Connecting With Your Audience

Let’s be honest. Have you ever noticed that a lot of writing is actually fairly boring? Yet even if everyone else is creating dry, mediocre content, you don’t have to. You can determine that what you say will be interesting as well as informative. And one way to do that is to really connect with your audience. So how do you create this connection between your words and the hearts and souls of your audience? let me share a couple of tips… Tell Stories Stories are good ways to connect with your readers, because a story tends to help you form that emotional connection. It helps the reader identify with you. And a story is much more memorable than simply telling a reader what to do. You can write this story about you or someone else. Either way, however, the story will be more impactful if the main character is very similar to your readers. So if your readers are stay at home moms, then you’ll connect to them better if your story is about a stay at home mom who overcame some of the same problems she faces. A story which inspired you. A story can also help to demonstrate to your readers that you really understand them and their problems. And when a reader feels like the author understands him, you can bet he’ll keep reading. Create “Reader Oriented” Writing Your readers have perhaps read plenty of articles, reports and ebooks on the same topic as the one you’re writing about. However, a lot of this content is “author oriented.” That means that it seems to be more about the author rather than the readers Example: You might read a book about having a good marriage in which the author seems to boast repeatedly about his credentials or delve into personal stories that actually aren’t of interest or relevant to the reader. One way to quickly check if your writing is author-oriented is to see how many times you’ve used words like “I” or “me” versus how often you use words like “you” and “yours.” You want to use more “you” writing, since this is reader-oriented writing. Let me give you an example:

• Author-oriented writing: “I’m going to tell you about how I lost weight.”
• Reader-oriented writing: “You’re going to discover a weight-loss trick that’s worked for me – and it will work for you, too.”

Engage the Audience If you’re writing a “how to” article, then it’s easy to fall into the familiar pattern of writing a straightforward article: “This is step 1… this is step 2…” Basically, it’s the same kind of article everyone else publishes. Instead, engage your audience by freshening up your writing. This includes: Adding in your own tips. In particular, include unique tips and tricks not found anywhere Using stories to illustrate points. Be sure to engage all five of your reader’s senses to really bring him into your story. Inserting examples to make things more clear. Just look at the way I gave an example of reader versus author-oriented writing above. Including “spiced up” writing. For example, instead of merely describing someone as nervous, you could say “He was so jittery he could not stay in his chair.” You’ve painted a picture in their minds which is always more impactful. In sum… You’re writing with a purpose, whether it’s to teach your readers something or just to develop a good relationship with them. However, these goals are possible only if your writing engages and connects with your audience. Use these tips and watch your connections flourish! H