This blog post is somewhat about trying to gain international appeal as well as motivation to get international appeal. You make material for the Internet, so the world will be watching. Can you provide solid content to keep people coming back for more? Just something to think about before you read this blog post.
--- International Appeal ---
^ Why be national when you can be international?
I can honestly say that I have no idea how I became so focused on an international audience in any of my work in the first place. All I do know is that I must be doing something right if other nations like my work as much as some Americans would. There are some nations that view my content more than others. Sometimes, MUCH more than others.
My Theory on International Appeal.
Feel free to quote me if you wish:"You can be the best in your field of study against people in your city, region, or country. However, the BEST way to gauge your overall potential and your total worth is to compare your work against other people in the same field of study from various nations and of various cultures."
-John Marine (me)
In other words...
* ...if you won a beauty pageant against people in your city or state, try a national beauty pageant or even an international pageant.
* ...if you win a Spelling Bee against people in your school, try going to a national (or even international) Spelling Bee.
The most important element of any industry is to understand your potential and compare it against others in the same field. As a blogger and as a YouTube director, nothing is more important to me than knowing my work is appreciated worldwide with hits from worldwide. I remember doing a few YouTube videos regarding what I love about Spain and India. Because of my work, I feel I've gotten a bit better support from people from Spain and India. I am even still surprised to get so much support from people from these two countries even today.
If You Blog About it...
...they will come. At least, if you post something of great quality. I always hope my content can be appreciated worldwide, especially some of my bigger blog topics. I try to put substantial effort in all of my blog posts and in my YouTube videos. My efforts pay off often times.One of my biggest efforts was when I decided I wanted to get blog posts going to expand my range of topics to include Oceania and the South Pacific. Before posting the blog entry of the same name, I got blog hits mostly from (as far as this region is concerned): New Zealand, Fiji, Guam, and one odd blog hit from Vanuatu. Since talking about Oceania and the South Pacific, many more visited JBS (John's Blog Space) for the first time- the Cook Islands, American Samoa, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Niue, Nauru, Kiribati, and Tonga among others. The real big break I got was when I decided to make mention of Miss South Pacific 2010 in Papua New Guinea. I had even posted a blog about sports in the South Pacific. I made mention to the Nauran Australian Rules Football team, and even posted a link to the Nauru team's website. Had I not decide to focus my energy on topics regarding the Pacific and Oceania, I don't think I would have gotten as much support from the South Pacific.
Sometimes, I get some pleasant surprises when certain nations visit a certain blog post. The blog posts usually most visited are my blog posts regarding hair. I sometimes get blog hits from the Caribbean and from African blog hits on braided/plaited hair. I even get some blog hits on some of my Motorcycle Style (which I think I need to do more of to offer diversity) from African nations. To show the appeal of Gran Turismo to the world, I once got a blog hit from Greenland (the big island far northwest of Iceland) regarding one of my Gran Turismo topics.
As long as you post quality content, people will notice and share. I don't just post anything stupid just to draw a negative reaction. I am reminded of some people who post anything online just to get noticed regardless of how senseless and/or insensitive it may be. I would never damage my own integrity by making a fool out of myself in this manner. I have gotten quality comments and feedback from quality people in my time here on Blogger/Blogspot. I have run into the occasional knucklehead at times, but I was able to deal. I tell people on Facebook that people take notice when you make great content. Now, I am no trail blazer to anybody or anything, but I do what I can to generate traffic and draw reactions from the blogging public. There are people who look to my blog and all I've done here for inspiration, but I don't honestly think I am anyone seriously groundbreaking or worthy enough to be featured on websites and TV shows and stuff.
Big Breaks Internationally.
The strength of the Gran Turismo fanbase came into play as I saw my views skyrocket once I posted my blog entry regarding my impressions of the GT5 kiosk demo. I picked up lots of blog hits from GTPlanet and many other different message boards (can't name some of the others immediately). This also included various nations who viewed it. Among many others- the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, San Marino, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, Hong Kong, and several other nations.One of the biggest breaks of this year was when I did two blog posts on two young Filipino singing stars- Charice Pempengo and Sarah Geronimo. It was also where I launched my "Philippines and Filipino" blog label. I never thought I would get so much traffic from two posts regarding two popular singers. Then too, the Philippines is one of my most frequently-visited countries for John's Blog Space.
Never know what one blog post can do for you in terms of getting traffic.
