Writing On HubPages - Perception

You are here at HubPages because of your love of writing. By this I think you mean that you have a need to transfer your thoughts to the minds of others via the written word - I call this written communication. We have various means of communicating our thoughts and the written word is the most powerful as we have time to think and to adjust and to re-examine and to express abstract concepts that we do not have with other media.

We should use all of the tools at our disposal to achieve what we are striving for: a committed and faithful audience that is gripped by our enthusiasm, knowledge, skill, wit and commitment. We, as authors, must always be at one with the audience that we enthuse to read our articles.

How do we achieve this?

Through self-marketing and understanding the perception our audience has of us.

Over time we build up a following of committed readers by marketing ourselves and our products (articles). Our efforts attract both those that are fleeting passers-by that are not attracted to what we have to say once they have tasted a morsel and those that want the whole three course meal after seeing and digesting the entrée.

We have no way of grabbing the will-o'-the-wisp that flits in and out, except by producing something that tickles it's taste buds sufficiently for them to stay. Our concentration now should be on keeping our audience just on the edge of fulfillment. Not too full that they have to go and have a lie down. Not too unfulfilled that they go somewhere else to satisfy their cravings.

We must satisfy them, just enough, on a number of levels:

In some way, somehow, each member of our audience was motivated to test whether one of our articles could give them the satisfaction they desired. Once a perception is established in the audience member's mind's-eye that sitting through our performance will give them satisfaction at the end and motivate them to attend yet more of our concerts, we must satisfy that perception.

By creating new content but within a general theme that caters for our target audience we enhance their perception that we are singing their tune. We are personalising their experience of our commitment to them. We must lead them on the path to enlightenment, in small but significant steps, so that we eke out every last ounce of emotion that they can commit to us.

Like a pusher we must feed their addiction - never let them experience 'cold turkey'. Ensure you keep their drug on tap ready for their next fix. Your audiences' perception of you must be that they can go to your cupboard and it will never be bare. The longer you author articles the more there is in the cupboard - but try never to let it get stale.

You expect loyalty from your audience. But this is a fickle being. One minute it is being propounded vehemently: the next it is laid at the door of another. In order to command loyalty, you must offer it in return. Your audience must perceive that you are writing for them. Once you have built your clientèle you must offer them the designer clothes that they admire so much.

You must give the perception that you understand exactly what they need from your articles. It is much easier to do this if you serialise your articles. You know that your audience came to see you as a punk rocker so do not offer them new romantic themes. Keep them coming back like they would for 'Eastenders' or 'Neighbours' or 'CSI'. You know they have to have their fix. Understand how to present that to them on a plate.

Your audience is motivated by a sense that they can commune with you. They perceive that you are at least at their level of intellect, if not a little higher. They understand your humour otherwise they would be lost and gone. These of your attributes are what motivate attendance at your altar of words. Sermonise to fulfil their passion and belief that you will say something that reverberates through their being as something that they had not quite been able to summon from the depths of understanding but that they believed to be true.

You stand as the rock on which they can stand and view the expanse of the Pacific. The view that inspires them to travel to the ends of the world to read what you have to say. Once they perceive that you can jiggle up their thought processes; conjure up majick; find the philosopher stone; tease them; enlighten them, then you have an audience forever, even after you are gone.

And what are you aiming towards?

You are aiming to enter into a contract with them such that you love, honour and obey (OK forget the last one, we have moved on from the dark days) each other. Your audience will only enter into that contract if it is reciprocated. So show them your love. How?

1. By producing what they want,
2. In the style that they want,
3. With the content that they want and
4. With a lot of affection.

Never forget that a divorce could be just around the corner. And it will be very expensive. If you lose your audience your heart's desire will be gone. Like a small God without a following you will be gone forever.

Understand the perception your audience has of you. Nurture it and fondle it and love it and caress it and it will give you the loving that you obviously crave, otherwise "Why are you here?".