Blogging Tip of the Day: Vol. 3

Blogging Tip of the Day: I'm not going to tell you HOW to write, because you either have that or you don't, but I am going to give you some advice on how to handle an audience. It took me around ten years to fine tune the ability to handle an audience for a blog, and the secret is right in front of all of us. Study up on your stand up comics, and you'll be half the way there. It comes from an old saying in the a-hole industry, that nobody can heckle a good comedian,
There are a lot of reasons for why a good stand up comic can handle an audience, and here is the context that you need to put it in for handling your own audience.

1. The comedian has a quick wit: Yes this is the first reason, but not the most important. As funny, or clever as a heckler thinks they are, they are an amateur and the professional is on the stage. The comedian can chop apart a heckler in very few words and usually just dangles them along like a spider does it's food. Now keeping this in mind you MAY NOT be all that quick of wit, or you may. As the moderator of your content, you also have all the time in the world to think about how to address whatever it is you are addressing. DON'T fly off the handle. I have found most hecklers in a blog get sick of you if you patronize them with kindness.
2. The comedian has the microphone: Most of what the heckler says, can only be heard if the comedian wants them to be heard. They can easily drown out the heckler, if they want to. With that said remember that you are the author and most people come read what you wrote and don't even pay attention to the comments. Most of the people who pay attention to the comments want YOUR opinion, and not the jerks opinion. Of the tiniest little fraction that cares about what the jerk said, most of them think the person is a jerk and enjoys watching you handle them with class, The one in a million that prefers what the jerk says to what you say, will be the next jerk so get practicing.
3. The comedian knows the heckler adds to their brand: That's the real secret. The heckler adds to the brand of the comedian. Every jerk they vanquish, every time they reveal how clever they are is just another polished piece of armor that adds to their brand. The same holds true for a heckler in your audience. Usually after I have reduced a heckler to "I know you are but what am I" I will point out that they have helped me build my brand and that I appreciate them for it. This drives them absolutely batty, and they almost always stop talking at that point, when they realize that you are correct. They actually HELPED you not hurt you.

Keep all of these things in mind, and cue up your favorite comedian on Netflix. Get some entertainment, but leave with an education that will help you take on the world as a blogging extraordinaire!