--- Rewards of an International Audience ---
When someone visits from a country or city I am not familiar with, this gives me a chance to learn more about the place. There were some blog hits I found that came from places I'm not familiar with. These hits give me a chance to familiarize myself with certain locations.So what do I do? I sometimes look up pictures and Wikipedia information on locations. This was how I got to appreciate places like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Mongolia, Grenada, and places like that. I got myself to appreciate the beauty of Estonia as well as Slovakia's beauty. I've loved Spain and its architecture for the longest. I even sometimes listen to national anthems of certain locations just to familiarize myself more with each country. The whole deal is about education to me. I want to understand my international audience and familiarize myself better with the world. Each blog hit from certain locations help make this possible.
So the biggest positive for me is in becoming better accustomed with where people are from. This is a learning opportunity for me. Some people just think there is some uneasiness in someone just trying to learn more about places around the world. In actuality, I just want to know more about the world and its people. That is why I went to the lengths that I did (for example) to become interested in the South Pacific. I actually went online and did a lot of reading on various South Pacific nations to become better accustomed to this sector before making quality material in my blog on the South Pacific. I consider Geography my strongest Social Science for a reason. I actually have interest in learning about the world and its people. Blogging (as well as YouTube) helps me gain a better grasp on this concept.
--- Challenges of Gaining an International Audience ---
The biggest challenge to me is in possible cultural differences. When you try to appeal to certain nations, there are differences (sometimes VAST differences) in cultures and in customs. The challenge often times is to try to bridge the gap as much as you can. This is a challenge I often look forward to because this may give me a chance to better understand people from various audiences. Because of this, I gain a better understanding of other people and cultures, and it leads to better appreciation of the world I live in and the people that comprise it.That's the biggest challenge to me- dealing with cultural differences. However, it's dealing with cultural differences while still trying to make quality blog posts. I am not perfect at my craft, but I do the best I can in my craft.
--- Special Salute to my International Audiences ---
It doesn't matter where in the world you are from. You are here reading my blog, and I'm happy. Hopefully you love my content as much as I've tried to make this blog appeal vastly to many people. Just the fact of knowing that people worldwide [at least] visit any or all of my blogs means that I am doing something right in drawing traffic to my blog. I love my American audience, my Canadian audience, and my Mexican audience; but I am always enamored with an international audience. I feel great people and great concepts are appreciated worldwide rather than within a certain international region. I feel that the greatest champions of any sport or competition are those who can be hailed and honored worldwide. I love my international regional audience, but I will not become entirely satisfied with my work unless an international audience appreciates my work in addition to my own international regional audience.This is why I visit other peoples' blogs. This is why I try to post material that I think people will enjoy worldwide. This is why I try to appeal myself to other people with various topics. The main reason- YOU! I hope to continue providing content for people the world over. I am not sure what frontier is next, but I will do my best to try to gain more worldwide traffic and perhaps even meet new people in the process.
--- Final Thoughts ---
What should you take away from this blog post? If you are to become famous online, post material in blogging or in videos. If you are to become validated online, try to post material that as many international audiences can read and appreciate. The biggest thing to remember is quality content. If people find your content to be highly interesting and worthy of sharing to others, you've struck a chord with a certain audience. Some blog posts of yours become appreciated worldwide across many nations. The more you are able to make something great for your blog, the more people will appreciate your work. There are still people who read my blog on Miss South Pacific 2010 and learning more about some of the various contestants from the pageant. It means that people still somehow appreciate my work.Please note something- I am NOT a superstar! I know I kind of sound like I am an internationally-recognized superstar in talking about an international audience, but there are bloggers much more established and respected than I am. There are those who get featured in publications and websites. There are those who may end up on TV programs and such. A big example of established vs. not being established are some of the fashion blogs I follow here on Blogger/Blogspot. Some ladies featured have appeared (or have been mentioned) in publications. Some of them include my blogging friends Michelle Koesnadi at Glisters and Blisters in Teen Vogue, Tuuli of fallie in Teen Vogue, and Allison of Curvy Girl Chic in Seventeen among others. I haven't had these offers or perks of interviews or features ever. I haven't been established in any sort of way or made popular in any serious sort of way. Only thing close was my blog post on my first impressions of the Gran Turismo 5 kiosk demo, when it was linked to by my friends at GTPlanet.net.
I am not an established superstar. All I am is a guy on the Internet who tries to stand out in his own way rather than fit in.
So that concludes this blog post. Hopefully this will give you some insight to maybe push for an international audience. I think you will feel better knowing people worldwide appreciate your work rather than a specific international region. It's a chance for more people to appreciate your work. It all begins with a solid product you provide to your audience. It continues with consistent and persistent quality content to your audience. Why be national when you can be international?
Thank you for reading!
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