In our previous blog, we talked about the five questions to ask to help ensure that your content serves your audience and your purposes. Now, we want to take a slightly more light-hearted look at some of the common content pitfalls and steps you can take to avoid them.
Face it, no one ever enjoyed those college lectures hosted by the professor who had little real-world experience and simply reiterated what was stated in the textbook. Similarly, there’s a reason why the greasy used car salesperson became a cliché – no one wants to hear from someone simply trying to sell us something without relating to our concerns and needs. That’s why we always consider our audience and their concerns before we start thinking about our story or how we tell it.
When in doubt, consider these three writer personas and stay as far away from them as you possibly can.
- The boring professor – Just reiterating what’s already been said or published and adding no context or commentary, simply parroting what others have already more engagingly stated.
- The used car salesman – Going into a straight sales pitch with no regard for your audience or their needs, essentially pushing your own agenda, assuming that if you are persistent enough, your audience will eventually give in and agree.
- The Cliff Clavin know-it-all – The stereotypical character from the sitcom Cheers, who knows everything and shares it all without considering what your audience really wants. They ignore the old saying that less is more and instead defer to offering every technical detail even when their audience has already checked out.
All of these personas ignore the audience and their concerns. They don’t tailor the message, and they don’t add value to the conversation. In short, they are boring, tone deaf and lack credibility. If you want to avoid becoming these personas and truly engage your readers, start by thinking about their concerns and how you can help them in a way that others can’t or haven’t.