My Surprising Discovery of What Resonates with Readers

“You seem to hit a nerve with the blog about your mom,” said David, my son.“Very true. I get the most personal and meaningful comments when I share like this. It brings my readers and me closer together,” I said.

“How so?” he asked.

“We all connect with other people’s stories. We find truth which relates directly to our own life stories. It helps us learn from each other, but more importantly, to relate to each other in a life on life way. And the more personal, the better,” I said.

“Write more of those types of stories,” he said.

“There is a problem with that. I don’t live in a vacuum. Sometimes these stories intersect with family and friends. Some of these people aren’t interested in sharing their personal lives with the world. They didn’t decide to write a blog and share their lives with the world. I did,” I explained.

“So how do you deal with them on this?” David asked.

“Sometimes I feel like I should stop writing these stories. I want to honor them. I don’t want to embarrass anyone, especially family and friends, but I also don’t want to write on just business topics. There is so much of that around.“I’m not inspired to constantly write ‘how-to’ topics. My interest is connecting with entrepreneurs and angels on what is happening in their lives as it relates to their work, family, and faith.”

“Why did your mom’s passing become a story you wanted to share?” he asked.

“A couple of Sundays ago, I was walking into the Church of the Apostles. As I finished applying my name tag, some old business friends happened to be right there. They told me how much they enjoyed my blog. I told them I appreciated the encouragement, but it’s been tough going lately. They encouraged me to keep it up. It is making a difference in their lives. They said ‘Write this week on the encouragement we just gave you!’”“While in church, I was thinking, Who was always an encouragement for me? My mom. So I went home and started writing, not knowing where it would lead. That’s how that story came out.”

“What other posts does your audience like?” he asked.

“There are three types which resonate: the personal story, the personal business story, and the list,” I answered.“I bet their popularity is in that order!” he observed.“You’re right!” I said.This conversation has been bugging me for the last few days. The best blog posts are the ones which are inspired on the spot, so to speak. An event happens, and I immediately want to write about it. Or I remember an event, and I have to tell the story right away. In either case, personal interest combined with the desire to share makes for a great article. That’s what I found resonates with you, my reader.Thank you, dear reader, for the continued prayers and encouragement!