Basics on How To Write For Your Target Audience


When you started your blog did you see yourself as a writer?

I’m not talking about those who currently make their living writing because I think deep down inside they always had that burning desire so I’m sure the written word always seemed to flow much more easily for them.

I’m talking about people like you and me.

When I was younger the only way to address someone besides talking on the phone or in person was to write them a letter or send them a card.

I was always told that I “had a way with words” but I never thought or even considered the possibility of becoming a writer.  The reason why is because I don’t have an imagination for stories.

My brain isn’t wired that way although I did write an occasional funny, silly or cute poem just for the heck of it.  I even wrote one a long time ago for my best friend who was dating this girl he really cared a lot about.

I knew them both so well that it was easy to write that poem.  When he gave it to her he let her believe that he had written it so she never learned the truth.

They eventually married and had a son but she unexpectedly passed away when their son was only five.  He asked me if I would read the poem at his service because it was light humor but spoke a lot about where they were at that time.  That was the hardest thing I think I’ve ever had to do but was so touched that it still meant so much to him after all those years.

Words can do that for us you know!

Over the years the hand written letters became fewer and fewer as did those poems.  Like with most people I suppose, our careers got in the way.  I was an executive assistant for so many years so most of what I was writing was strictly for work.

After I came online I was taught to stick with the professional tone so that I would be taken more seriously.  I was told that’s what people wanted.

I guess in the beginning most people did but over time the trust factor started dwindling because of all the scams that were out there.  We started becoming leery of the written word.

That’s when things started to take a different direction so I’m hoping that your writing did as well.

Your Message Is Unclear

Brian found himself where I was 10 years ago.  He went the corporate America route because when we were young we thought that was the only way to make a living.  He’s been online now for a few years but hasn’t seemed to be progressing.

The company he’s currently working for is fixing to downsize and he’s scared to death that he’s going to get the axe.  The problem with corporate world today is that 1) there are fewer jobs available now and 2) they certainly don’t want to hire someone older.

It’s now or never to get this business going in the right direction or his future is going to start looking very bleak.

Brian approached me asking for help so I had a look at his blog and I could tell exactly what he was doing wrong.

Like so many blogs I run across today, their messages aren’t clear.  They’re all over the place and I’m not exactly sure what it is that they do.

When I hear people complain about not getting good results and I take a look at their blogs it’s not surprising to me.  They’re not clear about what it is that they do so of course they’re not attracting their target audience.

Know Who Your Audience Is

There are literally millions upon millions of people online today trying to create some type of business.  You can no longer depend on old strategies for your future.  If you want to survive you have to take matters into your own hands.

So we start a business and luckily we’re not all here going after the same niche.  The good thing about this I believe is that we don’t really have to worry about the competition because it’s up to each of us to attract the right people to us and I think that can be done because we are each unique and special individuals with our own messages to share.

Brian was progressing rather well with his writing.  He had recently started transitioning from his professional tone to a more relaxed and conversational tone.

His problem moving forward was figuring out who her audience really was and how to write for just them.

I hired someone earlier this year to help me with my own audience. I knew who I wanted to work with but I definitely wasn’t attracting them.  I could sympathize with Brian actually so I knew I could help him moving forward.

I think it might help you more if I perhaps give you some examples so let’s use the blogging niche since that’s my niche as well as so many others.

I would hope that most people who have come into this money making venture would have learned that you need to enter into a specific niche.  Going way to broad like blogging about blogging is not the smartest way to go.

Why you might ask?

Because you do know how many topics blogging could cover right?  Let’s start with:

  • Why you should blog
  • Choosing a domain
  • Choosing a hosting service
  • How to install a blog
  • What theme should you use
  • Setting up your plugins
  • Defining your niche
  • How to write posts
  • What opt-in offer should you include
  • What is your product/service
  • How to grow your list
  • How to get traffic to your blog
  • How to promote your content

And the list goes on and on and on…  See?

To write to your target audience it’s best to narrow down your niche and cover something much more specific.

Maybe you just love WordPress and enjoy teaching people how to set up their blogs, what themes they could use or plugins.  How to get around in their dashboard or understand more behind the scenes things that go on with our blogs because we all know there is a lot.

Maybe you’ve done really well with building your list so that’s an area that you feel you’ve become quite the expert in so you can help people learn how they can have success in this area as well.

Or maybe you’re just great with the written word so you can teach them more about copywriting so that their posts will jump off the screen and really entice every reader that lands on their blog.

You have to go after an area that you’re very good in and then figure out who it is that either really wants what you offer or who you really want to work with.

Once you have that figured out then you need to write to just them.

Your Specific Message

My specific message today with this post is reaching people like Briaan.  He’s been in corporate world for years now but has always had that entrepreneurial spirit and eager to have a business of his own.

He was hoping to build something up so that he could hand in his resignation, not get the pink slip before he was ready.

He’s been at this for a few years but hasn’t been progressing.  He knew he had an issue, he knew his blog wasn’t moving forward but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what he was doing wrong.

Brian knew he needed help because reading about how to move forward and then taking those action steps are two different things.  We need that help, that advice, that direction from someone who has been where we are and is doing the same thing.  Who is having the success we all know we can have as well.

Your message needs to speak to that potential client, that audience that is looking for what you specifically can help them with.

Your message needs to address one person who has one problem and you have that one solution.

Your message needs to grab their attention so that they’ll want to keep coming back to your blog time and time again.  Your content will resonate with them so that when they’ve read enough they’re ready to jump in and make that investment in whatever service or product that you offer because they KNOW you’re the person that can help them.

That’s what your message has to do for them and when you do this on a consistent basis then you’ll start to attract the right audience.

Your Ultimate Goal

I hate to see anyone spinning their wheels.

We all love blogging but we’re not getting our desired results.

Your ultimate goal should be to get the readers who have fallen in love with what you share to buy from you.  They are going to have to read at least 10 pieces of content from you before they’ll make that buying decision.

You have to be in front of them that many times so you have to keep reeling them back in.

Hopefully you’re doing this with the written word or of course that includes other methods as well such as social media posts, videos, podcasts, Slideshare presentations, interviews, guest posts, webinars, etc.  As long as you’re in front of them helping them with their problem then hopefully they’ll connect with you in such a way that they’ll want to work with you.

Are you accomplishing this?

I hope you’re not like Brian who has just been spinning his wheels and not progressing.  Brian has decided to work with me so I can help him move forward and he can finally reach his ultimate goal.  He’s tired of wasting his time and it’s time that just may be running out for him.

Let me know your thoughts about this topic and if you see yourself possibly floundering as well.  We’ve all been there my friend, you’re not alone.