GrammarPhile Blog

Use the Right Words to Attract Your Audience

Posted by Conni Eversull   Jul 20, 2016 7:30:00 AM

Listen to me!With the overwhelming content requirements marketers face in today’s digital society, it’s more important than ever to make sure your content attracts your target audience. But you must also keep the search engines happy.

How do you accomplish this and turn your writing into reader-friendly business communications? Do your research and understand your readers’ needs.

How Well Do You Know Your Target Audience?

The good news is that you can easily learn more about your targets so you can write more engaging content.  If you’re a business-to-business company, things you want to know about your target audience are:

  • What job responsibilities do they hold?
  • What companies do they work for?
  • What industries do they represent?
  • What are their typical job titles?

If you’re a business-to-consumer company, things you might want to know are:

  • How old are your prospects?
  • What is their profession?
  • What interests or hobbies do they enjoy?
  • Where do they live?

If you can’t answer questions like these, you need to take a step back and learn more about your readers. If you don’t know your audience, you can't write content that grabs them.

For example, if your audience largely consists of biker enthusiasts, it's likely they won't respond favorably to writing that’s flowery or overly upbeat. Instead, you might want to incorporate a more rebellious or independent tone.

But don’t stop there. You also want to know their needs and, more specifically, why they must have your product or service. Knowing this helps you write content that:

  • demonstrates why they should purchase from you instead of your competitor.
  • shows how you can solve their problems.

If there's something keeping them up at night, your content should present you and your product or service as their only viable solution.

The more you understand your target audience, the more you can speak to their needs. If your audience is in a technical field that includes lots of complicated jargon or concepts, you will need to take things a step further.

Researching Your Audience’s Style and Lingo

If your target audience is highly immersed in a medical, technological, or other highly skilled industry, it’s important to use language familiar to them in your content. Not only does it engage your readers but it also builds trust and credibility.

One way to learn your readers’ language is to study examples of how they talk. Go where your audience is. This could be a variety of social media platforms, blogs, or forums. Pay attention to the content and take the time to read their comments. These are precisely the people you are trying to connect with.

You can also sign up for trade newsletters or magazines. This will serve several purposes:

  • you'll learn how certain things are phrased.
  • you'll stay abreast of what’s new in the industry.
  • you'll keep on top of current needs or challenges.

You may also want to attend trade association meetings or shows to connect face-to-face with prospects to get a true feel for their lingo.

Conclusion

Overall, the more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to incorporate their language in your business and marketing communications. Conduct an occasional survey. Pay attention to what your audience is saying on your blog or social media content. Using this information to your advantage will help your audience see you as a trusted partner.

Understanding your audience will let them know they’re in the right place to have their needs taken care of. Perform research regularly to stay ahead of the game, engage your audience, and speak to them directly for the best results.

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Topics: business writing, search engines, seo, business communications

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