Are you a blogger that’s committed to writing great content and putting yourself on the map in your niche?  If so, creating your target reader avatar can help you figure out who your audience is.

You’ll know exactly who you should be writing for with every single blog post.

Try to please everyone and you’ll please no one.

Trying to please the masses with your blog is something that needs to stop right now.

You are wasting your time, and you already know that as bloggers, we don’t have any to spare.

If you’re not writing every post with one single person in mind, you’re really just spinning your wheels and not gaining any traction.  Before long, you’ll be so frustrated, you’ll likely give up on blogging all together.

I know you want more traffic to your blog.  I know you want your email list to grow.  I know you want to make money promoting your affiliate links.  I get it.

A Common Mistake

Consider this scenario, which I see far too often on new blogs:

• Post One: You write a post about saving money at the grocery store.  You get traffic from people interested in discounts or living on a tight budget.
• Post Two: You write a post about what to pack when travelling to Europe.  You get traffic from people interested in travel.
• Post Three: You write about a new line of cosmetics.  You get traffic from readers interested in beauty.
• Post Four:  You write about how to get traffic to your blog.  You get traffic from people interested in blogging.

If you’re new to blogging, you may look at those examples and think “That’s great!  With every post, I’m attracting a brand new audience!” Or maybe this “I can make money with all of theses posts!  I’ll earn money promoting the Ibotta app, several Amazon products for the packing list, that new cosmetic line, and Blue Host for web hosting!  I’m going to make a ton of money with these affiliate links!”

What’s The Problem?

Do you realize why this is a problem?  Let me clear it up real quick before I get into creating your target reader avatar.

Yes, different people are visiting for each of those posts.

But ask yourself this – How many of them are going to come back?

When those people that read your post about starting a blog want to learn more about blogging, do you think they’re going to keep coming back to your website?

They won’t.  Because they don’t care about the new line of cosmetics or how to pack for a trip to Europe, they care about learning everything they need to know about successful blogging.

The same can be said for the traffic from the other three posts in the example.

As far as making money with all of those different affiliate links…doubtful.  You may get a couple sales, if you’re lucky.  Just a hint, affiliate marketing isn’t where the real money is in blogging, especially as a new blogger.  A little future post teaser for ya 😉

If you build a loyal audience (readers that return to your website again and again) they will be more likely to buy from you, because they trust you.  Don’t destroy your credibility by not getting to know your target audience.

But that one blogger does it, and is rich!

Yes, there are a few bloggers that can get away with covering a blogging niche and another niche.  The only reason they can pull this off, is because they have been in the game for a long time and they have a huge audience.

We’re talking tens of thousands of page views A DAY.  They can write about successful blogging because they are living it, but I would bet that they have separate email lists for the two niches, and they write posts consistently for both.

If you still think you can pull off being everything to everyone, I wish you the best of luck.  Please let me know how that works out for you, and maybe you can coach me.

I had to learn these lessons the hard way.  I’m trying to save you some time and sanity.

Don’t get discouraged.  You definitely can build a loyal audience and even earn a decent living as a blogger.

That actually all starts with knowing your target reader!

How To Create Your Blog’s Target Reader Avatar

Almost every business uses a Customer Avatar to help develop marketing strategies.  Your Target Reader Avatar is your blog’s version of a Customer Avatar, and the terms can be used interchangeably.

I’ve created a workbook just for you, to make creating your target reader avatar a smooth and easy process.

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What Is A Target Reader Avatar?

You’ve got a fairly good idea of who you want to be reading your blog, right?  Even if you don’t, creating an avatar will help you really understand what your readers need from you.

Your Target Reader Avatar is a fictional representation of the ideal person you want to attract to your blog.  It’s a very specific persona, and it’s the one person that will benefit most from reading your blog.

Why Do You Need A Target Reader Avatar?

Knowing your audience should be one of your first goals with starting a blog.  Creating your Target Reader Avatar will benefit you and your blog in a number of ways.

• You’ll write better blog posts.  Once you know who you’re writing for, it becomes easier to stay on point and deliver valuable content that your audience will love.
• Your email list will grow.  Since you’ll be writing better posts that are more targeted, the readers you attract will appreciate your valuable opt ins and sign up for your email list.
• It will be easier to monetize your blog.  You’ll already know what types of products and services your readers are interested in.

Related Post: 13 Ways That You Can Make Every Blog Post Epic

How Do You Create A Target Reader Avatar?

So now that you understand what a Target Reader Avatar is and why it’s valuable, how do you create yours?

It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is.

Your Target Reader Avatar will take shape and begin to come to life as you answer a series of questions.

Name Your Avatar

Give your Target Reader Avatar a name.  Thinking of your reader as an actual person will help you meet his/her needs with every blog post.

Demographics

Start with the basics.  Describe your ideal reader’s demographic traits.  Answer these questions:

• Is your avatar a man or a woman?
• How old is your avatar?
• Is he/she married?  Does he/she have any children?
• What does he do for a living?
• What is her education level?
• What city does she live in?

