Do you think there's any shot that Anna checks out McCauley's blog?

Is there any shot that Anna checks out McCauley's blog?

How many of you have asked your friends and family to swing by your blog? OK, of those who actually stopped by, how many of them actually read more than one article? How many left a comment? How many returned without you asking them again?

Chances are, if your friends and family are like most people, they won’t do much for your blog.

I have some really great friends, those who I would trust my life with, those who would drive an hour to help me jump my car battery at a moment’s notice, and those who would spend a 16-hour day helping me move. Those are also the same people who won’t take a few minutes to visit my sites.

“I’ve done so much for them, why can’t they do this for me?”

First, I don’t think they realize the importance of visiting your blog. They don’t realize that since they know you in real life, they could provide some supporting evidence about your credibility. They also don’t know that in the early days, any traffic is good for you and could boost your morale. So what happens? Even the people closest to you may only stop by once just to say they did.

Secondly, they are probably asked by lots of folks to “check something out” on the web. Those activities share time with their personal online activities. That means they have to pick and choose how to spend their time wisely. More often than not, they’re going to choose things they actually want to do online, like shopping, playing games, making travel plans, or being a Facebook voyeur, and not reading about your love of cats, choosing blog themes, or how to quit smoking.

Don’t be offended that they have no interest on what your blog is about. Their ignorance is bliss; they simply don’t see the trade-off. Just because you helped them find a new job last year, doesn’t mean that they will naturally recognize that this is an opportunity to return a favor.

Just like the snake I found in my garage yesterday, your friends and family mean no harm; they are simply clueless. They won’t matter much in the long run anyway. After all, they are not your target audience.

Make new friends who share your common interest

Every minute you spend asking your friends or family is a minute lost to making new friends.

Sure, go ahead and ask once. Perhaps they are indeed interested in your niche. But anything more than once is really a waste of time. They don’t want to come and there’s little you can do to convince them. Don’t pester them to a point where they’ll avoid you. It’s totally not worth it.

Instead, spend your time finding people who share your interest. That’s pretty easy to do online. Additionally, there are many ways to meet people in your niche offline. With the plethora of resources at your fingertips, there’s no reason why you can’t find other people to network with, partner with, or mentor you.

Continue with subtle reminders

Don’t get me wrong, you can still nudge them your way from time to time. We’re not giving up on your friends and family all together. We’re just not going to make any real effort in recruiting them.

You could selectively post your articles on Facebook, add your blog to your email signature, or mention it when they ask. Just don’t seem too spammy and some of them might actually come around.

What has your experience been with your friends and family?

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