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It is often said that it is important to write for your audience. But what does that really mean? How do you determine who your audience is?
If you write for whom you think your audience is, you might be missing out on a completely different crowd.
Consider Your Audience - Three Major Members
Write for the researchers. The people in the beginning phases of purchasing are researching to learn more about the products or services that they’re looking for. They may not even really know what they’re looking for at all, so it’s crucial to be very general and to refrain from using jargon or other industry-specific terminology.
Someone well-versed in internet marketing is very familiar with search engine optimization (SEO), but for a small business owner who just started a website, they need more broad references that make sense to them. Explain everything in layman’s terms, and you’re likely to get a repeat visitor when they move to the next phase of audience participation.
Write for the shoppers. The next member of your reading audience is the shopper. This is the person who has done the research on the topics and has a pretty good understanding of what it is they’re looking for. Now that they know enough about the product or service, they’re ready to do some comparison shopping.
Target your shopping readers by including more industry-specific terms and arm them with information that will make them want to pick your product or services over your competitors. You can include side-by-side comparison charts that show the benefits so that they want to come to you when they’re ultimately ready to buy.
Write for the buyers. After they have done the research and have made comparisons between competitors, the buyers are ready to convert. They know enough about what they’re looking for, so your writing can be very specific and can include a lot of terminology and facts that will make them want to buy your product or service.
Your buyers want quick information that makes them want to convert, so give them the info they want quickly. When writing for your buyers, consider giving them links to any customer service, warranty, shipping, or refund information as applicable.
Although I only post to this blog once a week on writing-related topics, I was baffled on what I was going to write about today.
I figured that I couldn’t be the only person who has had problems coming up with a topic to write about, so this post is dedicated to helping others find inspiration.
Four Ways to Get Inspired to Write
Read about what you want to write about. One of the easiest ways to get inspired to write is to read what others have written on the topic. If you’re writing about writing, read blogs/articles/books about writing. Do a Google Blog Search to see what’s been written, and sort your details for relevance or when it was posted.
Find pictures then write to match the image. I stumbled upon a cool site, a Flickr Related Tag Browser, that searches Flickr’s database and offers suggestions for related images based on tags. I found the image above by searching for “books.” Although my post isn’t about books or reading, it is what I used to get inspired to write.
Don’t write. If you don’t quite know where to start your writing, get inspired by not writing at all. Watch television, take a walk outside, play a video game, or just clear your mind by meditating. Some of the greatest ideas for writing come when you’re not writing.
For many, writing isn’t as easy as sitting down and putting words on paper. It requires a lot of forethought, organization, and patience. While you may not consider yourself a writer per se, anyone can write. As my dad always says, “If you can speak, you can write.”
Before you put your ideas on paper, brainstorming allows you to get any ideas out of your head. There is no one way and there is no right way to brainstorm. That’s the beauty of it. Whichever way that allows the ideas to leave your head in as quick a manner is best.
The “creative types” defined in this book are men. The men are the advertisers and are the creative geniuses behind all great ads in 1979. This chapter begins by saying, “Housewives spend most of their time in the marketplaces; creative people spend most of their working lives in comfortable offices.” The first subheading, titled “In Defense of Women,” says that “women have been around long enough and are tough enough and canny enough to look after themselves.” It’s crazy how much has changed in just 30 years.
There is a distinct difference between editing a site for search engines and making edits for visitors. Traditionally in SEO, adding keywords to a web page falls under the category of editing for search engines. But many don’t realize that adding keywords to your copy can and should be a function of making the site function better for visitors.
The copy of your website falls very distinctly into the marketing realm of website management. Yes, search engines look at copy too, and adding certain keywords can help you achieve search engine rankings rankings, but each page needs to appeal to your readers first.
As difficult as it may seem to believe, 2007 is nearing its end. Where the frick did the time go? As a writer, it’s time for me to look back on the last year and to start thinking about some resolutions to ring in the new year.
Read. It is often said that the best writers are great readers. In order to master the language, you have to read it and fully submerse yourself in it. Subscribe to other writers’ blogs to get tips, subscribe to Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day emails, and just read anything to expand your mind. One of my favorite books about how to be a better writer is Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing. Make this the top of your list, and you’ll be sailing through the year with plenty of ideas.
Write. As simple as it sounds, sitting down and writing can be an arduous task for some. Set aside time every day to master your craft. Keep a journal or tape recorder with you at all times to note those fleeting ideas as you drift off to sleep, wait in the doctor’s office, or sit in traffic. As a writer, you constantly have ideas jumbling through your brain, and by getting them down on paper or on tape, you can visit them at a later time when you’re ready to create your content.
Accept. No one likes to hear negative critiques, especially if it is in relation with something you’ve poured your heart, time, money, etc. into (i.e. your writing). The only way to grow as a writer is to accept criticism and revise your work. If you have a relationship with your editor, the community, etc., perhaps you can ask for feedback by getting the praises first and the shortcomings second. Don’t look at the critique as an act of faultfinding; rather, look at it as an opportunity to improve your craft.
Connect. By joining critique groups, attending conferences, and meeting up with other writers, you will be able to talk with like-minded people that share the same interests as you. Plus, depending on their areas of expertise, they can offer insight into your frustrations with content development. While you may be frustrated by not being able to come up with ideas, those who are closest to you (spouses, coworkers, friends, etc.) may be getting equally as frustrated in their inability to help you.
Overcome. While writing may seem easy to some (my wonderful coworkers say I’m just a typist), it can be quite formidable at times. This gets increasingly more difficult with writer’s block, negative criticism, and rejection. Overcome all the fears that we face as writers, and just sit down and write. Stephen R. Covey said, âOpposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition - such as lifting weights - we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.â Develop your writing muscles by overcoming your fears.
Hire Stoney deGeyter or the rest of the Pole Position Marketing team for your in-house training, conference or other search marketing events. Contact us for more information.
For many, writing isn’t as easy as sitting down and putting words on paper. It requires a lot of forethought, organization, and patience. While you may not consider yourself a writer per se, anyone can write. As my dad always says, “If you can speak, you can write.”
In 1979, Alastair Crompton wrote The Craft of Copywriting: How to Write Great Copy That Sells. Two weeks ago, I wrote Social Media Marketing: How to Win Friends and Influence People, a post about how a book written 70 years ago has principles that still apply today, especially in the realm of social media. While much of the basics of copywriting will always apply, one chapter of Crompton’s book, Talking to the Housewife, is already pretty outdated.
. Make this the top of your list, and you’ll be sailing through the year with plenty of ideas.
