{"id":13002,"date":"2016-07-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-07-29T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits\/"},"modified":"2016-07-29T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-07-29T00:00:00","slug":"pen-portraits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits\/","title":{"rendered":"Pen portraits: understanding your ideal audience"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"vimeo space-bottom\">\n<iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/232048546?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"space\">\r\n<p><small>\ud83d\udcda This post is part of my <a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/business-blogging\/\" title=\"View my free business blogging guide \u2013 no subscription necessary\">business blogging guide<\/a>.<\/small><\/p>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<\/div>\n<p>Have you ever read a piece of writing that feels as though it were created just for you?<\/p>\n<p>The author of that text will have thought about the audience \u2013 what they would need to know and how they should be made to feel about it. This is the essence of <strong>good, persuasive writing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This post shows you how to build a picture of your ideal reader, so you write content suited to him or her. And that in turn will help turn those readers into customers and loyal fans.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<ul id=\"jump\">\n<li><a href=\"#intro\">Introduction<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#what-is-a-pen-portrait\">What is a pen portrait?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sample\">A sample pen portrait<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#real-example\">Real pen portraits<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#avatars-personas\">What about customer avatars and buyer personas?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sample-questions\">Sample questions for building your own pen portrait<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mistake\">The BIG mistake with pen portraits<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#celebrity\">The celebrity shortcut<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#social\">Pen portraits for social media<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#wrap-up\">Let&#8217;s wrap up<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"intro\">Introduction<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The way to win with content is to put a relentless focus on what the reader wants. <strong>Write for your audience first<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and any other keyword trickery should be secondary to writing for your target readers.<\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t write for any audience until you know who they are. That\u2019s where pen portraits come in.<\/p>\n<p>Getting your pen portrait right is an essential step in developing the right <a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/content-dna\/\">Content DNA<\/a>.<br \/>\n<p class=\u201djump\u201d><a href=\u201d#jump\u201d title=\u201dGo back to the links at the top of this page\u201d><span style=\u201dcolor:#303ab2\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#5bc500\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#f4633a\u201d><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-a-pen-portrait\">What is a pen portrait<span class=\"accent\">?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A <strong>pen portrait<\/strong> \u2013 also known as a <em>customer avatar<\/em> or a <em>buyer persona<\/em> \u2013 is a detailed picture of your ideal reader.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not talking about a literal picture, but rather the characteristics that make that reader who they are. It\u2019s the same as thinking of your \u2018key demographic\u2019 (terrible marketing speak, I know), only in a lot more detail.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The more detail, the better.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When you understand who this person is, you can write as though you were speaking directly to him or her. That leads to creating text that\u2019s more believable, more real. And when it comes to marketing, writing that resonates with your readers will help you do more business.<\/p>\n<p class=\u201djump\u201d><a href=\u201d#jump\u201d title=\u201dGo back to the links at the top of this page\u201d><span style=\u201dcolor:#303ab2\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#5bc500\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#f4633a\u201d><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sample\">A sample pen portrait<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of a pen portrait.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row space\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\">\n<ul class=\"bullet\">\n<li>Tina, 46 years old<\/li>\n<li>Married<\/li>\n<li>2 kids<\/li>\n<li>Lives in England<\/li>\n<li>Vegetarian<\/li>\n<li>Works part-time from home<\/li>\n<li>National Trust member<\/li>\n<li>Concerned about the environment<\/li>\n<li>University degree in English<\/li>\n<li>Not bothered about celebrity culture<\/li>\n<li>Can speak another language<\/li>\n<li>Prefers trains to cars<\/li>\n<li>Centre-left political views<\/li>\n<li>Not a fan of Brexit<\/li>\n<li>Not really a royalist<\/li>\n<li>Not as cool as her sister<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\">\n<ul class=\"bullet\">\n<li>Rarely thinks about church<\/li>\n<li>Likes to volunteer at local events<\/li>\n<li>Thinks DIY isn\u2019t that hard<\/li>\n<li>Loves books (but not ebooks)<\/li>\n<li>Likes camping and UK holidays<\/li>\n<li>Prefers literary festivals to Glastonbury<\/li>\n<li>Prefers walks to the gym<\/li>\n<li>Prefers glasses to contacts<\/li>\n<li>Prefers cats to dogs<\/li>\n<li>Sometimes listens to Radio 4<\/li>\n<li>Enjoys gardening<\/li>\n<li>Enjoys red wine more than white<\/li>\n<li>Competent IT user<\/li>\n<li>Not a fan of video games<\/li>\n<li>Likes 70s disco music<\/li>\n<li>Secret Take That superfan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>My pen portraits are always named Tony or Tina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This means I can regularly ask my clients the same sorts of question:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"bullet\">\n<li>What would Tony think of this?<\/li>\n<li>Is this good for Tina?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It might all sound a bit odd, but it works. <strong>The more specific you can be, the better<\/strong>. Going into minute detail and throwing in some unusual traits will help you avoid trotting out bland stereotypes.<\/p>\n<p>A generic pen portrait is no use, because it doesn\u2019t help you grasp the <strong>essence of the reader<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In truth, even my long list above only scratches the surface. The good news is that your brain can take in all this information and <strong>fill in gaps<\/strong>. Any trait, belief or experience you haven\u2019t already noted down will come naturally when you think about your pen portrait.<\/p>\n<p>Look again at the sample list above. Did you know Tina travelled across Europe for 3 months during her gap year? Of course she did. That\u2019s <em>so<\/em> Tina.