the shadowy photos and cartoonish avatars if you want your audience to trust you easily.
2: Go Selfie Mad
Showing your face is one thing.
Ratchet up your “here’s my kisser” campaign by posting selfies to your blog and social media accounts.
I have a *little bit* of experience in this area. OK. I have snapped and shared 347 million selfies during my blogging career. For good reason.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Go selfie mad.” quote=”Go selfie mad.”]
My friends love me. My readers want to see images of me from locations all over the globe. Both because they dig seeing me and because many visualize themselves in my position when they see me, living their dream vicariously through my meat suit.
Go selfie mad.
We love you.
We want to see you.
We want to trust you.
We want to connect with you.
We want……you!
3: Respond to All Blog Comments
I respond to all comments on my blog because it’s fun and I enjoy showing love to folks who show me love.
I like to listen. So I can help.
Responding to all comments gives readers a reason to connect with you deeply. Proves you’re listening and that you care enough to both read and respond to every individual who shares their thoughts on your blog.
4: Be Active on Social Media
I am a chatty guy on Twitter. I engage on Facebook.
I know the secret sauce of successful social (say that 5 times quickly): being social simply makes it easier for people to trust you quickly.
I am words on a screen until I post a few selfies. I am blog posts and eBooks and audio books until I respond to comments on my blog. I am just some internet persona who snaps selfies in exotic paradises around the world until I chat with folks on social media.
Be active.
Engage.
Spend 10 minutes a day Liking and commenting on Facebook updates from your main stream. Retweet and engage fellow bloggers on Twitter.
Being active on social media makes you human, engaging, trustworthy and sets the foundation for a hyper successful blog marketing campaign through social media.
5: Give away a Lot of Free Stuff (in Addition to Premium Products)
I give away a free blogging eBook every Friday at Blogging From Paradise.
If you want in on this, sign up here.
I wrote 126 eBooks. So I give away one for free, for 24 hours, every Friday. Some are inspirational, most are blogging, all have my Blogging From Paradise brand stamped all over them. Literally.
Giving people free stuff inspires them to trust you because they won’t feel like you’re trying to manipulate or coerce them.
I also created 4 blogging courses in addition to my 126 eBooks and 30 plus audio books and paperbacks.
Creating all this helpful, premium content inspires people to trust me because whether you help someone for money, or free, if you help with love you are being a servant. If you see me as a servant with your best interests at heart you will trust me.
6: Sear this Idea on Your Mind
This one may confuse you.
But if you impress this idea on your mind – like a farmer brands cattle – you will allow people to trust you easily.
You do not need to earn trust.
Seriously.
You do not need to gain trust.
Here’s why: you are whole and complete, as is. Meaning, if you will just be transparent and open and genuine and authentic you will attract readers who trust you implicitly the first time they visit your blog.
I sometimes offer the advice trust needs to be earned but really, as you toy around with this idea, everything you see on the outside reflects your inner world. Which is why some bloggers attract hoards of trusting readers quickly. They trust themselves and love themselves so they are transparent and you betcha readers reflect this vibe back to them in the form of trusting them quickly.
eBook
If you are confused about what to include on your blog I wrote an eBook to help you:
6 Things You Absolutely Need on Your Blog
If you enjoyed the eBook please review it on Amazon.
Your Turn
What tips can you add to this list?
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