The biggest fear writers have when they write is that readers will hate what they say. The challenge is not that you are a poor writer; the problem is you have the wrong reader. That is why it is vital to understand your reader’s psychology.
As Bryan Kramer stated, all business is Human 2 Human. That means you need to have a picture of the human you want to talk to in your article, book, or newsletter.
Create a picture in your head of what they look like when they read your content.
For example, I have a buyer persona that I use called Frankie Finance. Frankie is sitting in bed at night next to his wife. While she reads about politics or a novel, Frankie reads 3-5 pages of personal and professional development every night before he goes to sleep.
While I know Frankie is not real, he embodies the type of person I want reading my book. When I write to him, I understand what he wants. It removes the fear I have that my writing sucks and will not be valued!
I also see myself in him a bit. I used to be a mortgage broker. Now I am an entrepreneur. I read books first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.
Because I can associate with my audience, psychologically I know that I present them with the best content. It makes me more confident when I write. It is when I switch between different audiences as a freelance writer, I sometimes forget to change personas.
After a while, my writing gets jumbled. To stop the mixed thoughts in my head, I take a breather and think about how my audience experiences the content. How does my content measure up? If it is just a blip in the radar, then perhaps I need to go through it one more time to make it better.
Either way, by understanding the psychology of what my readers want, I feel more confident in creating the content they need most. Psychology works in tandem. You learn as much about the client as possible: then you gain the confidence to help them.
Quick Action Steps to Understand Your Reader’s Psychology
1. Keep studying your audience. Read the books they read and watch the movies they watch.
2. Be grateful that as you grow your confidence, your content for your audience improves.
Note: this is an excerpt from Your Writing Partner. Get the full book on Amazon.
