I got some great feedback on the post Want Free Advice? Join a Freakin' Meetup. Most of the feedback didn't show up as comments on the post but showed up on Facebook, in my inbox and even over the phone. Its probably been the most discussed post I've ever written.

One of the best comments I got came via email from someone who you should know if you don't yet. I met him at Word Camp Dallas, where he was a speaker, he's also an active member of the WordPress Meetup, and gave a presentation there in April. Lovely readers I'd like to present to you the Now-Famous Randy Hoyt!

First, I'd like to tell you a little bit about Randy and then I want to share with you the most FANTASTIC link he sent me! (Seriously, if you read any business blogs and want to get spotlighted, email the blogger the video I'm about to share, its like omg-I-peed-my-pants good.)

Randy gave me a little bio when I asked about him: "Randy Hoyt is a web developer and myth enthusiast living in Dallas, Texas. He offers his web development services through his freelance company Amesbury Web. He studies mythology and literature in his free time, editing and writing articles for his online myth magazine Journey to the Sea."

What Randy means by all this very nice, demurely written information (its okay, he's not used to being famous yet) is that he is a seriously ROCKING programmer. Like to the point where I'm gonna say if for some reason you don't want to pay us, you should pay him to do your work. In fact, we're hoping Veribatim will be able to use Randy in some future projects because its always great to know someone who creates user-friendly plug-ins. Randy gave the most technical presentation at WordCamp without scaring everyone. And to top it all off, Randy has this mythology site which is awesome. As a former creative writing major, I am crazy about this site of his. And let me tell you, a programmer who enjoys writing in any literary capacity is a rare find indeed.

So, GO CHECK OUT HIS SITE. Do it! Do it now! (Or, at least right after you watch the clip.)

Now, let me share with you the main reason Randy earned his spotlight. After I ranted about clients expecting things for free he sent me this youtube video:

If you are in business and that didn't make little rainbows come out of your nose because you were laughing so hard you are just. not. human.

Now, go! Go check out Randy and give him some love! Here's a post of his that I enjoyed, you might like it too. Leave him a comment and let him know where you're from!

In a continuation from my last post, I'd like to continue discussing things I learn from Content Critical.

Identifying your Readers:

Have you really taken the time to identity your readers. First, take time to analyze. There's lots of great services out there (Google Analytics, Crazy Egg, Woopra) who can help you get this information:

• Who is visiting your site now?
• Who is your competitor targeting?
• Who is the leader in the industry and what kind of people read that site?
• Who do you want to read your site?

Once you've got a clear idea of your data, don't just sit there, talk to them. Survey your readers by emaiing them, polling in your blogs, or just contacting past customers. Here are the questions you want to ask:

• What's the most critical thing you need?
• How do you want the information presented?
• Ho are you getting the content you need right now?
• Do they think you are a legitimate source for this content?

After you've gotten these answers from your own and other people's readers prioritize the readers you want:

• List potential customers (those you want, and those you discovered)
• Then Prioritize them: first by who is reading you most right now, and then by who you want to market to
• Using the desired list, narrow your scope to the top 2-3 readers

How do you analyze traffic and try to reach your target audience?

Image by http://flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/

I recently finished the book Content Critical by Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton. Lots has changed since this book was published in 2001, but the core principles remain the same. Content forms the foundation of every website. Most businesses write some content on their website. Sometimes they write the actual copy. Others hire a copy-writer but still blog regularly. Either way, they write for an online audience.

I want to spend a few posts on this book and what I learned. First, let's start with a new way to think about who reads your website:

Readers vs. Users
Ever noticed that people who access the internet are called users? We refer to them as computer users. Its actually a unique term. Most people become a variation of the verb they perform. People who ride bikes are called bikes, those who play golf are golfers and people who practice law are lawyers. But when it comes to technology, people are computer users. (Content Critical also went on to point out the other people we call "users" usually have some destructive habit.)

The writers of Content Critical encourage us to think about our audience not as users, but as readers. It makes sense. Reading is the activity that occurs most often online. We open and read our email, we read blogs for tips and fun, we read websites for information about a product or service and we read social media sites to keep track of our friends.

Take a moment to consider this. Do you think of your audience as "readers"? If not, does thinking of them as "readers" change your attitude towards them or your writing? This is the first step to connecting with your audience better, whether you are blogging for fun, for business or just writing the content of your home page.

My next post will deal with Identifying your readers. How do you identify your readers right now?