How to Create Your Ideal Reader Profile -047

This is part two in a series of how to find your perfect audience. Read part one here and join the conversation in the Facebook group on how to create your ideal reader profile!

How deep have you gone with finding your perfect audience? Have you traced it down to a single ideal reader?

Some people have given this ideal reader (often called an avatar) a name. They know where she shops, what clothes she wears, what kind of beverage she drinks in the morning. Me? Not so much. I always balk against this idea, though I think it is so important to know your ideal reader profile.

I think it’s important to create your ideal reader profile for a few reasons. It helps you really zero in on the kind of content that you create for your readers. You can write more personally when you have someone in mind. You have clarity and cohesion in your message.

But. I’ve written about my main beef with this before— our readers are more diverse than that one person. And each person is way more complex than a simple profile we could complete. The more you get to know your ACTUAL readers, the more you’ll know this is true.

In part three of this series, we will get to know your current readers better, but for now let’s start by thinking of your idea. Not just thinking, but I want you to actually plot this out. That’s why I’ve created this 10-page guide to help you profile your perfect reader!

This guide will walk you through the demographics (things like: age, marital status, household income, gender) and psychographics (things like: interests, hobbies, desires, dreams). You’ll think about their financials, their business, their online habits, and more. It goes deep. It’s not for the faint of heart.

At the end, you will have a great deal of knowledge about your ideal reader. This helps you think about who wants to read every blog post you write. The person who will buy all of your books and be the first in line to buy your new course. This is the person whose needs are met in what YOU have to offer.

Because ultimately, I think that your ideal reader is more than a demographic or psychographic. This is the person that needs YOU. Use the guide to hone in on that ideal, but know that your actual audience will always be more complex and full-dimensional than the most detailed profile.

Have you ever tried to really define your ideal reader? Share your experience in the comments! 

This week’s episode is super short (I’ve got a cold and can hardly talk), but you can take a listen here!

Listen to Create If Writing – Episode 047