6 Helpful Tips to Find Your Article Audience

Some writers as they begin their writing career either have a niche they focus on or they write across a variety of general subjects.

Some writers write as a hobby and some write just to write.

Which one are you?

Other writers are focused on their subjects and tailor their language to a specific reading audience, and already have a plan in place for how they will market their skills.

If you narrow your subjects down to build your writing platform, this can help you gain more attention as you promote your material.

Tip #1 — Who is going to read your article?

If you write for an online writing platform, you know external readers are part of the equation. You can have thousands of views, but reading is what counts.

With Vocal Media, you hope you gain a readership, that readers share your stories, and maybe someone leaves you a tip. The stronger your readership, whether internal or external, your potential earnings have a higher possibility. But gaining that readership can be challenging. Here, too, you can have many, many views, but reading is measurable to bucks.

If you write for Medium, only internal registered Members' reading time factors into earnings. Readership can grow with the connections you make through feedback and followers who read your content.

If you write for Newsbreak, you hope for a steady stream of readers which includes external reading traffic. You can get some writing practice there and you can’t generally judge your readership based on the negative uneducated comments alone. There’s potential for earnings there if you know what the readers want. I had one viral article that paid me a surprise based on reads, but the reality is you never know when your article will be viral.

If you’re wanting to attract certain readers, then you need to focus on the details that appeal to them — remember, you’re having a conversation with them. If you want them to be your reading “customers,” then you need to focus on their reading needs, right?

Tip #2 — Work to grow your audience

Let’s say you typically write about automotive repair or how to build your own computer. One way to expand your audience is to consider writing about other subjects like urbanization and how to have a communal garden on the roof or ways to stop feeling guilty about not cleaning the house. The list can go on and on but you get the gist. Maybe, too, your existing audience might be interested in other things associated with the primary subjects you write about.

Even though I like to write about cold cases and how to increase the marketability of those articles across other writing platforms, there’s a wide variety of other subjects that have interested readers.

Tip #3 — Researching subjects

Do some research to see what the trending subjects are online keeping in mind they change often. What types of genres are top sellers on Amazon, for example, especially if you’re considering writing a book on a certain genre.

On all three platforms mentioned above, I know that true crime is a popular subject. I do seem to gravitate towards how-to’s for developing writing skills as well as a host of other subjects.

Learn more about top writers and what subjects they generally write about. Take a peek to see how many followers they have regardless of their platform. If you study the audience on other platforms, this can help you see some trends of popular subjects that interest them. Hopefully, soon Vocal will provide a comments section too because feedback is valuable.

Tip #4 — Are your followers on social media?

You might be surprised how much you can learn about your followers or other writers on social media, particularly other subjects they might be interested in. Maybe some of your own followers enjoy house plants, sports, landscaping, refurbishing furniture, etc. Those are some additional subjects you can include in your list of articles. Test the waters.

For example, if you performed a search on Google for “vegetable gardening blogs,” you get a return of Top 80 Vegetable Gardening Blogs and Websites for 2021 right at the top. You can take the time to check out this material to obtain more subjects to write about and as I say, test the waters, you might develop another popular subject to write about thereby creating the potential to increase your article audience.

You can also do a search for any of the subjects you’re interested in to see if there are other components of your subjects for writing consideration. If you have a blog, try to connect with other bloggers who have the same general interest in a subject as you do. A connection can generate more exposure to the types of subjects you write about. You can link your articles to your blog as well.

Tip #6 — Paying it forward

Be involved in reading the content of other writers. You cannot solely expect readers to read your content if you aren’t taking the time to read their articles or stories. If we’re all in this big writing picture to increase earnings, that’s how we help each other and grow as a vast writing community.

If you come across a meaningful article or blog that could help other writers achieve their goals, share it in a piece you're writing that might be relevant. When you promote the writing of others, this indirectly can generate some potential gain into your own audience.

So, besides writing, be an active reader. You can’t be a successful writer without reading a lot.

I hope the above tips were helpful. It’s simple advice to put in your pocket while you plan your writing journey.

© Cathy Coombs (2022)