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t a silly game. Knowing your audience and writing for them will get you results.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Imagine you&#8217;ve created your own Tony profile<\/strong>. Ask yourself these questions about him:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"bullet\">\n<li>What drives Tony?<\/li>\n<li>What are Tony&#8217;s problems and how can I fix them?<\/li>\n<li>How can I make life better for Tony?<\/li>\n<li>What would stop Tony becoming my customer?<\/li>\n<li>What language would help Tony to trust me?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11322 space\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bitmojohn-armchair-psychologist.jpg\" alt=\"Be an armchair psychologist.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\u201djump\u201d><a href=\u201d#jump\u201d title=\u201dGo back to the links at the top of this page\u201d><span style=\u201dcolor:#303ab2\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#5bc500\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#f4633a\u201d><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"real-example\">Real pen portraits<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"row space\">\n<div class=\"col-xs-6 col-xs-offset-3 col-sm-3 col-sm-offset-0\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_7230\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7230\" style=\"width: 220px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/tony\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7230 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/tony-markwick4@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Markwick headshot\" width=\"220\" height=\"330\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 220px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 220\/330;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7230\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/tony-markwick4@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Markwick headshot\" width=\"220\" height=\"330\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7230\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/tony\/\">Meet Tony<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-sm-9\">I practise what I preach, so I have a pen portrait for my own technical copywriting business.Surprise, surprise \u2013 he&#8217;s called <strong>Tony<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Tony&#8217;s married and pretends to support Crystal Palace \u26bd\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-full space\" href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/tony\/\">Meet Tony, my pen portrait<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>I haven&#8217;t stopped there. A few <a href=\"#espresso\">Espresso\u00a0\u2615\ufe0f<\/a> subscribers have shared their pen portraits with me, and I&#8217;ve shared these in another article:<\/p>\n<div class=\"row space\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_6653\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6653\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits-real-examples\/#louise\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6653 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/louise-harnby2017.jpg\" alt=\"Louise Harnby\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 200\/200;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6653\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/louise-harnby2017.jpg\" alt=\"Louise Harnby\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6653\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits-real-examples\/#louise\">Louise Harnby<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_6979\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6979\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits-real-examples\/#natalie\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6979 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/natalie-hailey.jpg\" alt=\"Natalie Hailey\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 200\/200;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6979\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/natalie-hailey.jpg\" alt=\"Natalie Hailey\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6979\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits-real-examples\/#natalie\">Natalie Hailey<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_6978\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6978\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits-real-examples\/#melissa\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6978 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/melissa-mahama.jpg\" alt=\"Melissa Mahama\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 200\/200;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6978\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/melissa-mahama.jpg\" alt=\"Melissa Mahama\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6978\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits-real-examples\/#melissa\">Melissa Mahama<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"avatars-personas\">What about customer avatars and buyer personas<span class=\"accent\">?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Marketers are awash with such buzzwords, but they all mean the same thing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pen portrait = customer avatar = buyer persona<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I prefer &#8216;pen portrait&#8217; because it feels more neutral and less salesy. Use whichever term you prefer.<\/p>\n<p class=\u201djump\u201d><a href=\u201d#jump\u201d title=\u201dGo back to the links at the top of this page\u201d><span style=\u201dcolor:#303ab2\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#5bc500\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#f4633a\u201d><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sample-questions\">Sample questions for building your own pen portrait<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To make your own pen portrait, start by asking yourself some basic questions about who your ideal audience member is. Here are 20 simple suggestions to get the ball rolling:<\/p>\n<div class=\"row space\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\">\n<ol>\n<li>Name<\/li>\n<li>Age<\/li>\n<li>Location<\/li>\n<li>Business name<\/li>\n<li>Relationship status<\/li>\n<li>Number of children<\/li>\n<li>Pet&#8217;s name<\/li>\n<li>Preferred mode of transport<\/li>\n<li>Favourite colour<\/li>\n<li>Favourite film<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\">\n<ol start=\"11\">\n<li>Favourite song<\/li>\n<li>Favourite book<\/li>\n<li>Favourite sports team<\/li>\n<li>Favourite food<\/li>\n<li>Favourite hot and cold drinks<\/li>\n<li>Ideal holiday destination<\/li>\n<li>Political stance<\/li>\n<li>Religion<\/li>\n<li>Attitude to risk<\/li>\n<li>Introvert or extrovert?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Once you get started, you should find that you can think of lots of other preferences to fill in for your pen portrait.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t limit yourself: the more detail, the better.