• By Brad McGovern
• Published 03/25/2008
• Article Writing

You know, there are a lot of different theories about how you should pin-point your target audience when you write articles. There really is no right or wrong answer or method, I suppose. It boils down mostly to your style and technique; what works best for you. The main things to keep in mind when writing your articles are: 1) That you inform your audience of what they want to know, not what you think they want or need to know. 2) Present your material in a way they can grasp. 3) Then answer their major questions before they have a chance to ask them. It sounds pretty simple on the surface and it is, after you have identified who you see when you write. I can tell you exactly who I see for every article I write. I write my articles to Betty Bob Wannano. You know Betty Bob, too, and may not realize it. All of us have friends, associates and acquaintances that we cherish and admire. Variety is the spice of life, right? There are occasions, however, when they just drive us straight up the walls with questions, doubts and arguments. When I sit down to write articles, I let my mind gather together a group of these people that would have an interest in the topic; male and female, young and old, professionals and laypeople alike.

You will usually find that you have a collection of inquisitives, doubters and sharpshooters taking aim to drop your

position on the topic dead in its tracks. I pick the top three from each category to use for my purposes. Squeeze these images together in your mind until they meld into one face with one voice and you have just given birth to Betty Bob Wannano. If you have been successful, you will hear their queries, fears and challenges to your work as you write and edit. You have given your audience a specific persona that is very familiar to you. You know what this one will ask, what that one will doubt and where the other one will try to argue their points. Beat them to the punch. Give them the information they want while being prudent with their time. There is no reason to go overboard with explanations and details, just provide enough in the way of answers to build their confidence in you. You are not selling a product or service, just yourself as an expert in this field. They will want to know more about what you know if you have written a good work and they are convinced you know what you speak of. They will seek out your link, find you and get the rest of the story.

If one set of individuals doesn’t get the results you need, simply move down your mental list of people you know and start the process over again. I find that using this method helps me put a more personal touch on my writing and believe you will, too. The bottom line is to find what works for you. Find a way to answer the questions your audience will have before they even ask to build their confidence in you and reach expert status on your niche topic.