The whole point of writing is that someone reads your work.

If you have got a powerful message or compelling story to tell, you want to get it out there.

But first you need to build a target audience that will engage with your business and become keen advocates for your brand.

Here is how you can sustainably create a following:

1) Identify your target market

It may sound obvious, but before you do anything you need to make sure you have an audience for your content.

The best way to do that is to carry out your market research to determine exactly who your reader is and what their interests are.

Once you know that, you will be able to provide them with timely and valuable information that meets their needs.

2) Choose the right platform(s)

Today, there are so many different channels to promote your content on that it’s hard to know where to start.

As a basic, you need to have a website explaining what your business is, and the products or services you offer.

Other mediums include email newsletters and getting your content published on other people’s websites.

But to reach a wider audience, you should use the right social media platform(s),whether it’s business-to-business (eg LinkedIn), business-to-consumer (eg Facebook) or picture-led (eg Instagram).

Focus on doing one platform well rather than multiple ones poorly.

3) Have a clear strategy for each platform

Every social media platform is different, so you need to take a different approach with each.

For example, you should adopt a professional style and tone on LinkedIn, whereas you can be more casual on Twitter.

You should always be looking to repurpose content so it can be used across multiple channels, for example, blogs can be turned into newsletters or e-books.

4) Engage with your audience regularly

In today’s digitally-interconnected world, it’s all about being current.

That’s why you need to regularly keep your followers updated on the latest news, advice and offers that are relevant to them.

You should use analytics programmes such as Google Analytics to research when is the best day and time to send out your content that is likely to get the most engagement with your target audience.

And don’t do the hard sell – the aim is to keep the conversation going, listen to what your followers have to say, answer their questions and share your experience.

5) Be targeted in your approach

Social media is a big place, so you need to make sure you are hitting the right spot.

That means personalising your content as much as possible by making them feel like they are your only client because you are writing specifically about their needs.

Using hashtags linked to interesting and topical subjects is another way to better engage your audience.

Get in touch

  • For help in building an engaged audience that will read and respond to your content, give me a call on +44 (0)7949 590213, email alex@alexwrightcopywriter.com or visit alexwrightcopywriter.com