<\/p>\n<p class=\u201djump\u201d><a href=\u201d#jump\u201d title=\u201dGo back to the links at the top of this page\u201d><span style=\u201dcolor:#303ab2\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#5bc500\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#f4633a\u201d><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mistake\">The BIG mistake with pen portraits<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There&#8217;s no doubt that pen portraits are useful in helping us find the right way of speaking to our customers. That&#8217;s why I ask clients to think about what their pen portrait would look like whenever I start a <a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/brief\/\">writing consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But, but BUT \u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>It&#8217;s not good to be too wedded to your pen portrait.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>Because sometimes you will be approached by clients who don&#8217;t fit the profile of your pen portrait. In your well-meaning belief that you need to serve a particular type of customer and <strong><em>only<\/em><\/strong> that type of customer, you might push away perfectly good business.<\/p>\n<p>Now, that&#8217;s fine if you have a queue of people stretching around the corner, all desperate to give you money. But that&#8217;s not how things are for most businesses.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ll give you an example for my technical copywriting business. My pen portrait is for <a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/tony\/\">Tony<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tony&#8217;s business installs custom metal pipes and parts. Does that mean that I can provide my technical writing services only to other businesses that work in the same field? Of course not.<\/p>\n<p>Tony also likes to wear an England rugby top Does that mean I can serve only England fans? No, that would be stupid.<\/p>\n<p>The same idea extends to every part of my Tony pen portrait.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I have permission to serve people who are not like my pen portrait.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9321\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9321\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9321 space lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/tony-bullseye@2x.jpg\" alt=\"The pen portrait as the centre of a customer dartboard\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/400;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9321 space\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/tony-bullseye@2x.jpg\" alt=\"The pen portrait as the centre of a customer dartboard\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9321\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can serve more than just your pen portrait<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I think it&#8217;s best to think of the pen portrait as the centre of a dartboard of potential customers. You need to have something to aim at, but if you don&#8217;t hit a bullseye then there are still plenty of scoring options on the board.<\/p>\n<p>So there: don&#8217;t become a slave to your pen portrait.<\/p>\n<p class=\u201djump\u201d><a href=\u201d#jump\u201d title=\u201dGo back to the links at the top of this page\u201d><span style=\u201dcolor:#303ab2\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#5bc500\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#f4633a\u201d><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"celebrity\">The celebrity shortcut<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If building a pen portrait isn&#8217;t for you but you feel as though you have a decent idea of what your ideal customer likes, try this shortcut:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Think of what celebrity would most appeal to your target audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you have someone in mind, imagine what they would say when talking to your ideal customer. If you can produce content that the reader feels is familiar and identifiable, you have the makings of an effective business writing style.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t suggest you abandon your own writing &#8216;voice&#8217; in favour of the chosen celebrity. But think about the opportunities to bring in some styles that would appeal to the audience without losing the essence of what you want to say.<\/p>\n<p class=\u201djump\u201d><a href=\u201d#jump\u201d title=\u201dGo back to the links at the top of this page\u201d><span style=\u201dcolor:#303ab2\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#5bc500\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#f4633a\u201d><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"social\">Pen portraits for social media<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you use social media, free analytics data could give you some idea of who your Tony or Tina is. Here are a couple of stats available in <a href=\"https:\/\/analytics.twitter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter\u2019s Analytics<\/a> dashboard, for example:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9328\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9328\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-audience-gender@2x.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9328 space lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-audience-gender@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Twitter Analytics: Audience gender for @espirian, June 2018\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/157;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9328 space\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-audience-gender@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Twitter Analytics: Audience gender for @espirian, June 2018\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9328\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twitter Analytics: Audience gender for @espirian, June 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9327\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9327\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-analytics-2018@2x.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9327 space lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-analytics-2018@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Twitter Analytics: Audience interests and consumer buying styles for @espirian, June 2018\" width=\"760\" height=\"220\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 760px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 760\/220;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9327 space\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-analytics-2018@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Twitter Analytics: Audience interests and consumer buying styles for @espirian, June 2018\" width=\"760\" height=\"220\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9327\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twitter Analytics: Audience interests and consumer buying styles for @espirian, June 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To check out your own stats, click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the Twitter website, then click <strong>Analytics<\/strong>. There are all sorts of goodies buried there.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9325\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9325\" style=\"width: 278px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-analytics-menu@2x.