The Business of Self-Publishing

The Business of Self-Publishing


2 Writing Tips to Show Your Non-fiction Readers You Understand Them

February 15, 2021

Updated January 30, 2023


Subtitle

Easy writing techniques that will help you attract, connect, and hold on to your readers


Synopsis
Here are two fundamental and powerful non-fiction writing techniques to show your readers that you understand them and their issues. These two writing techniques, along with a hefty dose of sincerity, honesty, and respect for yourself, your subject matter, and the reader, will go a long way to helping you build an audience of readers, followers, and buyers.


The Professor with screwdriver


What You Will Learn

1. You will learn why you need to write in such a way that helps you build an emotional connection with your readers.

2. You will learn how and why you need to talk to your readers and not at them.

3. You will learn how and why you need to convey your enthusiasm to the reader.


Introduction

You are a small business owner or a sole proprietor. And you write a blog aimed at your audience of current customers and prospective customers. You are using your blog to show the world you are an expert in your field.


You are willing to share the experiences and knowledge you have gained during your career. You want your customers and prospects to know that you have the solutions and answers to their problems because you understand them and what they are going through.


You are one of them and want to help them succeed. To show your audience all of this is true and that you are for real, there are some simple but powerful ways to prove this to them in your writing.


I have compiled two of my favorites here that you can immediately apply to your writing and make it more engaging:


Writing Tip # 1. Talk to Your Readers, Not at Your Readers

Talking to your audience in their words, their terms, their phrases, and at their level is a very persuasive writing technique. If you are an expert with many years of experience, this should be easy for you.


Speak to your audience, customers, and prospects in such a way that conveys you genuinely want to help them solve their problems and become more successful. You might be an expert, a Ph.D., a professor, a celebrity, and highly successful. But you must never, ever talk down to your audience.


For example, do not make yourself sound important by using big or obscure words. Or boast about your most significant accomplishments. You will immediately look insecure and immature. Your audience will be insulted and never come back.


It will be challenging to become successful by alienating your audience. You need your audience as much as your audience needs you. You would not be writing if you didn’t need your audience for whatever personal and professional reasons you might have.


Talking in a helpful, friendly, respectful, conversational way goes a long way to getting people to listen to you and trust you. This is how you build an audience of readers, followers, and buyers.


Writing Tip # 2. Convey Your Enthusiasm

Showing your enthusiasm for the subject matter AND your enthusiasm for sharing and helping your readers is a powerful writing technique. This kind of enthusiasm cannot be faked. Readers can detect nonsense from a mile away.


You will lose them forever once they get a whiff of dishonesty. If you do not have this enthusiasm, why are you wasting your time and the reader’s time by writing in the first place?


Enthusiasm, excitement, passion for a subject, and wanting to share it to help people are compelling. It will get every reader excited too. They will want to know more about the topic AND you. This mindset is how you build an audience of readers, followers, and buyers.


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Conclusion

Now you have two easy-to-implement writing techniques that will help you attract, connect, and hold on to your readers. These two writing techniques, along with a hefty dose of sincerity, honesty, and respect for yourself, your subject matter, and the reader, will go a long way to helping you build an audience of readers, followers, and buyers.


Questions to Think About

1. What are some of the writing techniques you have utilized to connect with your readers?

2. What are some of the writing techniques that you have utilized to show your enthusiasm for your subject?