Comments on: What McDonalds Taught me about Blogging – Grow Up With Your Readers

By: up game » What McDonalds Taught me about Blogging - Grow Up With Your Readers

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 15:08:54 +0000

[...] Original post by Darren Rowse [...]

By: This Week In SEO - 3/16/07 - TheVanBlog

This Week In SEO - 3/16/07 - TheVanBlog — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 01:37:43 +0000

[...] What McDonalds Taught me about Blogging – Grow Up With Your Readers [...]

By: Francois gendron

Francois gendron — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:23:16 +0000

Great post. It is the first time I visit your blog and this post is very good. It took me a while to get my blog off the ground but reading more and more blogs like yours helped me get it off the ground a bit. Still I am a long way from getting there but now at least I am getting a few hits everyday.

Keep up the good stuff.

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 03:26:21 +0000

I’m afraid I have to admit to being at the Hamburgler level but I have to say that content is so important to keep people reading. We all know that. What’s my point? My point is the delivery of that content. The only purpose of this comment to to compliment you on your delivery! There are posts that I just shrug off and can’t yet relate to, but I can sure relate to this one! You wrote, “I guess in a few years we’ll see the playgrounds that they have here replaced with McOxygen tents for senior citizens.” I had to laugh. I don’t know how much longer I will be laughing at that statement, but, nothing would surprise me! Content is important but delivery makes all the difference!

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:52:17 +0000

I’m afraid I have to admit to being at the Hamburgler level but I have to say that content is so important to keep people reading. We all know that. What’s my point? My point is the delivery of that content. The only purpose of this comment to to compliment you on your delivery! There are posts that I just shrug and and can’t yet relate to, but I can sure relate to this one! You wrote, “I guess in a few years we’ll see the playgrounds that they have here replaced with McOxygen tents for senior citizens.” I had to laugh. I don’t know how much longer I will be laughing at that statement, but, nothing would surprise me! Content is important but delivery makes all the difference!

By: What McDonalds Taught me about Blogging - Grow Up With Your Readers « Tons of Fresh News

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:02:36 +0000

[...] What McDonalds Taught me about Blogging – Grow Up With Your Readers What McDonalds Taught me about Blogging – Grow Up With Your Readers Overview of how McDonalds marketing strategy can help you grow your blog’s readership.[marketing] [strategy] [news] [technology] [industry news] [...]

By: On a des choses à se dire » Quelques liens pour néo-blogueurs

On a des choses à se dire » Quelques liens pour néo-blogueurs — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:18:35 +0000

[...] Grow Up with your Readers (ProBlogger Blog Tips); [...]

By: Charles

Charles — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:04:25 +0000

Had you ever considered that we may be suffering from skitoma? That is: we only see what we “want” to see and “blind” to everything else. Haven’t McDonalds really been addressing us all, all along no matter our age? They seem to appeal to us all from 2 to 102.

Their advertising has not “hit” me so much since their .19 cent hamberger and .10 cent fries back in the 50′s.

By: Jermayn Parker

Jermayn Parker — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 01:47:42 +0000

Only two words: HUNGRY JACKS :P

By: Dave Starr

Dave Starr — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 01:07:21 +0000

Great thoughts in this one, Darren. I’ve seen several conversations going on lately on this broad area. ProBlogger.net, for example, has a good organizational menu structure in the heading to help beginners. But I’m sure there are better ways.

this has inspired me to get my blog re-design back in motion and get off of just a stock all the posts in a loop WordPress default and organize my posts better to aid both new comers and the more technically sophisticated.

RE: the McDonald’s example … their marketing has followed essentially the same track in the US. Actually, right now they seem to be a bit stalled and floundering … Maybe the McOxygen tents are a good idea LoL. But their “grow up” formula in general is a fantastically powerful one and worthy of every blogger’s thought. (Ever notice how Disney re-release “Snow White” and other classics every 20 years or so?)

