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Know Who You are Writing To and Reasons Why

Who are you writing to? Do you know? Do you really know who you are writing to? How much thought have you put into this question? Do you just have a general idea like women ages 25-48 or do you just wing it? Here you will go through a few steps to know who you are writing to and the reasons why.

(This post may contain affiliate links. What does that mean to you? Well, if you click on a product and make a purchase, I may receive some compensation at NO charge to you. If you want to read the boring stuff from my full disclosure can be found here.)

A big problem many bloggers face is not knowing the answers to those questions.

I don’t mean having a general idea of your audience. I mean having a clear picture of the ONE person…your favorite reader…your friend.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”When you know who you are writing to, things will come together easily. #blogging #contentwriting #betterblogwriting #knowyourreader #readeravatar #blogger #itsasouthernlifeyall” quote=”When you know who you are writing to, things will come together easily. “]

Let’s take a look at my reader avatar. As you read, you will notice that I have a clear picture of my reader. I use this avatar when I am writing about productivity and organization.

“Betty is a 38-year-old widowed mom of two girls ages 7 and 9. Betty lives in a suburban area close to many family and friends, which are lifesavers when life throws her curveballs and she needs extra support. She is a teacher and works part-time 3 days a week in the afternoons as a dance instructor.

Betty loves the farmhouse look, DIY, and crafting with her daughters (if she can find the time). She is always looking for ways to save money and time. She wants to be able to do more with her children and have a small amount of time for herself, but can’t seem to fit it all in.

Betty has friends but has very little time to spend with them outside of work or school activities. Her friends and family worry about her because she devotes so much time to her work and creating a better life for her little family. They worry that she will wear herself out because she doesn’t pay attention to herself and they are always trying to help her so she can have more time. Even with help, Betty can never seem to carve out time for herself because she puts everyone else first.

Betty secretly feels she is losing her own identity and wants to reclaim a little of her old self but doesn’t want to be selfish. Sometimes she feels very alone because she is afraid to share this with anyone.

Betty does read a lot of self-help articles and blog posts. Betty also has dreams to eventually have her own business, she just hasn’t pinpointed exactly what it is at this time.”

Do you see how having a detailed avatar like mine above can assist in your writing? When I write to Betty, I have a deeper connection with my entire audience because Betty is my ideal reader.

I read once that to have a successful blog, you don’t need to:

• be the best writer
• know everything in your niche
• have the most expensive theme or training
• have a perfect blog look

BUT you DO need to understand your reader!

Did you just nod your head in agreement? Good! That’s the reaction we ALL need to have.

If you’ve read my post How to Write Valuable Content Readers Crave, you know I believe you shouldn’t write your posts to your entire audience.

Yes! You want to connect with all of your readers. But you can’t connect when you are writing to the masses. A true connection with your readers happens when you narrow your focus. You understand WHO your audience IS!

So let’s get to know our reader!

Why should you create a reader avatar?

1. Writing will get easier. When you start writing to your friend, you will find it gets easier to write. You know her. You know what she likes, what she is struggling with, what she wants to accomplish in life. Having a conversation with your friend is easy.
2. Picking topics to write about will get easier. When you are writing to a large group you have less focus. You try to please too many people, which is impossible. It’s harder to decide on your topic when you have too many people in mind.
3. Growing your audience is easier. Do you subscribe and revisit every blog? Of course not! You are drawn to writers you feel a connection with. It is the same for every reader. When you have a specific reader in mind, your writing will become more personal and SPEAK to your audience. Your tribe will find you and visit often because you are authentic!

How to identify your perfect reader?

Use demographic information

Demographics are stats that can define a group of people. Brain dump everything you have collected concerning your readers so far.

Here is a list of a few common demographics you can collect:

• location
• age
• gender
• income
• education
• marital status
• children

This information can be found through Google Analytics and Pinterest Audience Insights.

Get Personal

Demographics are your basics. But to get a clearer picture of your true reader, you will need to get more personal. This is where you will start to form a character…your perfect reader.

Really consider the following:

• your reader’s needs and wants
• where does your reader work
• what is your reader’s spouses occupation
• does your reader visit other blogs
• what is your reader searching for

Get to Know Your Reader Even Deeper

Fleshing out even more personal details will help you fully understand and define your reader. The more attention you pay to the small details, the clearer your picture of your reader will become.

• what are your reader’s dreams
• what might your reader fear
• does your reader have a secret
• what are your some of her struggles
• what problem does she need solved
• how can you help her

Obviously, the deeper you go with the sketch of your reader analysis the more knowledge and focus you will have when writing. When I think of Betty, I can picture her struggles and what she needs help with. I can see her rushing out of the door with her girls, hoping to make it to work on time. It is easy for me to write directly to her. It’s easy for me to know what she wants to read.

Once you know who you are writing to, have created your avatar, and become friends, you will find writing to your friend is easier than writing to a group. Trust me, I didn’t believe this would help my writing at first until I created an avatar.

Do you have a detailed avatar? Describe your avatar in the comments…this might help other bloggers if they are stuck on the details! I can’t wait to hear from you!

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