Writing can be frustrating, especially when you are worried about making sure your audience remembers you and your goal. When writing, people are often focused thoroughly on making their point instead of whether or not their story will stick with their audience.
An aspect that gets slightly glazed over while writing is the fact that you are not writing for you, but rather your audience. Now, you may be asking yourself, ‘How in the world do I change my writing patterns to better address my audience?’ And luckily for you, we are about to dive into different tactics you can use to make your story stick with your audience.
Be Unique and Unexpected
When writing, you have to connect to your audience instantly to make the impact you want. This requires a good hook to grasp the attention of your audience.
That being said, you also have to be unique and make sure your writing is something that attracts people throughout the entire piece. You cannot have a hook that blows your reader out of the water and then follow it up with mediocre writing.
You must remember that you are you. Write like yourself, and do not try to write something in a way that has already been written. Be unique. Be yourself. Keep your reader intrigued throughout. Don’t worry about sounding like anyone else.
Write Simply and Comprehensively
Everyone loves to sound smart; using ‘big words’ is a societal tell of intelligence, or so it is thought. However, when you write to an academic or higher-achieving audience, you cut off most of your readers. In fact, 85% of general audiences understand information at an eighth grade reading level. If you think about it logistically, writing at a lower reading level allows you to reach a broader audience.
Another aspect to prioritize is writing simply; there is no need for fluff. Take away the things that don’t matter to your main goal, don’t just ramble. Write simply, because it’s easier for all parties involved, and it’s accessible.
Be Credible and Concrete
People love numbers and statistics, and they also love it when they can put faith in what is being said. This is why it is crucial to do genuine research. People put more faith in you and your writing when you have references and evidence to back up your points. If people don’t believe what you are saying, the story won’t stick with them.
(and most importantly) WRITE TO YOUR AUDIENCE
Writing means absolutely nothing if you don’t write to your audience. Writing is taking someone on a journey; you can’t just throw information at them, give them a good set up, and leave them with hope for the future.
You can’t make your audience feel stupid, either. Your goal is to convince them your way is better. Researching and preparing yourself to properly write to the reader you are trying to attract will make the process much easier for everyone. The easier it is, the better it will stick.
Just remember, these things don’t just happen overnight. Keep practicing, have faith in yourself, and give people faith for the future.
