Accept it. Whether your blog is new or matured, you would still want it to grow organically. Thus you would put our time and effort into getting more readers. But before you dwell into spending hefty sums of money for Advertisements and other Promotional schemes, why not look at the management philosophies behind the blog reader’s decision making logic.
Consumer Buying Behavior and Blog readers
I have tried to put a direct analogy between the Consumer Buying Behavior and Blog Reader’s Decision Making Choice. The business model is the same, where a marketing department of a big company seeks out consumer buying patterns and what affects it, a Blog Owner would like to know a reader’s reading / surfing pattern and what affects it.
Need to understand
1. Why does a reader subscribe to a particular website?
2. What factor influences a reader’s choice?
3. The Changing patterns in the Blogosphere / Online World
Why you need to understand reader’s surfing pattern?
1. It will help you to gain most out of you Promotional Strategy
2. Help you identify the target segment for spending on Advertising
3. You can better predict how readers will respond to your strategies
Stages in Blog Reader’s Decision making Process
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1. Problem Recognition
(Awareness of the need) The reader is not always aware of his need.. It may be created by an advertisement display or a linkage to a particular product. Say, a reader’s need to learn Computers in Depth may arise due to his decision to take a major course in Computers. Before taking the course, he was not aware of his need.
2. Information Search
Search of information can take place in two ways – Internal Search or External Search.
[ad#post-left]Internal Search deals with Recall Value the reader has with a previously exposed product. Say, the need for gaining computer knowledge would take him to online knowledge banks giving out information about computing which he have surfed in the past. He may also look for sites giving quick tips, tutorials and sharing general views which he have used or seen others used in the past.
Similarly, External Search is initiated when the reader does not have any internal association with the need/product. External Search can be done in a wide number of ways. Search Engine, Directory Search, Bookmarking Website etc.
The internal/external search results in evoked set, which consist of list of alternatives. The need to know Computing results in following choices:
a. Online Knowledge Banks
b. Sites giving tips and tutorials
c. Bookmarking sites with keywords resulting in list of Computing Sites
3. Evaluation of Alternatives
[ad#post-left]The alternatives the reader has, as a result of search is to be ranked or prioritize. This can be done based on impulse, advantages he sees in a particular site, what features a site provides (RSS Feeds, Newsletter, Community) etc. It mostly depends on his personal preferences. If he is satisfied with the alternative, he may proceed to choose it. Else he retraces himself to the Search phase again.
4. Making the Choice
This step involves the reader landing on the site, going to various sections, bookmarking it or subscribing to feeds or newsletter.
5. Actual Selection
This is the same as making the choice. It may have a lag incase the subscription for the sites are close, payment confirmation is required for pay sites, site is under maintenance etc.
6. Post Selection Evaluation
Outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction. If dissatisfied, chances are the reader will move to another site and not return back.
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Credits: Both pictures taken from Flickr.
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