Who are you writing to? | Challenge Part 1
Master Your Message: Define & Document Your Writer's Voice
Welcome to The Content Brief 💼, a community designed to help you take control of your content with a strategy and system to make it feel simple. It’s less “how to succeed on Substack” … more *how to stay sane* as the Editor in Chief of your content.
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⏪ Last time, I introduced this challenge and what you’ll get out of it (hint: your own Writer’s Voice and Style Guide!). Find that here.
⏩ Today, who is the exact person you want to attract and serve with your writing?
When was the last time you opened an email and found yourself nodding along, maybe even wondering if it was written just for you?
I’d guess not that long ago. There’s probably a number of them in your inbox now.
I’ve even had a few people reply to the weekly email I send as part of my full-time role with an international nonprofit thinking I had, in fact, written the email just to them. #winning
So what makes a piece of writing meant for mass consumption feel so personal?
It doesn’t really matter what you’re sharing, the first step is to understand who you want to reach. Once you know, you can talk to just one person—your “ideal” reader.
Because, as the saying goes, if you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one.
Specificity is how you attract the *right* people.
And when you write directly to that person, that’s when you can connect through your content—when it feels personal, purposeful. It shows in how you engage with them, the references you make, and the focus of your work.
It might seem obvious, but it’s worth reminding ourselves that readers are real people (not just a list of traits) reading *solo* on their devices. So rather than listing out a bland collection of data or talking to everyone at once, it’s so helpful to create a character—a specific person who’s interested in reading your work. Imagine how they will react to a post idea. Write it to them.
So who is that one person? For this exercise, you’ll think through both how that person moves through the world (ie. demographics – what they are doing) and who they are in the world (ie. psychographics – who they are being).
Treat the following like a workbook:
Step 1: Reflect on the following
Who do you want to serve–who is that one person?
Who is your favorite person you’ve worked with?
Who needs what you offer?
Who are you uniquely able to help?
What’s their first name (made up is ok!)?
How do you refer to them as a “type” (ie. creative entrepreneur, new puppy owners, etc.).
What does their life look like?
What do they do for work?
Where do they live?
Where do they spend time online?
What do they care deeply about?
What do they do outside of work?
What do they like to read?
What kind of memes are they sending their friends?
What do they want to learn more about?
Tip: Who often engages with you on Substack? Dig into their profiles a bit and see if you can identify any commonalities.
What are they struggling with?
What is their primary challenge? Be specific.
What does their struggle look like?
What have they tried to solve the problem that hasn’t worked?
What is their goal—what do they want as it relates to this challenge?
What possibility do you see for them that they can’t yet see for themselves? (In your writing, what’s in it for them?)
Step 2: Fill in the template
Based on the broad strokes of your reflection above, start to mix and match to create a “profile” of the one person you will try to reach with your writing. Use this template as a guide but feel free to adapt it to your ideal reader.
[Your business name] serves [ICA name], a [age] [gender], [marital status] with [number of children], living in [geographic location] with an annual income of [income range]. They are [education level] and work in [occupation or industry]. Their primary goals are [primary goals] and they value [core values]. Their pain points include [pain points]. In their free time, they enjoy [hobbies or interests] and consume media through [media channels]. They communicate primarily through [communication channels] and value [communication preferences]. They are [political/social leanings] and are influenced by [role models or influencers].
For example, here’s my own ideal reader draft:
The Content Brief serves Sara, a 30-year-old woman, married with one young child, living in a suburban area. She is a nurse and board-certified health coach, who started writing to help women see health can be simple and realistic. She is passionate about her work and feels it is her life's mission and purpose. She shops at Madewell and Ilia and enjoys going to little coffee shops and practicing hot yoga. She uses non-toxic home and self-care products and loves being outside, feeling more grounded there. She recently discovered "Mad Men" and is now watching all seasons. At dinner, she likes to order a hearty salad but always with a side of fries in the name of balance. She likes to connect with her online community but also craves disconnected time. She doesn’t subscribe to the “always on” mentality of today’s social media. She loves podcasts, productivity, journaling and mindfulness. She has a lot of ideas and is excited about building her publication on Substack but there are so many possibilities and tasks to do that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by it all, leaving her stuck in inaction or fruitless busyness.
Can you see how that level of specificity gives me more clarity and focus in writing to this one person and what she likes and dislikes? What she might relate to? What she needs?
Step 3: Grab your Writer’s Voice & Style Guide template and add to it, part by part as you move through the challenge
When you click the link, you will see a "read-only" version of the template in GoogleDocs. Click "Make a copy" to create your own copy to edit and customize. I keep this guide in my bookmarks bar for easy access and to serve as a constant reference and filter for everything I create.
Step 4: Share in the comments
📣 I’d love to hear from you. Head to the comments and join in!
What’s your Substack publication? Drop a link!
What’s an unlikely or unexpected commonality you’ve found among those who engage with you?
Share parts of your reflection or your character draft and/or let us know how it went!
⏩ Next up:
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear in the comments if this resonated or if there’s something you’re going to try. Seriously, drop a comment or hit reply. I'd honestly loooove to hear from you. Typing into the void isn't nearly as fun as interacting with a real human—you! 🫶
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