Use This Simple Hack to Increase Your Engagement Rate By 10X
The secret hack top authors use to get more readers to engage with their work.
Do you have an audience? If yes, do you know exactly who they are? Can you clearly define them?
When you sit behind your laptop or desk to write, whose picture do you hold in mind as the would-be reader?
Any serious writer must be able to answer these questions without stuttering. I’ll explain why.
Most amateur writers make this mistake
One of the most common pitfalls amateur writers fall into is writing without an audience in mind.
I get it: you have something to say. It’s burning in your heart: it’s making you go mad. You just want to get it out. But nobody cares if it doesn’t directly address them. Nobody will read it if they don’t think it’ll help them.
Readers don’t care about you. They have their own problems―loads of them. If you’re not going to help solve those problems, they’re not interested in what you say.
Readers care about how the words make them feel, not necessarily about who is saying them.
No matter how lovely or lofty your writing is, if it doesn’t promise to make my life better or at least easier, why should I pause to take a look? I mean, I have more than enough to worry about already.
Who you should be focused on while writing
Dear writer, your writing is not as much about you as it is about the would-be reader.
Think of it this way. Companies don’t put out products and services because they feel like it. If they try that, they will most probably go under. They don’t offer stuff and hope customers will suddenly need it. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Companies produce stuff and offer services because they have identified a need. They seek to meet a need — to solve a problem. And they can’t do that if they don’t know their target — their customers. It’s the same thing with your writing.
In business, the customer is king. In writing, the audience/reader is key.
Before you protest that I should not compare your fine piece to a product, pause for a minute to think about it.
If you want to be the sole reader of your piece, then you can write whatever you feel like. If not, then you have to decide who exactly your target audience is before you start bleeding on a blank page. Trust me, it’s in your best interest.
Writing with an audience in mind helps you focus your efforts.
Writing without clearly defining your audience is like shooting randomly into the sky, hoping to hit a bird. Odds are that you’ll never make a hit. Really. The reason is simple: a lack of focus.
Writing with a clearly defined audience, however, is like aiming at a particular target. You have a higher chance of not only making hits but also missing less. Read that last sentence again. There’s more.
The secret to increasing your engagement by 10X
When you write with the audience in mind, you can easily relate to them and reach them. You can use a register they’re familiar with. You identify (with) their problems and pain points.
This enables you to offer customised solutions. You sound like an expert on the subject. The audience can connect with you because you come off as someone who knows and understands them. Because you do, in fact.
When you know your audience and write with that knowledge, you’re able to craft words that resonate with them.
Why do you like your favourite writer(s)? One certain, prominent reason is that it seems they’re directly talking to you 90% of the time.
The ultimate goal of writing is effectiveness. How you define that is based on what you write. But it’s the truth.
You want your piece to have an effect on the reader. The effect could be humour, education, inspiration, action or even a change of behaviour.
You want your piece to do something — to be effective. And this can only be achieved when you know to whom you’re addressing what you’re writing.
If you don’t write with the knowledge of your reader, your writing might not get in front of the reader, much less achieve the intended purpose.
How to apply the magic trick like top authors
You might be wondering how you can write with an audience in mind. It’s actually easier than you think.
The first step is to clearly define your audience, just like a firm clearly defines its target market. Define them in simple, clear terms—in fact, in the simplest of terms.
This is achieved by careful categorisation. For example, “tech start-up owners,” “beginner bloggers,” “amateur freelance writers,” etc. The point is to recognise the distinct crowd your writing addresses.
Now, here comes the best part.
Narrow down the group you have identified to someone you know — someone about whom you have ample knowledge. You can easily hold the image of this individual in your mind when you write. Then write as if you’re conversing with this one person.
For instance, I wrote this piece as if I were conversing with a particular trainee of mine. This way, I know she’ll find this piece helpful, which is enough fulfilment for me.
The best part is that anyone in the same situation — and many are like that — will find this helpful too. This is the goal, after all.
Try it next time you write. It’s a small change that will bring great results.
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section or let’s talk here. You can also join my inner circle to receive insights like this and other useful updates directly in your email.
