This week’s column from Dan Ariely may offer the key to how to get more people to read your blog.
Here’s the question he received:
The only way I can get my kids to eat fruits and vegetables is to reward them for it, usually with screen time. My sister allows my nieces to eat as much fruit as they want, whenever they want. In fact, her family refers to fruit as “nature’s candy” (but trust me, her kids know the difference between a grape and a lollipop). So far, neither of these methods is working for my family particularly well, but does one sound more promising to you? —Louisa
And here was Dan’s response:
Many parents use rewards to get children to do things they would otherwise resist, such as eating healthy foods. This approach might work in the short term, but over time it may cause children to resist fruits and vegetables even more, because they will view eating those foods only as means to a reward.
When it comes to framing fruit as candy, your sister is onto something. I might not go quite that far, but a related approach could be to limit fruit consumption in the same general way as candy consumption. A series of studies found that when children were told that they could have only a limited amount of a certain food, such as carrots, the kids not only preferred carrots to a more bountiful snack option but ate more carrots and enjoyed them more than kids who chose carrots over a snack in equal supply.
Studies with young children are tricky, so there could be many reasons behind these behaviors, but it seems that the fear of missing out is one important driver that gets us all to partake of items that are in short supply.
The part in bold offers a technique that may help get your kids to eat their fruits and veggie, but it seems like it may also offer advice for bloggers.
Looking for more followers or more comments? Maybe you don’t have to offer them a reward after all.
Maybe all you have to do is somehow create a fear of missing out.
Tell your readers that the current post can only be viewed by a certain number of non-followers, and once that number is hit, only followers of the blog will be able to read it. The readers will not want to feel like they might miss out on something, so they will happily become a follower. Of course, no need to let anyone know that there is no such limit on the number of non-followers who can read your post.
And if you’re looking for more comments, let the readers know that you have created a filter that only accepts high-quality comments; all others will be rejected. Since everyone thinks that everything they write is of high quality, they will want to test the filter, and lo and behold, their comment gets published. This will make them feel all warm and fuzzy and confirm their high opinion of themselves. And they will be forever grateful to your blog for confirmation of their greatness and will become loyal followers and commenters.
I realize that this way of gaining followers and comments may seem a little deceptive, but so is the way Dan suggests for getting kids to eat carrots. And besides, no harm no foul.
So if you want to guarantee your ability to read more of my blather, just become a follower.
And if you want to measure your ability to leave brilliant comments, just write one. And if it gets posted, congratulations on your brilliance…
OH gosh! Hmmm… so if this comment is posted that mean I am brilliant? Cool!
I have no problems eating fruit, veggies I may be a tad more picky about. Though now broccoli with a cheese sauce on it is good, a lot of cheese.
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congrats; your comment has been deemed brilliant.
except for the putting cheese on broccoli part…
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Ahh! Thank you! 😉
But covered in cheese is the best way to eat cooked broccoli! Or in the sauce that Chinese restaurants use.
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Sounds a bit like reverse psychology. Never worked on my kid, but then again never worked on me. After all he is my kid. Keep us posted, if you stats soar.
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I doubt if anything will happen with my stats. I think the key to strong stats is quality posts – I gave up on that a few years ago… 🙂
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One of the traps that parents run into is rewarding their kids too much. It seems so obvious to me, yet I see parents doing this all the time. Life doesn’t work that way, and we don’t get rewarded every time we do something. I’ve seen parents create these little monsters who develop an attitude of “what’s in it for me?” I’m not an anti-reward guy, but they lose their effectiveness if you use them all the time. I also think parents can reinforce the idea of intrinsic rewards by saying things like, “How did you feel when that woman smiled at you when you held the door open for her?”
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well said, Pete.
intrinsic > extrinsic
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Thee onlee replize allowed too this hi-kwality coment will be replize that ar uv ekwally hi kwality.
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Looks like Jim’s filter isn’t working since your comment went through. I thought it only happened to brilliant people!
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whut ewe say?!
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not too baaaaad…
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“Haha!”
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🙂
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the filter gives high marks to puns, sarcasm, and nonsensical comments…
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Oh help!
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now these are the sort of quality comments that will help my blog grow…
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Glad too help.
