Learning to Write for a Specific Audience, or Even a Specific Person
Because you really can't please all of the people all of the time
If there’s one way to dilute your writing, your message, and your whole personality it’s trying to produce writing that appeals to everyone.
“I can’t give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time.” — Herbert Bayard Swope
I used to aim to do this. Even if I was writing about a controversial topic like gender roles or racism, I sometimes tried to ‘water down’ my writing, partly to avoid internet trolls who disagreed with my crazy view that equality is a good thing.
I still believe in writing thoughtful, balanced, well-researched pieces on sensitive topics, but I no longer care quite so much about everybody’s feelings. I no longer worry that someone who disagrees with me will (a) dislike what I’ve produced, or (b) attack me in the comments section.
(In fact, if I’m honest, I’ve learned that any engagement in the comments section leads to a boost in the algorithm, more views and more revenue.)
I also don’t worry now whether my writing is attracting (or losing) new followers or subscribers. In fact, I never look at unsubscribes or unfollows. I’m not for everyone and that’s not just okay, it’s absolutely perfect, when it comes to building an audience who are actually eager to hear from me.
Every time someone unsubscribes or unfollows, I’m refining my audience and ensuring that my writing meets it’s market, landing in the feeds and inboxes of those who really want to read it.
I guess it helps that my overall numbers seem to be constantly going up, so even if I’m losing readers along the way, I’m still growing my readership. But far more importantly, I’m narrowing that readership down to the people who, on the whole, value what I have to say.
Your action tips
Take a minute before you start your next piece of writing to get really clear on who your audience is.
Consider not only writing for a specific audience, but even a specific person you know well who is right at the centre of that specific audience.
Do this exercise, not only with each individual piece of writing, but also with your main writing community (such as your newsletter subscribers).
Keep this ideal audience member in mind when crafting individual pieces of content, but also when planning your overall content strategy for the coming quarter or year.
Some thoughts from others I’ve been enjoying this week
Can Introverted Writers Effectively Market Our Books? Absolutely! Here's How. by BadRedheadMedia, LLC
My Obsession With Minimalist Writing: Less Words, More Impact (And More Money) by
13 simple habits that put you in the top 1% of the most focused writers by Alex Mathers
How to Use Other People’s Newsletters to Become an Expert in Your Niche by David McIlroy
What else I’ve been up to this week
Reading: A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville
Watching: Van life videos on TikTok (a lifestyle future me intends to try out)
Enjoying: Exercising like a child
Not enjoying: The UK election dramas
This week’s Medium posts
(Friend links, of course, so you can read for free):
That’s all for this week. If you’re reading this online, feel free to subscribe to get future posts straight to your inbox.
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This is extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing.