Over the past two weeks I have been fortunate to have time with my family in Singapore and Indonesia. With our third child at the beginning of July, it was our babymoon and a last chance to get away with our two little boys for a bit.
Most of our time was spent on Iceland Bintan Island (Indonesia) where we stayed at the Club Med Bintan Island (Note: pictures in this post are all iPhone pictures I took at the resort this week)-a resort, which had been recommended by a few friends.
I have never been in a way quite like this before. We usually try to get an independent apartment in places we visit that we can do day trips from – but with ' V ' (my wife) pregnant and with two active small boys we thought we would go for an all included options such as Club Med, which also had a club as a child and lots of activities on the site so that we had not to travel there once.
When I was at a resort to relax and do something other than blog – my mind (as usual) depart somewhat from the task at hand and I started thinking about what I could learn from the experience in Bintan Island Iceland which I can use my Blogging.
A few things stood – of which I should like to explore today:
When we were bused into the front drive of resort dressed the first thing we saw was 10 Club with staff in the lobby of bright t-shirts waving at us. They knew we came, and a welcome party was out to a large us (and our fellow guests).
We have helped on and off the bus (while the resort's theme music played and staff clapped), we then started in the lobby where we got cold towels and a cup of tea to drink while the head of the resort welcomed us and told us what is expected in the coming week. Her Welcome speech was interrupted only by the personnel around her breaking into applause and cheering on many points.
OK – so it was slightly cheesy, and over the top – but from the very first moment it became apparent that we had noticed and valued and integrated into a resort.
This continued in the next seven days we were guests. It started with a personal tour of the resort and continued every time we passed one of the many servants in hand – at the time they greeted us with a "good morning", "good afternoon" or "good evening" and many times they engaged us (especially our kids) in conversation.
Staff joined us for meals, they went on their way to teach our children and integrate them into children's programmes and at the end of the week a farewell party again gathered to ensure that we and our luggage found our way onto the bus and was thanked for staying (and our children got personal certificates for graduates kids club).
Our latest view of the city was 10 or so bright raiment staff standing in the lobby waving until our bus became a corner of the driveway.
I'll be honest and say first I found the personal attention a bit over the top (I am an introvert and could wait some time, "cave"), but what I noticed during the week was to deliberate welcome and attention as staff gave seemed to "infect" those residing there. I have never been in a hotel or resort where guests came together as much or where the "vibe" that were so positive.
The experience was in sharp contrast to our last hotel in Singapore (one that we paid more per night than a resort in Bintan Island), where there was a real shortage of any kind of personal attention, where the check box in took half an hour and a half where we spent our time on the phone to reception is trying to correct mistakes with our booking.
People don't go simply know more – they want to belong. I discovered this at the beginning of my own blogging (in fact it is part of what attracted me to the media) so the more you can do to welcome and integrate people into the community of your blog and in relationship with you better.
While it is not possible to greet each new readers at the door of a light t-shirt with a wave – there are ways to make sure people have noticed and welcomed when they arrive.
Written in a personal tone about the real problems and questions your readers faceInviting comments in your postsUsing "gravatars" in your comments so people have the opportunity to see his own face on your blog when they do interactResponding to commentInviting readers to contribute with guest postsInteracting with readers in a personalized way on TwitterFacebook, Ustream or other social media
The list could continue.
This is particularly important at the beginning of a blog. When you take the lead in this community building/welcome what then happens is that readers begin to pick up on it and interact in the same way.
You have the ability to infect your blog readers with a culture of inclusion and welcome. What happens when you do this, is that you begin to see readers are taking the initiative in welcoming other readers and build community on your blog.
Somehow I think I am best at creating this culture of Welcome on my blogs. I try but if there is an area that I think all the time I could do more is this.
The challenge of growing a blog past the beginning is to find ways to personal attention to a larger number of people.
I would like to hear how others do it? How do we get the culture of Welcome on your Blogs (large and small)? I am keen to learn from you!
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