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👍
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Let us know how it’s working out for you 🙂
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as you might expect 🙂
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Every once in a while I trick my readers and try to write an interesting and informative blog post. It usually backfires as readers are too stunned to comment.🤣
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I’ve never tried that approach; good to know it doesn’t work 🙂
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I work on a form of this theory. I tell my readers that one day each year I am going to post an exceptionally brilliant and moving poem, but I am not sure what day that will be. So, my readers must stop by each day to check or miss out on the one good one.
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I like that approach – but I think you’ve already exceeded your quota for this year…
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mine is all over the place with no reward expected at all, except that you might laugh. or not. ) i am actually rewarded by reading great comments from my readers, so i guess the trick is on me, keeping that carrot dangling on a stick in front of me, and you are a part of this.
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I always look forward to the creativity of your posts; that’s my reward…
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Like digging through a toy box )
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My grandson Sebi eats cherry tomatoes like candy. It almost scares me into putting limits on the quantity.
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I guess there are worse things he could be addicted to…
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I’ve read this, and am posting my brilliant comment. Now, where’s my 🥕?
By the way, have your new found crossword skills helped you to work out that Dan Ariely is an anagram of Earn Daily? I’m not so sure he’s real, just a creation to make money…
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I apprecaite your brilliant comment. I’ll ship the carrot to yu now. but there may be a shipping delay because of supply chain issues.
I love that anagram – I wonder if he is aware of it! (or if he really exists)
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On second thoughts, hang onto it and donate it to a local ass – it may not be edible by the time it gets here.
I think he’s fictional…
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Jeez, now I feel pressure to write a brilliant comment.
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you’ve succeeded!
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Fun post. However, I am compelled to note the only lasting rewards are intrinsic. Another way of saying the only way to get readers (not just followers) is to provide quality content.
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and I gave up on trying to write quality posts a few years ago… 🙂
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What’s the difference between a grape and a lollipop?
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one comes on a stick…
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Ok.
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Hi Jim, this is an interesting idea, Jim. I think Dan may well be right.
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I think it’s at least worth trying if you can’t get kids to eat the right things…
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Nothing like this worked for me when my daughter was little. She ate so little. It got to a point that the pediatrician said let her eat anything she wanted to eat. My daughter and her hubby now don’t use any reward system. Their kids used to eat lots of veggies when they were babies, but they soon found other favorites, especially pasta. But each meal, they must eat some veggies, even a couple bites each. My daughter and her hubby have lots of patience to wait until they eat them.
Some kids (people) are motivated by rewards, and not all, as some comments indicated. Great post, Jim.
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thanks for your thoughtful comments, Miriam. I don’t think there is one solution that works for every child. You just keep trying until you (hopefully) find one that does…
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You’re welcome, Jim.
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Reverse psychology works a treat just tell the little darlings that all veggies are for grownups and that they wouldn’t like them anyway and don’t give in easy… make them beg for a sprout..it worked every time …:) x
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I’m glad you found a way that works – reverse psychology can be powerful in the right hands!
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Oh it worked they and their kids love vegetables… 😀 x
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you need to write a kid’s book on how to get kids to eat their veggies!
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Haha… Yes, tell them to eat up or they get it for breakfast x
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that’s another approach that could work… 🙂
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Haha..it does if they think they know you mean it..I never actually did it but they believed I would..haha
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you must be a good bluffer…
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Oh I am…I’ve had lots of practice…lol
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practice makes perfect…
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😅😂🤣 I think that’s funny, Jim.
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thanks, Norah!
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Crafty, Jim. Might appoint you business improvement manager for Cheers, Govanhil….. no salary, I’m afraid….cheers!
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this blog has taught me to work for no money…
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😀
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Haha the eternal parentung problem how to get your kids to do what you want (mostly, eat Veggies)! This, I surprisingly have sidestepped! Charlotte loves Veggies! Once she was eating a green bean and screamed at no one in particular “I LOVE Veggies!!!” 😂😍💕
Hope this makes the comments section!! 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
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how lucky that Charlotte loves veggies.
and this comment scored a 100 for brilliance with my commenting filter… 🙂
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I’m glad your blog has confirmed my brilliance and splendour. Fantastic validation.
Joking aside, I feel this approach really is a very common tactic in marketing and advertising campaigns. Also reminds me of those IOS app ads where it’s like “Only 99999 IQ people can solve these puzzles”
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yes, thank you for your brilliant comment 🙂
and yes, good old psychology at work again, in so many places…
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Woah! A very thoughtful technique 👏
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