Laser-Targeted Articles: Speaking Directly to Your Audience
With these tips, gain laser-like accuracy when writing articles for your target audience.
Effective writing starts with knowing your audience and communicating to them in their language. When your audience gets the sense that they are being spoken to directly, they’ll understand the message better and be more likely to consider your advice. In other words, they’ll get the sense that your article was targeted at them with laser-like accuracy.
When you understand who your readers are, you come closer to connecting with them through the written word. With this connection comes trust and credibility that’ll have the audience continually coming back to you for more.
Here are 3 tips for writing laser-targeted articles for your audience.
- Consider Knowledge Level
Know the knowledge level of your audience. This level dictates the amount of industry lingo and detailed information allowable in an article. Keep in mind that the information included in each article will make it uniquely suitable for a specific audience. Including more advanced information might mean the average reader will have a hard time understanding the content. However, the industry experts in your niche may find a lot of value in this content. If you write more general content, the industry experts will be bored, but the general public will be more likely to understand the content. To take advantage of this fact, write for your ideal audience.
For a more diversified readership, write separate articles for each of the different knowledge levels. The goal is to make your target audience feel like they are being spoken to directly.
- Manage Expectations
Manage what you expect of the reader when introducing fresh ideas or concepts in each new article. If you were writing about putting up a “do-it-yourself” fence around a backyard, you’d explain how to do so with things that can be found in the typical household (hammer and nails, non-commercial construction tools, etc.). Expect the average “do-it-yourselfer” to have more complex tools than they have, and you’ll leave them frustrated. However, a situation like this provides a unique opportunity for you to use creativity and come up with alternatives. For example, if you feel the “do-it-yourself” task may require the purchase of an expensive piece of equipment, you might offer alternatives to purchasing, like renting, borrowing or other creative alternatives. Otherwise, your readers might end up making a poor purchasing decision on their way to getting the job done.
- Stay In Touch
Article writing and marketing isn’t designed as a method of two-way communication, but listening to your audience is a great way to stay in touch with them and identify your target audience. The key is to search for clues as to who is reading your articles. This includes asking for comments or feedback on what you’ve written. Then, use these clues from your core readership to enhance your writing.
Also, stay in touch with the natural environment of your niche. Writing original content that is relatable to the audience is a whole lot easier when you use that environment to inspire new ideas.
Incorporate these tips when writing your next set of quality, original articles to ensure you’re writing for the correct target audience. Leave a comment to share your own tips for learning about your audience and staying on target.
Which is, indeed, a logical choice.
I would do the same, and have done so when an article was rejected. EzineArticles could greatly improve the time it takes for articles to reach the audience (which should be the important reason for writing in the first place) by noting WHY there is a problem status.
What happens is you get an e-mail that tells you there is a problem but never any immediate explanations. It then takes time to react, and then you wait for the explanation after you have written.
All that time could have been spent editing and submitting again, thus removing all the red tape involved – and shortening the time it takes to go through the process.
I hope Chris will take action on this, because we are not the only ones to be frustrated by the lengthy procedure involved at this time.
August 24, 2010 at 9:22 AM[Reply]
Henrik,
You bring up a very valid point. One we are always looking to improve. For the most part, when articles are sent back to you with a blanket email of explanation, it means your error is common enough to fall into an area that can be delivered this way.
When we cannot use these emails, we reserve those explanations to come from our Member Support team who are trained for these grayer issues.
Sometimes, what we see to be a simple fix, you may be overlooking and more confusion is built. If you have questions, our team will respond back to you within 24 hours.
Look for more changes to come with this process in the future as we are always looking for more effective ways to communicate with you and the time in which we deliver our responses. :)
August 24, 2010 at 3:14 PM[Reply]