Henrietta started as my alter ego – a bit like the person I’d like to be.
My ideal reader is Sarah who is a coach. However, I’m noticing that Henrietta and Sarah are slowly morphing into one.
My ideal reader is definitely not a copywriter and not a freelance blogger. However, I have quite a few copywriters and freelance bloggers on my list. As soon as you start writing about copywriting, other copywriters will stop by to see whether they can learn something. And the same is true if you write about blogging, you attract freelance bloggers. And when you write about content marketing, you attract content marketers. They’re a natural audience, but not necessarily your core audience.
If you write for Dan, then you’ll still attract other copywriters and content marketers.
The problem arises if you address copywriters directly in your post by referring to “copywriters” and “content marketers”, then Dan feels immediately that you’re not writing for him. So he gets disinterested.
If you want to blog to generate leads, then Dan is your smarter target, as copywriters and content marketers are less likely to hire you.
I’d say that whether you are a copywriter or content marketer doesn’t matter too much at first as you can play around with this and see what you enjoy, what you feel comfortable with, and how you can help Dan. When your business is quite new, it’s more important to find the clients you enjoy working with (this is what I’m still slowly learning, too).
I started my business thinking that I’d become a content marketing consultant, but changed my mind and became a copywriter, and am now slowly becoming a blogging coach. This is partly because I get to know my ideal reader better and starting to understand how I can help.
Enchant readers. Woo customers. Win business.