When you write, who are you talking to?
Do you picture a specific person you know? Do you address her by name? Is your tone familiar and warm because you know this woman personally?
I’m sure you’ve heard this advice before – to write your marketing materials to one specific person. I’ve heard it many times… and I don’t do it!
Because it feels presumptuous. Who am I to address you, like I really know you? What if what I’m writing about is super elementary to you? Isn’t it forward of me to market to YOU directly like this?
Of course, you’ll never know I’m talking to you unless I tell you. So the risk that you’ll think me presumptuous is entirely in my head. But still, it feels vulnerable to write directly to you, because it means admitting that I look up to you and your work and would love to collaborate with you.
One time my colleague Susan was speaking with a prospect about something very personal – her experience as an immigrant. After the call she decided to write about it like she was telling her story directly to him.
She pictured him as she wrote, maybe she even addressed him by name in the copy (she didn’t use his name when she published, though). She sent him the blog post to share her story, without revealing that she wrote it to him.
He became a client.
I LOVE Susan’s story because my favorite part of my job is the relationships – and storytelling, sharing experiences, even writing (which for ages was the only way people could communicate over distances) build relationships.
Susan’s experience came from connecting with someone about a specific topic. Then she wrote further about it. If you have a conversation like Susan’s as a starting point, that’s great. Or, like in my case, you can riff on something you’re thinking about and STILL write as though you’re emailing or telling a specific person – even if they never see your writing.
Why bother, though?
- Narrow your focus: picturing someone ensures that what you’re saying is helpful to a real, specific person. Otherwise, you might try to address too many topics at once. It’s counterintuitive but true that casting a narrow net is more effective than a wide one.
- Warm your tone: I’m a fan of writing the way you speak – not in a transcription way, but in a way that has the same warmth and familiarity as when you talk. Sometimes I see clients who write with words, phrases, and a tone that they never use in real life. It comes across stilted.
- Enjoy yourself: it feels friendly to picture a specific person when you write. It feels personal and connected. Instead of talking to the void you’re talking to the woman you just met at the summit. It reminds me of how I feel when I write to my email pen-pals.
I really truly wrote Dear Valerie at the top of this post when I started. Will she ever know that I wrote this to her? I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. It helped me focus, wrote comfortable, and feel connected while doing it to imagine I was talking to her!
Picture of Yours Truly by Sam Czeh.
This post is part of my 100 Blog Posts in 100 Days series. View the rest here.
