People Don’t Care about What You Write — That’s How to Write for Them
Five steps to find your reason to write and spread the word out.
In case you have been living under a rock in the past decade or so, let me introduce you to TED’s probably most iconic talk: How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek. With only eighteen minutes, Sinek takes every truth we have known — or thought we have — about marketing and the human mind and shatters it.
He shows us — beautifully — why people truly do what they do. Either when they decide to buy a brand or support a certain cause. The true magic, according to Sinek, isn’t in the brand itself. It’s beyond it.
Since we are all content creators here — and our brand is us — it may just be disappointing. And confusing. So let me clarify why people truly read your content, and how to keep them coming back for more, based on Simon Sinek’s iconic TED talk.
Step One: Understand What Makes People Tick
If you take every great story, every great brand or even a life-turning event in history and analyze it, you’ll notice a pattern. And no, I am not talking about how incredibly talented the people who created them were. Because the truth is, you don’t have to be unearthly talented to succeed.
You simply have to understand what makes people tick.
Every successful brand, story, or event had one thing beyond it: an ideal. They either revealed a hidden truth about the world or gave us an ideal to identify with. In short — they gave us the way beyond the what. The way beyond the brand. A reason to truly connect to this product so we will come back for more.
Let me give you an example: one of Disney’s most loved ads: The Little Duck, a 2018 commercial for Disneyland Paris. This commercial is genius. And it makes me cry every time. What Disneyland Paris tells us in this commercial is that it isn’t the best amusement park. You won’t find the most delicious food or the best shows there.
It’s where the magic happens. So if you believe in magic, you should take a few days off from work, hop on a plane, and go straight to Disneyland Paris. And if you don’t believe in magic, this isn’t the place for you.
The first step is the most crucial one. If you don’t understand why beats what every time, you will only get so far. People don’t stick around for what you write. They stick for the why— the added value — you can give them. The ideal — the hidden truth — behind the words.
And now, when you understand that, it’s time to find that said value.
Step Two: Find Your Why
If you write for the money or the fame, you’re reading the wrong article. Because when I say you have to find your why, I certainly don’t mean for these two.
Sure, earning money from doing what we love is every writer’s dream. Being known by everyone is a nice touch. It thrills us just to think about it. We can almost see it. Feel it. Smell the intoxicating scent of success.
But what happens when you don’t make as much money as you expected to? You earned a nice sum at the beginning, then hit a glass ceiling. What happens when you don’t reach thousands of followers as you planned, or worse — lose the followers you thought you had?
At the end of the day — when writing becomes challenging and tiring — you have only yourself. And it is you who have to convince yourself to keep going.
If you want to find your why for writing, you have to find a meaning. An intrinsic reason that is rooted deep inside you no matter how hard writing becomes, you won’t give up.
When you have a reason that comes from within, eventually, it’s going to burst out of you. And that is the foundation for leading with your words.
Step Three: Reverse the Order
In his eighteen minutes of enlightenment, Sinek does more than explain what motivates people. He shows us how to use it to attract the right audience. The kind of audience that will follow you through sweat and blood because they believe in what you believe in.
How to do that?
Reverse the order. Instead of telling people how to do things, show them the why first. Include in your bio why you are here— what you’re offering. Is it making a difference? Learning and growing? Exploring our writing journeys?
Remember: when people have an ideal to identify with, they will follow you throughout almost everything. This is why being upfront about the value you offer is the greatest way to attract the right audience. First, show us the why. Then show us the what.
Step Four: Think of the Reader
If you attract a loyal audience, they will want to reach the same goal as you do. Not for you, but for them. It becomes a shared why. A connection between the writer and his audience.
That’s why you have to address the why in your writing. To keep reminding people why they are here. It’s not enough to include the why in your bio. Now that you have hooked us in with your — our — goal, show us the path to achieve it. Over and over.
Show us the path to take this way and use it in the hard times. Step by step, practically instead of theoretically. Think of the readers and their everyday struggles. You’d be surprised to learn what others face during their journeys.
Engage with your audience. Ask questions, comment, and pat your readers’ backs when times are tough. It will show them you are more than a brand — you are a shoulder to cry on. It will teach them to rely on you and put their faith in you. It will give them a safe place to revisit whenever they want to.
Step Five: Lead
You have understood what makes people tick. You have found your why — your true why — and have been upfront about it from the start. You keep writing with that why in mind, and that’s what pulls people in.
Now it’s time to spread the word out. To lead. It is time to help others find their why and embark on a journey. And to do that, you have to become a role model.
You have to become your biggest fan.
I often stop and ask myself if I truly take my advice to heart. If I truly believe in them. If I find out I don’t, I stop and change directions. Because the truth is, you can’t lead without believing in your path. Without being honest about the hurdles you face along the way. And certainly without following your advice.
When you complete the fifth stage, that’s when the fun begins. It is when you — and your audience — take action.
What is your why for writing? I’d love to know! Feel free to leave a comment!
Until next time.
