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5 Bullet-Proof Methods To Connect With Your Audience
You want to connect with your audience. Very well! Now, say after me: What’s in it for them?
Say it loud to yourself. Say it to your co-worker in the cubicle to your right. Say it again and again until you’re sure you’ll never forget it.
What’s in it for them. What does that mean? I’ll tell you: To know the answer to the question “what’s in it for them?“, is the first and most important secret you should know of when you’re about to connect with an audience. Read on for the explanation!
5 working rules on how to connect with your target audience
1.Tell them what’s in it for them
To connect with an audience, the most important thing is to immediately give them what they want to know. And what they want to know is always an answer to the question “what’s in it for me?”
Do it fast. Start with it. People read less than you think and if they don’t find anything interesting for them, they will stop reading before they reach a 100 words or so.
So when you write, tell your audience as quick as possible which benefits they will get if they stay with you until the end of your text.
And when you speak, make sure you get straight to the point if you want to keep your audience awake.
2. Solve their problems
What keep your customers, readers and clients up at night?
Get into their heads, figure it out and find solutions to their difficulties. Tell them how you or your product can help. Be concrete and show them how.
3. Use storytelling as a powerful tool
Tell your audience a story about your products, your company or about a client you have helped in a successful way.
People love stories. Stories connect and persuade. Stories will make your offer come to life.
4. Address your readers
Write and speak directly to your audience (you, your and yours), instead of from your own perspective (I, me, mine, we, us, and ours).
To address someone by name or as a member of a certain group, creates a deeper bond between you.
5. Skip useless information
Rather than focus on complicated details about your product, your service or yourself, stress how your audience will benefit from your service or product.
To connect well is about others’ needs, and your solution to them.
Would you like to add something to this list? Please do so in the comment box below or tweet me @CoSkills.
Photo credit:
ukaszSie via photopin cc
brentdanley via photopin cc
Tweets about this article
Great article Anna, short and soooo true ! “@coskills: 5 Bullet-Proof Methods To Connect With Your Audience is.gd/xFsebj”
— Duvyz World (@talk2duvy) February 2, 2013
About the author
Anna Rydne is a communications specialist, a mother and a small business owner. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, she's determined to uncover the secrets of how successful people and companies communicate. Anna has a special interest in social media marketing and personal branding and she believes the road to success is trying. She tweets about all things comms, social media and marketing @CoSkills and writes for SteamFeed.com twice a month. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology. Contact her at anna@communicateskills.com.
This just became my checklist before posting to my blog! Well though out, Anna.
Thank you Chad! Glad it could help!
Great post here, Anna! Very good information I know I can use
That’s great news Dianne! Thank you for taking your time to comment!
[...] How to Connect with Your Audience var dd_offset_from_content = 40; var dd_top_offset_from_content = 0;BioLatest Posts Anna RydneFounder at Communicate [your] Skills Anna Rydne is a communications specialist, a mother and a small business owner. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, she's determined to uncover the secrets of how successful people and companies communicate. Anna has a special interest in social media marketing and personal branding and she believes the road to success is trying. She tweets about all things comms, social media and marketing @CoSkills and writes for SteamFeed.com twice a month. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology. Contact her at anna@communicateskills.com. [...]