3 Ways to Create a World Your Audience Wants to Enter

In my early days as a fiction writer, I was…florid. Coming from many years of writing poetry, I knew the need to immerse the reader in my world, but I hadn’t recalibrated for the extra space the short story format allows versus a non-epic poem.

I still love descriptive language, but I’ve since learned to adapt it to the medium (and purpose) of the story.

Everything you write for your brand can’t (and shouldn’t) be a wonderland of words. By the time people get to BOFU content they want things a bit more straightforward: specs, comparable benefits, testimonials from peers, etc.

That leaves plenty of room for fun in your TOFU and wiggle room in your MOFU content, however.

I tend to go over the top in my initial storytelling and then reign it in significantly during the editing process. Here are some shortcuts for bringing your audience into your world that should land you somewhere in the middle:

1.Start with the unexpected. Humans live for stories, and stories have drama/conflict. There was an incident recently with military horses running loose through the streets of London. The story could have started with just those facts. Instead, the reporter set the scene with, “This is where the chaos began.”

Try this exercise: Think of your brand as a genre of fiction, then write an opening line in the style of that genre. What’s the journey/narrative arc you want your audience to follow?

2. Don’t be afraid to alliterate, elaborate, and/or elevate. I admit that I am much too in love with alliteration—it is one of those things on my editing checklist I always have to pare back. But it is an effective way to help your audience remember key points or catchy phrases. Same goes for longer explanations using similes, metaphors, anecdotes, or allegories. You’re trying to relate to your audience, and as long as you’re using accessible references, it’s worth a go. And newsjacking isn’t just for PR professionals. Even if you’re not creating formal thought leadership, you can bump your visibility by making (relevant) allusions to bigger world happenings.

A familiar rule applies with all of these: Everything in moderation. If it feels or sounds like you’re trying too hard, your audience may be put off. Baby steps.

3. Remind them of your humanity. In fiction your protagonist could be 10 feet tall and purple with no eyes and six arms, but the author makes them relatable through traits they share with humans. These traits should be front and center in your story. Marketing 101: Know your customer’s pain points and address them. Storytelling 101: Know your audience’s expectations and deliver on those, whether through a traditional telling or a flip of the script.

Tropes exist for a reason: Your audience shouldn’t have to dig or connect the dots to see how your story is applicable to them. They should feel like the center of your story.