Do you know who you’re talking to?

Literally, can you picture the person on the other side of the screen reading your social post, your email, or your website? Keep reading, and we will figure it out together (well, at least start to).

Can you answer these questions about your target audience?

1. What do they like to do for fun?
2. What kind of car might they drive?
3. What education or job experience do they have?
4. What type of problems are they experiencing in life?

Obviously, you can’t know every intricate detail of each person that may come in contact with your company, but you should have a very good idea of the person you are writing for. After all, it’s the person you are expecting to buy from you. 

If you have absolutely no idea how to answer the questions above about your target audience, then I challenge you to take a few minutes and work through the prompts below. 

Let’s get started!

1. If you have a storefront, think about the type of people you see come through your door. Can you identify patterns? Great, write them down!
2. If you’ve had clients, make a list, and then answer as many of the questions above. See any patterns? Great, we’re making progress!
3. If you’re just starting, and you haven’t had any clients yet, then think about the product or service you are providing (or, going to provide), and write down what problem(s) it is going to solve. I am guessing you’re creating a service or product for someone like yourself, or a type of person you know well, so write down the problem(s), and then write down the type of person that experiences those problems. 
4. Once you have a list of patterns that you see in the people you’ve seen in your store, of past clients, or of the people you know have the problem(s) you’re trying to solve then answer the rest of the questions I originally posed. 
5. Did you do that? Could you answer more of those questions? If you said yes, then you’re at a great spot! 

A snapshot into the life of a copywriter 

This is just a glimpse into the type of work that I do to identify a client’s target audience before I begin writing. It doesn’t matter how smooth the copy rolls off of your tongue, how funny it may be, or how concise the information is presented if you don’t know the person you’re writing for, then it’s just words on a page. 

If you’re writing your own copy, then use the prompts above to help you identify your target audience. It’s a great starting point and will give you a clearer picture of who you’re writing for. 

Ready to hire a copywriter to take care of this stuff?

Have questions about my questions? Drop them in the comment box below!