Perspective is so important when writing content for your website or blog! Are you telling facts and figures and patting yourself on the back — or are you informing your audience about what they probably want to know. Here are some steps you can take to write for your audience.
Know your audience.
You’ve probably heard us talk about this before, but have you done it? Get crystal clear on who your audience is before writing your copy! Even if you feel like you know who your audience is, carve out time for this step. It is valuable, but often overlooked.
I like to call this leaving your map and getting on to your client’s map instead! You need to look at the world through your clients eye. It’s hard to do and takes practice. You’ll notice your personal bias make appearances, but try very hard to understand the world from a different perspective.
I’ll give you a personal example. Let’s say your friend struggles with anxiety and you used to have anxiety. The first reaction might be to tell your experience and to offer up all of the tools that worked for you. Have you ever heard the concept “what works for one person, might not work for someone else”. Your experience could bring a sense of connection and be full of helpful tips, but assuming your methods of easing anxiety will work for your friend too is not putting yourself in their shoes. Maybe their anxiety is social anxiety, while yours was something completely unrelated.
While your story might be helpful and appropriate, make sure it is offering helpful support. Take a moment to pause and think about how you were feeling when you were in their shoes. Meet your audience where they are at with the same understanding, compassion and support that you would have benefitted from during your journey.
Action item: Take some time to brainstorm these topics:
- Who is your target audience?
- Do they have hobbies? How do they like to spend their time?
- What problems do they have?
- How can you offer solutions to their problems?
- Do they have any FAQs? What other questions might they have?
Don’t give away too much information.
This is not because you should be greedy! Being an expert in your field means that you know A LOT! It is helpful to remember that not everyone has the same education and experience that you do. If someone is just coming to you, but knows nothing about your industry, mentioning too many jargon phrases or advanced concepts will be overwhelming, and honestly not inviting.
Actually, too much information in general can be tough to swallow. Aim for curated information! Think about what you really want your audience to know and how you can achieve that efficiently.
Action item:
- Write about what the goal of your content is!
Call to action – Don’t assume your audience knows what to do with your information
So you’ve captured your audience by answering their questions and giving them curated information. Don’t let them go without offering to help! Without this step, you’re making your audience take extra steps to search through your website to connect the dots on how they can work with you. Make it easy for them and just tell them which service you think is right for them and offer an easy way to contact you!
The great thing about business is we’re all connecting with different people. Figuring out which people you want to connect with is a great start. Let us know who your audience is!