RE: Tangents. I enjoy your tangents and like the fact that you always give warning before you diverge. But remember one thing … in common English usage we seem to have made “tangent” only a negative word. But in railroad and highway engineering where it is still a very precise and common word it has one simple and positive meaning … a straight line connecting two curves. (as you should know since you live near one end of the longest tangent railroad track in the world *smile*)

By: Darren Rowse

Darren Rowse — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:00:42 +0000

Nneka – you’re right – these days they do target their ads more – but when I was growing up things were not that targeted (at least here in Australia). I’ve seen studies that analyse how McD’s targeted my generation in this way in Aus and grew up with us.

Others – I’m not saying this will work in every case – but that it has in my own and I suspect will work well in other niches.

Perhaps without the McD’s illustration I could have written that one strategy that some blogs find helpful is to:

- target ‘beginners’ when you start your blog
- broaden your perspective as your blog develops to include more intermediate and then advanced articles.

Perhaps this is also more applicable for ‘how to’ or ‘tips’ type blogs.

Thanks for the feedback all.

By: The Henry Gold Official Blog » Grow Up with Your Readers

The Henry Gold Official Blog » Grow Up with Your Readers — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:23:01 +0000

[...] I recently stumbled upon a post by Problogger. It makes me wonder what marketers have done is completely wrong. [...]

By: JennDZ

JennDZ — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:23:53 +0000

Wow, this is a really good idea. I am thinking of starting blogs on other topics beyond the travel one, so I am going to apply these principles for sure!
Thanks!

By: Nneka

Nneka — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:45:10 +0000

Huge caveat, McDonald’s tailor’s its ads based on the channel. For example, on the cartoon network, little kids and and cartoon characters are heavy in their commercials, while during the Real World on MTV the ad still has young adults and the cool kids at the register, then during prime time Desperate Housewives, they feature the couple with the huband taking the order.

Different commercials for different market segments.

It’s not so much that their commercials changed, as you changed what you were watching. BUT, they are there every step of the way.

The question is, with one blog, how can you tailor your content to your readers without exposing other segments to content not “appropriate” for them.

Maybe subdomains, categories, folders????

By: Bes Zain

Bes Zain — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 18:45:29 +0000

Good point! We have to adopt with the changing times. This goes along with what I wrote on my site before, that we have to change our approach to blogging in order to “grow”, as you put it. Good observation, btw: today, McDonald’s is focusing more on high school and university kids along with showing single people in their 20′s and 30′s a lot in their ads.

Doug, you are absolutely right. We need to serve both bloggers. Just because the majority or someone new wants something different does not mean the minority or people who have stayed around for a while cannot get what they want. It is a hard thing to please both, but it is possible!

Off-topic: This post made me hungry, and a thought: many people considered the earlier ads with the clown creepy. :p

By: Edward

Edward — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:52:24 +0000

It’s better to focus on targeted visitors rather than ‘growing up’ your readers , or perhaps can serves both beginners and experts at once

By: TheAnand

TheAnand — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:19:35 +0000

I am not very sure about this idea. . .like i have been blogging for almost 3-4 months now on a consistant basis. but i have failed miserably in getting comments on my posts. . .what feedback do I have? Heck, I dont even know if anyone is reading, though my stats hover pretty much around the same level

By: Grow Up With Your Readers by Blogging Pro

Grow Up With Your Readers by Blogging Pro — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:07:43 +0000

[...] Darren Rowse has a post on his Problogger.net blog where he talks about growing up with your readers. You start a blog, keep it simple and as it goes on, you slowly post more and more thought provoking and “grown up” posts. [...]

By: Doug Karr

Doug Karr — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:53:35 +0000

But readership isn’t linear, though, it’s dimensional. If I start reading your blog today and Brandon has been reading for a year, don’t you need to serve both readers? I’m not sure ‘growing up’ is a good strategy. Diversifying may be a better approach.

By: carl

carl — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:11:12 +0000

nice post. I love the idea. well it’s true. like mcdonalds they grow up with their costumers that’s why we love them:)

like sir darren did, we grow up with him:) that’s why we love him hehehe