Know Your Audience by Giving Them an Identity: The Secret to Writing That Actually Converts. If you want to get readers then do this one thing
Know Your Audience by Giving Them an Identity: The Secret to Writing That Actually Converts
Sarah sits at her laptop at 11:47 PM, the blue glow illuminating her frustrated face. She’s been staring at the same email draft for two hours, trying to write copy that will finally connect with her audience. The cursor blinks mockingly as she deletes another generic opening line about “valuable insights” and “industry best practices.”
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever found yourself writing to “everyone” and connecting with no one, you’re experiencing one of the most common yet devastating mistakes in marketing and content creation.
The Problem with Writing to “Everyone”
Here’s the brutal truth: when you write to everyone, you write to no one. Your message becomes diluted, generic, and forgettable. It’s like shouting into a crowded room where everyone is having their own conversation – your voice gets lost in the noise.
Most entrepreneurs and marketers fall into this trap because they fear narrowing their audience will limit their reach. Consequently, they end up with copy that sounds like it was written by a committee of robots. Their emails get deleted, their blog posts get skimmed, and their sales pages get abandoned.
Why Giving Your Audience an Identity Changes Everything
When you give your audience a specific identity – a name, a face, a story – something magical happens. Your writing transforms from corporate-speak into a genuine conversation. Here’s why this approach is so powerful:
It Forces Clarity in Your Message
First and foremost, writing to a specific person eliminates ambiguity. Instead of wondering “Will this resonate?” you know exactly whether Sarah, your stressed-out entrepreneur, would find this helpful at 11:47 PM on a Tuesday. Your message becomes laser-focused because you’re addressing one person’s specific situation.
It Creates Emotional Connection
Moreover, when you write to a real person with real problems, emotions naturally flow into your copy. You’re not just sharing information – you’re solving Sarah’s midnight frustration. This emotional connection is what transforms browsers into buyers and readers into raving fans.
It Eliminates Generic Language
Additionally, speaking to a specific person forces you to use their language, not marketing jargon. Sarah doesn’t think about “optimizing conversion rates” – she thinks about “getting more people to actually buy my stuff.” This shift in language makes your content infinitely more relatable and actionable.
How to Create Your Audience Identity
Start with Demographics, Then Go Deeper
While age, income, and location matter, they’re just the beginning. What keeps your audience awake at night? What are they secretly afraid of? What do they desperately want but feel guilty about wanting?
For Sarah, it’s not just that she’s a 34-year-old female entrepreneur. It’s that she’s terrified her business will fail, she’s tired of feeling like she’s guessing at everything, and she desperately wants to feel confident in her marketing decisions.
Give Them a Name and a Story
Furthermore, create a detailed backstory for your ideal audience member. Where do they live? What’s their morning routine? What websites do they visit? What books are on their nightstand?
Sarah lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Austin, drinks her coffee black because she’s always in a rush, and has three marketing books she’s bought but never finished because she’s too busy trying to implement the last strategy she learned.
Understand Their Pain Points and Aspirations
Most importantly, dive deep into what they’re struggling with right now and what they’re working toward. Sarah’s immediate pain is that her marketing feels scattered and ineffective. Her aspiration is to build a business that gives her both financial freedom and the respect she craves as an expert in her field.
The Transformation in Your Writing
Once you have this identity locked in, your writing will naturally become more direct, more compelling, and more conversion-focused. Instead of writing “Many business owners struggle with marketing effectiveness,” you’ll write “Sarah, I know you’re tired of throwing marketing strategies at the wall and hoping something sticks.”
The difference is night and day. One sounds like a textbook; the other sounds like a conversation with a trusted advisor who truly understands.
Your Next Step: Meet Your Sarah
The most successful marketers and content creators don’t just know their audience – they can picture exactly who they’re talking to. They write every email, every blog post, and every sales page as if they’re sitting across from that person at a coffee shop.
Here’s what I want you to do right now: Stop writing to “potential customers” or “my audience.” Instead, create your own Sarah. Give them a name, a face, and a story that makes them real to you.
Ready to transform your marketing from generic to genius?
Join Michael Cheney’s Millionaire’s Apprentice program and discover the advanced strategies that turn ordinary entrepreneurs into marketing masters. Learn how to identify your perfect audience, craft messages that convert, and build a business that serves you instead of enslaving you.
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Don’t let another day pass writing to ghosts. It’s time to write to real people with real problems who are ready to pay for real solutions.
Post by peter Hanley coachhanley.com