Successful writers can only become so if they consider (always) the audience who will be reading, or in some other way experiencing, the product of their efforts.
Here are a few tips to consider:
The big, easy question is ‘Who is your audience’ but the oft-overlooked question is the important one- WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Defining your audience is one thing – you can name them, categorize them and more, but if you don’t have any solid way to apply that information, it is useless
Some ways to answer this question would be in terms of:
Word choice, structure, pacing
Goals, expectations, motivations
Some important categories that may have profound influence:
Age, education, income, family, occupation, lifestyle
These factors tend to have the greatest impact on decision-making, money spent, POV, and motivation- write accordingly
Motivation
What does this audience want? What are your goals? What will motivate the audience to act, think, believe as you want them to?
What language choices, research, style will help you reach your audience more effectively?
These tips should always be on your mind as you write, but perhaps more importantly as you edit.
How do you connect with your audience? Share any tips you have in the comments.
Happy writing!