Financial Situation

Think about the financial stability of your ideal reader/avatar.  Are they well off?  Are they struggling to make ends meet?  This will be important when you are deciding on products to offer and your pricing structure for services.

Hobbies & Interests

Describe your Target Reader Avatar’s hobbies and interests.  Consider the following questions:

• What hobbies does your reader participate in?
• What talents does she/he have?
• What other activities are of interest?

Media & Online Activity

Now think about what websites and blogs your reader visits, other than yours.  How tech savvy is your avatar?  Does your reader spend a lot of time on Instagram or in Facebook groups?

Creating a social media strategy becomes much easier when you know where to find your target reader online.  If your audience likes the fast pace of Twitter, you’ll know that launching a Facebook campaign may not be the best use of your time and resources.

Related: Become A Twitter Ninja In Just 5 Days With My Free ECourse For Bloggers

Struggles & Pain Points

What struggles or obstacles does your Target Reader Avatar deal with in their life?

If you can help your audience solve a problem or pain point in their life, you are golden.  Knowing what obstacles your avatar is facing helps you write informative posts and create products that will improve their quality of life.

For example, if you’re a mommy blogger and your avatar has twin toddlers, some of her pain points might be potty training or getting her toddlers to eat more vegetables.  Just those two scenarios alone can spark ideas for several blog posts and a few affiliate products you could promote.

Barriers & Objections To The Sale

Your Target Reader Avatar is coming along nicely and in a perfect world, you write epic content and create niche products that everyone in your target audience buys.  Now back to reality.

Unfortunately, in real life, there are barriers that everyone experiences, including your target reader avatar. Think of the barriers that would prevent your reader from taking the plunge with you.

Are there financial barriers that you need to consider? Pitching a $1000 course to a blue-collar, single mom of 4 is going to be a waste of time.

Then, consider the objections your avatar might have to the sale.  Is your target audience leery of making purchases online?  Does your audience require high quality physical products or could you offer lower-cost digital products?

When you understand the barriers and objections your avatar might have to your sales pitch, you’ll be able to create a marketing strategy that makes sense for your audience.

My Target Reader Avatar

Yes, I have created a target reader avatar for my blog, too!  Actually, I have a couple of them, but here is one that I hope you can relate to.

Demographics

Meet Jamie.  She’s 43 years old and a single mother of two boys, ages 15 and 18.  She lives in Louisville, Kentucky and works as an office manager for a small local used-car dealership.

She has been working at the same dealership for eight years, working her way up from cashier.  She loves the people she works with, but is feeling like she has outgrown the position.  The owner is set in his ways and has no interest in expanding the business, and Jamie wants more.

Hobbies

She loves to journal and has always loved to write stories.  Being a single mom of two boys, she’s learned how to stretch a dollar.  She also loves crafting and creating her own decorations.

Jamie just started her own blog five months ago after learning that people actually make a living with their blogs.  She has a lifestyle blog, offering posts about DIY projects on a budget.  She has signed up for a few affiliate networks and added a few ads to her website, but is only making about $50 a month, and it’s not consistent.

Social Media & Online Habits

Jamie has a Facebook page that she shares her projects on with 400 likes.

She knows that DIY is huge on Pinterest and feels like that is where she needs to focus.  Jamie only has 150 followers on Pinterest and isn’t sure how to boost her growth.

She has gained 750 followers on Twitter since taking a free course two months ago, but it’s hard to stay active on Twitter since she has to check in several times a day.

Jamie is sure Pinterest is where she needs to be promoting her blog.

She loves the straight forward posts found on Next Level Blogging, and appreciates that she has learned something new with every post she’s read!  Jamie also appreciates that the Founder has actually emailed her back with answers to a few of the questions she had.

Related Post: 5 Easy Steps To The Perfect Pinterest Image For Every Blog Post

Goals

Jamie is committed to turning her blog into a full-time business, but can’t seem to find the right strategy.  She spends all of her extra time on her blog, at least 20 hours a week, and is fed up with not making any real traction.

She has decided that she needs to start treating her blog like a business, and needs to make an investment in her business to get results.

Obstacles

Jamie has thought about hiring a blogging coach to work with 1-on-1, but thinks she may not be able to afford it.

She will be getting a large income tax refund, though, and will use some of that money to invest in her blog, either on a valuable course or blog coaching.

Your Turn

Creating your target reader avatar does take some time but it’s totally worth it.

Once your avatar is complete you will have a much better grasp on what your audience wants from you and how you can help them.

Don’t forget to download the Target Reader Avatar Worksheet, which will help walk you through creating your avatar.

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What do you think?  Is a target reader avatar a good idea?  Have you already created yours, and if so, how has it changed your blogging?

I’m committed to helping you build a successful and profitable blog, so your feedback is very important to me.  Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.