Know Who You're Targeting

[image error] No matter what you are writing, you will be more successful if you understand your reader's likes and dislikes.

Whether you are sending an e-mail to your boss asking for his support, writing a paper for your 9th grade English class, or drafting a novel or non-fiction "how-to" book – you will be more successful if you comprehend the attributes of your target reader.

If you identify the characteristics of your reader, you greatly enhance the potential of achieving results.

Almost all of us write messages fairly often, whether as an e-mail, tweat, Facebook entry, complaint to service provider, or potential client. Every time we write something—wherever we say it with written words—we have an opportunity to make something happen. The first step to writing effective messages or attracting readers is to know who we are trying to reach.

Is it someone who is always in a hurry and thus will only read part of your message? Is it someone who needs to be convinced, requiring more details? Is this a procrastinator who you know will need follow-up messages to achieve action? Is this a group of people who you don't know? Does the group have any common characteristics you could address? Or, do you have no idea about the recipient, suggesting a more general approach?

Once you have identified the characteristics of your readers, you can better address your message to them.

John Lock, in his book "How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!" highlights "Know Your Target Audience" as one of the four attributes that helped him be successful. He defines target audience as "a tiny niche out of all the book buyers in the world", and this niche includes those people who will read your book. To reach those targets, he recommends that you write, blog, email, and build loyalty to that specific group.

How we find the characteristics of our target readers is up to us. Locke suggests, "When defining your target audience you'll be like an FBI agent looking for a fugitive." Whatever method you use, consider the value of writing to that specific group with its specific characteristics—preference for amateur sleuths, crazy about lady vampires, not fond of violence, require humor, hate description, love dialogue.

Once we understand our readers and what they like, we can write an article or book that they will be more likely to read.

What the Experts Say: Who They Target

How do authors define their target readers? The next entries in this blog are comments from published authors on this topic. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for taking the time to share their expertise with us.

To find that specific group of readers who will want to explore our works, we authors need to understand what turns them on.

I write mysteries. So primarily, I am looking for readers who like to read and solve puzzles.

My readers are not looking for extraordinary heroes. To the contrary, they enjoy unlikely heroes who respond successfully to unsavory events. They prefer independent women—not romantic wimps—and expect them to be smart and have a sense of humor.

My readers are not necessarily looking for great literature, but they do want to learn something—but not too much. They will stop reading when they encounter any "ouches" like a key character on one page hates coffee and is found drinking his third cup in the next chapter.

My readers like character development and appreciate interactions. They don't like a lot of sexual description but love innuendo, especially if it's humorous.

As you compose your message, novel or instruction manual, remember you are directing your words to readers. They will be more likely to read your output if you consider their likes and dislikes

Joyce T. Strand, Author
Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries
ON MESSAGE