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9325 space lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-analytics-menu@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Twitter menu: Analytics\" width=\"278\" height=\"480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 278px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 278\/480;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9325 space\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/twitter-analytics-menu@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Twitter menu: Analytics\" width=\"278\" height=\"480\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9325\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twitter menu: Analytics<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\u201djump\u201d><a href=\u201d#jump\u201d title=\u201dGo back to the links at the top of this page\u201d><span style=\u201dcolor:#303ab2\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#5bc500\u2033><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span> <span style=\u201dcolor:#f4633a\u201d><i aria-hidden=\u201dtrue\u201d class=\u201dfas fa-arrow-alt-circle-up\u201d><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"wrap-up\">Let&#8217;s wrap up<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Whenever you write anything, make sure you <strong>keep your audience in mind<\/strong>. Creating a pen portrait will help you do that. It\u2019s simple and can be fun, so why not try it? Just remember to be <strong>as specific as possible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Keep a copy of your pen portrait on your desk. Next time you\u2019re at the keyboard, remember to write for Tony or Tina. They\u2019ll appreciate it and so will the rest of your readers.<\/p>\n<h2>Continue the business blogging guide<\/h2>\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<p>This post is part of my  <a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/business-blogging\/\">definitive business blogging guide<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"row\">\r\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\">\r\n<h3>Previous step<\/h3>\r\n<a href=\"\/the-30-month-mindset\" class=\"btn btn-primary cta space\"><i class=\"fi-arrow-left\">\u200b<\/i> Adopt the 30-month mindset<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\">\r\n<h3>Next step<\/h3>\r\n<a href=\"\/5-minute-branding\" class=\"btn btn-primary cta space\">Nail your brand values in 5 mins <i class=\"fi-arrow-right\">\u200b<\/i><\/a>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"calltoaction\" id=\"calltoaction\" name=\"calltoaction\">\n<h2>Need business blogging help<span class=\"accent\">?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Hire me to coach you or write content for your business.<\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"\/contact\/\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-full\">Get in touch<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row space\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\"><div class=\"recommendation space\">\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_7074\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7074\" style=\"width: 278px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/chris-plumbley.jpg\" alt=\"Chris Plumbley\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7074 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 110px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 110\/110;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/chris-plumbley.jpg\" alt=\"Chris Plumbley\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7074\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7074\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Plumbley<br \/>Senior Project Manager<br \/><strong>Sky<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p>I had the pleasure of working with John when making changes to our customer facing pages, specifically relating to a new product.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>John's ability to understand the product, the impact of the changes and come up with creative solutions to convey our message was first class.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>He's a gentleman and a pleasure to work with.<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\"><div class=\"recommendation space\">\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_9544\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9544\" style=\"width: 279px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/mark-masters@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Mark Masters\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9544 aligncenter lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 110px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 110\/110;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/mark-masters@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Mark Masters\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9544 aligncenter\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9544\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Masters<br \/>Audience Maker<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/theidgroup.co.uk\/\"  target=\"_blank\">The ID Group<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p>John's approach is perfect because he takes a step that goes beyond content creation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>John provides guidance on what you need to do to be found and not conform to the algorithm. His advice is invaluable. He has certainly been a guiding light for me.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Imagine a technical writing Mr Miyagi, but more handsome.<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- end row --><\/p>\n &nbsp;\n<div class=\"recommended\">\n<h2>Recommended reading<span class=\"accent\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/tony\/\">Pen portraits \u2013 Tony Markwick<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits-real-examples\/\">Pen portraits \u2013 real examples<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/who-can-make-my-writing-better\/\">Who can make my writing better?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/10-reasons-to-hire-me-as-your-technical-copywriter\/\">10 reasons to hire me as your technical copywriter<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever read a piece of writing that feels as though it were created just for you? The author of that text will have thought about the audience \u2013 what they would need to know and how they should be made to feel about it. This is the essence of good, persuasive writing. This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Pen portraits: understanding your ideal audience<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pen portraits = customer avatars = buyer personas. They&#039;re all about finding your ideal audience and writing just for them. Here&#039;s how.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/espirian.co.uk\/pen-portraits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pen portraits \u2013 understanding your ideal audience, by John Espirian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pen portraits = customer avatars = buyer personas. They&#039;re all about finding your ideal audience and writing just for them. 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