Give your reader a face

Write to a specific person. Imagine their eyes, nose, ears, and all the rest as you write. Give your reader a face.

Every creator practices on an audience of one. A drawing for mom, a letter to Santa. I got my start pleasing an eccentric English teacher. My first blog was an extended love letter to someone on Craig’s List. And as I write these words, I’m thinking about you.

Let marketers chase the broadest audience. Universal appeal is a myth. Only water is for everyone and even then some prefer it sparkling.

There is no dependable definition of “Generation Z” or “mothers” or “product managers.” Find the face, not a demographic. Write to Jen, not to Gen Z. Paradoxically, the more specific your writing, the more universal it will feel.

The twist: you must give the reader a face, too. Yours. They don’t want words, they want a voice. Show them your smudged glasses and your 3am thoughts. The surest way to find your people is to reveal yourself first.