This video has been around for over a year now (I made it just after ProBlogger was last redesigned) but I think it’s particularly relevant for this time of year when many bloggers are looking at refreshing the look and feel of their blog.
First impressions matter both in real life face to face interactions with new people that you meet AND the first interactions you have with new readers. In this video I examine 5 ways you can improve the impression that you leave on first time readers and give three questions to ask when thinking about how to leave good impressions on readers.
Of course overarching all of what I mention is that your content needs to be of the highest quality to create a good first impression. Your design, titles, tag lines etc can all be amazing but unless you’ve got something useful and unique to say – the first impression will not be as good as it could be.
Further Reading:
- Run a First Time Reader Audit on Your Blog – mentioned in the video.
- How to Craft a Blog Post – a series that covers how to create content that makes good first impressions and that particularly focuses upon crafting titles and opening lines as mentioned in this video.
- 21 Ways to Make Your Blog or Website Sticky – once you’ve made a good first impression it then comes down to ‘hooking’ new readers and making them loyal to your blog. This post shows you how to do it.
![How to Get Dreams Out of Your Head [And a Video of Me Wearing Tights]](https://problogger.com/wp-content/themes/problogger-redesign/build/placeholder.png)
Great introduction on this video!
Great first 3 seconds actually !!!
Hi, Darren — Thank you for making me think about what “first impressions” my new blog is giving. I hope that my blog will grow into a trusted resource for those who want to improve their business writing. If I can convey a trustworthy / professional impression, I’ll be on the right track. I like your use of video — very effective.
The community provides the habitat—the place where particular plants or animals live. Within the habitat, organisms occupy different niches.
A niche is the functional role of a species in a community—that is, its occupation, or how it earns its living. For example, the scarlet tanager lives in a deciduous forest habitat. Its niche, in part, is gleaning insects from the canopy foliage.
Great opening to the video. Can be a bit daunting for newbies when they see all the videos out there, but straight away the video made you look “normal” with all the cuts from outfit to outfit. Think I’m going to give that a try!
Very well done video, Darren. Should be very helpful for those starting out.
Thanks for the great Video Darren, Very interesting and useful video thanks once again
First Impressions count…alot…
Hey Darren,
i am very thank full is this video and great information of website promotion..and can u help me that how to increase website in USA, Canada, UK, London etc…..country.
Great article. Your subconscious makes so many invisible decisions and reviews when you meet someone for the first time. If you can put a smile on your visitor’s face, you go along way to keeping them. Great article, thank you for sharing.
Great post. Loyal readers are key to long term growth and success.
That’s something I am lacking at the moment and look forward to improving. Thanks for the post.
Hey Darren,
This post is in “Weekly Video Post” on front page, but it looks like there were no new videos since this one. Have you been busy with something else?
Well just thought I’d let you know since it makes visual impression that front page and the blog was not updating.
But it is still a great resource, probably the best for bloggers and it is in my Google reader. Thank you.
Great article. You’ve given me a lot to think about.
Hi Darren!
As a first time reader of your blog, you seem to give a great first impression to me. As a blogger in the third month of blogging life, I wonder how to improve the first impression of my site. I can certainly think of a few things: If I were a reader, what would I think of my site? Is the appearance appropriate to the content? Are the posts too text-dense? Am I writing from a position of authority? Are the titles catchy, keyword rich, and relevant to the post content?
But … hm ,,, can one split test blogs the way one split tests websites on Google? Test and measure for higher performance? For those with enough traffic and courage, one could test the same site over time (three weeks this way, three that way) after making no-brainer changes.
Peter Rubel
Getting loyal readers for your blog is really a tough job, but i will surely follow your advice to increase my blog readers. Thanks Darren!
First Impressions ARE EVERYTHING! You only have 1 chance to make a good first impression! That is FOR SURE..
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Darren,
Just bought yours and Chris’s book PROBLOGGER.After seeing your video I’m confident that your book was written with your goal of helping others get started and not just a money making proposition.I haven’t created my website yet but I have a few ideas and I’m sure this book will be valuable in my decision on which direction to go with my site.
Have a good one,
Jerry
Darren,
Thanks for this video. When I was searching for information concerning starting my own blog, there were many sites that I visited from the google search engine. I must say that the sites I stayed the longest and subscribed to were the sites that were clean and neat. To have a good chance of keeping a reader is firstly great content, BUT you have to have great site design to keep them. From the information I’ve learned here and a few other blogs, I am now in the process of getting my own blog started.
I agree with Trenia. I’m still working on my site design/blogs…it’s a work in progress. I’m pleased thus far. But more than that, I’m enjoying writing quality, useful and purposeful content, keeping my audience in mind–parents and educators. I’m starting to get regular readers, and for that I am thankful. Hard work pays off eventually
Wonderful video!
