6 tips for audience-focussed writing

Audience-focussed writing means writing content from the reader’s point of view. This means writing the information in a logical, sequential order, using appropriate language and providing the answers to the questions the reader wants to know. An easy way to assess both order of information and actual content is to write down the top 10 questions you think a potential client might have. You can then organise your points in the order that they might ask them.

Below are some more tips to help you write in an audience-focussed way:

1 Use plain English

Plain English is a style of writing that conveys the message in the simplest and shortest way possible. It allows the reader to concentrate on the message instead of being distracted by complicated language.

Some points to keep in mind are:

?keep sentences short (approximately 15 – 20 words)

?use one idea per sentence

?write with clarity and avoid unnecessary complexity

?avoid technical jargon

?write coherently by structuring content logically and linking ideas smoothly

?check spelling, punctuation and grammar

?double-check figures, times, dates, phone numbers and other specific details.

2 Use attention-grabbing headlines 

Use thought-provoking headlines that contain a benefit, identify the reader’s main needs or concerns or answer a question.

3 Sell benefits not features

People don’t buy products, they buy experiences. Translate your product into an experience that relates to the core needs of love/connection (your client is worthy and belongs), significance (your client is important) growth (your client can experience personal growth) or contribution (your client can make a difference).

4 Stir the senses 

People experience the world through their five senses - visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), kinaesthetic (touching and feeling), gustatory (tasting) and olfactory (smelling). Knowing this, you can help the target audience really experience what it is you have to offer by ensuring language appeals to the senses.

5 Establish credibility

Be the expert - answer the client’s questions and address the most likely objections using engaging language, relevant statistics, case studies, testimonials or other third party verification. 

6 Have a call to action

Now that you have gained attention, piqued interest and built desire, it is time to ask the reader to actually do something. This could be to phone or email for more information, make an appointment or receive a free information pack, fill in a coupon, make a deposit, subscribe to a free e-newsletter or ask a question online. Many brochures and websites include an offer and response mechanism on every page. 

Find out more about audience-focussed writing at www.brandcode.marketing