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Audience

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audience   buyers   content   copywriting   ecommerce   researchers   shoppers   website   write   writing

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It is often said that it is important to write for your audience. But what does that really mean? How do you determine who your audience is?

If you write for whom you think your audience is, you might be missing out on a completely different crowd.

1. Write for the researchers. The people in the beginning phases of purchasing are researching to learn more about the products or services that they’re looking for. They may not even really know what they’re looking for at all, so it’s crucial to be very general and to refrain from using jargon or other industry-specific terminology.

   Someone well-versed in internet marketing is very familiar with search engine optimization (SEO), but for a small business owner who just started a website, they need more broad references that make sense to them. Explain everything in layman’s terms, and you’re likely to get a repeat visitor when they move to the next phase of audience participation.

2. Write for the shoppers. The next member of your reading audience is the shopper. This is the person who has done the research on the topics and has a pretty good understanding of what it is they’re looking for. Now that they know enough about the product or service, they’re ready to do some comparison shopping.

   Target your shopping readers by including more industry-specific terms and arm them with information that will make them want to pick your product or services over your competitors. You can include side-by-side comparison charts that show the benefits so that they want to come to you when they’re ultimately ready to buy.

3. Write for the buyers. After they have done the research and have made comparisons between competitors, the buyers are ready to convert. They know enough about what they’re looking for, so your writing can be very specific and can include a lot of terminology and facts that will make them want to buy your product or service.

   Your buyers want quick information that makes them want to convert, so give them the info they want quickly. When writing for your buyers, consider giving them links to any customer service, warranty, shipping, or refund information as applicable.

Let your audience know that they’re making the right decision in selecting your services over your competitor, and you’ll be sure to have repeat customers or generate referral business as a result.