How To Connect With Your Readers

Home > Blog > Tips > How To Connect With Your Readers

Thereʼs nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.
-Walter Wellesley ʻRedʼ Smith

If you have a moment, Iʼd like to travel back in time to when you were bored out of your mind in history class, watching the clock move backwards as the teacher mumbled meaningless dates, documents, and names. Remember how hard it was to memorize all of that information?

Well that was my experience. I just didnʼt realize it would help me become a better writer some day. However, when I first began my personal development blog, I started out writing posts very much like my old history teachers gave lessons. I would…

  • lay out the problem(s)
  • tell my solution(s)
  • follow up with supporting ideas/facts
  • finish off with a conclusion

It was like reading a school essay, and that is no way to build traffic. Readers did not respond to it just like I did not respond to those history lessons.

 

Connecting with Readers

To get a response, I needed to give them something to identify with. Make them want to read on, comment and share it with the world. In order to build traffic, I needed my articles to be worth sharing. However, I had no idea what a the secret of popular posts was, so I just kept on writing….for months.

Then, one day out of the blue, I remembered Mr. Joe. When I was in college Mr. Joe taught history differently. When he recapped the American Revolution, it was so vivid that I wanted to attack the next person I saw wearing a red coat. Suddenly the facts were not so hard to remember.

I didnʼt even need to study for his test. It was if I lived the answers. This was because Mr. Joeʼs fascinating lessons provided much more than facts. They included the gossip, popular music, jokes, beliefs, and styles of the time period.

To sum it up, they gave us an understanding of the human experience from that moment in history.

 

The Moment of Discovery

Inspired by Mr. Joe, I let my humanity fill up my articles. Suddenly my posts were not only easier to write, but they lead to comments, social media shares, and direct emails filled with praise. My subscriber list steadily began growing and I have been using the same approach ever since.

Life is the one thing we all have in common, so readers respond to ʻreal lifeʼ stories. They identify with the same struggles, fears, and letdowns that we all do. When I am writing a personal development post, I simply try to picture myself back at the point when I first learned the lesson I want to share.

  • Where was I?
  • What was I doing?
  • What did I feel, see, hear, smell?
  • Why did this lesson suddenly stand out to me?

Writing about the moment of discovery allows for a better connection with your readers. It gives your message a unique delivery, because no matter how similar the lesson, no one learns it exactly the same way.

Make it Worth Sharing

By adding in a little personal human experience, you provide a connection for others who may have experienced something similar. It draws the reader into your world, and gives them a break from their own.

It’s what defines a post worth sharing. I always identify much better with a blog post that makes me say, ʻ…I had an experience just like thatʼ, than one where I say, ʻ…thatʼs a great pointʼ. Add in a little human experience to your writing.

Make it vivid, and donʼt be afraid what someone may think. Simply tell it exactly like it is. After all, you are trying to reach the world, and nothing travels faster than a great story.

RECENT POSTS

How To Launch A Writing Career: 10 Tips For Success

Many creatives want to launch a writing career, but taking the steps to do so is a frequent roadblock. The good news is, if you want to launch a writing career and are committed to doing so, you’re likely to succeed.  Of course, the definition of success is...

6 Book Introduction Examples: Helpful Secrets To Compelling Intros

The topic of book introduction examples is vital to dive into due to their influence on readers’ mindset. How a reader feels when he or she starts chapter one and page one of your manuscript impacts how they respond to your writing. When you’ve spent weeks, months, or...

5 Tips To Write Faster: Finish Your Book In Record Time

Did you know that if you want to write faster than the average typist (40 words per minute) there are actionable steps you can take to do so? Whether you are working on typing out your debut novel or have been in the game for years, there’s always an opportunity to...

Vision Boards For Writers: 3 Ways To Achieve Your Dreams

Vision boards are more than just a fun activity to engage in at the start of a new year or season. While vision boards are often designed to be aesthetically pleasing and can be a relaxing activity, they actually can be more helpful to your writing dreams than you...

JOIN OVER 2 MILLION READERS

WANT YOUR NEXT BOOK TO BE A BESTSELLER?

Then you need KDP Rocket – the killer advantage of pro authors.

Related Posts

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. But as you may discover once you get a foothold in the industry, it’s more than possible to turn it into a full-time job and lifelong career. There are some hurdles that you have to overcome,...

About The Author

Mary Jaksch

Mary Jaksch is best known for her exceptional training for writers at WritetoDone.com and for her cutting-edge book, Youthful Aging Secrets. In her “spare” time, Mary is also the brains behind GoodlifeZEN.com, a Zen Master, a mother, and a 5th Degree Black Belt.

Latest Posts

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. But as you may discover once you get a foothold in the industry, it’s more than possible to turn it into a full-time job and lifelong career. There are some hurdles that you have to overcome,...

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. - Jack London No matter how much you love writing, there will always be days when you need inspiration from one muse or another. In fact, I would argue that inspiration is not just a desirable...