I agree that first impression is very important.
In fact, this is my first time to visit your blog and I’m pretty sure I’ll be checking in regularly. :)
I think that applying your own personality on your post is equally important too.
Isobel
First impression will determine if a person will like you or not, and it is applicable not only in blogs but in everything you do as well.
nice video by the way.
Actually i’m envious, you made this site, probably youre getting lots of money from it. And not only from this site.
But im very thankful to you that you make videos and share your knowledge. Will bookmark your site and will read it every day, there is so much information to read on here.
Thanks again.
Thank you for this! You’ve given me a lot to think about.
This video is almost two years old
Can’t you create another video?
It is not that difficult
I am so bored of this video
As a REALTOR, seems we never run out of things to say. Thank you for giving me some guidance as to the direction…or coming up with one that I would like to pursue with my blog writing. This will be more productive than if I just write to share…thanks again.
Good post Darren,
When you respect the readers time, you are forced to delete excess. It’s a constant process.
J. Smith Adams
http://freelancemoney.wordpress.com/
First impressions rest forever for two persons feeling connected
In terms of first impressions, I have a helpful tip: Next time you post a video make sure you use a lapel microphone. Ambient sound on video gives the viewer an amateurish perception of the content rather than the professional one you want to exude.
Otherwise, the post is great. Very helpful advice.
If you have read Seth blog about return on investment in design, it must be freak out that design the value to high return, somehow difficulties appear to choose the right design for your blog, better ask a consultant on that one.Cheers
really liked you advice about the tag line…I am going to add one.
Hi Darren,
It’s amazing nobody commented on the first three seconds of your video! It’s certainly different and captivating.
Your video here touches an IMPORTANT point.
Lian
Thanks for this video. It’s great to get the reinforcement about first impressions. Now . . . HOW to be sure your first impression is a good one. I like the idea of soliciting advice from your readers. Thanks.
Thanks again Darren, as usual there are some good nuggets to be mined from problogger.
TDC
TheDailyChange
I guess that old saying remains forever true that “First impression last” so it really matters.
I’m glad I saw this video. It gives me a target to fix my blog’s issues. I’ve been trying to move traffic to my site(see above) for ages, and I’ve not been able to. I seem to be retaining visitors, but I’m just too hard to find.
I liked the video and it is true we go by our first impression. I also though like a home-made site that has a genuineness about it and personal stories and doesn’t look too professional. For different health issues for instance, I’d rather read an account of all the methods someone used to get rid of warts and his ratings of them instead of a polished looking site with good copywriting.
Deb
Very well done.
It is my intention to have a blog that explores my movement away from the high speed nature of urban living without leaving the city that I love. As I work on the development of my own blog Make a Change of Pace I will keep your advice in mind.
Kristine Maitland
http://makeachangeofpace.blogspot.com/
Darren nice article.It is very useful for bloggers like me . I want my blog to look like a professional website because I need to represent some of the world’s most respectable and elite watch brands . Thanks to the experts like you,I have succeeded to make my blog to look like a hi tech online journal.The only thing you need is little bit mastery over HTML codes and lots of creativeness.
hi, darren. thanks for helping us become better bloggers. your daily posts are inspiring . . . thank you.
Darren, thanks for reposting this video as I missed it the first time around. Of course, I found your tips “right on,” but I also LOVED the introduction sequence [and the music too, as I’m a blues player in my spare time!]
I just went through a major redesign and reconceptualization of my own blog, now that I’ve been at it for more than two years. After listening to your suggestions, I’m really glad that I undertook the task. I think, with my 2 years experience, that my blog now makes a much clearer impression.
Thanks.
I loved this video, so I’m going to take you up on one of your challenges: asking those of you in the blogosphere to check out my blog and let me know what your first impressions are, what you think I’m trying to convey and how I can improve my blog.
I would really appreciate it.
And I’m double-dipping, as I’m also promoting it as I write this; I’m a breast cancer survivor writing about medical advocacy.
http://www.bethlgainer.blogspot.com
Nice article. People need to be real and transparent building a relationship first and the sales will come.
First impressions should not be misleading, too.
I guess that old saying remains forever true that “First impression last” so it really matters.
Thanks for presenting the nice facts and information.
As always i like your post.
Thanks for the info. Blogging is a great way to turnover visitors and has been very poductive with regards to my affiliate marketing.
Thanks for the post, very useful information!
One thing I would add is to stick with your niche. You don’t want your readers getting a confused first impression due to the fact that all your posts are about different topics.
Darren:
Thanks for the video, it has helped my brainstorm for a few ideas of my own to implement. Keep it up!
I think using video and the owner of blog talking in video give the audiance know that the blog is real, not just for ads and income only from adversting.
I like this idea. I will recommend this article to my friends. Thank you